Now Playing: Plays
November 16 - November 22
WHAT'S HERE: This page lists plays currently being presented in New York. Click on show titles to find out more about that show, including performance dates & times, ticket prices & ordering information, and cast & other credits. Starred shows are considered to be noteworthy or of special interest by NYTE's editor. Want your show listed on nytheatre.com? Read our listings guidelines.
LAST CHANCE!
These shows are closing this week
Acting Alone: A new play by David M. Korn, billed as "the true story of Lee Harvey Oswald." Closes November 21, 2009.
Are You There, Zeus? It's Me, Electra: A new farce by Aliza Shane, based on the famous play by Sophocles. Closes November 22, 2009.
bauhaus the bauhaus: Modernism! Utopia! Architecture! Sit-upons! The Nerve Tank explores the Bauhaus, the seminal German school of design that operated from 1919 until 1933, when the Nazi regime shut it down. Closes November 22, 2009.
REVIEWED BY MARTIN DENTON
Brecht on Brecht: Accidental Repertory Theater presents a revival of this compilation of the work of playwright Bertolt Brecht. Closes November 21, 2009.
REVIEWED BY MARTIN DENTON
Broke-ology: A new play by Nathan Louis Jackson about two brothers who are called home to care for their ailing father. Presented by Lincoln Center Theater. Closes November 22, 2009.
Children at Play: A new play by Jordan Seavey, described as a tragic farce following five friends as they [hopefully] survive the average high school experience. Closes November 21, 2009.
REVIEWED BY MARTIN DENTON
Circle Mirror Transformation: Four lost New Englanders enroll in a community center drama class experiment in this new play by Annie Baker. Closes November 21, 2009.
REVIEWED BY NATHANIEL KRESSEN
Creature: A new play by Heidi Schreck set in medeival England about a woman who goes mad and has a visitation from Jesus. Produced by Page 73 Productions and New Georges. Closes November 21, 2009.
REVIEWED BY DAVID IAN LEE
Cycatrix Adaptitude: Taking place in four exclusive Chelsea and Williamsburg lofts, this is a performance event within a party experience. Presented by Inverse Theater Company. Closes November 21, 2009.
REVIEWED BY MARTIN DENTON
Dead Man's Cell Phone: Outrageous Fortune Company presents Sarah Ruhl's play about a woman who picks up a dead man's cell phone. Closes November 22, 2009.
EAT in BED: Two programs of new short plays from Emerging Artists Theatre Company. Closes November 22, 2009.
Euripides' Phoenician Women: Columbia Stages presents the Acting class of 2010 in the play by Euripides, as adapted and directed by Karin Coonrod. Closes November 21, 2009.
Five Women Wearing the Same Dress: A revival of Alan Ball's play about the five bridesmaids in a Tennessee wedding. Closes November 22, 2009.
Granada: A new play by Avi Glickstein about a young woman who has been invited by the King of Spain in 1992 to stand in for all the Jews exiled from that country during the Inquisition. Closes November 22, 2009.
Holy Days: Retro Productions presents Sally Nemeth's play, set during the Great Depression. Closes November 21, 2009.
REVIEWED BY HEATHER MCALLISTER
Kiss Me on the Mouth: A new play by Melanie Angelina Maras about two friends who each inadvertently meet the man who could be "Mr. Right." Closes November 21, 2009.
REVIEWED BY DAN KITROSSER
Mine: A new play by Bekah Brunstetter about a poet with no time for poems who is caught between her wonderful, successful boyfriend and her magnetic, brokeass, aspiring musician, coffee shop co-worker. Closes November 22, 2009.
REVIEWED BY DAVID GORDON
Neptune: Superhero Clubhouse presents a physical theater adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid." Closes November 22, 2009.
Over The Line: A new play by P. Seth Bauer about six middle class teens just before graduation who are caught in a vortex of lust and violence. Closes November 22, 2009.
REVIEWED BY ROSS CHAPPELL
Passing Ceremonies: A gay, black love story based on an imagined meeting between Harlem Renaissance poet Bruce Nugent and '60s era poet-journalist Essex Hemphill. Closes November 21, 2009.
