Conventional wisdom often says they do, but great plays do not have to originate in New York. Nor do great playwrights have to be seen in this city to have thriving careers in American theater.

In other words, New York can be the recipient of new work as well as the creator, and the more we remember that, the closer we get to having a truly national theater community.

That’s the underlying argument in this storyI wrote for yesterday’s New York Times Sunday Arts & Leisure section. If you live in NYC, then I recommend checking out the latest play from Carlyle Brown, who embodies the “outside New York” career I’m trying to describe. If you don’t live here, then do yourself a favor and go see some live theater. Whether you haven’t seen a play all year or you saw four last week, it’s always worth it to take in a show.

above photo by  Ann Marsden