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LINES Cast Announced for World Premiere of New Psychological Chamber Play in NYC

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 19:58:15 PST

Casting has been announced for the world premiere of Bellamy Brewster and Ewan Lloyd's new psychological chamber play, set to run June 17 through July 3 at Theatre 154 in New York City.

The cast brings together acclaimed stage actors James Louis Wagner whose credits include productions at American Conservatory Theater, Magic Theatre, and Gloucester Stage; Penny Balfour, known for her work across film, television, and regional theater; and Paul Niebanck, whose New York credits span Lincoln Center Theater, The Public Theater, City Center, and Signature Theatre. They are joined by Genevieve Ngosa Daniels, Kelechi Udenkwo, Euan Lathrop, Bryce-David King, and Nancy Kimball, forming an ensemble of emerging and established performers whose collective experience spans Broadway-adjacent institutions, award-winning independent film, and some of the country's leading training programs.

LINES was born from a single question: what does it actually cost to be chosen?

Set inside an audition that becomes something far more dangerous, LINES follows a group of artists who arrive for consideration. They are told where to stand, what to do, and how to remain in the running. As the process unfolds, the rules harden, the room closes in, and the cost of being chosen becomes impossible to ignore.

The cast includes James Louis Wagner as Ellis, Genevieve Ngosa Daniels as Isabella, Penny Balfour as Julia, Paul Niebanck as the Moderator, Kelechi Udenkwo as Marcus, Euan Lathrop as Isaac, Bryce-David King as Vernon, and Nancy Kimball as Victoria.

The creative team includes playwrights Bellamy Brewster and Ewan Lloyd, with Brewster also serving as director and executive producer. Additional executive producers are Andrea Sastoque and Tobi Orisarayi. The production team includes associate producers Allie Avital and Hillary Lui, production coordinator Fahd Sayeed, scenic designer Pili Weeber, composer and sound designer Spencer Barnett, movement director Gianna Reisen, lighting designer Obid Abdurakhmanov, casting director Katya Chernetsova, dramaturg Allie Avital, Costume Designer Edvin Thompson, and graphic designer and art director Bailey Sondag.

LINES Cast Announced for World Premiere of New Psychological Chamber Play in NYC

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 19:58:15 PST

Casting has been announced for the world premiere of Bellamy Brewster and Ewan Lloyd's new psychological chamber play, set to run June 17 through July 3 at Theatre 154 in New York City.

LINES was born from a single question: what does it actually cost to be chosen?

BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) Unveils Fall 2026 Season and Next Wave

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 14:54:19 PST

BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) has revealed its its Fall 2026 season and Next Wave, an slate of dance, theater, music, film, and family events.

At the heart of the season is Next Wave 2026, which lays the groundwork for the 50th anniversary of DanceAfrica, the nation's largest festival dedicated to African diasporic dance and music, arriving in May 2027. By providing a platform for African and African diasporic artists to create and showcase work that holds both historical legacy and Afrofuturist possibility, BAM honors the vision that choreographer and DanceAfrica founder Chuck Davis bequeathed to the institution. His work underscored one of the world's most profound truths: Africa is a wellspring of ancestry and history, and a diverse continent at the epicenter of contemporary questions including migration, human rights, social justice, and climate. That understanding runs through this season.

Okwui Okpokwasili, one of the defining voices in contemporary performance, appears in two works: adaku, part 2 with Peter Born, and the US premiere of Minor Music at the End of the World, written by Saidiya Hartman and featuring André Holland. Rwandan artists Dorothée Munyaneza and Dorcy Rugamba present works drawn from memory, loss, and survival. Nehprii Amenii makes her BAM debut with "HUMAN," and Bessie Award-winning choreographer Cynthia Oliver returns with, Turn. Turning. TURNT., a three-part evening on Black girlhood, survival, and re-emergence. Hanif Abdurraqib continues his poetry series into a third year, gathering Black poets and thinkers from Brooklyn and across the African diaspora. Together they mark a convergence, a creative inheritance that is foundational and forward-looking at once, and whose influence has long shaped culture around the world.

The season also brings longtime collaborators and first-time artists to Next Wave: the Philip Glass Ensemble performs Einstein on the Beach in concert for the opera’s 50th anniversary and anticipating Glass’s 90th birthday; Anne Bogart and Charles L. Mee reunite for the world premiere of PRELUDE, a site-specific outdoor work produced by En Garde Arts; Tiago Rodrigues returns to BAM for the third time with La Distance, the breakout hit of the 2025 Festival d'Avignon; and Guggenheim Fellows Holland Andrews and yuniya edi kwon make their BAM debuts. I'mPossible Holiday Wonders, Omnium Circus's radically inclusive holiday spectacular making its BAM debut in December.

The full fall season also includes The Ford/Hill Project, a verbatim theater work drawn from the Senate testimony of Anita Hill and Christine Blasey Ford, created by Elizabeth Marvel and Lee Sunday Evans; a conversation with bestselling author and organizational psychologist Adam Grant, in association with Greenlight Bookstore; plus Unworlding, NYC, a new series of public dialogues curated by BAM Artist-in-Residence and Curator Helga Davis, featuring conversations with renowned poet Claudia Rankine and critic Jack Halberstam.

Rounding out the season are BAM's fall film program across the Peter Jay Sharp and BAM KBH buildings, and BAMkids family programming.

Fall

Sep. 8–20 — The Ford/Hill Project by Elizabeth Marvel & Lee Sunday Evans (Theater)
Oct. 13 — Vibe: The Secrets of Strong Connections in a Lonely World by Adam Grant (Talk)
Oct. 13–15 — PRELUDE written by Charles L. Mee, directed by Anne Bogart (Theater)
Oct. 14 & 27 — Unworlding, NYC curated by Helga Davis, featuring Claudia Rankine and Jack Halberstam (Series)

Next Wave

Oct. 7–11 — Dorcy Rugamba’s Hewa Rwanda–Letter to the Absent (Theater/Music)
Oct. 21–25 — How Does It Feel to Look at Nothing by Holland Andrews & yuniya edi kwon (Music/Opera)
Oct. 23–24 — Toi, moi, Tituba… by Dorothée Munyaneza (Dance)
Oct. 24–30 — I Guess It Was My Destiny to Live So Long by Hanif Abdurraqib (Poetry)
Nov. 4–7 — Turn. Turning. TURNT. by Cynthia Oliver (Dance)
Nov. 11–15 — adaku, part 2 by Okwui Okpokwasili & Peter Born (Dance)
Nov. 18–29 — La Distance by Tiago Rodrigues (Theater)
Nov. 19–21 — Einstein on the Beach 50th Anniversary Concert by Philip Glass & Robert Wilson (Music)
Dec. 2–5 — Nehprii Amenii’s HUMAN, music by Martha Redbone & Aaron Whitby (Theater/Puppetry)
Dec. 4–6 — Minor Music at the End of the World written by Saidiya Hartman, directed by Sarah Benson (Theater)

Holiday

Dec. 10–13 — I’mPossible Holiday Wonders by Omnium Circus (Circus/Kids/Holiday)

Kids and Families

Sep.–Dec. — Best of BAMkids Film Festival 2026 (Film/Kids)
Oct. 31 — BAMboo! (Kids/Community)

CAN I BE FRANK? to Present ASL-Interpreted Performance

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 14:42:34 PST

The Obie Award-winning play Can I Be Frank? will present an ASL-interpreted performance on Saturday June 20 at 5pm.

Written by and starring comedian, artist, and writer Morgan Bassichis; directed by Tony Award winner Sam Pinkleton; and based on and with original material by the late comedian and performance artist Frank Maya, Can I Be Frank? began performances May 21, 2026, at SoHo Playhouse and will run through June 27, 2026.

The performance of Can I Be Frank? on Saturday June 20 at 5pm will feature live American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation. During this performance, a professional interpreter will be positioned House Left to translate all spoken dialogue and key auditory information during the show so that Deaf and Hard of Hearing patrons can immerse themselves in the performance. For optimal sightlines to both the stage and interpreter, please choose a seat on the left side of the house titled “ASL Reserved Seat” in rows C through H. ASL reserved seats are $45 including fees.

In a desperate attempt to prove they can think about someone other than themself, Morgan Bassichis turns to the work of queer comedian, musician, and performance artist Frank Maya. Maya was among the first out gay comedians on network television and on the precipice of mainstream success before he died from AIDS-related complications in 1995. This new “solo” performance humbly attempts to ensure Maya’s legacy is no longer overlooked while finally resolving the bottomless queer search for fame, father figures, and laughter in times of crisis.

Video: City Center Unveils LA CAGE AUX FOLLES-Inspired Street Mural

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 14:00:33 PST

New York City Center has unveiled a street mural inspired by the upcoming production of Encores! La Cage Aux Folles (Jun 17 - 28) starring Wayne Brady and Billy Porter. Commissioned by New York City Center, Not Straight Enough by multidisciplinary artist Keyon Monté can be viewed through July 1 on Ludlow Street at the corner of Delancey Street.

Installed by Murals of America, the 35-foot by 12-foot hand-painted street mural, Not Straight Enough, imagines a journey toward sanctuary. A drag queen rides through a dreamlike Paris sky charioteered by butterflies and light. Inspired by Victorian fairy paintings, Lady Liberty, and classical victory imagery, the piece turns migration into something theatrical, dreamlike, and uneasy. The butterflies represent transformation, reinvention, and gentleness, while the banner reading OPEN YOUR EYES acts as both invitation and declaration.

