New York

HOW TO URN AUDIENCE SYMPATHY This one-man show is described as an “immersive” experience, and the immersiveness begins right at the entrance of the particularly fitting venue, the oh-so-appropriate First Reformed Church in the cozy neighborhood of Park Slope, Brooklyn. Audiences are invited to play along with the premise that they have gathered not to…

A SHOUTING SHAME On the Evolutionary Function of Shame—which Second Stage Theater opened on February 26 at The Pershing Square Signature Center—ambitiously tackles complex themes of identity, family, and the moral dilemmas surrounding gender dysphoria, transphobia, and eugenics. While undeniably thought-provoking and timely, its execution at times overwhelms with excessive dramatics and shouting. Elizabeth Ramos…

A THILLER IN REVERSE “It’s the story of a kid who just wanted to make a difference…” But what price does he pay for it? Boubs (short for Boubakar), the narrator of Rajiv Joseph’s gripping new play Dakar 2000 who utters that introductory line, is a devoted Peace Corps Volunteer in Senegal. It’s December 1999,…

SINCE THE FRIDGE IS EMPTY, HOW ABOUT A GIANT BOWL OF GRIT? There’s no place like home. Mom calls the cops, convinced Dad is going to kill her—he’s drunker than usual and literally breaks down the door. The next morning, she yells at her son for sweeping up the shattered pieces. He yells back. Daughter…

IT’S SAFE TO DRAW YOUR OWN CONCLUSIONS AT HOUSE St. Ann’s Warehouse, in association with New York’s Irish Arts Center, presents Safe House, a one-person song cycle originally produced at Dublin’s Abbey Theatre. Running for a limited engagement through March 2, this haunting and esoteric production has a pile-driving performance by Kate Gilmore. Walsh describes the…

IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT, WILL EX-LOVERS REUNITE OR FIGHT? After decades apart, can the passion of once-young lovers sizzle again, like leftover pizza zapped in the microwave? Picking up an old relationship isn’t as easy as picking up takeout—food doesn’t come with the “Can we be a couple again?” dilemma. Still, playing at…

A DESIGN AS IMPRESSIVE AS A REDWOOD ITSELF The new Broadway musical Redwood, which opened on February 13, is a master class in tech theater. Set designer Jason Ardizzone-West makes this clear from the outset, enclosing the stage in a semi-circle of pinkish-white screens that extend beyond the proscenium arch, even covering the house-right and…

MADELINE SEIDMAN IS REMARKABLE IN GARSIDE’S CAREER Since 1995, the invaluable Mint Theatre Company has been unearthing lost, neglected plays from yesteryear. With artistic director Jonathan Bank at the helm, he has overseen the production of 60 revivals of worthy plays. Harold Brighouse’s Garside’s Career, which opened tonight, is the latest praiseworthy play to be produced…

ADD THIS TO YOUR BECKETT LIST Beckett Briefs: From the Cradle to the Grave, comprised of three short works by the playwright—Not I, Play, and Krapp’s Last Tape—soundly directed without intermission by Ciarán O`Reilly at Irish Rep, makes for a nice little microdose of art for someone whose weeks, from a cultural standpoint, consist of…