"Even the parts that seemed nearly finished didn’t match the rest. Names of characters keep changing. Scene 9, at the end, is sometimes called Scene 1.&... (opens in new tab)

"Even the parts that seemed nearly finished didn’t match the rest. Names of characters keep changing. Scene 9, at the end, is sometimes called Scene 1." Jesse Green, the New York Times's chief theater critic, on recovering an evasive masterpiece class="ellipsis">nytimes.com/2026/05/27/theater/thornton-wilder-emporium-last-play.html?src=longreads#thorntonwilder #drama #theater #longreads #art #failure