“I was thinking about Black expatriate artists, intellectuals, and queer people who left America searching for room to breathe,” said Keyon Monté. “People who crossed the Atlantic because they were too Black, too queer, too loud, too unwilling to make themselves smaller to survive. The figure feels somewhere between a saint, a refugee, and a monument. I wanted her to feel triumphant, but temporary, like freedom itself could disappear at any moment.”

Click Here to Play!

Maury Yeston to Celebrate New Biography With Concert and Event at Symphony Space

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 13:56:00 PST

Composer/lyricist Maury Yeston – who recently celebrated his landmark 80th birthday – will join author Joshua Rosenblum and theater journalist Peter Filichia at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space on Monday, June 29 at 7:00 PM for a special pre-release event celebrating Rosenblum’s forthcoming book, A VERY UNUSUAL WAY: Maury Yeston and His Singular Path to Broadway and Beyond (State University of New York Press). Copies of the book – which is due in stores and online on July 1 – will be available for purchase and signing.

Filichia will moderate a conversation about the book and Yeston’s remarkably varied career, and Shereen Ahmed, Karen Akers, Benjamin Eakeley, Jill Paice, Elena Shaddow, and pianist/music director Fred Lassen will perform some of Yeston’s most memorable songs. These include “My Husband Makes Movies” and “Unusual Way” from Nine, “I Want to Go to Hollywood” and “Love Can’t Happen” from Grand Hotel, “My Grandmother’s Love Letters,” from December Songs, “Shimmy Like They Do in Paris” from Death Takes a Holiday, and “Home,” from Phantom.

A VERY UNUSUAL WAY is a career chronicle combined with close examinations of some of Yeston's most noteworthy compositions, including songs from his Tony Award–winning musicals Nine, Titanic, and Grand Hotel, as well as his lesser-known works. The book also highlights the many celebrated artistic figures and collaborators who have featured prominently in Yeston’s life, including Stephen Sondheim, Placido Domingo, Federico Fellini, Raul Julia, Jane Krakowski, Alan Jay Lerner, Sophia Loren, Yo-Yo Ma, Rob Marshall, Alan Menken, Mike Nichols, Barbra Streisand, Tommy Tune, and Jonathan Tunick.

A VERY UNUSUAL WAY: Maury Yeston and His Singular Path to Broadway and Beyond can be pre-ordered from Amazon and select independent online booksellers.

Interview: Stephen Spinella on Love, Survival & Miraculous Humanity of JEROME

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 14:06:04 PST

For more than three decades, Stephen Spinella has been one of the defining voices of queer theater. From his Tony Award-winning performance as Prior Walter in the original Broadway run of ANGELS IN AMERICA to countless acclaimed stage performances since, Spinella has helped tell stories that have shaped how audiences understand queer lives and experiences.

Now, he's starring in John J. Caswell Jr.'s JEROME at Playwrights Horizons, a remarkable new play that follows Con (short for Cornelius) and Doane, a longtime couple living in the Arizona desert, whose lives are transformed by the arrival of a younger man named Bruin. Set between 1992 and 1994, the play exists in the shadow of the AIDS crisis without being defined by it. Instead the remarkable piece explores love, companionship, mortality, and the complicated ways people find one another.

Stephen Spinella.
Photo couresty of Playwrights Horizons.

For Spinella, the appeal of the project was immediate. “At this point it was a part I could play and it was a good part,” he says with a laugh. “As Eve Harrington would say, ‘I'd do much more for a part that good.’” [And, if you don’t get Spinella’s All About Eve reference, please make a viewing of the classic 1950 film a priority.]

But it was Caswell's writing that truly hooked him. “It's just a freaking brilliant play, with a gorgeous series of events,” Spinella states. “And the characters are exquisitely drawn. John's dialogue is completely sui generis. Nobody writes dialogue quite like that.”

While audiences may inevitably connect JEROME to earlier works about the AIDS epidemic, Spinella sees the play through a different lens. “I think of things more about how honest I feel like the play is about what it feels like to be a gay person,” he explains. And that authenticity is particularly evident in the play's exploration of how queer relationships form and evolve.

Spinella points to the way the play begins with sex but gradually reveals something deeper. “The first four scenes in this play are about them having sex. It’s about getting the situation aligned in such a way that these three guys have sex,” he says. “But after they have sex, you actually watch them sort of fall in love.”

For Spinella, that emotional progression is one of the play's most groundbreaking achievements. “There is a kind of a camaraderie that happens there that develops into real love between the three of them,” he reveals. “And I have never seen that in a gay play,” he adds. “I don't think I've ever seen this in a straight story.”

L-R: Jeorge Bennett Watson, Stephen Spinella, Ken Barnett.
Photo by Maria Baranova.

What emerges is a story that feels both deeply specific and surprisingly universal. “There's this completely amazing miracle where they meet this man who is not that far off in age from them, who has just been broken by the world,” Spinella explains. “I think these two men, they created this refuge in the side of this mountain where this other man can begin to feel some joy, connection, have a life, and even breathe a little bit.”

The play’s explorations of queer aging make room for Spinella's reflections to become more personal. Having lived through the AIDS crisis and the homophobia of the 1980s and 1990s, he recognizes much of his own experience in Con's story. “It feels like my life,” he emphasizes. “It just feels like my life.”

Spinella remembers being active in ACT UP before moving into ANGELS IN AMERICA and navigating an industry that was often hostile toward openly gay performers. “I lived through the homophobic s__t of the early '90s,” he recalls. “I was one of the first [openly gay] performers ever to thank their spouse at a national award show in history” he mentions in regards to thanking his then-partner, Peter Elliott, at the Tony Awards in 1993. Producer John Glines was the first person to openly thank a same-sex partner on a nationally broadcast awards show when his play, TORCH SONG TRILOGY, won Best Play a decade earlier in 1983.

Despite its setting, JEROME is not a story trapped in grief. Instead, it finds humor, tenderness, and joy amid difficult realities. That balance is part of what makes playing Con so rewarding for Spinella. “We don't carry our grief on our sleeve at every moment,” Spinella says. “His [Con’s] grief is not so much grief as it's terror,” he elucidates. “He's terrified of dying.”

Rather than forcing those emotions to dominate every scene, Caswell allows them to surface organically. “He [Caswell] doesn't write the terror on his sleeve,” Spinella explains. “He lets the terror bubble up, and then he gives Con all of these mechanisms to deal with it.”

That approach allows the play's comedy to land with even greater force. “The audience just has such a great time,” Spinella says. “There are these crazy moments, like in the middle of the saddest heartbreaking scene, where Caswell drops a bomb, like a nuclear bomb joke, that just kills the audience. It just kills them!”

L-R: Ken Barnett, Stephen Spinella, Jeorge Bennett Watson.
Photo by Maria Baranova.

The result is a theatrical experience that feels remarkably alive. “It's one of those plays that gives you [the actor] more than it takes from you,” Spinella reveals. “There are plays that cost you a lot, and they don't feed you very much. This play, I think, ‘Oh my God, we get to do it again.’ It just fills you, and fills you, and fills you again, and again.”

That sense of vitality extends to the play's representation of queer relationships and chosen family. “I think people are drawn to stories that they understand but they've never seen before,” Spinella posits. “And I have never seen anything like this.” And, for what it's worth, I also have never seen anything like this either.

Importantly, JEROME contributes to the ongoing evolution of queer storytelling as well. Not because of its subject matter, but because of its unflinching humanity. “It creates real people,” Spinella says. “That's the genius of ANGELS too. It creates real people.”

For Spinella, that's ultimately what makes JEROME so special. “It's trying to do something that is actually happening, and it makes a representation of it that is true,” he notes.

“It's one of the most beautiful, profound plays I've done in my career,” he adds. “Honestly, second only to ANGLES. I think it's one of the most astonishing pieces of writing since ANGELS.” For audiences lucky enough to experience JEROME during its current run, that praise may feel entirely earned.

L-R: Stephen Spinella, Ken Barnett.
Photo by Maria Baranova.

JEROME runs through June 21, 2026 at The Judith O. Rubin Theater at Playwrights Horizons (416 West 42nd Street, New York).

The Public Theater's Public Forum Series to Return to The Delacorte Theater

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 12:38:55 PST

The Public Theater will present the return of the renowned Public Forum series to The Delacorte Theater in Central Park, beginning with free event QUICK, BRIGHT, THINGS COME TO CONFUSION, OR WHAT WE DO FOR LOVE on Monday, June 15 at 8:00 p.m.

With its madcap romances, busted friendships, and chaotic fairy magic, A Midsummer Night’s Dream has surprised and delighted audiences for more than 400 years. Frankie J. Alvarez, Grantham Coleman, Micaela Diamond, J. Harrison Ghee, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Matty Maggiacomo, and Christian Slater will present Shakespeare’s story of the play’s four young lovers in all their lovestruck comic confusion, sparking a conversation about why and how we do so many crazy, inspired, devoted, disloyal things in our friendships and love affairs. The program is curated by Alexa Smith and Jeremy McCarter.

Audiences will hear insights from Kwame Anthony Appiah, the NYU philosopher who writes the weekly “Ethicist” column in The New York Times Magazine and serves as Public Theater trustee; James Shapiro, Public Theater Shakespeare Scholar in Residence since 2012 and Larry Miller Professor of English at Columbia University; Ayanna Thompson, Public Theater Shakespeare Scholar in Residence and Regents Professor of English at Arizona State University; and Logan Ury, Hinge’s Lead Relationship Scientist and author of How to Not Die Alone.

