Thinking Theater NYC

Juliet: A Revenge Comedy Written by Pippa Mackie and Ryan Gladstone Directed by Ryan Gladstone Presented by Monster Theatre at SoHo Playhouse 15 Vandam St., Manhattan, NYC February 19 - March 1, 2025 Lili Beaudoin, Carly Pokoradi, and Ryan Gladstone. Photo by Chelsey Stuyt   Written by Pippa Mackie and Ryan Gladstone, Juliet: A Revenge Comedy explores the fantasy of female characters breaking free from the constraints of patriarchally-determined genres in order to live lives that quite literally go off-script. It is fitting that Shakespeare’s youngest heroine is the one who realizes that she doesn’t have to succumb to a tragic fate for a lover whom she has only known for two days (and whose love-making was, at least according to this production’s hilarious take on the wedding night, mediocre at best). After all, Juliet’s arc within Romeo and Juliet itself is one of increasing knowledge, both of herself and of those around her, with whom she becomes increasingly disillusioned. Ju...

The Six Paths Written and directed by My Le Presented by Theater for the New City, Executive Director Crystal Field, at Theater for the New City 155 First Avenue, Manhattan, NYC February 19-23, 2025 Harsh Desai,  Amy Hart Nguyễn, and  Siwapol Andy McMurray.    How much of human action is attributable to humans' own agency, and thus their ethical responsibility, and how individual choices shape and are shaped by the interconnected web of existence of which humanity forms one part are central questions in The Six Paths , from writer and director My Le, the youngest director in Vietnam to debut at The Hanoi Opera House. Intersecting with such questions in the play are the ways in which the idea of a self, however agentic, is varyingly constructed across cultures and cosmologies. In The Six Paths , Vietnamese Buddhism provides the ontological framework for an epic yet intimate exploration of identity formation, love and care, grief and sacrifice, and ever-progressing yet...

The Big Secret Written and performed by Brad Lawrence Presented by FRIGID New York at UNDER St. Marks 94 St Marks Pl, Manhattan, NYC February 16-27, 2025 With an updated version of 2023's The Big Secret , storyteller Brad Lawrence returns to UNDER St Marks with another outstanding solo performance. Hilarious and moving, Lawrence takes us through what ultimately becomes a decade-spanning consideration of and tribute to a formative friendship. At the same time, Lawrence's looking back over this particular relationship acts as a meditation on and exhortation to resist the ways that institutions, including church, patriarchy, and family, can damagingly distort both people's selves and their stories. While The Big Secret does eventually end up in the recent past, most of the show focuses on a few pivotal years beginning when Lawrence was 14. Through an anecdote about a youth group event at which the youth pastor preached against the horrors of premarital sex–teen pregnancy, AI...

El espacio entremedias ( The Space in Between ) Written by Fernando Travesí Directed by Leyma López Presented by and at Teatro Círculo 64 East 4th St., Manhattan, NYC February 14-23, 2025 Fernando Gazzaniga and María Fontanals. Photo by Tene Martínez. In a nation in which the government has made the socioculturally and biologically inaccurate assertion that there are only two sexes (and, one assumes, no division between sex and gender) into official policy and is working not only to disenfranchise but even to erase mention of trans and genderqueer people, Fernando Travesí's play El espacio entremedias ( The Space in Between ) could not be more timely. Performed in Spanish with overtitles in English, El espacio entremedias is making its world premiere at the East Village's Teatro Círculo this month. And the fact that this run began on Valentine's Day coincides nicely with the centrality of love to the play's vision of resilience and progress.   El espacio entremedias ...

POTUS, or Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive!,  Selina Fillinger 's brilliant, Tony nominated, all-female farce will open City Gate Productions ' 2025 Season. The production will run from March 14-23 at The Secret Theatre (38-02 61st Street, Woodside, Queens). One four-letter word is about to rock 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. When the President unwittingly spins a PR nightmare into a global crisis, the seven brilliant and beleaguered women he relies upon most risk life, liberty, and the pursuit of sanity to keep the commander-in-chief out of trouble. POTUS, or Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive! , stars Marianne Goodell as Harriet, Erin Layton as Jean, Chanel Mack as Margaret, Farah Diaz-Tello as Stephanie, LaRelle Gee as Chris, Margaret Leisenheimer as Dusty, and Tania Kass* as Bernadette. The production team includes Director Christina Shea-Wright, Assistant Director Emma Reifschneider, Stage Manager Kerryclare G...

Theater for the New City Executive Director Crystal Field is proud to present The Six Paths , a spiritual exploration of Vietnamese Buddhism that delves into identity, enlightenment, and cultural heritage. Performances begin Wednesday February 19 at Theater for the New City's Cabaret Theater, located at 155 First Avenue, New York, NY 10003. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $15 for students and seniors. Inspired by the short story "Coi Luan Hoi," by Than Long and translated by Trang Ha, The Six Paths follows the transformative journey of a young demon grappling with his purpose in the universe. Through themes of self-realization and cultural identity, the play offers audiences an emotional and thought-provoking experience. Blending traditional Buddhist concepts with contemporary theatrical innovation, The Six Paths highlights universal questions of existence and belonging. Spanning 100 minutes with no intermission, the production promises to be an unforgettable...

OHETOS cast. Photo by Yekaterina Gyadu As part of the 2024-25 POETIC MACHINE season, Theaterlab and The Social Club Thtr are thrilled to present On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco and Other Substances , a workshop production of the groundbreaking adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s hidden gems, adapted and directed by Lita Lofton. Over four years, she dedicated herself to crafting a modern adaptation, meticulously comparing translations to preserve the brilliance of Chekhov’s style while infusing contemporary resonance and spotlighting the Russian playwright's humor, pathos, and keen observation. The production – which was fostered by Theaterlab from its inception – runs from February 20 to March 2 at Theaterlab (357 W 36th St, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10018), with a special Blackout Night performance on February 28. Tickets (General admission is $45, with a limited number of $25 discounted tickets), and more information are available at https://theaterlabnyc.com/ Intentionally emphasizi...

