Playleft
@playleft.bsky.social
actor playwright theater ttrpg husband dad Evanston Chicago
Caught a bit of the dire and derivative MOANA 2 on mute while I was at the laundromat.
I am convinced that in 10 years we will be remem(e)bering Maui's face the same way we remember Shrek's -- as an eldritch cgi animated horror, mayor of the uncanny valley.
I am convinced that in 10 years we will be remem(e)bering Maui's face the same way we remember Shrek's -- as an eldritch cgi animated horror, mayor of the uncanny valley.
November 14, 2025 at 3:07 AM
Caught a bit of the dire and derivative MOANA 2 on mute while I was at the laundromat.
I am convinced that in 10 years we will be remem(e)bering Maui's face the same way we remember Shrek's -- as an eldritch cgi animated horror, mayor of the uncanny valley.
I am convinced that in 10 years we will be remem(e)bering Maui's face the same way we remember Shrek's -- as an eldritch cgi animated horror, mayor of the uncanny valley.
Tom Hayden with some Evanston-specific frustrations to ICE response. www.foiagras.com/p/weekend-op...
November 1, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Tom Hayden with some Evanston-specific frustrations to ICE response. www.foiagras.com/p/weekend-op...
Who I was trying to dress up as:
Who everybody thought I was:
Who everybody thought I was:
October 27, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Who I was trying to dress up as:
Who everybody thought I was:
Who everybody thought I was:
Hey theater companies: don't do this. (From @bcmerchant.bsky.social 's newsletter Blood in the Machine www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/artists-ar...)
September 27, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Hey theater companies: don't do this. (From @bcmerchant.bsky.social 's newsletter Blood in the Machine www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/artists-ar...)
In his newsletter, @bcmerchant.bsky.social has started discussing AI usage in terms of addiction, which sure sounds right to me.
August 12, 2025 at 12:54 PM
In his newsletter, @bcmerchant.bsky.social has started discussing AI usage in terms of addiction, which sure sounds right to me.
Is that the author of the op-ed, or is it part of the title?
August 10, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Is that the author of the op-ed, or is it part of the title?
It's Friday, or as we call it at our house, hate-read-the-responses-to-a-pedantic-George-Will-column-searching-for-subject-verb-agreement-errors-o'clock.
![A reader notes that "quantum" is a frequently misused word. I highlight the text "Other examples of its [sic] misuse is in the James Bond movie title "Quantum of Solace."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ahhjgrg5m7aivv43gz2q3ada/bafkreibosfevgw45biulxge447hkrye4iuxtiu3s6uzckisxnoboatatbu@jpeg)
August 8, 2025 at 8:35 PM
It's Friday, or as we call it at our house, hate-read-the-responses-to-a-pedantic-George-Will-column-searching-for-subject-verb-agreement-errors-o'clock.
Today in dystopian job titles: "Classroom Security Paraprofessional"
July 30, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Today in dystopian job titles: "Classroom Security Paraprofessional"
"AI Evangelist" is quite a title.
June 21, 2025 at 2:13 PM
"AI Evangelist" is quite a title.
Almost thought the arboretum was announcing a mascot named NIMBY, which would be odd.
June 4, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Almost thought the arboretum was announcing a mascot named NIMBY, which would be odd.
Artistic Director: So, marketing, who are you hiring to do the poster for the next show?
Marketing: You're never gonna believe this....
Marketing: You're never gonna believe this....
April 25, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Artistic Director: So, marketing, who are you hiring to do the poster for the next show?
Marketing: You're never gonna believe this....
Marketing: You're never gonna believe this....
I was going to say elephant for never forgetting, but that animal unfortunately has R*publican associations. I did love those elephant disc logos back in the 80s.
April 15, 2025 at 2:34 PM
I was going to say elephant for never forgetting, but that animal unfortunately has R*publican associations. I did love those elephant disc logos back in the 80s.
Overly disappointed that the American Theater April Fools post features AI art.
It's a joke for a lark on a dumb holiday on a dumber internet. Just doodle it in crayon or do it as plain text, jesus.
It's a joke for a lark on a dumb holiday on a dumber internet. Just doodle it in crayon or do it as plain text, jesus.
April 3, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Overly disappointed that the American Theater April Fools post features AI art.
It's a joke for a lark on a dumb holiday on a dumber internet. Just doodle it in crayon or do it as plain text, jesus.
