I’ve always loved the word stagecraft.

The term draws attention to the craftsmanship that goes into staging, which is — at least to these eyes — the heart of theatrical expression and theatrical storytelling. 

Towards that end, I’m dedicating this week to a series of tributes for the techniques, methods, traditions, rituals, cliches, and formulas of stagecraft, all of which are rooted in an endlessly multitudinous history, and all are currently represented in productions now playing across New York stages. 

Nostalgia for traditions, rituals, cliches, and formulas? Sure sounds like appropriate buzzwords to ring in the holiday season!