Coming Attractions

May 2008

• Inner Voices: Solo Musicals: A program of three short one-woman musicals. Zipper Factory; starts May 12.
• One Woman Standing: Emerging Artists Theatre presents a developmental series of one-woman shows. Roy Arias Studios & Theatres; starts May 12.
• Len, Asleep in Vinyl: A new play by Carly Mensch about a disillusioned music producer who is visited by his estranged star and a pop star. This is part of Second Stage's Uptown Series. McGinn Cazale Theatre; starts May 13.
• Move On: An all-new program featuring Karen Akers with accompanist Don Rebic. Oak Room; starts May 13.
• Architecting: The TEAM presents a workshop production of their new work, described as an American saga for the 21st century. 3LD Art & Technology Center; starts May 14.
• Corporate Carnival: A new theatre piece by the Women's Project that uses sideshow acts to illuminate the the enormous vagaries of a global business market, the fluctuating economy, and the giant retailers that dominate the national landscape. This is part of the World Financial Center's 20th anniversary celebration. Starts May 14.
• Edward the King: A new play by David Brendan Hopes about England's King Edward II and his relationship with Piers Gaveston. This is part of GAYFEST NYC. TBG Arts Complex; starts May 14.
• Jollyship The Whiz-Bang: A musical by Nick Jones, described as an underground-pirate-puppet-rock spectacular. Ars Nova; starts May 14.
• La Femme Est Morte: A revival of this contemporary adaptation of the Phaedra myth, created and performed by The Shalimar. P.S. 122; starts May 14.
• Prisoner of the Crown: A new play by Richard Stockton about the trial of Irish patriot Sir Roger Casement, which was tainted by the discovery of papers purporting to depict his homosexuality. Irish Repertory Theatre; starts May 14.
• reasons to be pretty: MCC Theater presents a new play by Neil LaBute about America's obsession with physical beauty. Lucille Lortel Theatre; starts May 14.
• Beware Of A Holy Whore: A theatrical adaptation from the 1971 film by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, presented by the School of Visual Arts Department of Film, Video and Animation, in conjunction with Dangerous Ground Productions. At Visual Arts Theatre. Starts May 15.
• Eightballs: A comedy by C. J. Thom about four 20something guys who try to party like rock stars. Lafayette Street Theatre; starts May 15.
• Gayfest NYC: A festival of new gay-themed work, including three fully produced productions, readings, and more. TBG Arts Complex; starts May 15.
• Lone Wolf Series: Four original solo shows by women, all dealing with the theme of isolation, presented in repertory by Coyote REP. June Havoc Theatre; starts May 15.
• Mary Trilogy: Mir Productions presents a program of three short plays that explore stories from various Greek tragedies. Access Theatre; starts May 15.
• POP!: Riffs, rants and ramblings on the current state of popular cultural affairs, presented by At Hand Theatre Co. Algonquin Theater; starts May 15.
• Sympathetic Division: A new play by Gia Marotta about two well-established scientists whose stormy marriage ultimately implodes their family structure. Dorothy Strelsin Theatre; starts May 15.
• The Bushwhack Series: A three-day festival devoted to the development of new work within the neighborhood of Bushwick (Brooklyn). The Bushwick Starr; starts May 15.
• The Interim: A new play by Julie Troost and Scott Troost about two people who find themselves at an open grave site, not quite sure how they got there. Players Theatre; starts May 15.
• ijk: A new wordless spectacle of sonic juggling and circus arts from the French troupe Compagnie 111; ideal for kids and their families. New Victory Theatre; starts May 16.
• TELL: A new collaboratively-created play by Subjective Theatre Company about the role of confession in our society. Collective Unconscious; starts May 16.
• The Great American All-Star Traveling War Machine: Irondale Ensemble Project presents the world premiere of this theatre piece based on entries in Lewis Lapham's journal Lapham's Quarterly from volume 1, number 1 Winter 2007: "States of War." Theater for the New City; starts May 16.
• The Witlings: Magis Theatre Company presents a play by Frances Burney, which was written in 1779 but has not been seen on stage until now. West End Theatre; starts May 16.
• Tiny Theater!: A festival of experimental theater works that takes place in 6' x 6' x 6' space in under 10 minutes. Curated by and performed at the Ontological Theatre and the Brick Theater. Brick Theatre; starts May 16.
• Beef: A new play by Lawrence Dial about a fractious reunion between a would-be rapper, his reluctant childhood friend, and in between, a troubled young hustler who can't remember where her days went. Presented by Slant Theatre Project. 78th Street Theatre Lab; starts May 17.
• DanceAfrica 2008: The annual celebration of African dance; this year's theme is "Bridge to Cultural Rejuvenation & Enlightenment." BAM Opera House; starts May 18.
• The Site: A new play by Al Schnupp about a scientist who is involved in unusual field studies. Walkerspace; starts May 18.
• Artefacts: A new play by Mike Bartlett about a 16-year-old girl whose heretofore unknown father, an Iraqi, suddenly appears in her life. This is part of the Brits Off Broadway festival. 59E59; starts May 20.