Penang: A revival of James Larocca's play about two American soldiers in Vietnam. This play premiered in the Midtown International Theatre Festival in 2008. Closes November 22, 2009.
REVIEWED BY MARTIN DENTON
Rabbit Hole: A revival of David Lindsay-Abaire's Pulitzer Prize play, presented by Hudson Stage Company. Closes November 21, 2009.
Red Sea Fish: A new play by Matt Wilkinson about a retired thief and his son. This is part of the Brits Off Broadway festival. Closes November 22, 2009.
REVIEWED BY DAVID IAN LEE
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead: T. Schreiber Studio presents a revival of Tom Stoppard's famous play about the minor characters of Hamlet and their existential crisis. Closes November 22, 2009.
REVIEWED BY MARTIN DENTON
Savannah Black & Blue: A new play by Raymond Jones about an African-American woman's efforts to become a New York City police officer in the face of many obstacles. Presented by The Negro Ensemble Company. Closes November 22, 2009.
REVIEWED BY MARTIN DENTON
The Children's Hour: A revival of Lillian Hellman's play about two schoolteachers who are accused by a student of being lovers. Closes November 21, 2009.
The Credeaux Canvas: A new revival of Keith Bunin's play about two East Village artists who attempt to scam a wealthy art collector into purchasing a falsified classic painting. Presented by Aeternalis Theatre. Closes November 21, 2009.
REVIEWED BY BRAD LEE THOMASON
The Folly of Crowds: A late-night comedy by Mat Smart that takes place at a small private university. Closes November 21, 2009.
The Hypochondriac: A new production of a contemporary re-imagining of Moliere's farce The Imaginary Invalid. Closes November 22, 2009.
REVIEWED BY MARTIN DENTON
The Importance of Being Earnest: A revival of the famous comedy by Oscar Wilde, set in contemporary New York City. Closes November 21, 2009.
The Lesser Seductions of History: A new play by August Schulenberg that follows ten characters through each year of the 1960s. Closes November 22, 2009.
REVIEWED BY MEGIN JIMENEZ
The Lily's Revenge: A new epic theatre work by Taylor Mac about a flower that wants to become a man in order to be able to wed its bride. Closes November 22, 2009.
REVIEWED BY MARTIN DENTON
The Misunderstanding: Horizon Theatre Rep presents a revival of Albert Camus's play about a man who returns home to his family after a 20 year absence. Closes November 22, 2009.
REVIEWED BY MITCHELL CONWAY
The Pillowman: A new production of Martin McDonagh's dark comedy about the interrogation of a fiction writer; presented by Astoria Performing Arts Center. Closes November 21, 2009.
REVIEWED BY SARAH WHALEN
The Playboy of the Western World: Pearl Theatre Company presents a new production of J.M. Synge's famous play. Closes November 22, 2009.
REVIEWED BY DAVID GORDON
The Verge: Performance Lab 115 strips Susan Glaspell's proto-feminist behemoth of a play in order to reveal its dark, dangerous soul. Closes November 21, 2009.
REVIEWED BY FRED BACKUS
What Once We Felt: Lincoln Center Theater presents a play by Ann Marie Healy about a writer's journey through the political world of publishing. Closes November 21, 2009.
"What Say You?": A new play by Anthony Laura set in kangaroo court. Performances are this week only.
7 Santas / The Eight: Reindeer Monologues: A double bill of satirical holiday shows by Jeff Goode. Performances are this week only.
A Christmas Wizard of Oz: A short theatrical version of the famous story, featuring 22 students from tri-state middle schools. Performances are this week only.
A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur: A staged reading of Tennessee Williams's play about four middle-aged women struggling for a sense of identity and independence. Performances are this week only.
A Steady Rain: A new play by Keith Huff. Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman star as two Chicago cops who are lifelong friends who give differing accounts of a few harrowing days that changed their lives forever. Closes December 6, 2009.
REVIEWED BY STAN RICHARDSON
Accomplice: The Village: A new theatrical interactive outdoor adventure from the team behind Accomplice: New York, this time set in Greenwich Village.
REVIEWED BY ROBIN REED
After Miss Julie: Roundabout Theatre Company presents the U.S. premiere of a play by Patrick Marber that transposes Strindberg's famous play to England in 1945. Closes December 6, 2009.
