Theater Update: Tracee Ellis Ross is living a dream

July 15, 2026

Dear Theater Fans,

I hope you are hanging in there on these hot summer days! One way to beat the heat? The theater. Mark your calendars: Next Friday (July 24) a live capture of the Tony-winning musical “Hadestown” will arrive in (air conditioned!) cinemas. Rachel Sherman has written about that upcoming release as well as some of the theater productions that you can stream at home this month.

You could also travel upstate, where you can experience cool breezes, open spaces and … a murder mystery. Alexis Soloski has written about the Hudson Valley guesthouse and tavern run by Audrey Gelman (a co-founder of the Wing) that channels her childlike love of play with murder mystery evenings. Speaking of detective work, the artist Julia Weist was preparing to present her first theatrical piece, “Questioning,” when Carolina A. Miranda talked to her about the play, a first-person account of New York State’s inquiry into Weist’s use of private investigation databases for her artwork. The play itself runs through this weekend in Los Angeles.

Closer to home, Brittani Samuel gave a rave review to “The Whoopi Monologues,” Whitney White’s revival of Whoopi Goldberg’s 1984 solo Broadway show with a starry cast that includes Kerry Washington, Kara Young and Kecia Lewis. Helen Shaw was more ambivalent about César Alvarez’s ambitious but “inert” new musical, “The Potluck,” which explores Alvarez’s relationship to the 1979 Greensboro Massacre in North Carolina. And Elisabeth Vincentelli reviewed “Giulia: The Poison Queen of Palermo,” a “stirring” but “tonally muddled" new musical from the country music star and actress Jennifer Nettles.

In the coming weeks, our chief theater critic Helen Shaw and then my editing colleague Nancy Coleman will be keeping you in the loop about all things theater while I’m away. In the meantime, take this “Odyssey”-inspired quiz and then watch the cast of “Cats: The Jellicle Ball,” which is now closing on Aug. 8, perform on “The View.”

Thank you for reading us each week! Tell us if you’ve seen something great. Please reach out to us at theaterfeedback@nytimes.com with suggestions for articles 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

NEWS AND FEATURES

A woman in a red dress holds up her hands expressively, while two other women watch behind her.

Rachel Papo for The New York Times

An Upstate Inn Gets Away With Murder

At her Hudson Valley guesthouse, Audrey Gelman, a co-founder of the Wing, channels her childlike love of play with murder mystery evenings.

By Alexis Soloski

A woman wearing a black blouse and pants poses for a portrait, hands clasped, as she leans against a glass door.

Lauren Lancaster for The New York Times

She Became a Private Eye for Her Art. Investigators Had Questions.

A new play is its own piece of art: A first-person account of an official inquiry into an artist’s use of private investigation databases to create work.

By Carolina A. Miranda

A woman holds red flowers aloft as a man looks at her.

Bleecker Street/LD Entertainment

‘Hadestown’ Hits Movie Theaters, and Theater to Stream in July

Streaming picks include the family-friendly sci-fi adventure “Franklin’s Key” in Philadelphia and “Hamlet” at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

By Rachel Sherman

Three dancers on the steps of the Watermill Center. Each has one foot flat on a step and the other leg up, foot pointed. They wear casual workout clothes.

Yuvraj Khanna for The New York Times

Can an Arts Lab Created by a Visionary See a Future Without Him?

“When I’m no longer living, can this place exist?” Robert Wilson wondered in a film about his Long Island art incubator. This month, its annual festival will go on without him.

By Brian Seibert

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THEATER REVIEWS

A performer shouts from behind a table that is arranged like a memorial with photos. Other performers hold up large cutout heads in front of their faces.

James Estrin/The New York Times

‘The Potluck’ Review: The Greensboro Massacre, and a Heavy Legacy to Bear

César Alvarez’s ambitious new work is a mixed musical meal: It wants to be a call to revolutionary action but is surprisingly lacking in it.

By Helen Shaw

Kecia Lewis, in an off-the-shoulder outfit with bright orange flowers against a black backdrop, stands with four actors behind her onstage.

Sara Krulwich/The New York Times

Critic’s Pick

‘The Whoopi Monologues’ Review: Expanding a One-Woman Show

Instead of one Whoopi Goldberg, audiences now experience five actresses: Kerry Washington, Kara Young, Dominique Fishback, Danielle Pinnock and Kecia Lewis.

By Brittani Samuel