Thinking Theater NYC

Erasure . Photo by Michael Blase. Due to the COVID 19 crisis, Vangeline Theater/New York Butoh Institute  has launched Vangeline Theater on Demand. Over the next few months, it will keep butoh front and center in New York by sharing rare archival butoh performances with the community. Its first release is the archival footage of Erasure , featuring Vangeline and filmed on May 19, 2010 at Theater for the New City, NY. Rentals are $5.99, and can be purchased online here . Erasure is the second installment of a performance triptych by butoh artist Vangeline. The 60-minute solo is a contemporary take on fairy tales Sleeping Beauty and Rumpelstiltskin and explores the phenomenon of female erasure taking place in our society. Vangeline is a teacher, dancer, and choreographer specializing in the Japanese postwar avant-garde movement form butoh. She is the artistic director of the Vangeline Theater (New York), a dance company firmly rooted in the tradition of Japanese butoh while carrying it

Image courtesy Dumb Productions, Inc. Tickets for  Keith and The Girl 's Silent Trailers show with SNL 's Bowen Yang, The State 's Kevin Allison and NPR's Ophira Eisenberg on Saturday, June 6 @ 8pm ET / 5pm PT are going fast. Silent Trailers pits host Keith Malley against the aforementioned comedians as they try to decipher co-host Chemda's descriptions of movie trailers. The catch? Chemda has zero celebrity knowledge, and Keith has seen every movie ever made. Tickets are on sale now for just $10 . Pandemic be damned, KATG have been releasing some great content lately, with guests like The Sopranos ' Steve Schirripa (who apparently isn't a huge fan of Robert DeNiro, nor Ellen Degeneres) and Summer House 's Hannah Berner , plus the VIP-exclusive podcast Daddy Issues , which chronicle's Keith's relationship with his very weird dad. Chemda will also begin leading group sessions for OMAT  (One Minute ata Time) starting June 1, a program that she

Image courtesy Jonathan Slaff & Associates From June 2 to 30, Woodie King Jr.'s New Federal Theatre will present "Tuesdays in June 2020: Rapping with the Artists & Play Readings," a program of seven live-streamed discussions and play-reading events featuring distinguished artists who have done formative and influential work at New Federal Theater. These events are New Federal's inaugural virtual programming, aiming to connect and share some creative content with friends and supporters until everyone can again meet in person at the theater. All events are free but registration is required and donations will be gratefully accepted. To register, send an email to: nftvirtualprograms@gmail.com . June 2 at 3:00 PM: RAPPING WITH THE ARTISTS S. Epatha Merkerson, Barbara Montgomery, and Ruben Santiago Hudson discuss their artistic journeys. June 9 at 3:00 PM: RAPPING WITH THE ARTISTS J. Alphonse Nicholson and Howard Craft discuss the theatrical realization of the play

Image courtesy Michelle Tabnick PR EstroGenius has been hosting Estro|Reads, streaming first reads and re-creations for Zoom of the 2020 Festival's Short Plays, and is now excited to be hosting a series of watch parties with the artists of select EstroGenius 2020 Short Plays. Each play will premiere as a watch party on EstroGenius's virtual festival site on Thursdays at 7:30pm. Tickets are $5 or $10 on a sliding scale and can be purchased online here . All proceeds go to the artists. EstroGenius has been sharing and celebrating the voices of womxn for twenty years. Now, on a virtual stage, with the continued digital support of Frigid New York, EstroGenius celebrates its 20th anniversary with a riotous collection of performances by women, gender non-conforming, non-binary, and trans dance-makers, playwrights, experimental performers, teens, musicians, burlesque performers, noise artists, filmmakers, dj's and anyone else looking to break molds and crack gender codes. This &q