Monday evenings, typically the night off from The Public’s Free Shakespeare in the Park performances, will now feature the revival of the PUBLIC FORUM series. The series will feature a distinctive mix of performance and conversation and a focus on American voices on this year’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Free tickets will be made available on each Public Forum date via the line at The Delacorte, evening Standby at The Delacorte, digital lottery with TodayTix, and an in-person lottery at The Public.

AMERICAN SUBLIME

June 22

An in-progress theatrical exploration inspired by artist Amy Sherald’s acclaimed body of work, originally exhibited as American Sublime at major US museums, is now taking shape for the stage. The evening will feature live performance excerpts alongside a conversation with Sherald and director Zhailon Levingston, joined by additional collaborating artists, reflecting on the creative process and the evolution of Sherald’s work for the stage. Creatively developed in association with National Black Theatre (Sade Lythcott, Chief Executive Officer; Jonathan McCrory, Executive Artistic Director) and JamRock Productions. Participants include James Ijames, Niles Luther, and Anna Deavere Smith.

CITIES UNDER SIEGE

June 29

The arrival of an estimated 3,000 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minnesota—dubbed Operation Metro Surge—began a period of significant civic unrest with far-reaching impact on public safety, law enforcement, the local economy and workforce, education, and the daily lives of Minnesotans. In January 2026, The Public Theater and The Guthrie Theater partnered to commission acclaimed documentary theater artists Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen to capture firsthand interviews, begin in-depth engagement with affected communities, and embark on the creation of a new play featuring Minnesotans’ real experiences. This special Forum evening will feature excerpts from this urgent work in progress and discussion around how cities and civilians respond in moments of crisis.

DIVISION AND RENEWAL: AN EVENING WITH MICHAEL SANDEL

August 10

American society has rarely been more polarized. How did we reach this moment of crisis, and what can any of us do to repair what has been broken? Michael Sandel, the Harvard professor and globally acclaimed “rock-star philosopher,” will return to The Delacorte Theater for a night of public philosophy, engaging an audience of New Yorkers in a spirited conversation about meritocracy, dignity, and where we go from here.

SUMMER BOOK CLUB CELEBRATION WITH THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

August 17

Calling all New Yorkers! As part of its annual Summer at the Library programming, The New York Public Library, in partnership with The Public Theater, invites New Yorkers to join a summer book club and read N.K. Jemisin’s The City We Became together. The book club will culminate in a marquee event at The Delacorte Theater featuring readings, commissioned performances, and public conversation inspired by and celebrating the book.

HEATED RIVALRY: THE UNAUTHORIZED MUSICAL PARODY to Offer $49 Through Digital Rush

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 12:01:12 PST

Beginning tomorrow (June 12), digital rush tickets for Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody will be available exclusively on the TodayTix app. Rush tickets will be available beginning at 9:00 AM each morning for that day's performances on a first-come, first-served basis and will cost $49 each, inclusive of fees.

As previously announced, the production has partnered with TodayTix and NYC Pride to host multiple official Pride Nights at the Off-Broadway theater, the 6th Floor Theater at The Culture Club at 530 West 27th St (formerly The McKittrick Hotel), during the month of June in the lead up to the annual parade. The following performances will be considered official Pride events and will include special activations for audience members including giveaways and post-show talkbacks, with 10% of all ticket sales donated to NYC Pride. Porchlight bar will host an afterparty following the June 21 talkback.

Friday, June 19 at 5pm
Friday, June 19 at 8:30pm
Saturday, June 20 at 5pm
Saturday, June 20 at 8:30pm
Sunday, June 21 at 3pm

The production and TodayTix will also be represented on a float in the NYC Pride March on June 28. Catch the cast on a custom float featuring bops from the show, giveaways, and a few surprises along the way.

Inspired by the hit show about hockey, Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody follows starry-eyed golden boy Shane Hollander on his journey from power center to power bottom.

Photos: …BUT YOU COULD HAVE HELD MY HAND at IAMA Theatre Company

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 20:40:55 PST

IAMA Theatre Company concludes its 18th season with the workshop production of …but you could’ve held my hand. Check out photos of the production.

Written by JuCoby Johnson and directed by H. Adam Harris. …but you could’ve held my hand is a time-hopping portrait of four Black friends growing up, growing apart, and growing into themselves.

From a stolen slice of wedding cake at age 10 to the complexities of adulthood, …but you could’ve held my hand offers up a non-linear swirl of past and present, pulsing with 90s R&B, prom night confessions, awkward first kisses, and other touchstone moments. Through love, queerness, and friends-turned-family, the play showcases the beauty and heartbreak of relationships across a lifetime.

The performance will feature Wade Allain-Marcus as Max, Paul James as Eddie, Courtney Sauls* as Marigold, and Krenée A. Tolson as Charlie. The standbys for this production are Nedra Snipes and JuCoby Johnson. (* denotes IAMA Theatre Company Ensemble Member)

The production team includes Jordan Bass (Casting Director), Elton Bradman (Sound Designer), Alexis Carrie (Costume Designer), Kassia Curl (Assistant Lighting Designer), H. Adam Harris (Director), Anise Hines (Intimacy Director/Choreographer), JuCoby Johnson (Playwright), Fred Kinney (Scenic and Props Designer), Max Kunke (Assistant Stage Manager), Nico Pang (Associate Director), Zachary Phaneuf (Technical Director), Avery Reagan (Lighting Designer), and Lanae Wilks (Production Stage Manager).

…but you could’ve held my hand was developed at the 2020 Eugene O'Neill National Playwrights Conference with Tony-nominated director Lileana Blain-Cruz and has since been presented at the University of Texas at Austin for a student production in 2022 and at The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio (CATCO) in Columbus in 2023. Known for its commitment to developing new work, IAMA will now stage this workshop production as a vital step in the play's creative evolution. The workshop production will feature new scenes created by Johnson, with a focus on movement and character development, and will invite audience feedback to help shape its next phase.

This production will also mark the fifth collaboration between Johnson and Harris as they have previously worked on Johnson’s plays 5, Heritage, The Red Man, and How It’s Gon’ Be. Los Angeles audiences will be the first to experience their collaboration in Southern California before the upcoming world premiere of Three-headed Monster at South Coast Repertory in 2027.

…but you could’ve held my hand will play June 4-15, 2026 at Atwater Village Theatre located at 3269 Casitas Ave, Los Angeles. Tickets will be $35, inclusive of fees and can be purchased at the IAMA Theatre Company website.

Photo Credit: Jeff Lorch

Paul James, Krenée A. Tolson, Courtney Sauls, Wade Allain-Marcus

Wade Allain-Marcus, Courtney Sauls

Wade Allain-Marcus, Paul James

Courtney Sauls, Krenée A. Tolson

Paul James, Krenée A. Tolson

Paul James, Wade Allain-Marcus

Courtney Sauls, Wade Allain-Marcus, Krenée A. Tolson and Paul James

Wade Allain-Marcus, Krenée A. Tolson, Paul James

Paul Jame, Krenée A. Tolson

Courtney Sauls and Krenée A. Tolson

Photos: SILVERBACK MOUNTAIN Opens At AMT Theater

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 18:11:12 PST

Silverback Mountain created by and starring Mickey Gooch Jr. recently celebrated its Off-Broadway opening night. The show will be running until June 21st at AMT Theater. Check out photos from the evening.

The play is described as a darkly comic adventure about love, identity, and survival set against the collision of gay culture and anti-gay persecution. In the story, a tightly wound New York artist and his flamboyant husband travel to Uganda on a bucket-list safari to see mountain gorillas. What begins as a vacation filled with sightseeing and marital bickering escalates when the couple confronts the reality that being openly gay in the country is illegal, turning their trip into a fight for safety and freedom.

Blending satire with moments of danger, the play follows the pair as they navigate a hostile environment while confronting their fears and their commitment to one another. As the situation grows more perilous, the couple must rely on both resilience and humor as they attempt to survive.

Photo Credit: Shawn Salley.

Star Amerasu, Sam LaFrage, Mickey Gooch Jr.

Alaska Riley and Jonah Almost

Cast of Silverback Mountain

Creative Team of Silverback Mountain

Joe Regelbrugge and Mickey Gooch Jr.

Kampfire Films PR Team

Slam Frank Company

Michael Arden and Andy Mientus

Michael R Jackson

Mickey Gooch and Mickey Gooch Jr.

Mickey Gooch Jr. and Ronnie Rivas

Mickey Gooch Jr. and Siena Oberman

Olamide Asanpaola

Olivia Bernabe and Sam LaFrage

PJ Adzima, Rocky Paterra, Katie Rosin, Summer Reign

Sam LaFrage and Michael Arden

Sam LaFrage and cast of Silverback Mountain

Sam LaFrage

Sarah Lockwood

Stage Time company

Star Amerasu and Jordan Tannahill

Star Amerasu

Video: Watch a Teaser for NAATCO's HENRY VI at The Public

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 15:50:05 PST

The Public Theater is now presenting NAATCO’s production of Henry VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts. It will play in The Public’s Newman Theater through Sunday, July 19. Watch a teaser trailer for the production!

