On first sight Wallace Shawn’s face will transport you. If you have watched movies or television in the last forty years, there is a cultural milestone, which you love deeply, in which Shawn has played an unforgettable role. Depending on your age, that will be Gossip Girl, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Clueless, The Princess Bride, or My Dinner with Andre, which he also wrote. On the street, children who hear him speak instantly register the voice of Toy Story‘s Rex the Dinosaur.

Shawn is also a playwright, whose work has consistently pushed past the comfort levels of the comfortable and wealthy to expose their complicity as society degrades. Only months into the Trump administration, two of his older works on life under totalitarian states have received new stagings — Evening at the Talk House in New York, and The Designated Mourner in Los Angeles. Each has garnered far more press attention today than when they were first staged under Democratic administrations (Obama in 2015 and Clinton’s in 1996, respectively).

In addition to plays, Shawn is an essayist who has just published his second book, Night Thoughts, which explores capitalism, extremism, revolution, and punishment, among other themes. He’s an open socialist, who has participated in early efforts to free Chelsea Manning, been a vocal supporter of Palestinians, and sits on the advisory board of Jewish Voice for Peace.