Jonathan Slaff News

Theater for the New City's award-winning Street Theater Company opens its 37th annual tour today, August 3 with 'Sanitation, or Off the Grid,' a rip-roaring musical which will tour City streets, parks and playgrounds throughout the five boroughs through September 15. The production, free to all New Yorkers, will have book, lyrics and direction by Crystal Field and musical score composed by Joseph Vernon Banks. (Schedule follows at bottom of this document.)

Actor Khalil Kain, who is known for edgy character roles on film and for the TV series 'Girlfriends,' will make his stage directing debut with Sam Shepard's 'Buried Child,' to be presented by Aaron Davis Hall as an Equity LORT/LOA production from tonight, July 11 to August 3. The production uses a multi-racial cast to reinterpret the underlying symbols of Shepard's landmark play, in which the misfortunes of a Midwestern farming family reveal both the demise and endurance of the American Dream.

In 'The Past Is Still Ahead' by Sophia Romma, one of Russia's most ill-fated and controversial cult poets of the twentieth century, Marina Tsvetaeva, revisits the tumultuously tragic and sexy events of her life--just before she succumbs to 'suicide' at the hands of the Soviet Secret Police in 1941 while exiled in Siberia. The play will be presented by Midtown International Theatre Festival on July 23, 27 and 28 at The Jewel Box Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor, NYC, directed by Francois Rochaix. Check out a first look below!

Theater for the New City's award-winning Street Theater Company opens its 37th annual tour August 3 with 'Sanitation, or Off the Grid,' a rip-roaring musical which will tour City streets, parks and playgrounds throughout the five boroughs through September 15. The production, free to all New Yorkers, will have book, lyrics and direction by Crystal Field and musical score composed by Joseph Vernon Banks. (Schedule follows at bottom of this document.)

'White Noise' is the first play by Washington, DC artist Tom Block (www.tomblock.com). It depicts a philosophical artist who travels to Detroit for an exhibit, where he is hosted by an aging, bickering couple who are wealthy, stingy and tormented. The play painstakingly explores Block's own thought process. Its set is a 25 foot long mural by Block which is based on a 13th century Sufi tract, 'The Conference of the Birds' by Attar, which also represents the psyche of the main character. The play raises questions of mysticism and the application of spirituality in our lives. Theater for the New City, 155 First Ave., NYC, will present the work's New York debut tonight, June 27 to July 14. Moema Umann directs. Block is a well-known painter, human right activist and author of two books, 'Shalom/Salaam: A Story of a Mystical Fraternity' and 'A Fatal Addiction: War in the Name of God.'

Actor Khalil Kain, who is known for edgy character roles on film and for the TV series 'Girlfriends,' will make his stage directing debut with Sam Shepard's 'Buried Child,' to be presented by Aaron Davis Hall as an Equity LORT/LOA production from July 11 to August 3. The production uses a multi-racial cast to reinterpret the underlying symbols of Shepard's landmark play, in which the misfortunes of a Midwestern farming family reveal both the demise and endurance of the American Dream.

'White Noise' is the first play by Washington, DC artist Tom Block (www.tomblock.com). It depicts a philosophical artist who travels to Detroit for an exhibit, where he is hosted by an aging, bickering couple who are wealthy, stingy and tormented. The play painstakingly explores Block's own thought process. Its set is a 25 foot long mural by Block which is based on a 13th century Sufi tract, 'The Conference of the Birds' by Attar, which also represents the psyche of the main character. The play raises questions of mysticism and the application of spirituality in our lives. Theater for the New City, 155 First Ave., NYC, will present the work's New York debut June 27 to July 14. Moema Umann directs. Block is a well-known painter, human right activist and author of two books, 'Shalom/Salaam: A Story of a Mystical Fraternity' and 'A Fatal Addiction: War in the Name of God.'

Kairos Italy Theater (KIT), the preeminent Italian theater company in New York City, presents In Scena! Italian Theater Festival NY, the first Italian theater festival to take place annually in all five New York City boroughs and beyond. The inaugural festival will be now through June 20, 2013. BroadwayWorld has photos from the festival's grand opening below!

