Entries by Lisa Bornstein

A Short History of Indian Immigration to the U.S.

The main character and narrator, Lucky, is the daughter of immigrants from India who first moved to Toronto before settling in Casper, Wyoming, a town in which they found no connections to their culture of origin. Even today, Casper’s Indian community is just 0.073 percent of the city’s population. As of 2023, only 2 percent […]

The Story of Simon and Garfunkel

In 1957, two Long Island 15-year-olds broke into the Top 50, mimicking the harmonies of the Everly Brothers with their song, “Hey, Schoolgirl.” They were performing under the name Tom & Jerry, and with their almost-hit, they quickly went nowhere. Seven years later, they came together again, now under their own names, and with the […]

Goodnight Moon: Designing Theatre for Young Audiences

They come reaching up to hold the hands of giants, wearing their best dresses and bunny costumes, watching and hearing their favorite bedtime story brought to life. These children probably aren’t aware, however, that when they come to see Goodnight Moon, they are taking part in one of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ […]

Three Religions in Life of Pi

Hinduism, Catholicism, and Islam are three of the world’s most populous and ancient religions. They are frequently seen as being at odds with one another, and wars have been fought for more than a millennium among them. Oppression and persecution by religious majorities still take place, but the play Life of Pi offers another possibility, […]

Women in Pop Culture Politics

As the saying goes, “If you can see it, you can be it.” In popular culture, women have been portrayed as presidents, cabinet members, and corporate executives, and those portrayals have had an influence, even if they have not yet led to the top American prize. The founding of the film industry coincided with the […]

Seeing Yourself in The Wiz

Standing in the pastel-blue living room, hair in some incongruous “Broadway” style, an 8-year-old sings “Home,” wistfully crooning in her best Stephanie Mills style. Three years later, she and her friends choreograph a dizzying, spinning version of “Tornado” for the school dance show. That little white girl? She loved The Wiz, but she had no […]

Medieval Technological Advancements

We have a lot to thank the printing press for: the spread of knowledge in the Renaissance; the force of political movements, including the U.S. Revolution, through the dissemination of political pamphlets; the spread of Protestantism; and Gutenberg! The Musical!, the musical comedy running at the Garner Galleria Theatre through May 4. Johannes Gutenberg’s 1455 […]