Thinking Theater NYC

Pray , choreographed by Tina Bararian, featuring Monica Plaza and Lorenzo Guerrini. Photo by Reza Mirjalili. Vincent Van Gogh’s ghost, dancing subway riders, and Gloria Swansong’s drag follies will converge on stage during Emerging Artists Theatre’s (EAT) bi-annual Spark Theatre Festival NYC. Over the course of 3 weeks, 60 new works will be showcased. The festival features a wide range of programming that is sure to entertain and delight New York City theatergoers, including new musicals, plays, dance, solo shows, drag follies, and sketch comedy in various stages of development. The fall 2024 Spark Theatre Festival NYC runs September 9th - 29th. Award-winning EAT, now in its 32nd year of presenting exciting and diverse new work, is proud to announce that the festival has moved to its new home at The Chain Theatre, located at 312 W 36th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY, 10018. During the festival, shows run nightly, with multiple shows on the weekend. Most productions receive one perform

The Climate Fables: The Collapse of the Hubbard Glacier Written by Padraig Bond Directed by My Le Presented by Torch Ensemble and FRIGID New York at UNDER St. Marks 94 St. Marks Place, Manhattan, NYC August 29-31, 2024 A man, fleeing political fallout, takes to the seas with his daughter, Miranda. No, this is not Shakespeare's Tempest ; we are in the world of playwright Padraig Bond's The Climate Fables , and unlike Prospero's illusory storm, the disaster here is both real and beyond human control. The Collapse of the Hubbard Glacier is Torch Ensemble's first production of a residency at FRIGID New York and the third of The Climate Fables produced so far in a planned twelve-play cycle–the standard number of chapters in epics–spanning 1,000 years. With three further plays in the cycle set for UNDER St. Marks this fall, The Collapse of the Hubbard Glacier takes us to the beginning of it all, laying a mythic, tempestuous foundation for the long arc of the cycle. F

Matt, James and Ben in Lord Finnington Bus in The Positively Puzzling Case of the Purloined Pelvis: At Vicar's Gate Written by James Sweeney and Matt Tanzosh Directed and designed by James Sweeney, Matt Tanzosh, and Ben Fletcher Presented by Theater for the New City , Crystal Field, Executive Artistic Director, at Theater for the New City 155 First Ave., Manhattan, NYC August 25-September 2, 2024 Ben Fletcher and Matt Tanzosh. Photo courtesy of the artists. Classic British detective fiction, of the Arthur Conan Doyle/Michael Innes/Agatha Christie/Dorothy L. Sayers variety, popularized tropes that are still inescapably familiar today (think, for example, of the investigator climatically gathering everyone together in a drawing room to make a bit of a show of explaining their solution to the crime). Matt, James and Ben in Lord Finnington Bus in The Positively Puzzling Case of the Purloined Pelvis: At Vicar's Gate takes these tropes, supercharges them, gives them a hilariously NS

The Waiting Room Written by Vel Grande Directed by Dennis Oliveira Presented by Theater for the New City , Crystal Field, Executive Artistic Director, at Theater for the New City 155 First Ave., Manhattan, NYC August 25-31, 2024 L to R: Heather Alzapiedi, Brett Fox, and Jake Declan. Photo by Dan Morales  To say that life is often illogical if not outright nonsensical certainly qualifies as an understatement. Making its world premiere this month, The Waiting Room , a comedic one-act from Utah-based playwright, novelist, and short story writer Vel Grande, joins the venerable tradition of theater exploring the search for meaning amidst the absurdity of existence. Expertly blending metatheatrical and existential comedy, The Waiting Room is currently part of the 2024 Dream Up Festival  at Theater for the New City (TNC). The new works festival, in its twelfth iteration this year, runs from August 25th to September 15th and is dedicated to discovering new authors and challenging, non-traditi