The production will run in repertory with Part 1 playing on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Part 2 on Wednesdays and Fridays. For the first weekend of performances, Part 1 will play on Saturday and Part 2 will play on Sunday. For all other weekend performances, both parts will run in repertory starting with a 1:00 p.m. showing of Part 1 and a 7:00 p.m. showing of Part 2.

The cast of HENRY VI includes Tommy Bo (John Talbot), Rajesh Bose (York), Kimiye Corwin (Somerset), Myka Cue (Joan), John D. Haggerty (Talbot), Ðavid Lee Huỳnh (Charles, the Dauphin), Anna Ishida (Warwick), Paul Juhn (Suffolk), Mia Katigbak (Gloucester), Teresa Avia Lim (Margaret), Orville Mendoza (Jack Cade), Jon Norman Schneider (Henry VI), David Shih (Edward of York), Julyana Soelistyo (Richard), Sue Jin Song (Bedford), and James Yaegashi (Winchester). Casting is by tbd casting co.

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York Theatre to Open Applications for 2026 Micki Grant Artist-in-Residence Program

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 15:35:19 PST

The York Theatre will open applications for the 2026 Micki Grant Artist-in-Residence Program on Monday, June 15, 2026, and close on Monday, July 6, 2026. This year's residency is designed for emerging directors with a passion for musical theatre and a strong artistic voice.

Named in honor of groundbreaking actor, composer, lyricist, playwright, director and York Honorary Board Member the Micki Grant Artist-in-Residence program supports artists from historically underrepresented communities through mentorship, professional development, and hands-on experience within an Off-Broadway theatre.

The selected resident will serve as a Directing Observer on The York Theatre's upcoming Mainstage production of Truly, Howard Hughes, with rehearsals beginning in August and performances running September through October 2026. The resident will also direct a special 50th Anniversary concert of the landmark Broadway musical Vinnette Carroll's Your Arms Too Short to Box with God, that Micki wrote additional music and lyrics for, work directly with York staff and artistic leadership, attend workshops on grant-writing, fundraising, and navigating theatrical unions, and receive an invitation to The York's Oscar Hammerstein Award Gala. The selected resident receives a $3,500 stipend.

The 2026 selection committee includes Daryl Walker, representative of The Micki Grant Estate; director/choreographer Kenny Ingram; inaugural resident Dahlak Brathwaite; and York Theatre staff members Joseph Hayward, Wendy Hall, Stephanie Prugh, and Tatiana Montes.

Brathwaite, the program's inaugural 2025 resident, is an award-winning playwright, 2026 Drama Desk Award nominee, composer, director, and performer whose work has been presented at BAM, The Kennedy Center, The Apollo, and on HBO. His musical adaptation of Jason Reynolds' Long Way Down premiered at Olney Theater Center, where it broke box-office records. A Princess Grace Award winner, Brathwaite holds a degree from NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program.

Micki Grant broke barriers as the first woman to write and star in a Broadway musical, Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope, which earned multiple Tony nominations and a Grammy win. She was also the first African American contract player on a daytime serial, appearing as Peggy Nolan on NBC's Another World. Her advocacy for representation in the theatre industry continues to shape the field she helped define.

The residency cycle runs for three months. Prospective candidates will be invited to interview following the application period. https://www.yorktheatre.org/micki-grant-artist-in-residence

Estelle Parsons and More to Join THE PEOPLE VERSUS LENNY BRUCE Post Show Discussions

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 15:00:39 PST

The world premiere of The People Versus Lenny Bruce Off-Broadway will host post-show discussions following upcoming performances. The People Versus Lenny Bruce is a play by Susan Charlotte, based on the legal case of legendary lawyer Martin Garbus at Theatre Row – Theatre Four, currently playing through Sunday, June 28, 2026.

The story of Lenny Bruce and his New York trial is more relevant now than ever. A heart-breaking and thought provoking story filled with humor, this theatrical adaptation is the story of comic Lenny Bruce and his lawyer Martin Garbus who tried to save his client from the system – and from himself.

Directed by Antony Marsellis, the cast for The People Versus Lenny Bruce is Johnny Anthony as Lenny Bruce, Timothy Doyle as Jules Feiffer, Dan Grimaldi as Herbert Ruhe, Ian Lithgow as Richard H. Kuh, Jonathan Spivey as Forrest Johnson, Stephen Schnetzer as Martin Garbus/Narrator, and Roberta Wallach as Dorothy Kilgallen. Michael J. Osgood, former Deputy Chief of the NYPD/Special Victim’s Unit, is Co-Producer.

The additional guest speakers for the post performance discussions are:

Sunday, June 14: Susan Herman (President Emeritus of the ACLU & Ruth Bader Ginsburg Professor of Law at Brooklyn Law School)
Tuesday, June 16: Estelle Parsons (Academy Award winning actress)
Thursday, June 25: Martin Garbus, Michael J. Osgood (Former Deputy Chief of the NYPD/Special Victim’s Unit), and Randy Jurgensen (Retired NYC police officer who arrested Lenny Bruce).

At the conclusion of the trial, License Inspector Herbert Ruhe, the Prosecuter’s witness, said the following to Attorney Allen Schwartz: “We aimed for Bruce. We picked him out of all the performers. I know he was not obscene, yet in a way I feel he had to be convicted.” These words were spoken in 1964 but they could have easily been said in 2026. Jimmy Kimmel, Rahm Emanuel and The New York Times all referenced Lenny Bruce when speaking of how the first amendment was under attack. When Inspector Ruhe testified against Bruce, he knew Bruce was innocent. He not only rationalized his lies, he bragged about them!

Raúl Esparza, Lily Rabe and More to Star in THE WINTER’S TALE at Free Shakespeare in the Park

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 14:50:36 PST

The Public Theater has revealed the full cast for the Free Shakespeare in the Park production of The Winter’s Tale at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Director Daniel Sullivan returns to The Delacorte with his 12th production for Free Shakespeare in the Park. The Winter’s Tale has previously been produced four other times at The Delacorte, most recently in 2010. Beginning performances on Saturday, July 25, the production will run through Saturday, August 22, with an official opening on Tuesday, August 11.

When the King of Sicilia becomes convinced his pregnant wife has been unfaithful, the royal baby is smuggled to the coast of Bohemia where an old shepherd finds her and renames her Perdita. Sixteen years later, Perdita falls in love with another young shepherd, Doricles, who turns out to be a prince in disguise. Honesty is a fool and true love the only answer in this mysterious, romantic tale of defiance and destiny.

The complete cast of The Winter’s Tale includes Heschel Bay (Ensemble), Teagle F. Bougere (Camillo), Chuck Cooper (Old Shepherd), Peter Douskalis (Musician), Matthew Eby (Mamillius/Time/Ensemble), Raúl Esparza (Leontes), Isabela Ferrer (Perdita), Katie Griffith (Mopsa/Ensemble), Alex Hernandez (Cleomenes/Ensemble), Michael Khalid Karadsheh (Young Shepherd), Denise Kolodja (Ensemble), Daniel Kyri (Florizel), Aubie Merrylees (Archidamus/Ensemble), Jennifer Mogbock (Emilia/Ensemble), Gilbert Owuor (Polixenes), Violeta Picayo (Ensemble), Lily Rabe (Hermione), Bianca Rogoff (Ensemble), Matthew Russell (Dion/Ensemble), Steven Skybell (Antigonus/Autolycus), Michael Thanh Tran (Ensemble), and Jackson Whitman (Ensemble).

The Winter’s Tale features scenic design by Maruti Evans, costume design by Linda Cho, sound design by Brian Ronan, composition by Tom Kitt, hair and wig design by Tom Watson, sound system design by Mike Tracey, puppet design by James Ortiz, and prop management by Rachel Kenner. Caroline Englander is the production stage manager and Jessie Moore and Luisa Sánchez Colón are the stage managers.

Previous iterations of The Winter’s Tale were presented at Free Shakespeare in the Park in 1963 starring James Earl Jones; 1989 featuring Christopher Reeve and Mandy Patinkin; 2000 with Michael Stuhlbarg; and 2010 featuring Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jesse L. Martin, Hamish Linklater, Linda Emond, and Ruben Santiago-Hudson.

ISLA to Have World Premiere at WP Theater This August

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 13:54:43 PST

Hit The Lights! Company will present the World Premiere of ISLA at WP Theater August 8-29. The full cast and design team will be announced later this month. Hit The Lights! Company is part of WP Theater's 2026 Space Program Residency.

ISLA, the latest full-length work from acclaimed theater company Hit the Lights, is a uniquely original family history led by founding company member Samantha Blain. In her Caribbean coming-of-age story, Blain's American lineage is born when three young women learn that sometimes the real world can be stronger than magic.

Based on the true saga of one family exodus to Miami via the 1960's Freedom Flights, ISLA is a visually sumptuous, musically driven play that evokes the rustic spirit of pre-Castro Cuba's kitchens, fields, dance halls and public squares. Blain, in the role of her aunt, must ally with her sisters to chart a path to an uncertain and newly imagined future.

This hour-long, all-ages performance features a full original songbook and a driving Latin jazz-influenced score composed and performed live at each show. Cinematic projections, recorded interviews with Blain's mother and aunts, and an extended cast of handmade shadow puppets revitalize this carousel slideshow of generational memory through the exquisite craft of HTL's technical team. Echoing the family's odyssey, ISLA's immersive set is a kinetic picture book in a state of continuous transformation. Photos on the wall rise up and reach through time, a dreamlike menagerie of jungle creatures menace and protect the children, and the cast of actresses shift seamlessly from silhouette to vibrant life. ISLA unforgettably explores the inherent possibilities of the immigrant's journey and offers lived insight into how we come to terms with the things we keep and the things we leave behind.

