Steven Vargas

"The Surge: An Ode to Sinéad O'Connor." Photo by Tom Visser.

"The Surge: An Ode to Sinéad O'Connor." Photo by Tom Visser.

Dance

A season of grief continues with ‘The Surge,’ Sonya Tayeh’s ode to Sinéad O’Connor

Steven Vargas Sep 20, 2026 0

'The Surge' turns Sinéad O'Connor's music into a dance of protest, rage and self-love. Sonya Tayeh choreographs at The Joyce.…

Anthony Alfaro in "The Potluck."

Anthony Alfaro in "The Potluck."

Reviews

‘The Potluck’ conjures ghosts of the Greensboro Massacre that fade too soon

Steven Vargas Jul 15, 2026 0

On November 3, 1979, members of the Ku Klux Klan and the American Nazi Party murdered five demonstrators in a…

Denise Burse, Charlayne Woodard, an dDeborah Joy Winans in "Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous."

Denise Burse, Charlayne Woodard, an dDeborah Joy Winans in "Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous."

Reviews

‘Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous’ asks who owns an artistic legacy

Steven Vargas Jun 23, 2026 0

Pearl Cleage's comedy at Geffen Playhouse explores fame, legacy, and artistic succession with humor and heart.

(l-r) Nyasha Hatendi, Ben Beatty, and John Kani in '"Master Harold" ... and the Boys' at Geffen Playhouse.

(l-r) Nyasha Hatendi, Ben Beatty, and John Kani in '"Master Harold" ... and the Boys' at Geffen Playhouse.

Reviews

The Geffen’s ‘ “Master Harold” … and the Boys’ reminds us why Athol Fugard endures

Steven Vargas Apr 24, 2026 0

Athol Fugard's apartheid-era classic '"Master Harold" ... and the Boys' gets a devastating revival at L.A.'s Geffen Playhouse.