Layover at Reagan National Written and directed by Kate Katcher Catch Written by Jeryl Brunner Directed by Sara Thigpen Presented by Jesse Eisenberg, Anna Strout, and Barbara Toy Banshee Written by John Patrick Shanley Directed by David Zayas Jr. Hangmen Written by Kyle C. Mumford Directed by Matt Giroveanu Soured Milk Written and directed by Annie Raczko Presented by Chain Theatre 312 West 36th St., Floors 3 and 4, Manhattan, NYC August 8-September 1, 2024 The Chain Theatre's summer 2024 One-Act Festival gathers a wealth of short-form theater, offering 14 separate programs each comprising two to five plays, with a livestream option available for select dates. In four of the five plays that make up Program 14 in the festival, characters confront mortality, to different degrees and in different ways, in several cases through chance encounters, while the fifth presents a life-changing revelation in a slightly different vein. In scenarios and settings ranging from the everyday to th

EPIC Players is launching its Eighth Season of Accessible Classes for Neuro-divergent Artists, taught by Industry Professionals, including an inclusive program for Neuro-divergent and Disabled teens: EPIC Junior. Tuition is free for all company members and only $15 for non-members. For more information, visit https://www.epicplayersnyc.org/classes . Knowledge is Power. EPIC works to empower its artists through access to skills based and professional development classes in the performing arts, so they may grow in their craft, their careers, and their community. All classes are FREE for EPIC company members and range in topics from performing arts, design, and professional development. EPIC classes are designed and led according to our “BE EPIC” method for adaptive, inclusive and individualized instruction. Each class features a lead/co teaching artist, a class supervisor and at least two EPIC Mentors, who serve as friends and coaches to provide individualized support as needed. EPIC off

Forty-Second Street Forever Written and directed by Peter Rowan Pastiche Written and directed by Kayla Hense Over My Dead Body Written and directed by Esther Caporale Presented by Chain Theatre 312 West 36th St., Floors 3 and 4, Manhattan, NYC August 8-September 1, 2024 The Chain Theatre's summer 2024 One-Act Festival gathers a wealth of short-form theater, offering 14 separate programs each comprising two to five plays, with a livestream option available for select dates. Program 12 presents a trio of plays that find characters confronting, resisting, or pursuing change. From Forty-Second Street Forever 's considerations of personal, familial, and neighborhood histories to the funny but probing philosophical musings of Pastiche and the dark family comedy of Over My Dead Body , this set of one-act shows takes us through a series of entertaining liminalities. Forty-Second Street Forever , written and directed by Peter Rowan and played on a bare stage, finds architect Sean (Tom

The Heat Written by Andrew Donnelly-Yunga Directed by Giovanna DiSanto Power 1996 Written by Rishi Chowdhary Directed by Tyler Riley Memoryville Written and directed by Philip Cioffari The New Year Written and directed by Max Rosenblum Closed Opening Written and directed by Robert Cantillon Presented by Chain Theatre 312 W. 36th St., Floors 3 & 4, Manhattan, NYC August 8-September 1, 2024 Chain Theatre's summer 2024 One-Act Festival , which features more than 50 new plays and runs through September 1st, brought Program 2, composed of five short plays, to its feet last Sunday, a welcome respite from the muggy summer heat. In fact, the first play of the 5 PM program was entitled The Hea t, written by Andrew Donnelly-Yunga. Director Giovanna DiSanto stages a restaurant shift-break conversation between newbie chef Martin (Ethan Alexander Horbury) and Dante (Sam Sinnott), the old-hand chef. Horbury plays his role vulnerably and with a palpable innocence, until his secret isn't

UNREHEARSED: R&J! , will be presented by Barefoot Shakespeare Company and Needs More Work Productions, at Summit Rock in Central Park. Popularly referred to as “Shakespeare for Sports Fans,” the UNREHEARSED! series is a great opportunity for actors to go toe-to-toe with the bard, while simultaneously stretching their improv muscles. Cast members are given just 30 days to learn their lines and get off book. At NO TIME are they permitted to rehearse with each other or coordinate performances. Audiences will be delighted to see referees standing by, ready to call “foul” and flag actors for missed cues, flubbed lines, and ad-libbing. Audience members can also get in on the action by placing bets on who they think will make the most mistakes, and for the first time ever, tip their favorite cast members to encourage them on towards the finish line! A two-hour extravaganza of live-theatre magic mixed with the hilarious hijinks of hoping actors will mess up! Featuring Barefoot Shakespeare

