Stephen Sondheim's creative secret weapon had nothing to do with Broadway musicals

"Lots of research shows that doing mental exercises can ward off dementia and the effects of aging, but can it actually make you better at your job? While it's hard to imagine the late musical theater virtuoso Stephen Sondheim needing any kind of extra creative stimuli, he in fact had a well-known love of stimulating puzzles and games. And he didn't just play them."

"The Tony-winning composer behind Broadway hits such as Sweeney Todd, Company, and a heartwarming ditty about presidential assassins also cultivated a side hustle as a designer of cryptic crossword puzzles and a frequent host of game nights and scavenger hunts. Barry Joseph, a game researcher and designer and an adjunct professor at New York University, happened to notice a few years ago that no one had documented Sondheim's niche passion in a comprehensive way. So he decided to do it himself."

Stephen Sondheim maintained a passionate, lifelong engagement with puzzles and games, including designing cryptic crosswords, hosting game nights, and creating scavenger hunts. He integrated game design into his creative practice alongside composing Broadway shows such as Sweeney Todd and Company. Game researcher and designer Barry Joseph researched Sondheim’s game-related activities, drawing from archival materials, rare game designs, and interviews with contemporaries. The research spans eight decades of Sondheim’s brain-teasing ventures and presents a mix of documented designs and firsthand recollections. The material suggests a deep, sustained interplay between playful problem solving and creative work in Sondheim’s life.

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