• Evidence of Things Unseen: A new play by Katie Forgette about a woman dealing with her elderly father's mental decay. Presented by CAP 21. Starts May 20.
• The Good Negro: A new play by Tracey Scott Wilson about a trio of emerging black leaders working to conquer their demons. This is part of the PUBLIC LAB series. Public Theater; starts May 20.
• Blink: A new play by Ian Rowlands described as "an edgy examination of the close-knit lives and lies of a small south Wales community." This is part of the Brits Off Broadway festival. 59E59; starts May 21.
• Fever: A new play by Dave McCracken about a great warrior who is determined to seduce and capture another warrior who is his mortal enemy. Dionysus Theater's L'il Peach; starts May 21.
• Oedipus Loves You: A punk rock music-inflected adaptation of the Oedipus plays of Sophocles and Seneca; presented by Dublin's Pan Pan Theatre. P.S. 122; starts May 21.
• That Dorothy Parker: A one woman biographical drama written and performed by Carol Lempert about the life and work of the famous writer Dorothy Parker. Algonquin Theater; starts May 22.
• W.M.D. (Just the Low Points): Sponsored by Nobody presents a workshop showing of a new theatre work by Kevin Doyle about our culture's current preoccupations. Starts May 22.
• Dutch Courage: A new cabaret play by Barry Lowe and Sean Peter about a group of gay resistance fighters during World War II. Wings Theater; starts May 23.
• Lower East Side Festival of the Arts: A three-day celebration of theatre, music, dance, puppetry, poetry, film, and more. Theater for the New City; starts May 23.
• The Wrath of Aphrodite: A new play by Tim O'Leary described as a radical re-imagination of the Greek story of Hippolytus. This is part of GAYFEST N YC. TBG Arts Complex; starts May 23.
• Toy Theatre Festival: Great Small works presents the 8th annual edition of this festival of puppetry and miniature theatre. St. Ann's Warehouse; starts May 23.
• The Cocktail Hour: Theater Breaking Through Barriers presents a revival of A.R. Gurney's comedy about a writer who returns home to ask permission of his parents to put on a play he's written about them. Kirk Theatre; starts May 24.
• Hamlet: The Public Theater presents a new production of Shakespeare's famous play, starring Michael Stuhlbarg and directed by Oskar Eustis. Delacorte Theater; starts May 27.
• Spill the Wine: A new play by Brian Dysktra about a woman forced to confront her own identity. This is part of GAYFEST NYC. TBG Arts Complex; starts May 27.
• To Seek A Newer World: An original play about Robert F. Kennedy, conceived and directed by Ken Terrell. Presented by Curan Repertory Company. American Theatre of Actors; starts May 27.
• a howling flower: A new work by Nami Yamamoto that features five performers and a puppet who invent an emotional terrain made out of simple, unpredictable movements arranged in short, episodic scenes. Starts May 28.
• Body Awareness: A new play by Annie Baker about a radical photographer whose photos of naked women set off an uproar at a small Vermont college. Atlantic Stage 2; starts May 28.
• Il matrimonio segreto (The Secret Marriage): A new production of the cmoic opera by Domenico Cimarosa, directed by Jonathan Miller. BAM Harvey Theatre; starts May 28.
• Alice in Wonderland: Haberdasher Theatre presents an adapation of the Lewis Carroll classic in which Alice takes a journey through fashion trends and the cultures that embrace them. Under St. Marks; starts May 29.
• Cinephilia: The New York premiere of a play by Leslye Headland about two lost and lonely twentysomething lovers. Presented by The PossEble Theatre Company. Theatre Row Studio; starts May 29.
• Frequency Hopping: A new multidisciplinary play written and directed by Elyse Singer based on the true story of the 1940 collaboration between Hollywood star Hedy Lamarr and avant-garde composer George Antheil on a secret communication system. Presented by The Hourglass Group. 3LD Art & Technology Center; starts May 29.
• Game On: An experiential evening of performance at play created by Basic Assembly. Chocolate Factory; starts May 29.
• Stomp and Shout (an’ Work it All Out): A new play by James Carmichael about the FBI's investigation of the song "Louie, Louie" in the mid-1960s. Presented by Babel Theatre Project. 45th Street Theatre; starts May 29.
• The Euthanasist: A new play by Liza Lentini that explores the nature of care giving, devotion and losing one’s self in a self-imposed torture of the day to day. P.S. 122; starts May 29.
• This Is a Cowboy Poem My Daddy Taught Me: A new play by Katie Bender about the American artist Donald Judd and how he moved to a small town in Texas and helped to transform it. Dorothy Strelsin Theatre; starts May 29.
• Three on a Couch: A new comedy by Carl Djerassi about a famous writer obsessed with reputation who fakes his death in order to read his own obituaries. Soho Playhouse; starts May 29.
• Vicious Dogs on Premises: A new physical theatre work from Witness Relocation, with text by Saviana Stanescu, about choosing between cruelty and love. Ontological Theatre; starts May 29.
• You're Welcome: A new cycle of short plays by The Debate Society. Dixon Place; starts May 29.
• Musicals in Mufti: Productions of four little-known musicals, in concert-style stagings. All four have music by Larry Grossman. York Theatre; starts May 30.
• The Film Festival: A Theater Festival: The annual themed summer festival from the Williamsburg venue tackles mixed media. Brick Theatre; starts May 30.