Image courtesy The Platform Group Creating new works is nothing new to Shara Ashley Zeiger, and when the world shut down, her brain turned on. Enlisting an extremely diverse team of skilled multi-hyphenates to create a full weekly sketch comedy show, The Homemade Sketch Show was born. They don’t have a huge budget and lots of bells and whistles staying at home, but the beauty is that no one else does either. “Homemade. Well Done. Funny” is their brand. They don’t have a huge production studio, but this new way of working invites collaborations crossing states and even countries. The cast and crew are in NYC, Miami, Toronto, and LA. Each week will have a new host, a musical guest from across the globe, and a slew of brand new comedy sketches created and performed while socially distancing. The show premiered May 8th and will land on their YouTube channel each Friday at 6pm EDT, in the watch party of their Facebook group, and via sketches through the week on Instagram. The regular cast/

Image courtesy Dumb Productions, Inc. The Goddamn Dave Hill Show , a live call-in radio show hosted by comedian Dave Hill that took a hiatus from WFMU over a year ago, will be returning temporarily as a weekly livestream due to a mild demand some have described as indifference. The show will return Monday, May 25 at 9pm EDT. Monster Magnet’s Dave Wyndorf will be the show’s first guest. In order to ensure that the show does not accidentally spin out of control and expand much beyond its cult following, fans can tune into the livestream only on the show’s original and, as of late, mostly dormant Facebook page and Twitch , where Dave hopes to find a new audience among gamers who have suddenly lost interest in games. As usual, Hill will interview guests and take both video and audio-only calls from listeners around the world who somehow haven’t found anything better to do despite there being all sorts of Zoom shows and stuff now. Joining Hill, or “Dave” as he is also known, will be l

Rochelle Newman-Carrasco performs in April's Monday Monologue Jam. Photo courtesy Spin Cycle. Since 2009, The Shelter's free Shelter Sundays workshop has served as an artistic home to writers, directors, and actors who present new work to their community and find support, critique, and collaboration. Over the last decade, Shelter Artists, led by an all-volunteer staff, have created and staged over 100 world premieres. The company’s productions have been New York Times Critics Picks ( Night of the Living and Lily & Kosmo Live ), New Yorker Critics Picks ( The Red Room ), Backstage Editor’s Picks ( Fairy Tale ), and named Best of Fringe ( This Is A Play About Artists ). On March 15th, the company was set to begin its 11th year when a pandemic intervened. Lockdown orders in New York made it no longer possible to bring thirty or more theater artists together in one room. An organization that long defined itself as not just a theater company but a community could not indefinite

Samantha Shay. Photo by Katia Temkin UPDATE [6/9/2020]: Source Material has postponed the premiere to July 25-August 2 in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. Performances which were originally scheduled for Saturday, June 13, Sunday, June 14, Saturday, June 20, and Sunday, June 21 will now take place on Saturday, July 25 at 7pm EST/4pm PST, Sunday, July 26 at 2pm EST/11am PST, Saturday, August 1 at 7pm EST/4pm PST, and Sunday, August 2 at 2pm EST/11am PST. ORIGINAL POST: Source Material will present the world premiere of In These Uncertain Times , a digital performance piece devised by the company and directed by Artistic Director, Samantha Shay, created for and presented on Zoom. Performances will be on Saturday, June 13 at 7:30pm EST/4:30pm PST, Sunday, June 14 at 2pm EST/11am PST, Saturday, June 20 at 7:30pm EST/4:30pm PST, and Sunday, June 21 at 2pm EST/11am PST. Admission is a sliding scale donation of $10-$25. No one will be turned away due to a lack of funds. Tickets are availa

Photo by Jimin Kim Inspired by Giving Tuesday Now in early May, Battery Dance has instituted a series of free virtual Mindful Movement classes for frontline health care workers. The 15-minute Zoom classes require no prior dance experience and are designed to provide a small dose of tranquility for workers immersed in giving aid to others in dire circumstances. Those interested may fill out this form . Battery Dance has reached out to hospitals across the U.S.; NY Presbyterian, Weill Cornell Medicine, NYU/Langone, Montefiore and Jacobi Hospitals have included the offering of Battery Dance's free classes in their resources for staff members. "Day after day, we work in isolation and see our audience growing on Battery Dance TV, speaking to the need for sharing a physical, creative response to the very real toxicity around us," said Founder and Artistic Director Jonathan Hollander. "On the other hand, we also see daily images of health care workers out in the field ca

