Diep Tran
@diepthought.bsky.social
Editor in Chief of Playbill. Other words NY Times, NBC Asian America, NY Mag, Time Out NY. Views are my own.
dtran@playbill.com
dieptran.com
dtran@playbill.com
dieptran.com
I wonder what Chess would be like if a female playwright tried her hand at writing the book and made it about Florence, and her discovering her own brilliance after hiding behind two dysfunctional men. And maybe working with the CIA to help free her father
November 23, 2025 at 6:17 PM
I wonder what Chess would be like if a female playwright tried her hand at writing the book and made it about Florence, and her discovering her own brilliance after hiding behind two dysfunctional men. And maybe working with the CIA to help free her father
I think the least surprising thing about WICKED: FOR GOOD is it has the flaws and strength of the second act of Wicked. The most surprising thing: Wonderful is now a good number that actually furthers the plot. I break the film down here playbill.com/article/all-...
All the Changes Wicked: For Good Made to Act 2 of Wicked
New songs, expanded scenes, more animals—oh my!
playbill.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:10 AM
I think the least surprising thing about WICKED: FOR GOOD is it has the flaws and strength of the second act of Wicked. The most surprising thing: Wonderful is now a good number that actually furthers the plot. I break the film down here playbill.com/article/all-...
Life observation: if you think of exercise and eating well as something you’ll need to do your whole life, and not just a short term thing until you hit your goals—you’ll have long term results and you forgive yourself when your skip a workout or overeat. I tell myself as I skip running today
November 23, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Life observation: if you think of exercise and eating well as something you’ll need to do your whole life, and not just a short term thing until you hit your goals—you’ll have long term results and you forgive yourself when your skip a workout or overeat. I tell myself as I skip running today
Speaks of how beloved Zohran is by New York that we're proud he made it through, and happy he didn't get arrested by ICE.
November 21, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Speaks of how beloved Zohran is by New York that we're proud he made it through, and happy he didn't get arrested by ICE.
“If we are getting dumber, there’s a good chance we made each other that way.” Really interesting article about how social media has exposed us to more noise than ever before, which has crippled our brains. There’s even data!
A Theory of Dumb
What if the cause of Americans’ collective cognitive decline is, simply, each other?
nymag.com
November 20, 2025 at 4:34 AM
“If we are getting dumber, there’s a good chance we made each other that way.” Really interesting article about how social media has exposed us to more noise than ever before, which has crippled our brains. There’s even data!
AI is going to use up all of our power and water, and all because tech bros are upset that no matter how much money they have, they will never have artistic talent. Why couldn’t they just invest in a Broadway show like normal rich people
November 18, 2025 at 2:36 AM
AI is going to use up all of our power and water, and all because tech bros are upset that no matter how much money they have, they will never have artistic talent. Why couldn’t they just invest in a Broadway show like normal rich people
I asked Tappan Wilder, Thornton Wilder's nephew, what he thought of SEAT OF OUR PANTS, the SKIN OF OUR TEETH musical. Surprisingly, he loved it, which is notable because there's been two previous failed attempts.
After 83 Years and 2 Abandoned Attempts, Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth Is Finally a Musical
Ethan Lipton's The Seat of Our Pants has arrived with a stellar cast, and the approval—and love—of Thornton Wilder's family.
playbill.com
November 17, 2025 at 8:47 PM
I asked Tappan Wilder, Thornton Wilder's nephew, what he thought of SEAT OF OUR PANTS, the SKIN OF OUR TEETH musical. Surprisingly, he loved it, which is notable because there's been two previous failed attempts.
