“When it comes to actual theater — you know, with tickets, ushers, curtains and the whole live performance thing — it’s harder to spot a tradition of biting political commentary. That’s because America doesn’t have one. At a time when every aspect of life has been polarized both right and left — when buying a red T-shirt at the Gap is supposed to fight AIDS in Africa, and SUV drivers support the troops from their bumper magnets — mainstream drama is still content to be expensive highbrow escapism. Anyway, how can producers expect people to pay $100 a ticket to be hectored for their complacency, when attending a play is already perceived as an elitist, blue-state activity?”