June 2008

• TeatroStageFest: Latino theatre from New York, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Spain. Starts June 2.
• Carpe Tunnel: Embracing the Struggle: A series of new works being explored by Counting Squares Theatre for their upcoming season. Spoon Theatre; starts June 3.
• Radiotheatre's Summer Fright Fest: Radiotheatre presents aural stage play versions of King Kong and The Island of Dr. Moreau. Tuesday nights. Players Theatre; starts June 3.
• A Dangerous Personality: Perry Street Theatre presents a new play by Sallie Bingham about the life of Helena Blavatsky, who was one of the founders of the science of religion, theosophy. Julia Miles (WPP) Theatre; starts June 4.
• Guy Pride: The World's 1st MAN-sical!: A musical satire that looks into the lives, personalities and quirks of five men who come together to celebrate all things "Guy." Duplex; starts June 4.
• Jumping Blind: A new play by Philip Gerson about an English resistance fighter and a wounded German soldier who fall in love during World War II. This is part of AYFEST NYC. TBG Arts Complex; starts June 4.
• Romeo and Juliet: Inwood Shakespeare Festival presents a free outdoor production of Shakespeare's famous romantic tragedy. At Inwood Hill Park Peninsula. Starts June 4.
• Summerworks 2008: Clubbed Thumb presents its annual festival of new work, featuring plays by Ann Marie Healy, Sally Oswald, and Sigrid Gilmer. Ohio Theatre; starts June 4.
• A Midsummer Night's Dream: Flux Theatre Ensemble presents a revival of Shakespeare's play, re-imagined as "a dangerous valentine to the transformative magic of love and theatre." West End Theatre; starts June 5.
• Benefactors: Folding Chair Classical Theatre presents a revival of Michael Frayn's play about the complex, deteriorating relationships between two married couples in late-'60s London. 78th Street Theatre Lab; starts June 5.
• The Hired Man: A musical by Melvyn Bragg and Howard Goodall about a young married couple and their struggle to carve a living from the land. This is part of the Brits Off Broadway festival. 59E59; starts June 5.
• Walk it Once: A new dance performance work by Tara O'Con. Chocolate Factory; starts June 5.
• New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players: The long-running operetta troupe present revivals of H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado and The Gondoliers. City Center; starts June 6.
• Steve Hayes' Hollywood Reunion: An autobiographical comedy about a Christmas visit to Hollywood. This is part of GAYFEST NYC. TBG Arts Complex; starts June 6.
• The Reckoning of Kit & Little Boots: A new play by Nat Cassidy that imagines the dying Christopher Marlowe being guided through a tour of his life by Caligula. Gallery Players; starts June 6.
• Hope's Arbor: A new play by Rich Espey about a girl's attempt to escape from her prestigious boarding school. Gallery Players; starts June 7.
• The Adventures of/Las Aventuras de Liv & Traco: Underworld Productions presents a bilingual adaptation of the baroque opera Livietta e Tracollo. Starts June 8.
• Penalties and Interest: A play by Rebecca Cohen about the insular existence of life in an office. This is part of the PUBLIC LAB series. Public Theater; starts June 10.
• Safe Home: A new play by Sean Cullen about a struggling working class family with a son who strives for a better life through service in the military. Starts June 10.
• Single Black Female: A comedy by Lisa B. Thompson about single black women and their search for love, dignity and clothes. Duke on 42nd Street; starts June 10.
