In the battle for the soul of an artist, who wins?

The Cuttlefish or the Hyrcanian Worldview

Beauty and violence; the seduction of love, or power, or art itself. The Cuttlefish as brought to life under the visionary direction of Nicole Weisner, is an absurdist masterpiece, winging from deep philosophy and alighting into a world of extraordinary, and hilarious, surreality.

As is signature for a Trap Door production, when the house opens the event is already in motion. Here the audience walks into the striking juxtaposition of living sculptures and desecrated paintings. Almost hidden behind the classically posing figures is a form slumped against the wall, defeated, seemingly having barely survived an almost mortal blow.

Listening to Other’s Voices

The Alley

Itamar Moses is the 2017 Tony Award-winning playwright of the libretto for the Broadway musical, THE BAND’S VISIT. He also wrote the book for the more recent musical, DEAD OUTLAW.  His more recent play, THE ALLY, which premiered at New York’s Public Theater in 2024, is a very different animal. This drama is much more a collection of ideas and the arguments in support or against them, rather than a play in the traditional sense. Filled with passionate political pleas to convince and advocate for change and choosing sides, THE ALLY is theatrically impressive, especially in Jeremy Wechsler’s incredibly fervid, almost frenzied production.