Diep Tran
@diepthought.bsky.social
Editor in Chief of Playbill. Other words NY Times, NBC Asian America, NY Mag, Time Out NY. Views are my own. dtran@playbill.com dieptran.com
Watched WIDOW’S BAY in 4 nights. I love that it’s a showcase for how women, especially single women, hold a community together. Ruth is 85, helps people, and delivers bangers like “Life is a house of horrors.” Society wants to make older women expendable but WIDOW’S BAY shows they’re not
I speak to the organizers of Friday's Hands Off protest at the Kennedy Center, who are a mix of artists and former Kennedy Center staffers. Theater kids, getting stuff done! playbill.com/article/2-50...
2,500 Show Up at Kennedy Center Protest to Prevent Demolition
The protest was organized by Hands Off the Arts, made up of former Kennedy Center staff members.
playbill.com
The scams are getting weird. I got an email from a BBC journalist asking to speak to me on their podcast. It was very in-depth, and seemed like they knew about me, my career, and theater. Until I saw the email address: worldbookauthorinterviewbbcwor@gmail.com. Wasn't even spelled right
Had an emotionally heavy but productive week. First, talked to Patti LuPone on the phone for this feature, which also contains reflections from Susan Stroman (about The Producers resuming after 9/11), and the folks behind the "I Love New York Theatre" commercial playbill.com/article/broa...
Broadway Artists Remember 9/11 and How Theatre Became 'a Life Force'
Patti LuPone, Bernadette Peters, Betty Buckley, more reflect on the days after 9/11 and the 25th anniversary.
playbill.com
May we all, when we pass, be able to say, "I've done the best I could with my life."
Ellie Mae O'Hagan@elliemaeohagan.bsky.social · last mo.I love the dedication in My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinhem
Students at a performing arts high school in Louisville, Kentucky were told their production of Ragtime was cancelled. What happened next will melt your cynical heart as these students made the school district hear them playbill.com/article/this...
This Student Production of Ragtime Was Cancelled. Then Broadway Chimed in
Students at the Youth Performing Arts School in Kentucky went viral last week.
playbill.com
Sharing a great Dolly Parton quote, something I wish more people did instead of being defensive when they're wrong: "As soon as you realize that something is a problem, you should fix it. Don't be a dumbass." Fantastic Dolly retrospective by Lindsay Ellis www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJuK...
Yes, Dolly was Actually That Great
YouTube video by Lindsay Ellis
youtube.com
Me as a feminist after finishing this season of House of the Dragon
Just watched this new movie on Netflix called DON'T SAY GOOD LUCK. A girl is cast as Jenna in her high school production of Waitress and her mom (Melanie Lynskey) has cancer and her grandma is Bebe Neuwirth. 10/10 if you want a good cry and a very good rendition of "She Used to Be Mine"
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Watching House of the Dragon this season, it is impressive how they created a show while (I wouldn’t call it good) is immensely watchable despite every character being a terrible human. I am only rooting for the dragons
With Odyssey and Hadestown leading the cinema box office, what a time to have Greek mythology as your special interest. It’s a reminder why these tales get told and retold, they truly hit different every time
Just spent 2.5 weeks in Japan, and I’m most struck by how intentional things seem to be there. From the excellent food to the traffic cones shaped like frogs that said “sorry,” things seemed designed to be functional and nice to be around. Can’t live in Japan but I can live with more intention
Some eye opening reporting here with testimonies from staff members at Arena Stage. Kudos to @nicolehertvik.bsky.social and @rjritzel.bsky.social for these multifaceted investigations dctheaterarts.org/2026/07/05/a... www.notus.org/metro/arena-...
At Arena Stage, artists and staff describe a workplace in crisis
As former Artistic Director Hana S. Sharif exits, starkly different perspectives emerge on what brought instability to DC’s premier regional theater.
dctheaterarts.org
“Whenever I see an all-white cast in a play, I kind of get taken out. ‘This is still a thing that's happening?’ It just feels more honest when there are more people of color.” I talk to Jon Norman Schneider who is leading a wonderful all Asian production of Henry VI playbill.com/article/jon-...
