Michael David Gordon

On March 16 at 3:00 PM, Theater for the New City (TNC), 155 First Avenue (at East Tenth Street), will celebrate the life of Joseph Vernon Banks, the long-time composer of its Street Theater productions, who died of cancer at age 62 on November 11, 2023. 

On Monday, September 19, Theater For The New City, 155 First Ave. (at E. 10th Street), will present a memorial for its co-founder George Bartenieff (January 23, 1933-July 30, 2022) to celebrate his creative years at the theater, 1971-1992.  Reception begins at 7:30 PM and a narrated pictorial, remembrances and performances will start at 8:00 PM.

Tim Robbins has joined the list of celebrities contributing performances for Theater or the New City's 2021 'Love 'N Courage' gala March 22, which benefits the theater's emerging playwrights program.  Robbins joins Charles Busch, David Amram, F. Murray Abraham and Vinie Burrows in the roster of stars sharing prepared performances.

Theater for the New City, which turns 50 this month, will hold its annual 'Love 'N Courage' gala--a benefit for its Emerging Playwrights Program--virtually this year on Monday, March 22 at 7:00 PM. 

On Saturday, December 26 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM, Theater for the New City (TNC), 155 First Ave., will present the seventh installment of 'Open 'Tho Shut,' its afternoon of 'walk-by theater' that is staged in its set shop and visible from East Tenth Street between First and Second Avenues.

Since outdoor performance permits are not being given at this time, Theater for the New City has adapted its 2020 Street Theater tour to the virtual space. 

Summer Street Theater is one of the delights of the season and has been central to Theater for the New City's mission since the organization's first such production in 1976.

Following the organizations decision last week to pause their 4 part series of 1599 in response to the widespread demonstrations, the ensemble will present their virtual performance of Julius Caesar at 7:00 p.m., streamed live to their YouTube channel. The project title, which refers to the seminal year that Shakespeare wrote four of his greatest works, was originally performed in 2016 in a four-hour theater marathon with seven actors portraying more than 70 roles. 

With the roster still building, Theater for the New City has currently scheduled over 150 performing arts organizations, independent artists, poets, puppeteers and film makers for its 25th annual Lower East Side Festival of the Arts, which will be mounted virtually for the first time May 22 to 24, 2020.

Nonstop theater, a costume competition and ballroom dancing will bewitch the East Village October 31 in the Village Halloween Costume Ball, which is presented annually by Theater for the New City (TNC), 155 First Avenue.  This unique festival continues as a grand coming-together for real witches, everyday New Yorkers and artists alike. An explosive fall tradition, it is always held on the actual night of Halloween and celebrates artistic creation and fertilization.

Theater for the New City's award-winning Street Theater Company will open its 43rd annual tour August 3 with 'No Brainer or the Solution to Parasites,' a rip-roaring musical which portrays our road to national madness as a bad trip to Hades. Free performances will tour parks, playgrounds and closed-off streets throughout the five boroughs through September 15. Book, lyrics and direction are by Crystal Field; the musical score is composed and arranged by Joseph Vernon Banks. (Schedule follows at bottom of this document.)

Theater for the New City's award-winning Street Theater Company will open its 42nd annual tour August 4 with 'SHAME! Or The Doomsday Machine,' a rip-roaring musical in which the Theory of Relativity explains modern politics. Free performances will tour closed-off streets, parks and playgrounds throughout the five boroughs until September 16. Book, lyrics and direction are by Crystal Field; the musical score is composed and arranged by Joseph Vernon Banks. (Schedule follows at bottom of this document.)

Theater for the New City's award-winning Street Theater Company opens its 38th annual tour August 2 with 'EMERGENCY!!! or The World Takes A Selfie,' a rip-roaring outdoor musical comedy about a New York EMT worker on a workingman's grand tour of the world, who decides to tackle global problems the way he does emergencies of his NYC beat. Free performances will tour City streets, parks and playgrounds throughout the five boroughs through September 14. The piece has book, lyrics and direction by Crystal Field and musical score composed by Joseph Vernon Banks.

Just last night, Theater for the New City paid tribute to the playwright and theater critic Mario Fratti (whose adaptation of the Federico Fellini film 8 ½ became the Broadway musical NINE) at the 11th annual LOVE 'N COURAGE benefit at the National Arts Club (15 Gramercy Park South) in New York City. An annual evening to benefit TNC's Emerging Playwrights Program, this year's LOVE 'N COURAGE event featured appearances by Liliane Montevecchi, Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham, two-time Tony winner Tammy Grimes accompanied by Alex Rybeck, singer Anna Bergman accompanied by William Hicks, Austin Pendleton, Katharine Cullison, cabaret star KT Sullivan, Inma Heredia, Human Kinetics Movement Arts, Rachel Klein Dance Company, Jocab Merrick Storms, the Yip Harburg Foundation Rainbow Troupe, and Michael-David Gordon and TNC's Street Theater Company. BroadwayWorld was there for the special night and you can check out photos from the performances below!

Just last night, Theater for the New City paid tribute to the playwright and theater critic Mario Fratti (whose adaptation of the Federico Fellini film 8 ½ became the Broadway musical NINE) at the 11th annual LOVE 'N COURAGE benefit at the National Arts Club (15 Gramercy Park South) in New York City. An annual evening to benefit TNC's Emerging Playwrights Program, this year's LOVE 'N COURAGE event featured appearances by Liliane Montevecchi, Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham, two-time Tony winner Tammy Grimes accompanied by Alex Rybeck, singer Anna Bergman accompanied by William Hicks, Austin Pendleton, Katharine Cullison, cabaret star KT Sullivan, Inma Heredia, Human Kinetics Movement Arts, Rachel Klein Dance Company, Jocab Merrick Storms, the Yip Harburg Foundation Rainbow Troupe, and Michael-David Gordon and TNC's Street Theater Company. BroadwayWorld was there for the special night and you can check out photo coverage below!