“Paparelli was an artist with eclectic tastes and an uncanny sense of what was right for the moment. In my typical working week, I frequently find myself wondering why a particular theater has done a particular show at a particular moment. But I never had any of those thoughts at a Paparelli production. He always seemed to know how to fit his artistic interests to the needs of the moment. In journalism, they usually call this the “hook,” the reason to write what you are reading right now. Art has a complex relationship with the present; many of its practitioners think long term, and some consider themselves above the quotidian needs of the present. But not Paparelli. He had a knack for programming what you needed to see. Tonight. No wonder he was always so interested in primary sources. He wanted to make news as well as art.”

-Chris Jones, “What PJ Paparelli knew and why he mattered”