The Great Read: Is Wallace Shawn the Only Avant-Garde Artist Who Gets Stopped in Times Square?
He’s most commonly recognized for his screen roles as a plotting hit man and an unlikely Lothario, but it’s his work as a playwright that shows more of his true self.
The New York Times
The Great Read

February 8, 2026, 10:00 a.m. Eastern time

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Wallace Shawn, wearing a black top, sits at a table in a restaurant with a glass of juice and a red place mat in front of him.

Sean Donnola

Is Wallace Shawn the Only Avant-Garde Artist Who Gets Stopped in Times Square?

He’s most commonly recognized for his screen roles as a plotting hit man and an unlikely Lothario, but it’s his work as a playwright that shows more of his true self.

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