Theater Update: A spooky sleepover with Helena Bonham Carter

Season of screens; Baldwin adaptations; Jay Ellis

View in browser|nytimes.com June 25, 2025 Dear Theater Fans, High-tech storytelling is having a moment on Broadway, with screens playing their own roles in shows like "Maybe Happy Ending," "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and "Sunset Boulevard." The trend, Michael Paulson reported, not only "reflects the ubiquity of digital devices in contemporary life" but is also made possible by the growing availability, affordability and stability of the equipment. How do the actors feel about it? "We talk to screens all day," Darren Criss of "Maybe Happy Ending" told Michael. "What's another one onstage?" Down at the Shed, "Viola's Room" is another tech heavy show. This actorless immersive piece from Punchdrunk — a transporting gothic mystery narrated by Helena Bonham Carter — caters to just a handful of audience members at any one time. "It's so important that no detail is superfluous," Felix Barrett, Punchdrunk's artistic director, told Alexis Soloski about creating a sort of wonderland that is somewhere between sleep and waking. Michael also reported on a couple more Broadway closings: "Boop," which just announced that it will close on July 13, and "Dead Outlaw," which will end its run this Sunday. And he broke the news this morning that the producer David Binder is creating a new international performing arts festival, which is scheduled to debut this fall at a former power station in the Gowanus section of Brooklyn. In an essay, Maya Phillips reflects on a rewarding stage adaptation of James Baldwin's "Giovanni's Room," and Sopan Deb has written about "Mahabharata," a retelling of the Sanskrit epic being staged at Lincoln Center this week. The first few days of summer have been long and hot. So grab some ice tea, sit back and let Fabiola Caraballo Quijada and Chris Hayes, among the winners at this year's Jimmy Awards (the celebration of excellence in high school musical theater), knock your socks off. Please reach out to me at theaterfeedback@nytimes.com with suggestions for stories or to offer your thoughts about our coverage. And urge your friends to subscribe to this newsletter. Have a wonderful week, Nicole Herrington Theater Editor Sara Krulwich/The New York Times Broadway's Season of Screens Videos and projections depicting an A.I.-generated actor, the digital memories of robots, a redwood forest and more: High-tech storytelling is having a moment. By Michael Paulson Like this email? Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up here. FEATURES Marc Brenner A Play About a Breakdown Was a 2000 Hit. What Do Audiences Say Today? Sarah Kane's "4:48 Psychosis" premiered to rave reviews shortly after the playwright killed herself. A quarter-century later, the original cast is reviving the production. By Alex Marshall George Etheredge for The New York Times My Spooky Sleepover With Helena Bonham Carter "Viola's Room," a transporting gothic mystery at the Shed, is the latest immersive work from Punchdrunk, the company behind "Sleep No More." By Alexis Soloski David Cooper A Retelling of the Mahabharata, Set to Modern-Day Struggles At Lincoln Center, the Toronto-based theater company Why Not strives to balance the old and new in its production of the Sanskrit epic. By Sopan Deb Gioncarlo Valentine for The New York Times My Ten Jay Ellis Considers Colson Whitehead His Literary GOAT "'Harlem Shuffle,' 'Crook Manifesto,' 'Underground Railroad,' 'Nickel Boys': I feel like I did not understand or see myself in fiction until I read him." By Leigh-Ann Jackson Archive Photos/Getty Images Barbra Streisand on the Duets That Define Her: 'I Like Drama' With a new album due next week that pairs her with Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Laufey, Sam Smith and more, the singer looks back at her prized collaborations. By Jim Farber NEWS Tom Visser Global Arts Festival Taking Shape Inside Gowanus Power Station The first Powerhouse: International will feature works from South Africa's William Kentridge, Brazil's Carolina Bianchi — and 10,000, $30 tickets. By Michael Paulson Daniel Dorsa for The New York Times 5,000 Sondheim Sketches and More Head to Library of Congress The musical theater titan left behind material from beloved shows like "Sweeney Todd" and "Sunday in the Park With George." By Joshua Barone via New London Barn Playhouse The Curious Proposal to Fund a State Arts Council With $1 New Hampshire residents pushed back, but lawmakers still plan to decimate the group, which gives grants to theaters and museums. By Michaela Towfighi Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images With Broadway Tunes, Democrats Protest Trump's Takeover of Kennedy Center The small concert hosted by five senators during Pride Month was directed by the lead producer of "Hamilton." An altered set of "Les Misérables" lyrics poked at the president. By Sopan Deb, Michael Paulson and Javier C. Hernández Sara Krulwich/The New York Times 'Dead Outlaw' Musical to Close After Disappointing Run on Broadway The show was shut out at the Tonys after being nominated for seven awards, including best musical. By Michael Paulson Sara Krulwich/The New York Times Broadway Musical About Betty Boop Is Fourth to Close Post-Tonys 'Boop! The Musical' imagines the cartoon character leaving 1920s filmdom for 2020s New York City. Ticket sales were weak. By Michael Paulson FROM THE CRITICS Linda Johnson Critic's Notebook How Do You Adapt James Baldwin? Very Carefully. His works have been slow to come to stage and screen. But a new production of the novel "Giovanni's Room" shows how rewarding it can be when done right. By Maya Phillips Sara Krulwich/The New York Times 'Duke & Roya' Review: He's Got Swagger, She's No-Nonsense Jay Ellis stars as an American rapper who falls for his Afghan interpreter at an Army base in Charles Randolph-Wright's new play. By Juan A. Ramírez Maria Baranova Critic's Pick 'Cold War Choir Practice' Review: When the President Made a Deal Ro Reddick's music-infused comedy, set during the Cold War, finishes this year's edition of Clubbed Thumb's Summerworks festival on a high. By Laura Collins-Hughes Joe Klamar/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Critic's Notebook 6 Months After the Pelicot Trial, a Staging Brings Insight and Despair The stripped-back performance, based on the rape trial that shocked France and the world, ran all night at a church in Vienna. By Laura Cappelle Lionsgate 'Everything's Going to Be Great' Review: Show People A theater family sorts out its offstage drama in a coming-of-age movie starring Bryan Cranston and Allison Janney. By Ben Kenigsberg THEATER GUIDES Jeenah Moon for The New York Times Broadway Shows to See This Summer: 'Maybe Happy Ending' and More A guide to every show on Broadway, including Tony-winning musicals, new dramas, quirky hits and veterans like "Hamilton." By Laura Collins-Hughes Sara Krulwich/The New York Times Broadway Shows Closing Soon: 'Dorian Gray,' 'Sunset Boulevard' and More Catch two Tony-winning performances, Sarah Snook in the Oscar Wilde classic and Nicole Scherzinger as Norma Desmond, before these productions and others wrap up. By Laura Collins-Hughes Sara Krulwich/The New York Times 13 Off Broadway Shows to See in June Reed Birney and Lisa Emery in a two-hander, Taylor Mac in a Molière riff and Jay Ellis in a romantic drama — here's what's on New York stages this month. By Laura Collins-Hughes Craig Stewart Dozens of Festival Plays Worth Traveling to This Summer Across the country, you'll find Shakespeare in amphitheaters, exciting new works on intimate stages and many regional repertories in bucolic settings. By Laura Collins-Hughes and Elisabeth Vincentelli If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Theater Update from The New York Times. To stop receiving Theater Update, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018