Jon Norman Schneider Is Leading a Cast of 16 Asian-American Actors in Henry VI, Showing That Shakespeare Truly Is Universal
This longtime stage actor had never done Shakespeare before, then NAATCO called him.
playbill.com
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce getting married in NYC at MSG during July 4th and the World Cup, disrupting New Yorkers' commutes in the process, using NYC taxpayer dollars for NYPD presence...we gotta tax these billionaires more.
“An excitement about a person of color in leadership … only then for those leaders to be handed a financial model that was unsustainable and really tough for them to succeed.” Really great analysis of why Hana Sharif left Arena Stage after just 3 years alheartley.substack.com/p/feature-no...
Feature, Not a Bug: How Regional Theater Keeps Setting Leaders of Color Up to Fail
Hana Sharif's resignation from Arena Stage raises more questions about the field's problem with keeping leaders of color and regional theater's financial structure.
alheartley.substack.com
Considering that a vocal opposition party is essential in the fight against tyranny, it seems New Yorkers want leaders who will stand up to fascism. And the Democrats who are upset should ask themselves which side they are really on
My favorite genre of Jimmy Awards performers continues to be high schoolers channeling the souls of unhappily married middle aged people. Theater kids really grow up fast
Warriors vs Paddington, I'm already so stressed out about the 80th Tony Award
As an overachieving shortie, never thought I would relate to a 6'2'' basketball player. But seeing Jalen Brunson work so hard while being shorter than everyone else, I feel that. Love a (relatively) short king
On Monday, I spoke to Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, Mark Sonnenblick about writing the Tonys opening number in 6 days, and whose demented brain came up with the line "Gitchie gitchie Laurie Metcalf." This really proves there's nothing like a good brainstorm
How 3 Oscar-Winning Songwriters Wrote Pink’s Tony Awards Opening Number in Just 6 Days
Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, Mark Sonnenblick reveal who came up with the line "Gitchie gitchie Laurie Metcalf."
playbill.com
How did I spend my Tony Sunday? I went to dress rehearsal at Radio City at 9 AM, then oversaw Playbills Tony coverage in our office until 2AM. We published 31 articles yesterday (we did a lot of prep beforehand). And yes that means I did watch the Tonys in their entirety twice. Here’s my takeaway
Not only can Ali Louis Bourzgui rock a mullet, he is brave, to say that Palestinians “deserve to live a fruitful life, a free life, a full life without occupation” on TV. And considering the angry comments we’ve received for even reporting on it, Ali said the right thing playbill.com/article/ali-...
Ali Louis Bourzgui Honors Arab Theatre Makers, Palestine Winning Featured Actor Tony Award for The Lost Boys
This is Bourzgui's first win and first nomination. Read his full speech here.
playbill.com
Impressed with the very diplomatic awards split between Cats and Ragtime at the Tonys. The former got direction, choreography, costuming while Ragtime got 2 acting awards, sound design, and revival. Really shows how both shows captured voters hearts seemingly equally
Did I cheer when this was announced? Hell yeah I did! 4 female Tony Award winners in 79 years is shameful, but it goes to show you how important it is to have producers who believe in representation—Liberation's lead producers are Daryl Roth (Indecent) and Rachel Sussman (Suffs).
Liberation Wins Best Play at the 2026 Tony Awards; Bess Wohl Becomes 4th Woman to Win Best Play
This marked Wohl's second Tony nomination and first win.
playbill.com
Diep Tran@diepthought.bsky.social · 4mo agoDid you know that only 3 women have won the Tony Award for Best Play? And the last one was in 2009? I talked to Bess Wohl, the only woman nominated in the Best Play category this year, on how wild it is to still be having a gender parity conversation playbill.com/article/a-wo...
There are concentration camps in the United States in the year 2026. There are CONCENTRATION CAMPS in the United States in the year 2026. THERE ARE CONCENTRATION CAMPS IN THE UNITED STATES IN THE YEAR 2026.
Did you know that only 3 women have won the Tony Award for Best Play? And the last one was in 2009? I talked to Bess Wohl, the only woman nominated in the Best Play category this year, on how wild it is to still be having a gender parity conversation playbill.com/article/a-wo...
A Woman Hasn't Won the Best Play Tony Award Since 2009; Bess Wohl Can Change That
Her play Liberation is up for Best Play and shows that "women's stories can be universal."
playbill.com
