The First Impression That Wasn’t

James Coleman Burden was the star of the show, and Caleb Mansel Dicke didn’t even take notice. Mr. Burden was playing Sky Masterson in “Guys and Dolls” at the Asolo Repertory Theater in Sarasota, Fla. Mr. Dicke’s best friend, Elliott Mattox, was also in the show, playing Benny Southstreet. So in December 2016, Mr. Dicke…

Winning Her Vote, and Her Heart

The campaign posters were bright and stylish, with slogans like “New York Needs New Voices.” In 2018, they were all over the East Village, where Emily Heinz Bina was living. The graphic design caught her eye, but the candidate captured her interest. Suraj Champak Patel was running for Congress in Manhattan’s 12th Congressional District race,…