Tickets ($35-$85; 15 for $15) are available for advance purchase now. The performance will run approximately 75 minutes, with no intermission.

Lauren Ambrose and Tom Riley to Star in THE UNBELIEVERS Off-Broadway

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 11:41:06 PST

The initial cast has been revealed for the American premiere of Manhattan Theatre Club's The Unbelievers by Tony and Olivier Award nominee Nick Payne, directed by Tony Award nominee Knud Adams.

Lauren Ambrose (Broadway: My Fair Lady, Exit the King; Television: “Six Feet Under”) and Tom Riley (Broadway: Arcadia; Television: Apple TV’s “Down Cemetery Road”) will lead the cast for the production, which will begin performances Tuesday, October 13 at NY City Center Stage (i). Both Ambrose and Riley will make their MTC debuts with The Unbelievers.

Nick Payne returns to MTC where his previous credits include the American premieres of Constellations starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson in 2015 and Incognito with Geneva Carr, Charlie Cox, Heather Lind, and Morgan Spector in 2016. Adams, the director of the Pulitzer Prize-winning plays English by Sanaz Toosi and Primary Trust by Eboni Booth, makes his MTC debut.

Faith means believing in something. Especially when it feels impossible. As the years go by and the mystery of the sudden disappearance of Miriam (Ambrose) and David’s (Riley) teenage son remains unsolved, their blended family must figure out how to go on, relearning how to live through the ups and downs of ordinary days in their altered world.

From the Tony and Olivier Award-nominated writer Nick Payne (Constellations, Incognito) and the Tony-nominated director Knud Adams (English, Primary Trust), comes this poignant and disarmingly funny new play about the power of hope.

Additional casting and creative team for The Unbelievers will be announced soon. MTC will also announce additional productions and casting for the 2026-27 season in coming weeks.

Kate Rockwell, Steven Huynh & More Join CHALLENGE ACCEPTED! High School Songwriting Concert

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 22:04:34 PST

The Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge for High School Students, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, returns to the stage with CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!, a concert celebrating the winning songs by high school songwriters from across the country.

Musical theater fans will have the chance to see these fully orchestrated arrangements performed by Broadway artists Kate Rockwell, Steven Huynh, Oluchi Nwaokorie, Mayelah Barrera and more on June 15 at 7:30 p.m. ET at New World Stages in New York City.

The concert will also be available through a livestream at arts.gov/songwriting and namt.org/challenge.

The Winning Student Songwriters

The 2025-2026 winners represent seven states and were selected by a panel of leaders in the musical theater field from 109 submissions: (grades and schools are as of the 2025-2026 school year)

● Izzy Burris, an 11th grade student from Carlsbad, California

● Rett Bush, a 12th grade student from Johns Creek, Georgia

● Issac Goodman, a 10th grade student from Cambridge, Massachusetts

● Liam Liang, an 11th grade student from Harvard, Massachusetts

● Merissa Moore, a 12th grade student from Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania

● James Pumphrey, a 12th grade student from Minneapolis, Minnesota

● Cameron Steele, a 10th grade student Leesburg, Virginia

● Elaina Stuppler, a 12th grade student from Lake Grove, Oregon

Excerpts of the winning song submissions and more information about the winners are available here. Winning students will soon come to New York City where they will work with mentors and musicians to hone their fully orchestrated pieces while learning about process, technique and production. The final compositions will be performed by Broadway artists in a concert at New World Stages in New York City on Monday, June 15, at 7:30 p.m. ET, also available to watch live and on-demand at arts.gov/songwriting and namt.org/challenge. In addition, each winning student will receive a scholarship of $2,500, provided by the NMPA S.O.N.G.S. Foundation.

The 2026 Music Team is overseen by Music Supervisor Dylan Glatthorn and Music Director Anessa Marie Scolpini. The winning songs are orchestrated by Faye Chiao, Teresa Lotz and Anessa Marie Scolpini. The winning students are mentored by Rebecca Hart, Rob Rokicki and Melvin Tunstall III. The concert casting director is Michael Cassara, CSA. More information about the Songwriting Challenge mentors is available here.

At the June 15 concert, each student songwriter and their mentor will premiere the winning songs, which will then be performed by a cast featuring:

● Mayelah Barrera (ROJA)

● Matt Copley (Broadway Goes Punk)

● Steven Huynh (Maybe Happy Ending)

● Oluchi Nwaokorie (Wicked, MTSC ‘21)

● Kate Rockwell (Mean Girls)

● Lianah Sta. Ana (Miss Saigon)

● John Wascavage (Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole A Song)

Kate Rockwell, Steven Huynh & More Join CHALLENGE ACCEPTED! High School Songwriting Concert

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 22:04:34 PST

The concert will also be available through a livestream at arts.gov/songwriting and namt.org/challenge.

The Winning Student Songwriters

The 2025-2026 winners represent seven states and were selected by a panel of leaders in the musical theater field from 109 submissions: (grades and schools are as of the 2025-2026 school year)

● Izzy Burris, an 11th grade student from Carlsbad, California

● Rett Bush, a 12th grade student from Johns Creek, Georgia

● Issac Goodman, a 10th grade student from Cambridge, Massachusetts

● Liam Liang, an 11th grade student from Harvard, Massachusetts

● Merissa Moore, a 12th grade student from Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania

● James Pumphrey, a 12th grade student from Minneapolis, Minnesota

● Cameron Steele, a 10th grade student Leesburg, Virginia

● Elaina Stuppler, a 12th grade student from Lake Grove, Oregon

At the June 15 concert, each student songwriter and their mentor will premiere the winning songs, which will then be performed by a cast featuring:

● Mayelah Barrera (ROJA)

● Matt Copley (Broadway Goes Punk)

● Steven Huynh (Maybe Happy Ending)

● Oluchi Nwaokorie (Wicked, MTSC ‘21)

● Kate Rockwell (Mean Girls)

● Lianah Sta. Ana (Miss Saigon)

● John Wascavage (Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole A Song)

HOW TO PUT DOWN THE WEIGHT OF YOUR PAST to Make Off-Broadway World Premiere

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 20:43:52 PST

Breaking Motion has announced the world premiere of HOW TO PUT DOWN THE WEIGHT OF YOUR PAST, a new work written by Tommy Vines and directed by Madeline Riddick-Seals. The production will play a three-week limited engagement at The American Mime Theatre from July 23 through August 9, 2026.

Opening night is set for Saturday, July 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Described as an experimental self-help seminar, HOW TO PUT DOWN THE WEIGHT OF YOUR PAST invites audiences to participate in what begins as a life-changing workshop led by two expert facilitators. As the session unfolds, however, the structure begins to unravel, blurring the line between guidance and manipulation and drawing audiences into an increasingly immersive experience.

"HOW TO PUT DOWN THE WEIGHT OF YOUR PAST picks at life's absurdities to reach the raw center of our collective past," said director Madeline Riddick-Seals. "This show is for those who seek out the hard questions – eager to respond, and ready to release."

The production stars Kirsten Kilburn (Supernatural, The Twilight Zone) as The Other One and Tommy Vines (Hysterical Girl, It's Always Almost Over, INTERLOPER) as Nameless.

The creative team includes scenic design by Madeline Riddick-Seals, lighting design by Gwen Trueblood, sound design by Irene Wang, stage management by Hera Jung, assistant direction by Amanda Reynolds, intimacy coordination by Kyla Callison, costume consultation by Karen Torento, and magic consultation by Jim Vines. Publicity is by Katie Rosin/Kampfire PR.

Performance Schedule

HOW TO PUT DOWN THE WEIGHT OF YOUR PAST will play the following schedule:

Thursday, July 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, July 24 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 25 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 1 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 2 at 2:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, August 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 8 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 9 at 2:00 p.m.

Venue Information

The American Mime Theatre
137 West 25th Street
New York, NY

Tickets start at $25. The production runs approximately 60 minutes.

HOW TO PUT DOWN THE WEIGHT OF YOUR PAST to Make Off-Broadway World Premiere

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 20:43:52 PST

Opening night is set for Saturday, July 25 at 7:30 p.m.

The production stars Kirsten Kilburn (Supernatural, The Twilight Zone) as The Other One and Tommy Vines (Hysterical Girl, It's Always Almost Over, INTERLOPER) as Nameless.

Performance Schedule

HOW TO PUT DOWN THE WEIGHT OF YOUR PAST will play the following schedule:

Thursday, July 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, July 24 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 25 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 1 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 2 at 2:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, August 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 8 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 9 at 2:00 p.m.

Venue Information

The American Mime Theatre
137 West 25th Street
New York, NY

Tickets start at $25. The production runs approximately 60 minutes.

MAKING IT HAPPEN Festival of 15-Minute Musicals Extends Submission Deadline

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 19:51:51 PST

The Theater Center has extended the submission deadline for Making It Happen: Festival of 15-Minute Musicals from June 15 to July 6, 2026. Applications are currently being accepted from writers, composers, lyricists, and creative teams interested in presenting original short-form musical theater works.

Following the success of the venue's Making It Happen: Ten-Minute Play Festival, the new festival turns its focus to musical theater, offering selected artists the opportunity to present their work Off-Broadway in the heart of Times Square.

