Once upon a time, in the world of local theater, September was considered a slow transitional month. Now summer companies have extended their seasons to include fall foliage.

What was I thinking when I bought a California coast redwood tree online?

If you want to experience a good play written by a potentially great playwright rush to Cohoes Music Hall before “The Comeuppance” closes on Sunday.

I believe there are two kinds of people in this world. Folks who have caught a baseball at a fan at a game, and those that haven’t. I’ll actually expand that a bit to those who have caught anything from a player at a sporting event. Could be a tennis ball, a shirt thrown from a player, maybe a hockey puck.

Some people like to fly the flag claiming we are no. 1, the greatest. But nations, like companies, are what they do, not what they were. I’ve traveled in many places that cherish memories of dominance, from the Persian to the Aztec empires, and now hang on by their toenails and the forbearance of others.

New York regulators have developed a draft of the state’s next energy plan and a public hearing process has begun. The Energy Law requires key state agencies to develop a plan to assess the state’s energy needs, energy supplies, climate impacts, and related issues and plan for at least the next decade. Not surprisingly, the draft energy plan is controversial: For example, the plan reflects the Hochul Administration’s embrace of the state’s aging nuclear power plants.

In recent weeks, I have used this golden opportunity to offer commentary on a valued regional public radio network mainly to talk about journalism. I’m comfortable with that because it has been my professional focus for a half-century.

Paula Vogel’s newest work “Mother Play: a play in five evictions” confirms the theory that if American playwrights did not suffer childhood family dysfunction there would be no drama on our stages.

Directors Beatrice Minger, who also is the writer, and co-director Christoph Schaub share credits on the prize-winning feature E.1027: Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea. Using an unusually low-emotion approach to storytelling, the film recounts several decades in the life of a special house in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, in the south of France.

Presenting this week's highlights from the WAMC Listener Comment Line.