2026 Guarnaschelli Lecture Series

“Criticism and the Theatrical Ecology”
A conversation with Helen Shaw, Chief Theatre Critic for The New York Times

Criticism and the Theatrical Ecology brings together The New York Times Chief Theatre Critic Helen Shaw and Professor of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies Patricia Ybarra for a wide-ranging conversation about theatre today.

Shaw will discuss the state of contemporary theatre, from emerging trends in New York and international theatre to how people are creating work amid shifting financial and political realities. She will reflect on the role critics play within the contemporary theatrical ecology, as well as how we might encourage young artists to join and shape the future of that ecology.

October 26, 2026
5:30 - 7:30 PM (with a reception to follow)

Leeds Theatre
83 Waterman Street

Tickets Required | Free
Click here to reserve your seat

Helen Shaw is the chief theatre critic at The New York Times. Before she joined the paper in January, she had written for The New Yorker, New York Magazine, and Time Out New York.

Made possible by support from the Guarnaschelli Family Theatre Endowment.