Prosperous Fools
Taylor Mac is a Fabergé radical: beautiful, ridiculous and full of hidden tricks. In both cabaret-style performances and more formal plays, the writer-performer—whose pronoun of choice is the puckish judy —pilots audiences through fantastical journeys, guided by the compass of a magnetic individuality. This latest work, very loosely inspired by Molière's The Bourgeois Gentleman, sends up the plight of artists who must prostrate themselves before powerful sources of funding. Mac's character is the choreographer of a ballet about Prometheus and gets ;the play's most outrageously funny running joke, which involves the cuddly character actor and savage playwright Wallace Shawn. But Mac and director Darko Tresnjak generously parcel out the biggest comic scenes to other others: Jason O'Connell as a monstrously rich manchild with an unspeakably terrible name; Sierra Boggess as a glorious beacon of celebrity virtue whose name can only be sung in wonder; and Jennifer Regan as a pitifully abject artistic director. Bedecked in Anita Yavich's witty costumes, they're delightfully larger-than-life. The overall spirit is merrily pedagogical, and as always, Mac provides philophical food for thought; judy bites the hand that feeds judy, then spits the flesh in the audience's mouth like a playfully angry mother bird.
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Time Out
a day ago
- Time Out
Prosperous Fools
Taylor Mac is a Fabergé radical: beautiful, ridiculous and full of hidden tricks. In both cabaret-style performances and more formal plays, the writer-performer—whose pronoun of choice is the puckish judy —pilots audiences through fantastical journeys, guided by the compass of a magnetic individuality. This latest work, very loosely inspired by Molière's The Bourgeois Gentleman, sends up the plight of artists who must prostrate themselves before powerful sources of funding. Mac's character is the choreographer of a ballet about Prometheus and gets ;the play's most outrageously funny running joke, which involves the cuddly character actor and savage playwright Wallace Shawn. But Mac and director Darko Tresnjak generously parcel out the biggest comic scenes to other others: Jason O'Connell as a monstrously rich manchild with an unspeakably terrible name; Sierra Boggess as a glorious beacon of celebrity virtue whose name can only be sung in wonder; and Jennifer Regan as a pitifully abject artistic director. Bedecked in Anita Yavich's witty costumes, they're delightfully larger-than-life. The overall spirit is merrily pedagogical, and as always, Mac provides philophical food for thought; judy bites the hand that feeds judy, then spits the flesh in the audience's mouth like a playfully angry mother bird.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
'We tried Clinique's 'Nude Honey' lipstick that's perfect for summer'
Clinique's iconic Black Honey shade has been joined by Nude Honey, a new lip colour that's designed to enhance our natural lip colour and make them 'like your lips but better' If there were a Hollywood Stars Walk of Fame for beauty products, Clinique's Almost Lipstick in the shade Black Honey would undoubtedly earn a spot, not least for its universally flattering shade and balmy texture. Selling seven tubes every minute worldwide, according to the brand, it's very much the hot commodity today as it was when it launched in 1971. Following a resurgence in popularity in recent years thanks to TikTok, Clinique has gone on to develop the beloved formula, releasing the lesser-known (but equally gorgeous) Pink Honey in 2023. Now, the American cosmetics company has once again expanded the Honey lineup with a new, equally adaptable hue: Nude Honey. Described by the brand as 'the only nude you need,' Nude Honey features the same sheer, balmy texture of the original, and is designed to enhance our natural lip colour rather than mask it. It has a much more neutral tone that boasts a carefully balanced mix of warm and cool pigments, creating a shade that looks slightly different on everyone. Like its predecessors, it features a sheer, buildable formula with 95% conditioning ingredients for a comfortable, soft-shine finish that hydrates the lips. Of course, at £25 per tube, the price point for what is essentially a tinted lip balm, may be too expensive for some shoppers. If so, the Glossier Ultralip High Shine Lipstick is a close alternative, coming in slightly cheaper at £22. For something even more purse friendly, the No7 Sheer Temptation Lipstick is £9.95. That said, the Clinique Nude Honey is already raking in the accolades from shoppers. Online, one shopper said: 'I already love my pink honey, but this may be a new favorite. It is a beautiful natural nude.' 