The festival is seeking original musicals of any style, genre, or subject matter that run 15 minutes or less. All submitted material, including book, music, and lyrics, must be fully original, and applicants must hold the rights to all material submitted.

Selected musicals will be presented at The Theater Center during one of three preliminary rounds on August 12, August 19, or August 26. Each evening will feature three musicals. Audiences and judges will vote to select one winner from each preliminary performance, with the three finalists advancing to a final round on September 2.

The overall winner of the festival will receive a $5,000 cash prize.

Participating teams will receive performance space at The Theater Center, basic technical support, box office services, festival-wide marketing, and a technical rehearsal slot on the day of their performance. The festival also provides artists the opportunity to showcase their work before a live New York audience.

Applicants should only submit if they are available for at least one preliminary performance date and for the final performance on September 2.

Submissions for Making It Happen: Festival of 15-Minute Musicals are now being accepted through July 6, 2026.

Festival Schedule

Preliminary Performances

Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Final Round

Wednesday, September 2, 2026

Prize

One overall winner will receive $5,000

Photos: Shereen Ahmed, Julie Benko & More Sing MY FAIR LADY at the Irish Rep Gala

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 16:41:48 PST

Irish Repertory Theatre hosted its 2026 Annual Gala Benefit, Lerner and Lowe’s My Fair Lady In Concert, which took place at The Town Hall on Monday June 8, 2026. The evening was directed by Charlotte Moore and Ciarán O’Reilly, with music direction by John Bell.

Melissa Vogel Brown was the recipient of this year's Irish Repertory Theatre Visionary Leadership Award. She serves as Associate General Counsel & Managing Director at Goldman Sachs. She has been connected to Irish Rep since the beginning and was instrumental in helping to formalize the governance and financial structures that allowed the organization to grow with confidence.

Irish Repertory Theatre’s 2026 Annual Gala Benefit featured a one-night-only concert presentation of Lerner & Loewe's musical masterpiece My Fair Lady, featuring beloved songs including “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “Get Me to the Church on Time,” and “On the Street Where You Live."

Performers for the evening included F. Murray Abraham, Shereen Ahmed, Julie Benko, Whitney Bashor, Norbert Leo Butz, Robert Cuccioli, Melissa Errico, Bill Irwin, Lencia Kebede, Laird Mackintosh, Michael Maliakel, Polly McKie, Mary Beth Peil, Lou Diamond Phillips, David Staller, Gary Troy, and more.

Photo Credit: James Higgins

Bill Irwin, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Whitney Bashor

Bill Irwin, Shereen Ahmed, and Laird Mackintosh

Ciarán O'Reilly and Charlotte Moore

Ciarán O'Reilly, honoree Melissa Vogel Brown, and Charlotte Moore

David Staller

David Staller, Bill Irwin, and Polly McKie

F. Murray Abraham and Melissa Errico

Gary Troy

John Bell and the Orchestra

Julie Benko and Nobert Leo Butz

Julie Benko

Lencia Kebede

Mary Beth Peil and Bill Irwin

Outdoor (and Free!) Theatre in NYC- Summer 2026

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 13:33:53 PST

There's nothing like summer in the city! Summer 2026 in New York City will bring with it plenty of outdoor productions to take in this June, July, and August. Let BroadwayWorld be your guide!

Turn up the heat this summer with our Summer Jams playlist!

Shakespeare in the Park: Romeo and Juliet

Running now through June 28, 2026

The Public Theater’s Associate Artistic Director and Resident Director Saheem Ali brings Shakespeare’s legendary star-crossed lovers to Central Park for the first time in nearly 20 years. Never was there a story of more woe, or more romance, than the Bard’s timeless tale of two young lovers from warring families. As the Montagues and Capulets are torn apart by ideology and simmering violence spills into the streets of the border town of Verona, Romeo and Juliet dare to defy a world determined to keep them apart. The play is running at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park.

MORE INFO

Lincoln Center's Summer for the City

Running now through August 8, 2026

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts will present the fourth annual Summer for the City. The festival has served more than 1.6 million visitors since launching in 2022. The 2026 Festival will be a vibrant range of dance, music, and multidisciplinary performance uplift extraordinary artists from around the world and around the corner. Across the 16-acre campus, Summer for the City emphasizes the power of place while ensuring the transformative impact of the arts remains deeply connected to everyday life in the city.

MORE INFO

New York Classical Theatre's Julius Caesar

Running now through July 5, 2026

In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Shakespeare explores the fragile line between loyalty and ambition, patriotism and betrayal. When a group of senators moves to stop a powerful leader they fear may become a tyrant, their decision unleashes consequences far beyond what they imagined. What begins as an act meant to save a republic instead fractures alliances, ignites public fury, and sends a nation spiraling toward chaos. Directed and adapted by Burdman, performances will take place through June 21 in Central Park (Central Park West & West 103rd Street), June 23-28 in Carl Schurz Park (East 87th Street & East End Avenue), and June 30-July 5 in Battery Park and Castle Clinton (Battery Place & Broadway).

MORE INFO

Uncle Vanya/Hamlet/The Dancing Men

Running now through August 16, 2026

Hudson Classic Theatre Company will present three plays presented at the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (W. 89th St. & Riverside Drive, in Riverside Park). All performances run Thursdays through Sundays at 6:30pm.

MORE INFO

Carnegie Hall Citywide

Running now through July 31, 2026

Carnegie Hall is partnering with local community organizations to present free concerts that are sensational celebrations of sounds from across the country and around the globe. At a Carnegie Hall Citywide concert, you can revisit your favorite music or try something new, stay in your home borough or journey farther afield. Whatever you choose, you’ll experience everything that makes New York City so vibrant.

MORE INFO

The Taming of the Shrew

Running June 20-July 19, 2026

Boomerang Theatre Company returns to Central Park with a spirited, contemporary outdoor production of The Taming of the Shrew. Set on the lawn in the afternoon sun, this free performance digs into the play’s charged themes with humor, invention, and Boomerang’s trademark sense of adventure. Expect sharp banter, bold reinterpretation, and the thrill of live theatre unfolding against the backdrop of the city. Perfect for families, Shakespeare fans, and park-goers alike, this summertime tradition invites audiences to gather, laugh, and engage with a classic story in a fresh new light.

MORE INFO

Uptown Shakespeare in the Park: Othello

Running July 2-26, 2026

A gripping exploration of jealousy, power, race, and manipulation, Othello remains one of Shakespeare's most urgent and emotionally-charged tragedies. Through its signature lens, The Classical Theatre of Harlem will bring renewed perspective to the play's timeless themes. Directed by Carl Cofield, the free outdoor production wil play Marcus Garvey Park.

MORE INFO

Broadway in Bryant Park

Dates TBA

Broadway in Bryant Park will be back for 2026, bringing the best of Broadway together for free performances for six consecutive Thursdays on the Bryant Park stage, located at 6th Avenue between 40th and 42nd Streets. Lawn seating is first-come, first-serve. New Yorkers and visitors to the Big Apple are invited to come at 11 a.m. every Thursday with performances from the very best of Broadway running from 12:30 p.m. EST - 1:30 p.m. Performers for 2026 have not yet been announced.

MORE INFO

Broadway by the Boardwalk

Running July 13- August 10, 2026

Hudson River Park will host Broadway by the Boardwalk, a free summertime series that transforms Clinton Cove into Broadway’s backyard with theater's brightest stars performing in a waterfront setting. Now in its third season, this year’s Broadway by the Boardwalk will include events. Performers have not yet been announced.

MORE INFO

Shakespeare in the Park: The Winter's Tale

Running July 25-August 23, 2026

Tony Award-winning director Daniel Sullivan returns to Free Shakespeare in the Park with a spellbinding new production of The Winter's Tale. When the King of Sicilia becomes convinced his pregnant wife has been unfaithful, the royal baby is smuggled to the coast of Bohemia where an old shepherd finds her and renames her Perdita. Sixteen years later, Perdita falls in love with another young shepherd, Doricles, who turns out to be a prince in disguise. Honesty is a fool and true love the only answer in this mysterious, romantic tale of defiance and destiny.

MORE INFO

Bryant Park Picnic Performances

Running now through September 11, 2026

Bryant Park Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America is a free outdoor festival that welcomes all New Yorkers to experience the city’s vibrant arts and culture. This summer, enjoy extraordinary artists and events in collaboration with a wide array of New York's cultural institutions. Highlights include a New York City Opera: Celebration of Ella Fitzgerald (August 7), Sunset Circus (August 28), Grace Kelly and Ashni presented by the Asian American Arts Alliance (September 3). As a bonus: many of the offerings are livestreamed for those not able to make it in person.

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As You Like It/Macbeth

Running July 28-August 22, 2026

Hip tp Hip Theatre Company celebrats twenty years of presenting free and accessible professional classical theatre in NYC. As You Like It and Macbeth will tour in repertory to ten parks throughout Queens and surrounding areas. Identities are lost and true selves are found in Shakespeare's beloved comedy As You Like It. Shakespeare's timeless tragedy Macbeth delves into the corrosive effects of unchecked ambition.

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Molière in the Park: Don Juan

Running August 14-September 27, 2026

Don Juan has abandoned Elvira, whom he seduced into breaking her vows and marrying him. Over the course of a single adventure-filled day, he and his loyal sidekick, Sganarelle, encounter many of the people Don Juan has betrayed. As he seduces women, defies social conventions, mocks religion, and revels in provocation, his appetite for transgression seems impossible to satisfy. Yet the signs are unmistakable: the walls are closing in. Will he truly repent? Or will he just pretend to, like so many around him, and continue down the same path to the bitter end?

