No, theatergoers do not have the Constitutional right to shout “Fire” in a crowded theater. But theater artists can still present queer characters on stage without losing their government grants. That’s what a federal judge ruled this week, on behalf of National Queer Theater and three other arts organizations, declaring unconstitutional a new policy by the National Endowment for the Arts that rejected grant applicants who “promote gender ideology,” whatever that means. The new policy “violates the First Amendment,” Judge William E. Smith wrote, because it “promises to penalize artists based on their speech.”
It was a little-noticed victory in an otherwise terrible week for free speech.
ABC Suspends Kimmel’s late-night show indefinitely over his remarks about Charlie Kirk’s death. (Associated Press)
Seeing Enemies Everywhere: The government’s working definition of ‘hate speech’ now seems to include anything that offends Donald Trump personally – including late night comedy (New Yorker Magazine)
Could Jimmy Kimmel Sue Donald Trump After Being ‘Canceled’? What To Know (Newsweek)
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr went on the Benny Johnson podcast outright threatening ABC and its owner Disney over Kimmel’s comments: “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
This is, as many have pointed out, an early move in the authoritarian playbook.
Dated February 4, 1939
The five freedoms of the First Amendment, central to American democracy — free speech, press, petition, assembly and religion — have been the subject of many plays, among them: The Cradle Will Rock (1937), The Crucible (1953), Inherit the Wind (1955), Indecent (2015), Good Night and Good Luck (2025)
It feels like an act of defiance, in the face of the administration’s formal effort to erase the existence of transgender and gender-nonconforming people, that there are two shows that opened this week celebrating them.
The Week in New York Theater Reviews
Art
The verdict on the Broadway revival of “Art” starring Neil Patrick Harris, Bobby Cannvale and James Corden as three friends who argue about art: Corden is the stand-out in a play that is slender if amusing.
Galas
“Galas,” a play with music that tells the story of soprano Maria Callas, is surprisingly straightforward if not entirely straight. The current revival is a fun and affordable night out under the stars. Is it the same show that Charles Ludlam wrote and first performed in 1983 for his Ridiculous Theater Company? Yes and no.
This Is Not a Drill
The Hawaiian Missile Crisis of 2018 lasted just 38 minutes. Some bozo who worked for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency had mistakenly sent out a false alarm. That was long enough to inspire Holly Doubert to write her first musical with a trio of experienced collaborators (originally called “38 Minutes”), imagining how the event changed not just her life, but the lives of a diverse group of characters. “This Is Not a Drill” has some tuneful moments and some appealing performances, but it is unlikely to prove life-changing for anybody in the audience.
Saturday Church
Saturday Church,” an amped-up Off-Broadway musical adaptation of a 2017 indie movie of the same name, screams Broadway-level ambition…The movie was about a quiet Brooklyn churchgoing teenager named Ulysses who journeys to the West Village and eventually discovers his queer community at a weekly church program for LGBTQ+ youth. In the musical, we are greeted from the get-go by a loud blast of big-name fabulousness…Many might find the propulsive Ballroom culture and club-tinged musical numbers thrilling, despite – or perhaps because of – their familiarity after years of the TV series “Pose,” and such recent productions as “Cats: The Jellicle Ball.”…But to those who do know the movie – or the real-life community that inspired it — the musical can feel like overkill.
Weather Girl
“Weather Girl,” a solo play about the California climate apocalypse, was a hit at last year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe that Netflix is said to be developing into a series. “Fleabag,” “Baby Reindeer” and “Angry Alan,” three other Fringe hits that went on to a wider audience, had the same producer, Francesca Moody. And, as with the stars of those three other plays, Julia McDermott gives a skillful performance that’s comic only on the surface, turning increasingly dark.
The Week in New York Theater News
Times Square Casino Backed By Caesars Palace & Jay-Z Halted By Advisory Committee (Deadline)
10 Most Produced Theater in the US 2025-2026
John Lithgow will play children’s book author Roald Dahl on the day in 1983 when he’s accused of being an antisemite in “Giant,” which is coming to Broadway in March, 2026. (theater, opening date to be announced)
House of McQueen extends, with new lead.
Kristin Chenoweth on Queen of Versailles and her comments about Charlie Kirk (NY1) “It’s no secret that I have been, that I’m a Christian, that I’m a person of faith. It’s also no secret that I am an advocate for the LGBTQ plus community, and for some, that doesn’t go together. But for me it always has.”
A Look at The Brick (NY Times)
The Brick opened in 2002 in a former auto repair shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and has always operated on a modest budget. This year, it is $558,400. The space holds just 54 people, and shows often sell out. On average, the Brick hosts more than 200 performances a year.
Springboard to Design, a tuition-free theatrical design program for high school students from underrepresented communities, is now accepting applications for its July 19–25, 2026 program led by.Clint Ramos and David Zinn!
In Memoriam
Robert Redford, 89, movie star, Oscar-winning director, major force in independent film as founder of Sundance Institute, environmental activist, and also five-time Broadway veteran, most notably Barefoot in the Park opposite Elizabeth Ashley.
