5.3 Contemporary Performance - Current Trends
In the world of contemporary theater, music, and performance of today, some of the most exciting artists are creating work that is groundbreaking. But this new work also seems to nod to so many theatre arts and performance traditions that have evolved from over the ages. For example, today’s contemporary solo performance and stand-up comedy have clear links to the influence of Vaudeville, and modern-day comedy and tragedy can be easily linked to ancient Greek drama. As you read the profiles of the performers featured in this section, you will see direct connections between the new and innovative work being created by these artists, and the work of artists and styles of the past. Taylor Mac, included in this section, is a multi-talented theater artist, with talents spanning acting, work as a singer-songwriter, playwright, author, performance artist, and more. One of his most recent works, a play entitled Prosperous Fools, explores the ways in which corporate greed and individuals’ narcissism can impact how art is created, has clear links to the Absurdist Theatre movement that began in the 1950s (see Chapter 3). The work of playwright Suzan Lori Parks, also featured in this section, has clear connections to a number of styles and different forms of art. Often, her plays exist in a sort of timeless space. In her production, Top Dog / Under Dog, two brothers, Lincoln and Booth, seem to be nowhere; yes they are clearly living in a room in a sort of rooming house, but specifically where they are, what time of day it is, what year it is, seems unclear, reminding us (again) of Absurdist drama—plays like Waiting For Godot, where the two central characters wait for someone who never arrives.
What is important to consider, when looking at any art form, is how the work might reflect the age we are living in, while also often connecting to art and culture of the past. What follows is not an exhaustive list of performers and theater artists of today, rather, a range of artists who do just this–they reflect the times we live in, nodding to styles of the past, while also introducing audiences to something fresh and completely new.
Again, the artists showcased in this unit are a small, but important, sample of artists creating extraordinary work that helps us better understand the world we are currently living in.
TERENCE BLANCHARD
Terence Blanchard is a world-renowned musician. A trumpeter and composer, he has written music for film and has composed the music for a number of operas. In its 2021-2022 season, the Metropolitan Opera staged Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up In My Bones, which is based on the memoir written by the journalist Charles Blow; this production marked the Metropolitan Opera’s first time having work created by a black composer.
IMAGE 5.24 Legendary jazz musician and composer, Terence Blanchard, playing the live, in concert."Terence Blanchard" by bobtravis is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
WANDA SYKES
Wanda Sykes has become a household name as a one of a kind stand up performer and film actor. She has numerous specials on Netflix, including her latest comedy special, Legacy, a show she staged from her college alma mater, the prestigious HBCU, Hampton University. Syke’s performance style has roots in other comedians and theater solo performers that have come before her, including Whoopi Goldberg, Lily Tomlin, Gilda Radner, and many more.
IMAGE 5.25 Wanda Sykes at the 2010 GLAAD Media Awards."2010 GLAAD Media Awards" by greginhollywood is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
COLE ESCOLA
Cole Escola is a writer, actor, performance artist. For over a decade, Escola made a number of comedic monologue videos, released on YouTube. In 2024, Escola wrote and performed in Oh Mary, a comedy that reimagined the relationship between President Abraham Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln (Escola played Mrs. Lincoln). Escola’s play went on to an ongoing very successful run on Broadway.
IMAGE 5.26 An image of performance artist and writer, Cole Escola. A screen shot from “An Interview With Cole Escola” in GAYLETTER (Vimeo account, homepage)., CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
IMAGE 5.27 Cole Escola speaking at the 2024 Tony Awards ceremony.Cole Escola at Tony Awards 2025 02 by The Tony Awards is licensed under CC BY 3.0.
TAYLOR MAC
Taylor Mac is a performer, playwright, singer, songwriter. In 2016 he staged a 24-hour concert, where each hour of the 24-hour performance was dedicated to a decade of popular American music from the past 240 years. His plays include Hir, Gary, Prosperous Fools, among many others. As a performer and a playwright, you can see influences ranging from Greek drama (consider Mac’s drag as a kind of Greek mask, Vaudeville, and morality play.
IMAGE 5.28 An image of MacArthur Fellow, performance artist and writer, Taylor Mac, live in concert. Photo by Ves Pitts. "Taylor Mac" by TheArches is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
IMAGE 5.29 Taylor Mac in his production of THE HANG.Photo by Peter Pisano. "Taylor Mac's 'The Hang' at the HERE Arts Center" by Feast of Music is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
SUZAN LORI PARKS
Suzan-Lori Parks is a musician, performer and is the first African American to receive the Pulitzer Prize in Playwriting. Parks attended Mount Holyoke College where she studied fiction writing with James Baldwin, who encouraged Parks to improve as a playwright. Parks’ writing has been called heightened, poetic, and musical. Parks often states that her writing has a rhythm. Suzan-Lori Parks’ plays include In The Blood, Sally and Tom, 365 Days - 365 Plays, Top Dog / Under Dog, among many others.
IMAGE 5.30 An image of Suzan Lori Parks."File:SuzanLoriParksByEricSchwabel.jpg" by DerSchwabel is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
IMAGE 5.31 Rehearsal for a production of Parks’ 365 DAYS 365 PLAYS365 days/ 365 plays" by bre pettis is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.