'Obsessed! It's giving nude but with a warm, golden hour glow. Adore the sleek package too,' said a second, though others have found it requires regular top-ups, commenting: 'Have been wanting to try this for a while which I wish I had before purchased I like the packaging but doesn't last very long on the lips at all therefore need to top it up which seems to defeat the purpose.' Another added: 'Excited to try the new Nude honey, it glides up nicely just like Black honey, and gives me a really natural glow. My lips feel hydrated and comfortable too.' So it seems to have the seal of approval from shoppers, but what about our team of beauty writers? Three women put the new shade to the test and here's what they thought. Bethan's thoughts: For a decade straight, Mac's Velvet Teddy has been my signature lip shade, so it's safe to say that a nude lip is my go-to. I enjoyed Black Honey's plummy hue (particularly in its lip and cheek oil form), however, I was less keen on Pink Honey when it launched a couple of years ago. But Nude Honey? It's a bit of me. So much so that I've not worn anything else since it landed on my desk. Not quite lipstick, not quite gloss, its texture is more like a tinted lip balm that can easily be layered. One swipe offers a sheer wash of colour, like 'your lips but better' with no need for a lip liner or mirror. It's an incredibly forgiving formula, which makes it perfect for on-the-go. Suitable for all skin types, including sensitive as it's fragrance free, there's no dragging or waxy feel. Instead, just heaps of hydration, a hint of colour and soft-shine finish. The tone is warm and I feel like it makes my skin glow when I wear it. They really have nailed the 'perfect nude' here. For the moments when I want my makeup to pack more punch, I found it does build easily to a more opaque shade for more drama, while still remaining lightweight and comfortable on the lips. Even after a full day at work followed by an evening of cocktails, my lips still felt soft, though I did reapply once in a while to bring back the colour. It's not the most longwearing formula in the world, but the fact that it's easy enough to reapply without a mirror negates that. Sorry Velvet Teddy, but this is going to be a Nude Honey summer. Jada's thoughts: Nude lips have been my go to since I first found Mac's Whirl as a teenager. I love how easy they are to pair with every outfit and love how well nude shades compliment my skin tone. I've seen the rave reviews for Black Honey and while it does look lovely I've never felt the need to take the plunge since it's slightly more vampy than I'd usually go for, so when I heard about Nude Honey I was immediately interested. Clinique famously dropped Black Honey in a few different formats, even including a mascara, but the new Nude Honey is only available in their balmy Almost Lipstick. The formula is lovely on. It's not greasy but leaves a nice level of shine and buildable colour which is a big win for me after years of chalk dry lips from matte options. I recently went to Ibiza, which had scorching hot temperatures that left my shoulders on the dryer side, and wore this out for dinner and drinks. My lips remained super soft and moisturised the entire time, although I did have to reapply after greasy food items. The tube is quite narrow which I think makes application a little bit easier, which was great when it came to topping up my pout as I didn't need a mirror. This is definitely one of my favourite products this summer. Eve's thoughts: I've never really been a nude lipstick kind of gal thanks to my typically dry lips. I lean more towards a bold red when my skin is playing ball (hello Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Vixen) bid to make my complexion look better and brighter. Or a lip balm if I want something more natural that also gives my usually dry lips some TLC. But having tried Clinique's newest iteration of its viral Black and Pink Honey Almost Lipstick - its new Nude Honey - I may be somewhat of a convert. The formula, first off, is silky smooth and creamy, feels nourishing and hydrating on the lips (very important) and best of all doesn't leave a bit of a crispy cast on the dry patches that my trust lip balm hasn't quite banished (something red lipstick tends to highlight). Costing £25, the lipstick is buildable - the colour isn't too strong on first application - and is great for those who want to build a heavier, deeper nude lip or contrastingly something that enhances natural lip colour. Applying the products feels just like a lip balm in texture but a bit more fancy thanks to its silver casing and lipstick shape. The emollient rich formula leaves my lips looking subtly glossy - but not too much - and without the stickiness a lip gloss delivers; something I usually love about lipsticks. Clinique claims that this new nude shade looks 'different on every lip' as it has the perfect mix of warm and cool pigments. With one layer, it leaves my lips looking slightly darker and more mauve-y than usual and it certainly gives me a more 'done up' look. It's long and thin casing makes it easy to carry around in my handbag too and it gives me more precision when applying. It doesn't stay on all day and after a few hours I've had to reapply the product, but that's not too much faff and is usually the case with lipsticks anyway. I enjoy its fragrance free finish too and lack of stickiness. While I've not yet tried it over or under any other lip colours, as the website says can be done, I do like the boost it gives my lips when I wear it alone and will certainly be adding it to my every-day beauty routine. Get it here.
