Sometimes, you gotta get a little frisky for art. — At the makeup store, two consultants approached me. “Can we help you find something?” one of them asked. “Yes,” I said. “I’m doing a photo shoot where I’m dressed as a…” and I lost my nerve. I just couldn’t bring myself to say, “….sexy chipmunk.” It was too embarrassing. So…

Reflecting on my 2017 play, Lady Macbeth and Her Pal, Megan. — I’m teaching Macbeth this summer at Hollins Playwrights Lab — along with, coincidentally, every other member of the faculty, in a spectacular example of The Vibes Are Strong — and rather than purchase a new copy, I decided to dig out my old one. Why buy a new one? …

An appreciation of an actor nobody’s heard of. — Kristy Hartsgrove-Mooers is the greatest actress in Iowa City. I hope that doesn’t get me in trouble with all my other Iowa City actress friends. You’re all wonderful, and I loved you in that thing that one time, and it’s not like I have you all ranked in some Hunger-Games-style…

Rethinking failure as an artist. — I want to tell you a story about a failure. It was 2011, ten years ago, and I was on my second full-length solo show. My first solo show was a big hit. …

Comparison is the thief of joy. — This weekend, I found myself — stupidly, inexplicably, self-destructively — comparing myself to Bob Dylan. I know. I’m watching that Dylan documentary and here are all these incredible songs, right? “Blowin’ In The Wind,” for example. Indelible music. Once-in-a-lifetime classic songs. And there’s an interview with Steve Allen. And at…

Misogynist? Or no? — Bo Burnham’s Netflix special, Inside, is an existential crisis disguised as a comedy film. It aims its fiercest satire right at the heart of the thing that birthed Burnham’s career in the first place: the Internet. He goes after Jeff Bezos, Twitch streamers, brands attempting to co-opt social causes, react…