Risk! May 1, 2020 Screenshot. Courtesy Dumb Productions, Inc. This Saturday's RISK! livestream will be moving to a "pay-what-you-wish" model, allowing anyone from around the world to tune in and pay whatever they can afford. This gives fans who may be struggling financially to be able to join in on the critically-acclaimed live storytelling show that has been featured in The New York Times and Forbes , as well as reviewed here on Thinking Theater NYC . Tickets for the Saturday, May 23 @ 8pm EDT / 5pm PDT show can be purchased here , with a suggested donation of $12. After registering, attendees are asked to donate money for their ticket via PayPal , as every dollar really helps RISK! in this uncertain time. This Saturday's show will feature Kevin Allison (MTV's The State ) hosting unbelievable true stories from Ophira Eisenberg (NPR's Ask Me Another ), Jiji Lee ( The New York Times , The New Yorker ), Katie Featherston ( Paranormal Activity ), and William

Sydney Lucas and Nicole D'Angelo. Image courtesy Alton PR  EPIC Players Inclusion Company  -  a nonprofit, neuro-diverse theater company in New York City, the name of which stands for empower, perform, include, and create - has released its fourth virtual performance, "Ring of Keys" from the Broadway production of Fun Home . The video features a duet between Tony-nominated Sydney Lucas and EPIC company member Nicole D’Angelo. The performance is part of EPIC’s new virtual performance series, EPIC Sings for Autism, which was started after EPIC’s spring/summer performances were put on hold due to the COIVD-19 pandemic. The New York City based neuro-diverse theater company created the series so their autistic performers could have a creative outlet and find some normalcy during this time. Lucas shared what drew her to collaborating with EPIC: " Fun Home has had such a positive impact on so many people. I recognized this very early on and have always felt a responsibilit

Dance/NYC has announced the launch of #ArtistsAreNecessaryWorkers , a new online and social media campaign dedicated to the acknowledgement, representation, and integration of dance and arts workers into the decision-making processes that will envision the future for New York City post-pandemic. Dance/NYC is in conversation with the Office of the Mayor, City of New York, to advocate for a dance representative on the City's Arts, Culture, and Tourism Sector Advisory Council, as well as the city's marketing and partnership organization, NYC & Company, to request dance-field representation on The Coalition for NYC Hospitality & Tourism Recovery. "As advocates for the dance field and the many diverse folks represented therein, Dance/NYC demands a place for our constituency in the conversations about the future of our community, and the arts as a whole as plans for re-emergence from the effects of COVID-19 are put into place," said Alejandra Duque Cifuentes, execut

Photo: "Wind Rose," by Phyllis McCabe On May 14, choreographer Jody Sperling and her company Time Lapse Dance (TLD) launched a virtual celebration lasting 20 weeks and featuring a series of intense, intimate, and interactive events, from livestream conversations with collaborators to online premieres, presentations, workshops, rehearsal visits, and more. In addition to the events listed below, TLD will share themed content throughout each week on social media, and you can follow the company on Facebook , Instagram and YouTube . #TLDAT20 For two decades, Time Lapse Dance has engaged audiences with ground-breaking choreography and visually-compelling productions inspired by climate change, as well as works expanding the legacy of early dance technologist Loie Fuller (1862-1928) . Sperling has achieved international acclaim for her Fuller-style recreations which extend the body radically into space and into natural environs, such as the polar icescape. "During this time of