MORE INFO

Photo Credit: Steve Brown

Cast Set for THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK Musical NYC Reading

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 14:54:49 PST

The new original musical, The Man in the Iron Mask, written by Austin Cappetta has revealed its cast for its NYC-based July 18th reading!

Those interested in attending the reading may reach out for further details: themanintheironmaskmusical@gmail.com

The show will feature a slew of Off-Broadway and National Tour veterans with James C. Harris as Philippe/The Man, Sean Kenin Elias-Reyes as Aramis, Jeff Essex as Athos, Darrel Blackburn as Porthos, Zachary Kropp as D'Artagnan, Nicolette Boillotat as Louise La Valliere, Zachary Mackiewicz as King Louis XIV, Sarah Mossman as Queen Anne, Justin McArthur as Colbert, Elizabeth Mandell as Maria Theresa, Hugh Hysell as Fouquet, and Jared Ritter as Raoul.

Additional information about the production can be found at https://www.themanintheironmaskmusical.com/

Jesse Eisenberg, Bonnie Milligan and More to Join THE 24 HOUR MUSICALS

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 14:52:22 PST

On June 22, 2026, artists from across the entertainment industry will come together to create and perform four brand new musicals in a single day. The 24 Hour Musicals are musical theater's most ambitious highwire act, where actors, writers, composers, directors, choreographers and a live band create and perform four brand new short musicals for a live audience at The Lynn F. Angelson Theater.

Artists scheduled to join this one-time-only mad dash of creativity include Jesse Eisenberg (A Real Pain), Bonnie Milligan (Kimberly Akimbo), Cassadee Pope (The Voice, season 3 winner), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty), Ashlie Atkinson (The Gilded Age), Morgan Siobhan Green (Hadestown), Warren Leight (Side Man), Rodd Cyrus (Ragtime), Kate Wetherhead (The Devil Wears Prada), Dee Roscioli (Death Becomes Her), Olli Haaskivi (Oppenheimer), Michael Mitnick (Scotland, PA), Alex Gibson (Octet), Natalie Walker (White Girl In Danger), Eli Bolin (The Sack Lunch Bunch), Faye Chiao and Tasha Gordon-Solmon (Fountain of You), Fouad Dakwar (Fouad of Nazareth), Christopher Sears (Dog Day Afternoon), Colm Summers (Every Brilliant Thing, Geffen) and additional cast and creative team to be announced.

The marathon process for The 24 Hour Musicals begins at 7 PM on the night before the performance. Writers, composers, directors, choreographers, actors, musicians and production staff gather for a short orientation. After the cast departs for the evening, writers and composers begin crafting 15-20 minute musicals for the sleeping actors. The next morning - after a furious printing and copying process - actors receive their roles and directors, choreographers and musicians arrive to begin rehearsal. Later that very night, these four brand new musicals take the stage in a one-night-only production.

Tickets start at $100 and are available at 24hourplays.org/musicals. Proceeds support the The 24 Hour Plays nonprofit activities throughout the year, including education programs for students from middle school through college and a free professional development intensive for emerging artists, The 24 Hour Plays Nationals.

Video: Andrew McCarthy, David Krumholtz and More in ARE YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 14:02:12 PST

You can now get a first look at footage of Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been, which is now in perfromances at New York City Center Stage 1.

The production features a rotating cast of artists throughout its run. Guest starring in the production through June 21 are David Krumholtz, Obie Award winner Billy Eugene Jones, Andrew McCarthy, Sally Murphy, and Jay O. Sanders.

Six veteran actors are performing for the duration of the limited 15-week run through September 11: Three-time Tony Award nominee Brooks Ashmanskas, Jason Babinsky, Tony nominee Steven Boyer, Emmy and Grammy winner Adam Kantor, Drama Desk Award winner Frederick Weller, and Grammy winner, Emmy and Academy Award nominee Michael McKean.

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Lilli Cooper and Jasmine Amy Rogers to Depart SPELLING BEE This Summer

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 11:24:07 PST

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee cast members Lilli Cooper and Jasmine Amy Rogers will each complete their extended runs in the production this summer — Ms. Cooper through Thursday, August 6, and Ms. Rogers through Sunday, August 9 at New World Stages. The new cast members joining the recently announced television star and singer/songwriter Laura Marano (Disney Channel’s “Austin and Ally,” Netflix’s The Perfect Date), who begins performances on June 24, and two-time Emmy Award-winner Jon Cryer (“Two and a Half Men,” Pretty in Pink), will be announced shortly.

Ms. Cooper received a 2026 Drama Desk Award Nomination for her performance as Rona Lisa Peretti and Ms. Rogers received 2026 Drama Desk, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations for her performance as Olive Ostrovsky. The duo of triple threats depart to pursue new, soon-to-be announced projects.

Additionally, Ms. Rogers will be on a brief leave of absence beginning Thursday, June 11 and will return to the production on Thursday, July 9.

The first-ever major revival of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee currently features a musical theater all-star cast, including two-time Emmy Award winner Jon Cryer as Vice Principal Douglas Panch, Grammy nominee and SAG Award winner Kevin McHale in his New York stage debut as William Barfée, Tony Award nominee Jasmine Amy Rogers as Olive Ostrovsky, Grammy and Tony Award nominee Justin Cooley as Leaf Coneybear, Philippe Arroyo as Chip Tolentino, Autumn Best as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre through June 22, Leana Rae Concepcion as Marcy Park, Tony Award nominee Lilli Cooper as Rona Lisa Peretti, and Matt Manuel as Mitch Mahoney. Rounding out the cast as understudies are Brandon L. Armstrong, Jahbril Cook, DeMarius Copes, Vanessa Magula, Emily Nicole Rudolph, and Cecilia Snow.

Featuring a Tony Award-winning book by Rachel Sheinkin and a vibrant score by Tony Award winner William Finn, this new production of the musical is directed and choreographed by Danny Mefford. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a fast-paced and funny D-E-L-I-G-H-T. As six wonderfully unique and impassioned contestants vie for the championship by spelling their way through vexing vocabulary, hilarious and poignant personal stories unfold, along with a dash of riotous audience participation. This charmingly witty and touching musical has entertained audiences around the world since its Tony-winning Broadway debut in 2005.

Top Off-Broadway Shows for June 2026

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 14:26:51 PST

What’s happening Off-Broadway in June? BroadwayWorld is here to guide you through the top picks for theatre this season. June 2026 is packed with exciting shows, including a twist on a classic in A Women Among Women, a star-studded revival like New York City Center's La Cage Aux Folles featuring Wayne Brady, Billy Porter and more.

Audiences can also catch world premiere stage adaptation of Girl, Interrupted, and more. This season offers a mix of stories coming to Off-Broadway stages across New York.

A Woman Among Women

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It's a summer day in Northampton, Massachusetts and Cleo, founder of the local women’s wellness center, holds court in her backyard. As friends, family and neighbors pass through, the air hums with a tension that may destroy the community she's worked so hard to build. With A Woman Among Women, playwright Julia May Jonas delivers a sharp, subversive counterpoint to Arthur Miller’s All My Sons. A Woman Among Men is now playing at the Claire Tow Theater.

And Then the Rodeo Burned Down

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The rodeo is the best place in the world. Why would anybody burn it down? Dale, a rodeo clown with a big dream (and a mischievous shadow), certainly wouldn’t. After all, Dale wants to be a cowboy. So, if we’re going to find out who burned the rodeo down, we'll have to finish the play. And now there’s fire involved? That sounds expensive. Physical, brutal, ruthlessly funny, and weirdly tender, And Then The Rodeo Burned Down, from three-time Edinburgh Fringe First Award winners Xhloe and Natasha, is a rowdy, lightning-fast story of ambition, heartbreak, and the cost of pursuing the thing you love. Fake cigarettes, real fire. And Then the Rodeo Burned Down is now playing at Ars Nova.

Birthright

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What begins as a reunion among six young friends after a Birthright trip to Israel becomes, over the span of nearly two decades, an exploration of identity, memory, and what it means to belong. As these friends grow up and the world around them shifts in ways they could never have imagined, they find themselves confronting seismic questions: How do we carry the weight of history? How do we define who we are, and who we want to be? And what happens when the narratives we inherit no longer fit the lives we’re living? Birthright begins perfromances at the Newman Mills Theater on June 16.

Read More: Molly Bernard Replaces Abbi Jacobson in BIRTHRIGHT at MCC Theater

Girl, Interrupted

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This shattering new take on Susanna Kaysen’s groundbreaking memoir is written by Martyna Majok. After being checked into a psychiatric hospital, Susanna finds herself trapped in a place that’s both refuge and prison, discovering unexpected connection with the young women of her ward as they all fight for control, stability, and hope. The complete cast includes Leela Bassuk (Understudy), Ta’Rea Campbell (Valerie), Gabi Campo (Tori), Juliana Canfield (Susanna), Eileen Doan (Understudy), Manoel Felciano (The Male Presence), King Princess (Lisa), Gunnar Manchester (Understudy), Mia Pak (Grace), Katherine Reis (Daisy), Anna Roman (Understudy), Sally Shaw (Polly), Emily Skinner (Dr. Wick), Rachel Stern (Understudy), and Lauren Jeanne Thomas (Judy/Musician). Girl, Interrupted is now playing at The Public Theater.