• Some Kind of Bliss: A new play by Samuel Adamson about a young woman who sets out to interview pop star Lulu. This is part of the Brits Off Broadway festival. 59E59; starts June 10.
• Vincent River: A new play by Philip Ridley about a woman who is visited by a teenager who has some connection with the death of her son. This is part of the Brits Off Broadway festival. 59E59; starts June 10.
• Crother Spyglass / The Resistable Rise of Fatlinda Paloka: A program of two new plays by Timothy Dowd and Marcy Wallabout; presented by Serenitas Media and Extrabold Productions. Theater for the New City; starts June 11.
• oph3lia: A world premiere theatre work by Aya Ogawa that explores different facets of the character from Hamlet in contemporary contexts. HERE Arts Center; starts June 11.
• Palace of the End: A new play by Canadian author Judith Thompson about three key figures in the war in Iraq. Presented by Epic Theatre Ensemble. Peter Jay Sharp Theatre; starts June 11.
• Arias with a Twist: A collaboration between drag diva Joey Arias and puppeteer Basil Twist to celebrate the reopening of HERE. HERE Arts Center; starts June 12.
• BASH’d!: A gay rap opera written and performed by Chris Craddock and Nathan Cuckow about two star-crossed lovers who must cope with the reality of hatred when one is brutally beaten. This was one of the hits of last summer's FringeNYC festival. Zipper Factory; starts June 12.
• Sans Merci: Mauetic Theatre Works presents a new play by Johnna Adams about a woman who is trying to learn the circumstances of her activist daughter's death. Roy Arias Studios & Theatres; starts June 12.
• SketchFest NYC: The 4th annual festival of sketch comedy, produced by Elizabeth Ellis, Stefan Lawrence, Becky Poole, and Alexander Zalben. Upright Citizens Brigade; starts June 12.
• The Marriage of Bette and Boo: Roundabout Theatre Company presents a revival of Christopher Durang's comedy that surveys three decades in the life of a dysfunctional marriage. Laura Pels Theatre; starts June 12.
• Forbidden City West: Yangtze Repertory Theatre of America presents a new musical that looks at 100 years of Chinese-American Experience through the life and times of legendary entertainer Jadin Wong. Theater for the New City; starts June 14.
• Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy: A new acrobatic and musical adventure inspired by nature's unpredictable creations; created and directed by Neil Goldberg. Broadway Theatre; starts June 16.
• soloNOVA Arts Festival: TerraNOVA Collective presents their fifth annual festival of solo performance. P.S. 122; starts June 18.
• One of Our Sons is Missing: A play by Godfrey Sealy about a Caribbean family coping with the specter of AIDS; presented at Long Island University. Starts June 19.
• Marko the Prince: The New York premiere of a play by the late Jovanka Bach about a young American man who journeys to the Bosnian-Serbian border to bury his mother in the village where she grew up. Presented by Immigrants' Theatre Project in collaboration with John Stark Productions. Barrow Group; starts June 20.
• The Dark Land of the Sun: A new play by Paul Hufker about a young married couple dealing with love and loss in New York City. Manhattan Repertory Theatre; starts June 25.
• Dance at Bataan: A new play by Blake Bradford about a survivor of the Bataan Death March, presented by Phare Play Productions. Wings Theater; starts June 28.
• Forbidden Broadway: Rude Awakening: The latest edition of the long-running musical parody revue by Gerard Alessandrini resumes performances. 47th Street Theatre; starts June 28.