  The Gene Frankel Theatre and ARA Theater have announced the NY Premiere of William Cameron’s Truth Be Told , directed by Kim T. Sharp ( The Hummingbirds , by Garret Jon Groenveld, at Chain Theatre) and starring Francesca Ravera and Michelle Park. A powerful two-hander about the manipulation of objective truth and our obsession with true crime,  Truth Be Told  will play for three weeks at The Gene Frankel Theatre (24 Bond St, New York, NY, 10012). Performances begin Wednesday, February 19, and continue through Sunday, March 9. Tickets are $37 and available at https://our.show/truthbetold . Student and senior discounts are available for $26 with valid ID. Truth Be Told  is a gripping psychological drama that unravels the aftermath of an unspeakable tragedy through the eyes of two mothers on opposite sides of a devastating event. When true-crime writer Jo Hunter visits Kathleen Abedon—a grieving mother whose teenage son, Julian, allegedly carried out a mass shoot...

A Letter to Lyndon B. Johnson or God: Whoever Reads This First Written, directed, and performed by Xhloe Rice and Natasha Roland Presented at SoHo Playhouse 15 Vandam St., Manhattan, NYC February 8-22, 2025 Natasha Roland and Xhloe Rice. Photo by Morgan Mcdowell. Two different stories of a boy demonstrating masculinity by leaping from a high place bookend A Letter to Lyndon B. Johnson or God: Whoever Reads This First , the spectacular show from three-time consecutive Fringe First Award winners Xhloe Rice and Natasha Roland. Written, directed, and performed by the duo, A Letter to Lyndon B. Johnson or God captivatingly captures both the anarchic energy and poignant yearnings of boyhood while highlighting its imbrication in a nexus of ultimately damaging patriarchal normativities. The show’s current production is part of SoHo Playhouse's 2025 International Fringe Encore Theater Series, which runs from January 2nd through March 2nd and provides extended runs to shows from " eme...

Internationally celebrated puppeteer Adam Francis Proulx (Netflix, CBC, Family Jr.; original Canadian casts of Avenue Q and Disney’s Frozen ) is set to dazzle New York audiences with his puppet-filled musical spectacular, Emilio's Million Chameleons . The production will be featured as part of the SoHo Playhouse's International Fringe Encore Series, showcasing the best fringe productions from around the globe. In a show directed by Canadian Comedy Award-winner Byron Laviolette and featuring music by cabaret sensation Chris Tsujiuchi, Emilio runs a chameleon circus, just like his father did, where a million different chameleons do amazing acts. But what happens when it all goes wrong? Emilio and his favorite chameleon Juan must learn that the key to success lies in embracing authenticity and letting his inner sparkle shine. “There is fabulous family-friendly foolishness at work here in the classic Muppet tradition," writes Orlando Weekly , an...

axes, herbs and satchels . Photo credit: Isha Patel. The Anthropologists, a NYC-based, female-led, investigative theater company, is launching the world premiere of their devised play axes, herbs and satchels . The tour begins in Jersey City at Art House on February 19th and 20th, followed by stops in Delray Beach at Arts Garage on February 23rd and Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana on March 5th. The show will return to New York City in spring 2025 with performances in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Brooklyn. The Anthropologists’ Artistic Director Melissa Moschitto and co-director Sandie Luna helm the ensemble of Black women and non-binary artists who shine a light on the suppressed history of Black midwives, doulas, and birthing bodies. axes, herbs and satchels travels across generations with storytelling, movement, southern spirituals, and ritual. axes, herbs and satchels is an act of reparative history, offering audiences a space for communal learning, reckoning, and healing. ...

Theaterlab’s beloved MINIFEST returns this year with a dazzling lineup of performances celebrating the miniature, all things tiny but exceptional, and transformative power of art seen in good company. Highlights include up-to-five-minute works spanning multimedia, a crafts workshop, immersive installations, and participatory art, all culminating in an enchanting audience wish-making ceremony. Curated by Orietta Crispino and produced by Molly Shayna Cohen, the event will be held at all Theaterlab spaces, located at 357 West 36th St., NY, NY 10018. The audience will be led in at two entry times (6:30 pm and 7:00 pm, followed by a reception) and guided through the experience. The evening promises a signature Theaterlab reception with mini snacks, full-size drinks, and unforgettable conversations. Join Theaterlab for a night of whimsy, wonder, and the remarkable all wrapped in a bow of community love and care just in time for Valentine’s Day. Tickets: $35-50 Love For You: this $35 ticket i...

The Scary - Improvised Stephen King Original concept by Nannette Deasy Directed by Robert Baumgardner Presented by IRTE at The Producers Club 358 W. 44th St., Manhattan, NYC January 31-February 22, 2025 L-R: Natalie Hunter and Evie Aronson. Photo: IRTE Stephen King has remained a cultural force over the nearly half a century since his debut novel, Carrie , became a bestseller. While a couple of King tropes have aged less well than others, the size and popularity of his corpus offers a lot to draw on for the improvised horror-comedy of The Scary , from IRTE (Improvisational Repertory Theatre Ensemble). Having made its award-winning debut in 2014, The Scary returns, reimagined, for some much-needed comic relief in a 2025 that is shaping up to be pretty scary itself. Taking inspiration from across the King canon, the show's talented cast stirs up buckets of blood-spattered fun. One doesn't have to be a connoisseur of King esoterica to thoroughly enjoy The Scary , though a passin...