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
A MacArthur 'genius' skewers philanthropy in a farcical play tackling oligarchy and arts funding
Taylor Mac does not set out to bite the hand that feeds in a new play satirizing cultural philanthropy. The MacArthur 'genius grant' recipient claims to be 'just trying to get some lipstick on it." Set at a not-for-profit dance company's gala, "Prosperous Fools" invites questions about the moral value of philanthropy in a society denounced by the comedy as 'feudal.' A boorish patron goes mad trying vainly to wield his lacking creative capital and thus confirms the choreographer's fears of selling out to a sleazy oligarch who represents everything his art opposes. The show, written by Mac and directed by Darko Tresnjak, runs through June 29 at Brooklyn 's Polonsky Shakespeare Center. 'I'm not trying to hurt anybody. I'm trying to get people to think differently about the world,' said Mac, whose gender pronoun is 'judy.' 'I just wish that all of the great philanthropists of America, and the world, would lead with, 'This is a temporary solution until we can figure out how to make a government of the people, for the people, by the people,'" Mac added. "Instead of, 'This is the solution: I should have all the money and then I get to decide how the world works.'' Don't let present day parallels distract you. The fundraiser's honored donor enters atop a fire-breathing bald eagle in a black graphic tee, blazer and cap much like Elon Musk 's signature White House getup. He later dons the long red tie popular in MAGA world. But the resemblance doesn't mean Mac is meditating solely on recent events such as President Donald Trump 's billionaire-filled administration and tightening grip over cultural pillars including the Kennedy Center. The script reflects personal frustrations with philanthropy's uneven power dynamics navigated throughout a 30-year career spent in what Mac described as 'a million handshaking ceremonies," first as a cater-waiter and eventually as one of the celebrated honorees who donates performances to help fundraise. Mac's desperate portrayal of the artist at the center of 'Prosperous Fools' only sharpens its skewering of wealthy philanthropists who take more than they give away. When the artist cries 'But why couldn't I have a good oligarch?' and bemoans that 'I should have stayed in the artistic integrity of obscurity,' it feels like a case of art imitating life. Mainstream success came last decade for Mac. 'A 24-Decade History of Popular Music' was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2017 and Mac's Broadway debut play 'Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus' racked up seven Tony nominations in 2019. 'Prosperous Fools,' however, was written 12 years ago before much of the critical acclaim. Mac said 'someone with power' commissioned a translation of French playwright Molière's 'Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme,' which mocks a status-obsessed middle class social climber. Mac isn't surprised the original commissioner didn't want the final product. Molière is hardly present. And the play essentially advocates for an end to the perpetuation of culture that only the affluent deem worthy of funding. Mac is also unsurprised it took over a decade to land another interested producer. The initial 40-person ballet troupe had to be shrunk to a more affordable ensemble of four dancers. Plus, its style, in Mac's judgment, is still rather 'queer' for a 'heteronormative' theater industry. 'And then the other reason is because I insult donors," Mac said. 'I don't think I insult donors," Mac added. "I ask donors to consider. And the theater is entrenched in making sure their donors feel good about themselves — not that their donors are in collaboration with us for us all to get to a place of better consciousness.' The show's slapstick humor helps break down its fairly cerebral subject matter. In one of several moments of hilarity, the patron and his 'philanthropoid' — the ballet's artistic director, whose primary concern is securing donations — sway around the stage oinking like pigs. Mac's artist delivers scathing and highbrow critiques while pretending to be 'The Princess Bride' actor Wallace Shawn in a puppet costume. The gala's other honoree — a star singer called the 'patron saint of philanthropy" who wears a gown adorned with impoverished children's faces — makes no bones about her lust for Shawn. But, as Mac knows, nonstop humor can have the effect of softening its target. 'Prosperous Fools' foregoes the actors' bows that typically end a play in favor of an epilogue, delivered by the artist in rhyming couplets, that serves as the show's final blow to 'philanthrocapitalism.' 'I want to be a tender heart in this too tough world trying to figure out how to maintain my tenderness and how to create revolution with tenderness. And I'm at a loss for it right now," Mac said. "Part of what the play is doing is saying, 'I'm at a loss. Are you? Do you have a solution for me?'' By skipping the curtain call, Mac practically demands that the crowd wrestle immediately with whether charity absolves wealth hoarders' greed — a question boldly put forth at the close of a Theatre for a New Audience season sponsored by Deloitte and Bloomberg Philanthropies. But whether the show's heavy-handed message has reached those financial backers remains to be seen. 'No one's spoken to me," Mac said. Neither responded to requests for comment. ___ Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP's philanthropy coverage, visit