At today's matinee of This World of Tomorrow, Tom Hanks' sci-fi romance play, a loveseat got stuck, instead of disappearing via lift. But instead of stopping the show, Tom Hanks just pushed the loveseat off the lift, gestured to stage management, and then continued with the seat. The real deal
"Now bear with me here. Okay, this is the kind of stuff I talk about at dinner. So I'm going to drive you nuts." One of the most surreal conversations I've ever had, with Tom Hanks, where he told me about how the Atlantic Ocean was discovered and how he feels being a playwright
'Wonderful and Harrowing': Tom Hanks on What It's Like to Be a Playwright
The Oscar winner's This World of Tomorrow is playing the Shed. Hanks is not sure about Broadway just yet.
playbill.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:39 AM
At today's matinee of This World of Tomorrow, Tom Hanks' sci-fi romance play, a loveseat got stuck, instead of disappearing via lift. But instead of stopping the show, Tom Hanks just pushed the loveseat off the lift, gestured to stage management, and then continued with the seat. The real deal
Between CHESS, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, THE BAKER’S WIFE, the past few years have shown that with time and smart revisions, what was once a flop can become a hit. Really a good reminder that nothing is set in stone, especially not art
November 17, 2025 at 2:51 AM
Between CHESS, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, THE BAKER’S WIFE, the past few years have shown that with time and smart revisions, what was once a flop can become a hit. Really a good reminder that nothing is set in stone, especially not art
What I appreciate about Celine Song was her commitment in Past Lives and Materialists to having one of her main characters work in the New York theater scene, and showing how it’s a creative, humble life style. It also made me wish I’d seen her play Endlings, which gets reference in Past Lives
November 15, 2025 at 3:41 PM
What I appreciate about Celine Song was her commitment in Past Lives and Materialists to having one of her main characters work in the New York theater scene, and showing how it’s a creative, humble life style. It also made me wish I’d seen her play Endlings, which gets reference in Past Lives
The starry Twelfth Night from Shakespeare in the Park airs tonight on PBS. I talked to Great Performances producer David Horn about his goal to create a library of American Shakespeare performances, Suffs coming to PBS next May, and surviving despite the Trump administration. Anyway, donate to PBS
With Twelfth Night, Great Performances Is Showing That It Is Defunded But Not Defeated
PBS is remaining steadfast in its mission to provide free access to the arts.
playbill.com
November 14, 2025 at 5:41 PM
The starry Twelfth Night from Shakespeare in the Park airs tonight on PBS. I talked to Great Performances producer David Horn about his goal to create a library of American Shakespeare performances, Suffs coming to PBS next May, and surviving despite the Trump administration. Anyway, donate to PBS
"Now bear with me here. Okay, this is the kind of stuff I talk about at dinner. So I'm going to drive you nuts." One of the most surreal conversations I've ever had, with Tom Hanks, where he told me about how the Atlantic Ocean was discovered and how he feels being a playwright
'Wonderful and Harrowing': Tom Hanks on What It's Like to Be a Playwright
The Oscar winner's This World of Tomorrow is playing the Shed. Hanks is not sure about Broadway just yet.
playbill.com
November 14, 2025 at 1:16 AM
"Now bear with me here. Okay, this is the kind of stuff I talk about at dinner. So I'm going to drive you nuts." One of the most surreal conversations I've ever had, with Tom Hanks, where he told me about how the Atlantic Ocean was discovered and how he feels being a playwright
Had the most surreal time at QUEEN OF VERSAILLES Saturday night. The real Jackie Siegel was in the room, along with her kids and friends, all dressed in pink. Jeanine Pirro was there too. And Jackie had her Pomeranian on her lap the whole time
November 11, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Had the most surreal time at QUEEN OF VERSAILLES Saturday night. The real Jackie Siegel was in the room, along with her kids and friends, all dressed in pink. Jeanine Pirro was there too. And Jackie had her Pomeranian on her lap the whole time
At the airport and I am very impressed with professionalism of the TSA agents. Because if I was being forced to work even though I am not getting paid, especially at the crack of dawn, I would hate everybody
November 9, 2025 at 11:31 AM
At the airport and I am very impressed with professionalism of the TSA agents. Because if I was being forced to work even though I am not getting paid, especially at the crack of dawn, I would hate everybody
Reposted by Diep Tran
Let this sink in. The President of the United States is now appealing a court order forcing him to feed starving children.
November 7, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Let this sink in. The President of the United States is now appealing a court order forcing him to feed starving children.
