Thursday, April 3, 2025
There comes the point in life when one embarks on a Hero’s Journey toward self-discovery and finding the meaning of life. In the case of SHEEP #1, now playing at Japan Society through November 7, that remarkable journey belongs to a tiny plastic sheep toy. NYC-based Japanese artist Sachiyo Takahashi creates a unique, imaginative world and theatrical experience through her “Microscopic Live Cinema-Theatre,” a real-time manipulation of miniature objects projected on a screen with silent dialogue and live musical accompaniment. The result is a performance that is extraordinarily tender, whimsical, and perspective-shifting. Inanimate objects become sentient beings with complex desires, interactions and
Reviews
United Solo Theatre Festival 2021 presents Lynn Needle’s SIX SOLOS – Legend, Myth and Nature
Following this unprecedented time of isolation, the United Solo Theatre Festival 2021 is back at Theatre Row. On October 28, choreographer, teacher, and gifted visual memoirist Lynn Needle performed SIX SOLOS - Legend, Myth and Nature. From her brief, intense on-stage warmup, Needle effortlessly connected to the audience providing deeply "interpersonal" reflections on each dance. The "Legend" and "Myth" part of the program honored her mentors Alwin Nikolais (1910-1993) and Claudia Gitelman (1946-2012). As a member of the Nikolais Dance Theatre in the 1980s-1990s, she was one of two female dancers who performed Noumenon (1953). Nikolais (along with longtime collaborator and partner Murray Louis [1926-2016]) was a groundbreaking
Bernard Shaw’s “Mrs Warren’s Profession” Lands At Theater Row
"Mrs Warrens Profession" At Theater Row Through November George Bernard Shaw was a staunch anti-vaxxer. Despite that Shaw's indelible touch on the modern artistry of comedic writing and orating is still alive today. Also alive is his unsympathetic satirical wit which is, though an old sort of wit, everlasting and undeniable. It's also no secret that Shaw was a communist and socialist. Even going as far as to suggest that every five years each persons usefulness to society should be reassessed and if that person doesn't meet the criteria set forth they should be killed. Much like Jonathan Swifts suggestions in his
Take The Opportunity to “Crave” Alexandra Petrullo
Alexandra Performs Her Show, "Crave" Live. Flyer By: Shane Geraghty Like Sinead O'Conner sings in "Nothing Compares to You", It's been 18 months since I've seen live theatre" or something like that. I never really listened to all the lyrics honestly. Something I can't say that about is a recent one woman show I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to observe. "Crave" is a musical comedy about the life and times of Alexandra Petrullo and her experiences with the NYC dating scene. This strong piece is written by Alexandra Petrullo, Directed by Gretchen Cryer with Musical Direction by Nick Wilders.
Todd Buonopane: All Washed Up at Feinstein’s/54 Below
When the theaters shut down and performers could not perform in public anymore, actor and singer Todd Buonopane took to his bathtub and turned his shower curtain into a theater curtain, performing scenes and singing songs into a camera and sharing the videos on social media. Now that cabaret venues have reopened, performers are returning to the stage. After an out-of-town tryout, Buonopane recently brought his act to the Feinstein’s/54 Below stage, singing songs traditionally performed by women and celebrating some of the greatest ladies of the theater. Having a live (and decidedly enthusiastic) audience to play off of gave Buonopane’s interpretations
Recent and Upcoming Openings in New York
Here are some of the new shows opening this fall in New York (not an exhaustive list): Pass Over Open now and running through October 10 at the August Wilson Theatre. Lackawanna Blues Previews from September 14, opens September 28, for a limited run through October 31 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. SIX Previews resume September 17 for an opening October 3 at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. American Utopia From September 17 through March 6 at the St. James Theatre. Chicken & Biscuits Previews from September 23, opens October 10 for a limited run through January 2 at Circle in the Square Theatre. The Lehman
“The Motherf**ker with the Hat” — Denizens Theater Company
The premise of the play is simple enough. Jackie (David Feliz) is a former drug dealer freshly out of prison and determined to go straight. His girlfriend Veronica (Jillian K. Waters) is thrilled about this, but she is still using. Just before they get into bed to celebrate his successful job search, he sees a hat that doesn't belong to him. He suspects her of cheating; he goes off to meet his parole officer and AA sponsor Ralph D (Gregory Marlow), who is having trouble with his own wife Victoria (Lara Ruth Smith). Jackie gets a gun, is convinced to
Under the Radar Festival 2021: Re-envisioned Virtually
It’s 2021. We made it. Now what? For those of us fortunate enough to have survived (though not without scars) the year that no one could have imagined, we enter the new year less naive and more prepared for the unexpected. Fortunately, one of the annual delights that kicks off each January with surprisingly fresh performances from local artists and exciting international companies has returned. The Public Theater’s Under the Radar Festival is back for its 17th triumphant year, albeit differently than before. Like everything else, the festival’s offerings are confined to virtual viewings and one very personal phone call. The artists
Journey Around My Bedroom – New Ohio Theatre for Young Minds
This little puppet show concerns Xavi, a little girl who has been sentenced like the rest of us to spending the pandemic in our homes. Her mom orders her off the video games and tells her to go to sleep. And that is when the fun begins. As she waits for sleep to come, her imagination takes over. Enter Xavier de Maistre (who wrote a book called Journey Around My Bedroom while under house arrest a couple of centuries ago). He is a great explorer; something Xavi aspires to be. She challenges him to a duel, assists in the
A Christmas Carol – A virtual take on a classic
One-man performances of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol go back to the Victorian era, when Dickens himself gave readings of his instant hit. A new recorded production, starring Jefferson Mays, breathes new life into the tradition, and offers a genuinely moving—and truly theatrical—story about redemption and kindness. This recording was created to benefit partner theaters around the country that were affected by the pandemic. Directed by Michael Arden, adapted by Arden, Mays, and Susan Lyons and conceived by Arden and Dane Laffrey, the filmed version is based on the 2018 production that made its premiere at Los Angeles’ Geffen Playhouse. The script