Image courtesy Kampfire PR The “Resilient Project” unites emergency healthcare professionals from across the country with over 60 Broadway theatre artists to virtually perform "Resilient," a song of inspiration and strength created by Dave Ogrin and Jay Berkow from their new musical Mata Hari . In the face of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the video premiered on May 12th in honor of Florence Nightingale's Birthday, the conclusion of National Nurses Week, and in celebration of all our nation’s healthcare workers and 2020 Year of the Nurse. The project benefits  The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) , Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ Covid-19 Emergency Assistance Fund , and The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) . Ogrin states, "I think our song 'Resilient' captures today's pandemic struggle. It was our dream to unite the Broadway community and the extraordinary work of Broadway Cares with the courageous nurses and doctors on the COVID front lines.

Desperately Seeking the Exit: Online Live Written and performed by Peter Michael Marino Original direction by John Clancy Presented via Zoom See the show's website for upcoming dates and tickets Photo credit: David Rodgers Have you ever wondered about the drama behind a drama, the ways in which something like a large-scale theatrical performance comes together—or doesn't? If you have, then Desperately Seeking the Exit , with its inside look at the pinnacles and pitfalls of this process, is for you. If you haven't, then Desperately Seeking the Exit is for you as well because it is a wildly entertaining piece of storytelling. This one-man show, written and performed by Peter Michael Marino, recounts the rocky journey of the short-lived musical that Marino wrote based on the 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan , from its inception to its opening night and beyond. Desperately Seeking the Exit is partly a behind-the-scenes show-biz story, partly a fish-out-of-cultural-water t

Mira at 257 Elementary. Photo courtesy Michelle Tabnick PR In the wake of school closures, Battery Dance knows that things are difficult for both teachers and students. As such, they will now offer free virtual dance classes for kids through Battery Dance TV in order to help keep minds and bodies engaged during this time. Children will be guided through classes with teaching artists across New York, helping to keep them active as well as connected in this time of isolation. For elementary school students aged 5 and up, half-hour classes include: Hip-Hop for Kids Mondays and Fridays at 3pm Learn a new hip-hop style each week! Including popping and locking, dance hall, breakdancing, and more! Teacher: Hussein Smko All Kids Dance Wednesdays at 3pm Learn to move your whole body. Stretch and learn dance moves and dance vocabulary. Teacher: Mira Cook For more information and to view classes, visit Battery Dance TV . Battery Dance launched Battery Dance TV on March 27, 2020 to provide free li

Photo courtesy Michelle Tabnick PR In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, Nai-Ni Chen is shifting her focus from working on a stage with lights, costumes, and a company of dancers who rehearse and create daily with her to advancing her art in the virtual world, attempting to discover the opportunities and impact of the coronavirus on the art of dance. "Alone but Not Alone in Quarantine" is Nai-Ni Chen's first step toward working collaboratively with her dancers in different parts of the country, creating new work while confined to their home spaces. Dancers whose home is in the New York area are in small apartments with very limited space, while those who are outside of the New York City area have different environments. These settings provide unique opportunities and challenges to the choreographer. Focusing on the theme of their confinement, Company members improvised and filmed their choreographed pieces at home, sending them to their director. Nai-Ni Chen then assembled

The Female Genius Written by Rachel Carey Directed by Cameron Bossert Presented by the wild project and Thirdwing Available at www.thirdwing.watch Krysten Wagner and Cameron Bossert. Photo courtesy Karen Greco PR. Although a coincidence, it seems fitting that the debut offering from digital theater company Thirdwing should be structured around artists' struggles. Thirdwing is designed to develop plays both for streaming and for the live stage, and it launched just prior to the COVID-19 lockdowns, with its first live play, The Female Genius , written by Rachel Carey and scheduled to run at the wild project in mid-April. This, of course, did not happen. Happily, thanks to Thirdwing's operational model, audiences can still experience Carey’s Genius through the company's streaming platform. The play, designed to work well for both home and stage viewing, was filmed in styles that recall 50s and 60s teleplays and is presented in partnership with the wild project, to which half