Thinking Theater NYC

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...