July 2008

• Summer Play Festival (SPF): The fifth annual festival of new work, sponsored by The Living Room for Artists. Public Theater; starts July 1.
• [title of show]: A musical by Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen about the creation of a musical. This was a hit in the New York Musical Theatre Festival and then off-Broadway. Lyceum Theatre; starts July 5.
• Damn Yankees: A revival of the musical comedy by Richard Adler, Jerry Adler, Douglas Wallop, and George Abbott about a baseball fan who sells his soul to the Devil so that his team might win the World Series. City Center; starts July 5.
• East to Edinburgh: 59E59's annual festival showcasing some of the American productions journeying to the Edinburgh Fringe this summer. 59E59; starts July 8.
• Ice Factory '08: The annual summer festival of new work, presented by Soho Think Tank. Ohio Theatre; starts July 9.
• Unexpressed: The Heart & Songs of John Bucchino: An original musical revue featuring the songs of John Bucchino (A Catered Affair). Manhattan Theatre Source; starts July 9.
• Fresh Fruit Festival: The annual summer festival of gay-themed theatre and comedy. Starts July 11.
• Midtown International Theatre Festival: The ninth annual edition of this festival of plays, musicals, and solo works, produced by John Chatterton. Starts July 14.
• Animals Out of Paper: A new play by Rajiv Joseph about an origami artist. This is part of Second Stage's Uptown Series. McGinn Cazale Theatre; starts July 15.
• Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Short Play Festival: The 33rd annual edition of this playwriting festival sponsored by theatre book publisher Samuel French. Peter Jay Sharp Theatre; starts July 15.
• The Curse of Capistrano--El Zorro!: Inwood Shakespeare Festival presents a new free outdoor drama based on the novella by Johnston McCulley. At Inwood Hill Park Peninsula. Starts July 16.
• Bad Musicals Festival: NY Artists Unlimited presents a festival of musicals that are bad (in the sense of "naughty"); this is part of the International Cringe Festival. Producers Club; starts July 21.
• Buffalo Gal: A new play by A.R. Gurney about a once successful television personality whose returns to her hometown of Buffalo to star in a revival of The Cherry Orchard. Presented by Primary Stages. 59E59; starts July 22.
• Hair: A revival of the 1967 "American Tribal Love-Rock Musical," presented by The Public Theater for free performances in Central Park. Delacorte Theater; starts July 22.
• The Third Step: A new play by Anthony Michael Laura about a young girl with a grave disease who is trying to cope with her controlling mother. American Theatre of Actors; starts July 24.

