Theater Thursday Round Up
It’s Theater Thursday, and for the first time in a long time, we have good news to report on that front! In case you’ve been out of the loop, our beloved theatrical institutions have been closed for the past year and a half due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was an excruciating time for both artists and patrons. It feels like the absence of theatrical art creates a hole in the fabric of our society. But given that the vaccine is now available, theaters have opened once again, and vaccinated patrons are welcomed with open arms!
We are thrilled about the reopening of our theaters and so we are sharing a little of what we know is on the menu this fall with more to come in the following weeks!
Axis Theatre Company
Over at the Axis Theatre Company at One Sheridan Square, WORLDS FAIR INN is back for a return engagement! An absurdist comedy written and directed by Randy Sharp, WORLDS FAIR INN takes inspiration from the failures and genius of three men: “father of the atomic bomb” J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904-1967), American serial killer H. H. Holmes (1861-1896), and fictional scientist Victor Frankenstein. Featuring original music and sound design by Paul Carbonara, WORLDS FAIR INN is an expedition into the subconscious of these three men and their tragic personal lives.
It is understood that when the first atomic bomb was detonated, the world changed forever. The indivisible was divided, and the fabric of the universe was revealed. This creation would also destroy its creator, J. Robert Oppenheimer. After bringing to life an unstoppable force that neither he nor anyone could control, he was removed from his own project and ostracized until he died alone. In television appearances he described himself as “Death, the destroyer of worlds” but he had brought to life a force that would never be imprisoned again. Frankenstein also created a monster that demanded his life, could not be confined and eventually destroyed him. Another scientist in Chicago, H.H. Holmes, built a factory-hotel to experiment with human life and possibly create one himself. Like Frankenstein’s laboratory and Oppenheimer’s Los Alamos, Holmes’ “Murder Castle” was a place where the nature of existence itself was on the table for experimentation.
WORLDS FAIR INN is an impressionist explosion revealing these three minds and the forces that worked on them.
The production stars Brian Barnhart, George Demas, Britt Genelin, Jon McCormick, and Edgar Oliver. You can purchase tickets here.
The Cherry Lane Theatre
At The Cherry Lane Theatre, located at 38 Commerce Street, you can expect a thought-provoking evening with Neal Brennan, who describes himself as a “Theatrical Stand-up.” In his new show, Neal Brennan: Unacceptable, the comedian meticulously examines his own defects, attempting to understand his baffling inability to fit into a group and the alienation that comes along with it. Derek DelGaudio has directed this follow-up to Brennan’s acclaimed 2016 show, 3 Mics. Neal Brennan: Unacceptable runs through November 21st. You can purchase tickets here
Next up, Cherry Lane Theatre is partnering with The Breath Project, which is an archive of 8 minute and 46 second works of live theater from multidisciplinary theater artists of color which will be showcased in their Second Annual 2021 Fall Festival. We are very excited to see what wonderful new works will appear in the Fall Festival. We will give you updates about that schedule of events.
The Greenwich House Theatre
Ars Nova has made its theatrical home in the beautiful Greenwich House Theater since 2019. Its new production, P.S, opens tonight, October 7th, 2021!
From a year in letters to a moment in time, you will experience the in-person culmination of P.S. Since November 2020, P.S. has delivered intimate storytelling directly into the hands of audiences, as they’ve received letters between two characters corresponding in real-time as the world changed all around. The story concludes in a unique multimedia theatrical event that begins in your home and ends on the stage at Greenwich House. It looks to be quite an intimate and innovative event! You can buy tickets here.
The Lucille Lortel Theatre
Onstage at The Lucille Lortel Theatre at 121 Christopher Street is Sanctuary City, produced by New York Theatre Workshop, whose home is on East 4th Street in the Fourth Arts Block (FAB) district.
2018 Pulitzer Prize winner, NYTW Usual Suspect, and former 2050 Fellow Martyna Majok brings us a story that asks us what we are willing to sacrifice for someone we love. DREAMers, Love(r)s, and Life-long friends negotiates the promise of safety and the weight of responsibility as they struggle to establish a place for themselves and each other in 21st century America. Rebecca Frecknall, director of the 2019 Olivier Award-winning Summer and Smoke, is the director of the production which returns to the stage after performances were abruptly halted in March of 2020. You can buy tickets here.
To learn more about the reopening of New York Theatre Workshop on East 4th Street, be sure to visit their website here.
Rattlestick Playwrights Theater
Rattlestick is producing a new play by Mansa Re and directed by Christopher Betts entitled In the Southern Breeze which begins performances on November 3rd. The production can be seen both live in-person as well as through streaming. Described as an absurdist meta-drama, author Mansa Ra watches America fall to riots and plague while feeling powerless in his cramped studio apartment. In a fever dream, he meets five men in the afterlife from centuries of American history. Rattlestick is known for its adventurous and eclectic choices of theatrical literature. Rattlestick Playwrights Theater is at 224 Waverly Place. You can buy tickets to In the Southern Breeze here.
That’s it for this week. We will bring you more updates about others of the vast number of amazing theatres in our neighborhoods in the weeks to come. Hope to see you in the house!