Lauren Halvorsen

@halvorsen.bsky.social

883 Followers 439 Following

dramaturg & writer of newsletters washington, dc she/her nothingforthegroup.com

a mood board of multiple images paired with the following text: The first step of the rebrand process was assembling this chaotic mood board of conflicting design impulses. This collage doubles as a map of my niche cultural obsessions: Icelandic durational performance art, the title sequence of Jackie Brown, my go-to strength training music, nonfiction about ‘the oceanic depths of longing’, my favorite museum, a Norwegian movie I’d avoided watching for three years because I knew I would simultaneously love it and be emotionally destroyed by it. (I was right—and I also immediately planned a trip to Oslo, like a true sicko.)
A quote in brown text on a purple background, that reads: I can’t shake how all every defense of Scott Rudin always cite the financial and creative triumphs—the revenue, the awards, the capital-A art—without considering the invisible losses. Rudin harassed and bullied people over decades, and you can't tangibly measure the impact of that behavior: the careers derailed, the ambitions quashed, the opportunities lost. He’s lauded as a champion and cultivator of theatre, but all I can think about is the potential art he destroyed.
a gray city sidewalk with "WE SAW GOODY PROCTOR WITH VILLAIN TICKETS" spray painted in yellow on it
a poster of the movie Nickel Boys, which is a photo of two young Black men looking up
a podcast excerpt from the Who Weekly Patreon recommending my newsletter Nothing for the Group
"Mr. Grenell also said that contrary to some media reports, the decision to cancel a concert in May featuring the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C., had been made before he and Mr. Trump took control of the Kennedy Center. When Ms. Burns asked Mr. Grenell whether he would still welcome the Gay Men’s Chorus at the center, he did not respond directly. “If you’re going to take public money, you have to prove that you actually can bring in revenue,” he said. “We don’t have any money.”
A quote that reads: Throughout history, authoritarian regimes have recognized art as a crucial instrument of power, seizing control of cultural institutions and restricting creative expression. Art teaches us that lives other than our own have value — and Trump’s ideology hinges on an active rejection of empathy.
A black script binder on a white backdrop. The cover of the script reads, "John Proctor is the Villain, Lauren Halvorsen - Dramaturg, Broadway 2025"
A pale hand holding up a copy of the playbill for What the Constitution Means to Me at Round House Theatre with a gold "Opening Night" sticker on the front, with the production's set in the background
A group of nine people dressed identically in red Adidas tracksuits
a snow-covered tree and sidewalk in front of multi-colored rowhouses
A list of my favorite books of the year! My Favorite Book of The Year - Beautyland, Marie-Helene Bertino Best Fiction - Real Americans, Rachel Khong - Death Valley, Melissa Broder - Bear, Julia Phillips - Our Missing Hearts, Celeste Ng - Four Squares, Bobby Finger The Book I Will Probably Re-Read Every Year of My 40s - All Fours, Miranda July Best Memoirs That Hit Way Too Close To Home - Ambition Monster, Jennifer Romolini - Strip Tees: A Memoir of Millennial Los Angeles, Kate Flannery Best Celebrity Memoirs - Down the Drain, Julia Fox - Open Book, Jessica Simpson
a black script binder belonging to "Lauren Halvorsen, Dramaturg" with the yellow and red show art for production of What the Constitution Means to Me
A Kobo e-reader on a gray striped bedspread
A street of townhomes in DC framed by large, yellow ginkgo trees in full bloom
a calico cat with green eyes sitting on a blue couch looking back at the camera with its head tilted
a calico tabby cat with big green eyes lounging on a white window sill at night
Screenshot of tweet saying that Rep. Nancy Mace has introduced a federal bathroom ban banning trans people from bathrooms at airports, national parks, museums and all federal building
A gorgeous orange sunset against blue waves on a beach in La Jolla, California
a screencap from The Sopranos of Livia Soprano, an elderly woman in a lavender housecoat with a blank expression, with the caption "I wish the lord would take me now"