August 2008

• The First Breeze of Summer: A revival of the play by Leslie Lee, in which the struggles of three generations of the Edwards family collide over the course of one sweltering weekend. This is the first entry in Signature's season devoted to re-examining works from the Negro Ensemble Company. Signature at Peter Norton Space; starts August 5.
• Freedom Train's Fire! New Play Festival: New plays by Sharon Bridgforth, Harrison Rivers, and Aurin Squire, each featuring a protagonist who is black and lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Starts August 6.
• New York International Fringe Festival: The Present Company presents the 12th annual edition of North America's largest multi-arts festival. Starts August 8.
• A Tale of Two Cities: A musical by Jill Santoriello based on the classic novel by Charles Dickens. Al Hirschfeld Theatre; starts August 19.

September 2008

• The Tempest: A revival of Shakespeare's famous play, starring Mandy Patinkin as Prospero. Classic Stage; starts September 3.
• Equus: A revival of the play by Peter Shaffer about a disturbed young man who has blinded six horses and the psychiatrist who tries to help him. Richard Griffiths and Daniel Radcliffe star. Broadhurst Theatre; starts September 5.
• NY Clown Theatre Festival: The third annual festival of clown-related performance. Brick Theatre; starts September 5.
• Fifty Words: MCC Theatre presents a new play by Michael Weller that tracks a few hours in the lives of a married couple. Lucille Lortel Theatre; starts September 10.
• To Be or Not to Be: Manhattan Theatre Club presents a new stage adaptation of the film comedy by Ernst Lubitsch, about a Polish theatre company who help fight the Nazis. Biltmore Theatre; starts September 11.
• New York Musical Theatre Festival: The fifth annual festival of new musicals, at various venues in Manhattan. Starts September 15.
• A Body of Water: Primary Stages presents the NY premiere of a play by Lee Blessing about two people who awaken at a house--but they don't know whose it is or how they got there. 59E59; starts September 16.

October 2008

• Billy Elliot the Musical: A new musical by Elton John and Lee Hall, based on the film of the same name about a young boy who dreams of becoming a dancer. Imperial Theatre; starts October 1.
• Romantic Poetry: A new musical by Henry Krieger and John Patrick Shanley described as a crackpot musical romance about three couples. Manhattan Theatre Club; starts October 1.
• Black Watch: A return engagement of the acclaimed play from the National Theatre of Scotland about a Scottish Army regiment's eye-view of the war in Iraq. St. Ann's Warehouse; starts October 9.
• Irma la Douce: Musicals Tonight! presents a concert-style revival of the Marguerite Monnot musical about a French hooker with a heart of gold. McGinn Cazale Theatre; starts October 14.
• The Oedipus Cycle: The world premiere of a translation by Peter Constantine of Sophocles's plays. Pearl Theatre; starts October 14.
• A.N.T. Fest: A six-week festival of craziness presenting a cross-section of Ars Novas signature aesthetic. Shows will be different each night. Starts October 16.
• Streamers: Roundabout Theatre Company presents a revival of David Rabe's play about a group of young soldiers at boot camp, waiting to go to the Vietnam War. Laura Pels Theatre; starts October 17.
• Tovarich: Musicals Tonight! presents a concert-style revival of the 1963 musical comedy about two former Russian aristocrats who go to work as servants for two Americans in Paris in the 1920s. McGinn Cazale Theatre; starts October 28.
• Wintuk: A revival of the spectacle about the magic of winter from Cirque du Soleil. Starts October 30.

November 2008

• Shrek The Musical: A musical by David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori based on story and characters from William Steig's book as well as the popular animated film. Broadway Theatre; starts November 8.
• Home: A revival of the play by Samm-Art Williams about a man who leaves his North Carolina farm to seek prosperity in the North in the 1950s. This is part of Signature's season devoted to re-examining works from the Negro Ensemble Company. Signature at Peter Norton Space; starts November 11.
• Pal Joey: Roundabout Theatre Company presents a revival of the 1940 Rodgers & Hart musical about a young man who romances a rich married woman. Studio 54; starts November 21.

December 2008

• Nathan the Wise: A revival of Gotthold Lessing's play. Pearl Theatre; starts December 9.