SOURCE: Horowitz, Simi. “Theaters Begin to Respond to September 11: Drama, Comedy, and Even a Musical Grace the Boards.” Back Stage 43, no. 23 (7 June 2002): 24-6.

In the following essay, Horowitz presents an overview of the theatrical responses to the events of September 11, 2001.

Presumption, pretension, and plain old bad taste (not to mention trivialization) are the potential—pitfalls, it would seem, in attempting to dramatize an apocalyptic event like Sept. 11, or, more precisely, responses to it. Nonetheless, the surfacing of plays and performances inspired by the catastrophe were inevitable. Indeed, there have been at least five NYC theatrical productions—two of which have received a fair degree of attention—dealing with the volatile subject matter.

There's social commentary, a la Lenny Bruce meets Woody Allen, in the world of the solo artist, Reno: Rebel without a Pause, Unrestrained Reflections on September 11. And there's realism, admittedly with a dash of lyricism tossed...