REVIEWED BY MARTIN DENTON
Agamemnon: A new translation of Aeschylus's famous play by Alexander Harrington, presented by Eleventh Hour Theatre Company. Closes November 29, 2009.
REVIEWED BY DAVID IAN LEE
American Treasure: 13P presents a new play by Julia Jarcho in which a Real History Detective meets a gumptious young vagabond with a harrowing past. In previews; opens on November 29, 2009.
Biography: A revival of S.N. Behrman's comedy about a woman artist who is approached about writing a memoir about her racy life. In previews; opens on November 24, 2009.
Blue Lanterns: A solo show written and performed by Branislav Tomich about what he calls "The Three D's": Death, Depression, and Dementia. Closes November 30, 2009.
REVIEWED BY HEATHER LEE ROGERS
Brownsville Bred ... Growing Up Elaine: A one-woman show written and performed by Elaine Del Valle about her experiences growing up Latina in the African American ghetto of Brownsville, New York. Closes November 30, 2009.
Cedar City Falls: a Mid-West Conflict: A weekly live soap opera a small peaceful town that gets plunged into full-scale civil war. Tuesdays; with rotating cast. Closes November 24, 2009.
Circumcise Me: In this one-man comedy, Yisrael Campbell takes the audience on a personal journey through his struggles with drugs and alcohol and his eventual salvation in the Jewish faith.
REVIEWED BY DAVID IAN LEE
Cyrano de Bergerac: A new production of Rostand's romantic classic about a heroic man with a poetic soul and an oversized nose. Closes December 5, 2009.
REVIEWED BY SOPHIA BUSHONG
Do Not Go Gentle: A one-man play about poet Dylan Thomas. In previews; opens on December 6, 2009.
Exposition: A non-narrative theatrical collision, created by Matthew Freeman and Michael Gardner. Performances are this week only.
Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage: A play by Jane Martin that tells the story of Big 8, a feisty rodeo competitor, who is facing foreclosure on the Wyoming ranch where she rehabilitates injured rodeo cowboys...with "sexual healing." Closes November 23, 2009.
Four Dogs and a Bone: A revival of John Patrick Shanley's satire on the Hollywood film industry that dives into the lives of four people trying to make a movie. Performances are this week only.
Frankenstein: Radiotheatre presents an adaptation of Mary Shelley's gothic horror story. Closes December 26, 2009.
God of Carnage: A new play by Yasmina Reza, described as "a comedy of manners without the manners."
REVIEWED BY MARTIN DENTON
Gormanzee and Other Stories: Three new one acts from anna&meredith, featuring live actors and life-size puppets. Performances are this week only.
Hamlet: Jude Law stars in Shakespeare's famous play; this production comes to NYC direct from Donmar Warehouse in London. Closes December 6, 2009.
REVIEWED BY DAVID FULLER
Hetty Pepper's Stew: This is part of Manhattan Rep's Gay and Lesbian Play Series. Performances are this week only.
How to Be a Good Italian Daughter: A new one-woman play written and performed by Antoinette LaVecchia, described as "a funny and touching portrait of mothers and daughters." Closes December 20, 2009.
REVIEWED BY MAGGIE CINO
Idiot Savant: A new philosophical comedy by Richard Foreman described as "a fresh, bracing and hilarious exploration of the boundaries of the legitimate." Willem Dafoe stars. Closes December 20, 2009.
REVIEWED BY MATT ROBERSON
Il Furioso: The Birth of Modern Justice with Drums: A dual language adaptation of Aeschylus's Eumenides with drums. Performances are this week only.
In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play: A new play by Sarah Ruhl; presented by Lincoln Center Theater.
Kitsch, or Two for the Price of One: Trav S.D.'s new show is a retelling of The Comedy of Errors with four sets of twins, set in Berlin when the Wall fell. Closes November 29, 2009.
REVIEWED BY MARTIN DENTON
Let Me Down Easy: A new solo performance by Anna Deavere Smith that explores the power of the body and the resilience of the human spirit. Closes December 6, 2009.