Airport and the Strange Package Written by Sean King Directed by William Roudebush Presented by Great Cannonball Productions at Gene Frankel Theatre 24 Bond Street, Manhattan, NYC August 7-25, 2024 L to R: John Daniel Meehan, Michael Kishon, and Kyle McIlhon. Photo credit: Florence Rossiello It would be difficult to find people who enjoy what the protagonist of Sean King's new satirical play Airport and the Strange Package describes as the multi-hour humiliation inflicted on travelers before they get on a flight. One of the questions that Airport and the Strange Package asks is that of why we acquiesce. In the tradition of writers such as Franz Kafka and Joseph Heller, this very funny production presents the individual caught in the gears of absurd and dehumanizing institutional machinery; and, more particularly, it examines the way in which security theater–and the acceptance of it–functions as a gateway to ever-increasing/evolving surveillance and Foucauldian discipline. In a ni

Fight Over the Breeches; Gift of Louis E. Shecter, 1972, The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore Theater for the New City, Crystal Field (Artistic Director), FFP, and Stage Voices proudly present the Off-Off Broadway world premiere of Tongs and Bones Shakespeare , based on footnote, or,  generally, off-marquee characters, in the Bard’s plays. The theatrical quartet, by Bob Shuman, is directed by Frank Farrell and has been selected as part of Theater for the New City’s Dream Up Festival, August 25-September 15, 2024, curated by Michael Scott-Price and Crystal Field.  Playing at the Community Theater in the Theater for the New City complex, the one-acts, included as part of the Tempestuous Amusements, Interludes, Noises, and Drollery are The Wanton Wind , based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream ; From a Cloven Pine , a prequel to The Tempest ; and The Coxcomb’s Wedding , inspired by As You Like It . Additionally, Farrell and his actors have agreed to provide a bonus reading of one further play, Dis

Aligned with its mission to make opera more accessible, Teatro Grattacielo announced last month the launch of its channel, TG Vivo. TG Vivo is now available for free on Your Home TV , a dynamic, browser-based streaming platform that offers viewers free access to a wide array of content. Celebrating 30 years in 2024, Teatro Grattacielo is one of New York City's most enduring cultural institutions. Its mission is to promote the rich tradition of Italian style opera, revitalizing lesser-known works, supporting emerging singers, and creating all-inclusive community programming. Successful productions of rare and forgotten operatic gems such as Mascagni’s Guglielmo Ratcliff , Montemezzi’s L’Amore dei Tre Re , Giordano’s La Cena Delle Beffe , and Spontini’s historic Italian version of La Vestale are some highlights of Teatro Grattacielo’s past years, to name a few. Under new leadership since 2020, Teatro Grattacielo has expanded both its repertoire and boundaries gaining international a

The Bleeding Class Written by Chisa Hutchinson Directed by Cezar Williams Presented by Undiscovered Works with Executive Producers Ruth & William Isenberg and Leah S. Abrams at 59E59 Theaters 59 E 59 St., Manhattan, NYC August 13-September 1, 2024 Reginald L. Barnes and Tamar Lopez in The Bleeding Class . Photo by Jennifer Dean Even in times when there is no public health emergency, it is clear that capitalism concerns itself with human health only insofar as it affects productivity and profit; any doubts to this effect that anyone may have harbored should have been erased in the recent pandemic, amidst open discussions about the levels and demographics of acceptable sacrifices of human life to "the economy." The pandemic also rendered transparent on a national stage–if, again, anyone had any doubts–the ways in which the harmful effects of neoliberal capitalism's exploitation of life and labor fall unequally across hierarchized lines of race, class, gender, and sexual