Yangtze Repertory Theatre's 20th anniversary production is 'The Empress Dowager,' a three-act epic examining 40 years of the reign of the Manchu empress who ruled China from behind the throne. It recounts the perilous journey of an ancient kingdom seeking a place in the modern world. The play is written and directed by Joanna Chan, Artistic Director, and will be performed by a cast of 25 in Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles. Theater for the New City, 155 First Ave., will present the piece tonight, May 31 to June 23.

Yangtze Repertory Theatre's 20th anniversary production is 'The Empress Dowager,' a three-act epic examining 40 years of the reign of the Manchu empress who ruled China from behind the throne. It recounts the perilous journey of an ancient kingdom seeking a place in the modern world. The play is written and directed by Joanna Chan, Artistic Director, and will be performed by a cast of 25 in Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles. Theater for the New City, 155 First Ave., will present the piece May 31 to June 23.

Tristan Grigsby is a young, tall, virile, dark-haired, handsome, muscular actor and playwright whose first New York play, 'Passing Through,' is a deceptively spare, often humorous disquisition on loneliness. The play presents five characters, all of whom are in a particular state of loneliness, who go through brief dramatic encounters with each other and a visitor/messenger who has been sent by the gods to investigate their peculiar predicament. It has a gentle touch, a distilled style and a Beckettian effect. Theater for the New City will present the work tonight, April 10 to 28, directed by Guenevere Donohue.

From April 17 to 28, The Drilling Company will present the New York premiere of 'Apple' by Canadian playwright Vern Thiessen, a haunting tale of sex, secrets and second chances. The intense, soul-satisfying drama will be directed for the first time by its author. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Tristan Grigsby is a young, tall, virile, dark-haired, handsome, muscular actor and playwright whose first New York play, 'Passing Through,' is a deceptively spare, often humorous disquisition on loneliness. The play presents five characters, all of whom are in a particular state of loneliness, who go through brief dramatic encounters with each other and a visitor/messenger who has been sent by the gods to investigate their peculiar predicament. It has a gentle touch, a distilled style and a Beckettian effect. Theater for the New City will present the work April 10 to 28, directed by Guenevere Donohue.

Frog and Peach Theatre Company will present a star-studded reading of Shakespeare's 'Measure for Measure' today, February 26 at The Player's Club, 16 Grammercy Park South, with a cast including Austin Pendleton as Angelo and Darrell Hammond as Pompey, together with Frog and Peach company members Ted Zurkowski as Lucio, Amy Frances Quint as Isabel, Eric Doss as Provost, Ryan Tramont as Escalus, Erick Gonzalez as Claudio and Jonathan Reed Wexler as Elbow. An original score by Ian McDonald (King Crimson, Foreigner) will be performed live by Mr. McDonald.

Frog and Peach Theatre Company will present a star-studded reading of Shakespeare's 'Measure for Measure' on February 26 at The Player's Club, 16 Grammercy Park South, with a cast including Austin Pendleton as Angelo and Darrell Hammond as Pompey, together with Frog and Peach company members Ted Zurkowski as Lucio, Amy Frances Quint as Isabel, Eric Doss as Provost, Ryan Tramont as Escalus, Erick Gonzalez as Claudio and Jonathan Reed Wexler as Elbow. An original score by Ian McDonald (King Crimson, Foreigner) will be performed live by Mr. McDonald.

From August 18 to September 8, 2013, Theater for the New City (TNC), under the direction of Crystal Field, Artistic Director, will present its fourth 'Dream Up Festival,' a festival of experimental theater and dance featuring new works from across the country and abroad. The theater's Literary Manager, Michael Scott-Price, will continue as curator. Submissions will be accepted until May 9, 2013.

'Off the King's Road' is the first full-length theater production in New York for emerging playwright Neil Koenigsberg, who is well-known in the Hollywood community as a veteran publicist, producer and personal talent manager. The show plays Theater for the New City now through February 23, 2013. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Puppets and live performers enact an enigmatic tale of early World War II in 'King Executioner,' the newest creation of Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre written and directed by Vit Horejš. The play is loosely based on 'When you are a King, You will be an Executioner' ('A Jak Krolem a Jak Katem Bedzies,' 1968) by the Polish magical realist novelist Tadeusz Nowak (1930-1991). Theater for the New City will present the world premiere of the work March 21 to April 7. Get a first look at the production in the photos below!