Fall preview 

Julia Stiles - What she's looking forward to this fall...

This week, the city flashes back into focus after a languid, dreamy (if not steamy) summer. Box-office phones are ringing and opinions are already forming about the newest hot tickets - if you didn't see The Seagull, time to get over it -- that we'll be fighting about till Christmas. New York actress Julia Stiles has formed some opinions of her own -- not necessarily those of the editors. In particular, she's been too modest to mention her own substantial contributions: a stunningly honest performance in O, which opened last weekend, and the most mature and provocative performance of her career in the moody Business of Strangers, due out in December. In fact, it's one of the things we're looking forward to. But first, here are Julia's picks:

Music: First and foremost I'm excited about the new Tori Amos CD. It's twelve covers of famous songs written by men, laughing at the way women are portrayed in music. I'm a fan of rap music, but I once heard a Gourds cover of Snoop Dogg's "Gin and Juice," with sort of a bluegrass country sound to it, and I realized how laughably misogynistic those lyrics can be. Go Tori!

Theater: I'm interested in Neil LaBute's The Shape of Things because I think he's a great, great writer. Remember In the Company of Men and Your Friends & Neighbors? They were tight.

Film: My favorite filmmakers are the Coen brothers, who are consistently witty, humorous, thought-provoking, and rich. O Brother, Where Art Thou? got shafted awards-wise. But I'll be first in line for The Man Who Wasn't There.

Art: The theater company I owe my acting career to, Ridge Theater, turned me on to Henry Darger's paintings when they based a production on him. I would love to see his exhibit up close at the American Folk Art Museum.

Originally published in the September 4, 2001 issue of New York Magazine