Theater

Festival planner Marilyn Wood. Using dance, film, sound and light, Wood designs celebrations of the urban environment. She organized celebrations and festivals like the first Riverfront Celebration in Columbus, Ohio, The Hong Kong Arts festival, and the opening of the Tehran Museum of Art. Wood used to be a dancer with the Merce Cunningham dance company. (Interview by Faith Middleton)

Critic-at-large Laurie Stone reviews the revival of Cole Porter's musical "Anything Goes," currently on stage at the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center. The production stars Patti LuPone.

New York based post-modern dancer and choreographer Bebe Miller. Her choreography stands out for its energetic, aggressive physicality and for its themes of family and relationships. Miller is the winner of the prestigious "Bessie" New York Dance and Performance Award. In 1984, Miller formed her own company, Bebe Miller and Company.

Character comedian Jeffrey Essmann. His sketches mix surreal comic insight with topical humor, much in the tradition of Lily Tomlin.

Critic-at-Large Laurie Stone explores the humor of Rodney Dangerfield, the comic who has built a career on getting no respect. Dangerfield is now performing on Broadway.

Critic-at-Large Laurie Stone explores the work by some of the leading performers in feminist and lesbian theater.

Record producer Thomas Z. Shepard, one of the most imaginative and successful producers of Broadway and classical recordings. Shepard has produced the cast recordings for "Sweeney Todd," "Ain't Misbehavin'," "La Cage Aux Folles," and "Me and My Girl," which has just been nominated for a Grammy.

Autobiographical monologist Spalding Gray. Gray is best known for his monologue "Swimming to Cambodia," about his experiences during the filming of the movie "The Killing Fields." "Swimming to Cambodia" was produced as a film last year, and Gray appeared in the David Byrne film "True Stories," as well as a recent installment of the PBS comedy series "Trying Times." Gray is wrapping up a 10-month residency at the Mark Tapper Forum in Los Angeles where he worked on several new monologues.

Sound designer Martin Levan. He was responsible for the sound of Andrew Lloyd Weber musicals "Song and Dance," "Starlight Express" and now "Phantom of the Opera."

Television Critic David Bianculli reviews "Strange Interlude," the first offering of American Playhouse's seventh season. The play was written by Eugene O'Neill. This production stars Glenda Jackson, David Dukes and Ken Howard.