Growing up white, Jewish, and homosexual in the turbulent South of the '60s does not lay the groundwork for a complacent life. Finding himself a one-man experiment in the limits of tolerance, Kushner has used theater to explore issues of prejudice and community. His plays shed special light on the po

Contemporary plays, Epic, Ethereal, Expansive, Funny, Gay/lesbian theater, Political, Queer, Sprawling

A protege of dancers Eubie Blake and Noble Sissel, 15-year-old Josephine Baker began her career on the vaudeville circuits, touring with Bessie Smith as a chorus girl. After Broadway appearances in "Shuffle Along" (1921) -- which marked the advent of the black theatrical renaissance, and "Chocolate D

Elegant, Erotic, Feminine, Harlem renaissance theater, Kinetic, Sexy, Tribal

Bill T. Jones's acclaimed multicultural dance company, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane and Company, continues to relish a record of undimmed critical success. Jones has created a stunning corpus of pattern-driven, avant-garde pieces that explore life's journeys -- an intimate topic for Jones, who is the son

Body politic/identity dance, Homoerotic, Political, Queer literature, Sexy, Sublime, Technology

Gene Kelly's blend of acrobatics, athleticism, and artistry blew a potent blast of machismo under the tight skirt of the postwar Hollywood musical. With his auspicious Broadway debut as the lead cad in "Pal Joey" (1940), classically trained Kelly wowed audiences and fellow hoofers with his st

Bubblicious, Charming, Masculine, Overflowing