It's a joke for a lark on a dumb holiday on a dumber internet. Just doodle it in crayon or do it as plain text, jesus.
In addition to the good Wisconsin news, something local and good for Evanston: Boarini's brief political career hopefully over. evanstonnow.com/boarini-back...
April 2, 2025 at 2:36 AM
In addition to the good Wisconsin news, something local and good for Evanston: Boarini's brief political career hopefully over. evanstonnow.com/boarini-back...
Seems like this audition posting is for "beloved" character R*nald McD*nald.
auditions.leagueofchicagotheatres.org/audition/tsm...
auditions.leagueofchicagotheatres.org/audition/tsm...
February 25, 2025 at 1:21 AM
Seems like this audition posting is for "beloved" character R*nald McD*nald.
auditions.leagueofchicagotheatres.org/audition/tsm...
auditions.leagueofchicagotheatres.org/audition/tsm...
When a cable news anchor reposts me and gives me a big drink of the attention economy.
February 23, 2025 at 2:16 PM
When a cable news anchor reposts me and gives me a big drink of the attention economy.
Are you in academia? Are you stressed the heck out? Check out my spouse's March 1st workshop, "Managing Anxiety When Academia is in Crisis."
www.maryleighton.com/workshops
www.maryleighton.com/workshops
February 21, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Are you in academia? Are you stressed the heck out? Check out my spouse's March 1st workshop, "Managing Anxiety When Academia is in Crisis."
www.maryleighton.com/workshops
www.maryleighton.com/workshops
Truly, a lot going on, but I would love to never see a profile of these particular abusive asshats ever again.
February 4, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Truly, a lot going on, but I would love to never see a profile of these particular abusive asshats ever again.
Things I am getting het up about in a quest to maintain sanity about the actually important horrible things happening: a meme going around of Napoleon on his deathbed with Neapolitan ice cream as his legacy. "Neapolitan" means "from Naples". And Napoleon has his own namesake dessert, for f's sake.
February 1, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Things I am getting het up about in a quest to maintain sanity about the actually important horrible things happening: a meme going around of Napoleon on his deathbed with Neapolitan ice cream as his legacy. "Neapolitan" means "from Naples". And Napoleon has his own namesake dessert, for f's sake.
January 22, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Sidebar: I'm not terribly drag literate, but it's clear that the Panto Dame tradition is doing something very different from American drag performance -- more focused on the grotesque, maybe? What exactly that is, I'll leave to better-informed people to describe.
December 31, 2024 at 2:10 AM
Sidebar: I'm not terribly drag literate, but it's clear that the Panto Dame tradition is doing something very different from American drag performance -- more focused on the grotesque, maybe? What exactly that is, I'll leave to better-informed people to describe.
There are American groups doing pantos, one or two of which I've seen, but something something Puritanism means that, inevitably, these shows try to make sense. Where American pantos have a moral, British pantos have a middle aged man suddenly breaking into "I Will Survive."
December 31, 2024 at 2:10 AM
There are American groups doing pantos, one or two of which I've seen, but something something Puritanism means that, inevitably, these shows try to make sense. Where American pantos have a moral, British pantos have a middle aged man suddenly breaking into "I Will Survive."
Prince cover followed by slapstick scene followed by drag number with dick jokes designed to go over kids' heads followed by sincere love song that nobody likes followed by audience sing along of "how much is that doggie in the window" followed by scenes constructed entirely out of groaner puns.
December 31, 2024 at 2:10 AM
Prince cover followed by slapstick scene followed by drag number with dick jokes designed to go over kids' heads followed by sincere love song that nobody likes followed by audience sing along of "how much is that doggie in the window" followed by scenes constructed entirely out of groaner puns.
Current #theater thoughts: just saw my first honest-to-goodness UK Christmas panto at Cambridge Arts Theater. It was a hoot.
I say this with full-throated delight: no theater company in America could put up something this tasteless. 🧵
I say this with full-throated delight: no theater company in America could put up something this tasteless. 🧵
December 31, 2024 at 2:10 AM
Current #theater thoughts: just saw my first honest-to-goodness UK Christmas panto at Cambridge Arts Theater. It was a hoot.
I say this with full-throated delight: no theater company in America could put up something this tasteless. 🧵
I say this with full-throated delight: no theater company in America could put up something this tasteless. 🧵