REVIEWED BY MARTIN DENTON
Line: Israel Horovitz's one-act dark comedy about a group of people who are waiting on line, though they don't know for what. Now in its 32nd year.
Loaded: A new play by Elliot Ramon Potts about a relationship between two gay men, one middle-aged and one much younger. Closes January 23, 2010.
REVIEWED BY MARTIN DENTON
Lord Buckley & Marilyn: A double-bill of solo plays about Lord Buckley and Marilyn Monroe. Closes November 28, 2009.
Love Child: Daniel Jenkins and Robert Stanton portray everyone in a theatre--on stage, backstage, and even in the audience--in this two-man comedy of their own devising. Closes January 3, 2010.
REVIEWED BY DAVID GORDON
Love, Loss, and What I Wore: A program of vignettes and monologues by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron, based on the best-selling book by Ilene Beckerman.
REVIEWED BY MELANIE N. LEE
Made in Heaven: A comedy by Jay Bernzweig about a pair of conjoined Siamese twins who share a penis.
REVIEWED BY BRAD LEE THOMASON
My First Time: A new play written and directed by Ken Davenport featuring true accounts of first sexual experiences.
My Wonderful Day: A new play by Alan Ayckbourn about a girl who has to write a school essay about her day, and the adults who provide her with material for it. This is part of the Brits Off Broadway festival. Closes December 13, 2009.
REVIEWED BY DAVID GORDON
Nightingale: A new play written and performed by Lynn Redgrave, inspired by her need to discover memories of her grandmother--a woman she barely knew. Closes December 13, 2009.
No Exit: Nutshell Productions presents a revival of the famous play by Jean-Paul Sartre. Closes December 6, 2009.
Oleanna: A revival of David Mamet's play about a power struggle between a male university professor and one of his female students. Bill Pullman and Julia Stiles co-star. Closes January 3, 2010.
REVIEWED BY MICHAEL CRISCUOLO
Or,: A new play by Liz Duffy Adams about the life of playwright/spy Aphra Behn. Closes December 13, 2009.
REVIEWED BY LYNN MARIE MACY
Our Town: A revival of the famous play by Thornton Wilder, directed by David Cromer.
REVIEWED BY MARTIN DENTON
Perfect Crime: Convoluted murder mystery involving a dangerous psychiatrist, her patient, a detective, and a man who may or may not be her husband. Implausible, but entertaining; this is the longest-running straight play in New York history.
Post No Bills: A new play by Mando Alvarado about a young woman from a Texas bordertown who comes to the big city with dreams of becoming a singer. Closes December 13, 2009.
Race: A new play by David Mamet. James Spader and Richard Thomas star. In previews; opens on December 6, 2009.
Sholem Aleichem: Laughter Through Tears: A new play with music, written and performed by Theodore Bikel, that brings to life the characters and observations of the famous Yiddish writer. Closes December 13, 2009.
REVIEWED BY MARTIN DENTON
So Help Me God!: A new production of a play by Maurine Dallas Watkins that never made it to Broadway; it's about a fabulous dramatic diva who must fend off a challenge from her ambitious but naive understudy (and was written two decades before All About Eve. Kristen Johnston stars. In previews; opens on December 7, 2009.
Superior Donuts: A play by Tracy Letts about the owner and sole employee of a decrepit donut shop in uptown Chicago.
REVIEWED BY MARTIN DENTON
The 39 Steps: A comic parody of the famous Hitchcock thriller, with four actors playing all the roles. Closes January 10, 2010.
REVIEWED BY MARTIN DENTON
The Age of Iron: A retelling of the story of the Trojan War, drawn from works by William Shakespeare and Thomas Heywood; adapted and directed by Brian Kulick. In previews; opens on November 22, 2009.
The Arrangement: A play by Rick Eisenberg about an unfairly dismissed executive at a Wall Street public relations firm. Closes November 25, 2009.
The Boychick Affair--The Bar Mitzvah of Harry Boychick: A new interactive comedy by the creator of Grandma Sylvia's Funeral. At Times Square Arts Center.
REVIEWED BY NICOLE BOURNAS-NEY
The Brother/Sister Plays Part 1 and 2: A trilogy of modern-day stories of kinship, love, heartache and coming-of-age centered around an extended family and community in the Bayou, written by Tarell Alvin McCraney. Closes December 20, 2009.
