New York

A VIEW FROM THE INSIDE An intriguing drama keeps climbing but never quite reaches the heights it promises The New York premiere of The Vessel by Brendan George combines nonfiction with fiction, inspired by the true story of New York City’s infamous Hudson Yards landmark. The 150-foot-tall structure with eight levels of interconnected stairs and…

NOW IS THE WINTER OF OUR CONTENT Shakespeare’s unruly tragicomedy gets a splendid Central Park outing powered by a remarkable cast Do not surrender to the city heat: after the opening production of Romeo & Juliet, The Public Theater returns to Central Park with The Winter’s Tale, the second offering of this summer’s Free Shakespeare…

A WOMAN UNDER THE MICROSCOPE Wendy Wasserstein’s political comedy remains disturbingly current nearly three decades after its Broadway premiere How fitting that La Femme Theatre Productions, an Off-Broadway company dedicated to exploring and celebrating the universal female experience, should revive Wendy Wasserstein’s An American Daughter. Nearly three decades after its Broadway premiere, Wasserstein’s 1997 play…

SACRED GROUND, SHIFTING FOOTING Bubba Weiler’s quietly affecting drama finds two boys questioning far more than their faith For generations, serving as an altar boy has been one of the most visible ways young Catholics participate in the life of the Church. Altar boys assist the priest by preparing for Mass, ringing bells, burning incense,…

SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY SOUNDS Audible Theater’s immersive headphone horror transforms the oldest ghost story trick into a chilling theatrical experience Imagine listening to an audiobook through headphones when the story begins listening back. That’s the unnerving premise behind A Ghost in Your Ear, the acclaimed London horror hit making its American premiere this fall…

NO PASSING THE TRUTH John Donnelly’s drama examines the devastating cost of repression, secrecy, and the life that might have been The American premiere of John Donnelly‘s The Pass (originally produced at London’s Royal Court Theatre) is smartly directed by Max Hunter, who infuses both the play and its performances with energy, theatricality, and genuine…

COUNT ME IN Dr. Arthur Benjamin turns mathematics into an engaging theatrical experience Who would have dreamed math could be fun? Certainly not students sweating over difficult equations, trying to figure out how to isolate the unknown. Enter Dr. Arthur Benjamin, professor of mathematics at Harvey Mudd College. Created and performed by Benjamin and directed…

SPELLBOUND This warm, witty revival reminds us that growing up is never easy—but it can be hilarious Bee-lieve the hype. The Off-Broadway revival of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, choreographed and directed by Danny Mefford, is pretty close to letter-perfect. The one-act musical comedy portrays the agonies of adolescence, along with a few…

A LIFE IN THE KEYS Hershey Felder’s deeply personal journey proves as compelling as the music that shaped it Hershey Felder steps onto a stage with a grand piano surrounded by piles of old suitcases (the kind without wheels). In other words, lots of baggage. On top of one stack of luggage sits an old…

FOOD FOR THOUGHT Dave Hanson’s clever one-act turns awkward honesty into comic gold First dates can be anxiety-inducing to begin with, but what if your first impression became a Tower of Babble? Welcome to Café d’Automatique, where candor is always the order of the day—and perhaps the only order you’ll receive. When Erin (Katie Aldhizer)…

A CLASSIC THAT STILL DELIGHTS Strong performances and lively staging carry the day Small Boat and kotto Productions bring Shakespeare’s romantic comedy The Taming of the Shrew to life in La MaMa‘s downstairs Club Space. An onstage bar before curtain sets the tone for the evening, and by the end of the night, you may have…

PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS FIVE GAYS Paul Kubicki’s wildly inventive cycle of short plays finds humor, heartbreak, and humanity in unexpected places If Tennessee Williams and Cole Escola had an artistic progeny, the result might look something like Paul Kubicki’s Portraits of Gays in Despair: A Cycle of 5 Plays. Beginning with a vignette…

NOT WAITING FOR GODOT… WAITING FOR THE DINOSAUR This delightfully confounding absurdist comedy won’t convert skeptics, but devotees of the genre may find much to admire Halfway through What a World! What a World!, a pink dinosaur toy interrupts the action and powers onstage. The actors stop and stare. The toy stops and turns upstage…

SAD BOYS, WILD PLAYS Where Peter Thiel, Judy Garland, and anal warts somehow make perfect sense Theatrical experiences often move us with realism. Other times we end up with a musical number featuring an actor in drag portraying Judy Garland seeking treatment for anal warts. That’s the kind of outlandish novelty inside Portraits of Gays…