Heated Rivalry

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Inspired by the hit show about hockey, Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody follows starry-eyed golden boy Shane Hollander on his journey from power center to power bottom. Relive all of the moments from the show that made you wet (with tears) up close on the small-stage by an incredible cast of Broadway actors who thought they were auditioning to be in Season 2. Sporting a bop-infused score, scene-stealing cameos by characters like "Rose Landry" and "Ilya's Ass", and time jumps absolutely no one can keep track of, audiences will find themselves hot, bothered, and probably saying, "....Girl!" Heated Rivalry is now playing at the 6th Floor Theater at The Culture Club at 530 West 27th St.

Henry VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts

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The Public Theater is now presenting NAATCO’s production of Henry VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts, after a successful run in 2018, the production, adapted and directed by Stephen Brown-Fried. Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Parts 1-3, a saga of a nation spinning wildly out of control, has been condensed into two parts and will be performed in rep. Part 1: Foreign Wars kicks off with the funeral of King Henry V, leaving his infant son on the throne and sending the country into decades of spiraling chaos both abroad and at home. Part 2: Civil Strife picks up nearly 30 years later, as nascent domestic feuds rapidly metastasize into the full-blown civil war known as the War of the Roses. henry VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts is now in performances at The Public’s Newman Theater.

I'm Almost There

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I’m Almost There, a critically acclaimed musical journey by Todd Almond (Girl from the North Country, Gossip Girl), comes to BAM from the Edinburgh Fringe. Directed by Tony Award winner David Cromer (Good Night, and Good Luck; The Band’s Visit; Our Town), this whimsical yet poignant piece transplants The Odyssey into the modern world of dating. The monsters here are nosy neighbors, and the path leads through self-deprecation, heartfelt longing, and offbeat humor. The production is now running at BAM.

La Cage Aux Folles

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La Cage Aux Folles features music and lyrics by Jerry Herman and book by Harvey Fierstein, based on the play by Jean Poiret. Georges is the suave owner of a glitzy drag club on the French Riviera. Partnered romantically with his high-strung star performer, Albin, the pair live a charmed life-until Georges' son announces his engagement to the daughter of a conservative right-wing politician who's coming to dinner. The cast includes Wayne Brady, Tonya Pinkins, Billy Porter, Alaman Diadhiou, James Jackson Jr., Michael McElroy, Sharon Washington, and Lance Coadie Williams. Performances begin June 17 at New York City Center.

Read More: Tonya Pinkins and More Complete the Cast for Encores! LA CAGE AUX FOLLES

Label•less

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Label•less is a new 90-minute musical experience that gets real about the challenges we all face in today’s world. Created by Drew Lachey and choreographer Lea Lachey, Label•less features a wildly talented cast of young adults sharing real-life experiences and taking audiences on an emotional journey packed with soaring vocals and electric dancing. With an original score spanning rock, pop, and R&B, plus hit songs like “Born This Way” and “Rise Up,” Label•less is on a mission to break down barriers, remind us of our shared humanity, and envision life beyond labels. Label•less is now playing at Duke on 42nd Street.

Music City

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Music City, which opened last year and was extended three times by popular demand in its run at BEDLAM, is reopening Off-Broadway. The show features original and existing songs by multi-platinum songwriter J.T. Harding, including showstoppers "Smile," "Sangria," and "Somewhere In My Car," written for such artists as Darius Rucker, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, Uncle Kracker, Dierks Bentley, and Florida Georgia Line, and an original book by playwright Peter Zinn. Music City follows two young singer-songwriters into The Wicked Tickle, an East Nashville bar that serves up cheap beer, open mics, and dreams of big breaks. The bar regulars bravely pursue love and music in the face of addiction, poverty, and haunting pasts. But in Nashville, heartbreak is the only thing they hand out for free. Music City is an intimate, gritty, and thrilling take on the world of beers, guitars, sawdust, and sunshine. Music City will open at St. Luke’s Theatre on June 15.

Interview: From Classmates to Co-Stars, Meet the Stars of CAMPING

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 14:08:53 PST

Colt Coeur will soon present the upcoming World Premiere of Camping by Victoria Lynne Barclay, directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt, at HERE Arts Center (145 6th Ave, New York, NY 10013), June 13-July 11.

The cast will feature Alice Kremelberg (The Boroughs, & All Our Yesterdays at The Flea; The Sinner on USA Network) and Colby Minifie (Six Degrees of Separation on Broadway; The Boys on Amazon Prime).

When did you first meet?

Colby: We went to high school together! We went to this fabulous public performing arts school called PPAS, which was filled with super talented professional actor kids. And I remember being in a class with Alice and looking up to her as someone to aspire to. She would always fully commit to whatever challenge she was given in class and by example, she taught me to push past fear and self consciousness and just commit. It’s way cooler to commit to the bit.

Alice: I always remember Colby as this incredible burst of energy and love in the hallways. She’s always been so deeply creative and an absolutely stunning actor.

What is your first memory of each other?

Colby: I think what I described above is my first memory but I also remember she ran for class president as a senior when I was a sophomore and I remember seeing her beautiful headshot in the hallway on her campaign posters and thinking, “wow Alice is going to go places!”

Alice: I am a few years older so I don’t think we had class together but our school was so small I definitely remember seeing the firework that Colby is in the hallways. Also, I remember seeing her after high-school in Close Up Space at MTC and Punk Rock with MCC and was completely blown away by her every single time I had the pleasure of seeing her on stage.

Also we both got to attend our drama teacher’s (Parente) wedding in France , and it was just magical. Getting to celebrate our favorite teacher together on the french countryside, I mean what could be better?

What is something that has stayed the same about each of you over the years? What has changed?

Colby: This industry can be brutal, especially when you start as a kid, as Alice and I did. It’s hard to stay positive, grounded, curious about who you are and what we can still learn. And Alice has done all of that and more. She is so kind. And getting to know her more now that we are doing this play, I see that she always finds the good in people, gives them the benefit of the doubt, and never ceases to bring joy and encouragement and light to a room.

Alice: This is a hard one! Colby has the same glowing face and heart, she is the same person I knew in high school in the best way (and we’ve both grown and had many important life experiences since then, don’t get me wrong) but the heart of who Colby is has stayed the same (thankfully!) I think more of the world has just gotten to see her talent, which is so exciting. She’s learned incredible new skills like wood working/ carpentry, ceramics etc- I hope we both continue to grow and change but our hearts stay open and young. Colt Coeur = The Heart of a Young Horse!

What were your first impressions when you first read Camping? How did you feel when you learned who would be acting opposite you?

Colby: I was hooked from page one. Page one made me laugh out loud and from then on, I was in. It’s very very rare to find a play that portrays the complexities and the intimacies of female friendships. This one drops you in the center of it and tears your heart out again and again. Victoria is so good at excavating how a woman grows and matures and finds language for their feelings as they grow up. I immediately felt connected to it and I think whoever comes to see this play will feel the same way.

Alice: While I was reading it, my heart sunk and sunk and then sunk some more. I fell in love with it. I devoured it in what felt like minutes. It really encapsulates how layered, confusing and painful friendship and love can be. It feels so complicated between Ari and Brit, but also so simple. They’re tethered to each other and keep coming back. I was so excited to read something also that jumps through time and follows these two women and how they change or stay the same. Genuinely, I’m so excited by the idea that there will be this play for people to work on, because I always found it hard in school to find a lot of good scenes with two women or girls.

I was SO excited when I heard it was Colby. This is our first time really getting to act opposite each other and I really feel so blessed to be on the receiving end of all that she brings to Ari. It’s truly such magnificent work.

Why should people see Camping?

Colby: In a world full of AI and increasing isolation, this play makes you feel human again! I feel more connected to myself than I have in a long long time doing this play. I have a feeling you’ll walk out of this play and want to walk around the neighborhood, pop on some music from your teenage years, feel the warm air on your face, and reflect on your life.

Alice: It’s really such a beautiful new play. The complications of being queer in a time and place where that is not really seen as an option. How that trickles down and lives in you for what feels like forever. It is just us two and a camping tent and these funny and heart breaking words. Adrienne has directed such a beautiful rendition on Victoria’s play. And it’s only 80 minutes of your time!

What was your first exposure to Colt Coeur?

Colby: I saw Dry Land and was totally blown away. Both by Alice and the whole cast and Adrienne’s directing. It felt like the kind of theater I wanted to be a part of.

Alice:I had the pleasure of meeting Adrienne and Colt Coeur about 12 years ago when I auditioned for Dry Land. We got to spend time at NYSAF and then at HERE with the world premiere of Dry Land and it was actually magical. The cast, that play, it was full of magic – truly.

What else do you want to tell us?

Colby: I couldn’t be happier to be in a room full of women!!!

Alice: It’s pride! Come see a gay play for pride that is full of yearning and edging the way only the gays know how!

Three decades. One tent. A million things left unsaid.

In Victoria Lynne Barclay’s CAMPING, Brit and Ari collide over and over again, reaching for each other across firsts, fistfuls of hair, and the fractures that are born of time and distance. A story of desperately falling in and out of love with your Best Friend inside a camping tent while everything outside rages.

Camping runs June 13th-July 11th at HERE Arts Center. Tickets ($30-$120) are available for advance purchase at www.coltcoeur.org/camping. The performance will run approximately 80 minutes, with no intermission.