Reposted by Diep Tran
😎😎😎😎 GOOD THINGS CAN STILL HAPPEN 😎😎😎😎
November 5, 2025 at 5:22 AM
😎😎😎😎 GOOD THINGS CAN STILL HAPPEN 😎😎😎😎
I'm covering all the good plays this week about women. First: Liberation, where playwright Bess Wohl was told it would never see the light of day because there were too many women in it and it was too long. What a fool, the person who said that
Bess Wohl Was Once Told Liberation Was Unproduceable. Now It's on Broadway
Directed by Whitney White, Liberation is a 2.5-hour epic about women doing something radical: talking about their lives.
playbill.com
November 5, 2025 at 7:54 PM
I'm covering all the good plays this week about women. First: Liberation, where playwright Bess Wohl was told it would never see the light of day because there were too many women in it and it was too long. What a fool, the person who said that
Yesterday Dick Cheney died, I saw WICKED: FOR GOOD. Zohran won. All is as it should be. New York, there’s no place like home
November 5, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Yesterday Dick Cheney died, I saw WICKED: FOR GOOD. Zohran won. All is as it should be. New York, there’s no place like home
Astoria, Queens is really proving why it’s the best neighborhood in NYC. We put out AOC and Zohran, plus Chip Cookies, Brooklyn Bagel, and King of Falafel. Feel free to sample our food and politics, then spread the message to your own neighborhoods
November 5, 2025 at 4:26 AM
Astoria, Queens is really proving why it’s the best neighborhood in NYC. We put out AOC and Zohran, plus Chip Cookies, Brooklyn Bagel, and King of Falafel. Feel free to sample our food and politics, then spread the message to your own neighborhoods
So proud of my fellow New Yorkers who rejected fascism, and reaffirmed our values as a city where we take care of each other and embrace joy instead of hate and division. Cheers to my fellow comrades!
November 5, 2025 at 2:46 AM
So proud of my fellow New Yorkers who rejected fascism, and reaffirmed our values as a city where we take care of each other and embrace joy instead of hate and division. Cheers to my fellow comrades!
If news outlets going to bother to inform and educate our next generation, they’re going to capitulate themselves out of usefulness and existence.
thank you for all the support; the statement from our union is now live here with some more reporting.
now that this is public I can confirm that the majority of today’s layoffs were women of color. there are no longer any Black women working at Teen Vogue.
now that this is public I can confirm that the majority of today’s layoffs were women of color. there are no longer any Black women working at Teen Vogue.
November 4, 2025 at 2:18 AM
If news outlets going to bother to inform and educate our next generation, they’re going to capitulate themselves out of usefulness and existence.
You can tell we're in a recession. Bath and Body Works 3-wick candles are on sale for $10.95. As a frequent user of of candles, that's the cheapest they've been in YEARS
November 2, 2025 at 1:40 AM
You can tell we're in a recession. Bath and Body Works 3-wick candles are on sale for $10.95. As a frequent user of of candles, that's the cheapest they've been in YEARS
I’m truly a theater kid because Lily Allen singing about how her ex didn’t support her getting a lead role in a West End play made me go “throw the whole man away.”
November 1, 2025 at 11:58 PM
I’m truly a theater kid because Lily Allen singing about how her ex didn’t support her getting a lead role in a West End play made me go “throw the whole man away.”
I wish more rich people were like Daniel Radcliffe, who only makes headlines when he’s doing weird, esoteric projects and bringing attention to the arts. The rest of the time, he enjoys his life and makes if clear he doesn’t support transphobia.
October 29, 2025 at 11:03 PM
I wish more rich people were like Daniel Radcliffe, who only makes headlines when he’s doing weird, esoteric projects and bringing attention to the arts. The rest of the time, he enjoys his life and makes if clear he doesn’t support transphobia.
On a positive note, as someone who also lives in Astoria, I can confirm that Mamdani’s restaurant picks for the neighborhood are legitimately delicious and not basic. I support non Queens folks coming in for food, though please leave so the working class folks in the area don’t get priced out
October 29, 2025 at 10:34 PM
On a positive note, as someone who also lives in Astoria, I can confirm that Mamdani’s restaurant picks for the neighborhood are legitimately delicious and not basic. I support non Queens folks coming in for food, though please leave so the working class folks in the area don’t get priced out