REVIEWED BY SAVIANA STANESCU
The Common Air: A one-man play performed by Alex Lyras about six people thrown together during an airport delay. Closes December 30, 2009.
REVIEWED BY ROBERT WEINSTEIN
The Emperor Jones: A revival of Eugene O'Neill's play about an African American man who sets himself up as monarch of a Caribbean island following a prison break in the United States. Closes December 6, 2009.
REVIEWED BY AMBER GALLERY
The Gayest Christmas Pageant Ever!: A comedy by Joe Marshall about a small gay community theatre struggling to pull together their annual holiday pageant. In previews; opens on November 29, 2009.
The Great Recession: An evening of short plays that explore the impact of the current economic crisis on the younger generation. In previews; opens on December 10, 2009.
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter: A new play by Rebecca Gilman, based on the novel by Carson McCullers, about a deaf man and his best friend who has been committed to an insane asylum. In previews; opens on December 3, 2009.
The Lady with All the Answers: A play by David Rambo about advice columnist Ann Landers. Judith Ivey stars. Closes December 20, 2009.
REVIEWED BY MARTIN DENTON
The Late Christopher Bean: The Actors Company Theatre presents Sidney Howard's play from the 1930s about what happens when a celebrated painter's early works are traced to the humble home of a country doctor. Closes December 5, 2009.
REVIEWED BY KIMBERLY WADSWORTH
The Mystery Play: This is part of Manhattan Rep's Gay and Lesbian Play Series. Performances are this week only.
The Orphans' Home Cycle: The world premiere of a three-part play by Horton Foote that follows characters in the fictional town of Harrison, Texas over three decades. Closes March 28, 2010.
The Quantum Eye - Magic Deceptions: An exploration of mentalism, magic, perception and deception starring Sam Eaton.
The Royal Family: Manhattan Theatre Club presents a revival of the George S. Kaufman-Edna Ferber comedy about a theatrical dynasty. Closes December 13, 2009.
REVIEWED BY MARTIN DENTON
The Starry Messenger: The New Group presents this new play by Kenneth Lonergan about an astronomy teacher whose life is transformed by a young single mother. In previews; opens on November 23, 2009.
The Supper Club of Lost Causes: Nightmares and vaudeville in a mildewed, long-forgotten nightspot in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Closes November 29, 2009.
The Understudy: Roundabout Theatre Company presents a new play by Theresa Rebeck about understudies. Julie White stars. Closes January 17, 2010.
REVIEWED BY DAVID GORDON
They Call Me Mister Fry: A one-man show starring Jack Freiberger as a white boy from Indiana who ends up teaching fifth graders in South Central Los Angeles. Closes December 31, 2009.
This: A new play by Melissa James Gibson about a single mother who is trying to become a poet. In previews; opens on December 2, 2009.
Tony 'n Tina's Wedding: The long-running interactive comedy, featuring a wedding and dinner/reception. At Sofia's Restaurant on 46th Street.
Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind: A program of 30 plays in 60 minutes, presented by the Neo-Futurists.
Twelfth Night (or What You Will): Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theater presents a puppet theatre adaptation of Shakespeare's play. Closes November 29, 2009.
REVIEWED BY JUDITH JAROSZ
Under the Gaslight: A revival of the 1867 melodrama by Augustin Daly. In previews; opens on November 28, 2009.
Welcome to the Woods: The U.S. premiere of a play by Dutch author Alex van Warmerdam, described as Revolutionary Road meets Little Red Riding Hood. Closes December 10, 2009.
Wishful Drinking: Carrie Fisher recounts the true and intoxicating tale of her life as a Hollywood legend in this new solo show. Presented by Roundabout Theatre Company. Closes January 17, 2010.
REVIEWED BY NAT CASSIDY
Wolves at the Window: Enter the offbeat world of Saki--one of the twentieth century's greatest satirists. This play by Toby Davies is part of the Brits Off Broadway festival. Closes December 6, 2009.
Zero Hour: A solo play written and performed by Jim Brochu about Zero Mostel. In previews; opens on November 22, 2009.
