L’Alliance New York Reveals Spring 2026 Programming, Featuring Theatre, Dance and More
The season will feature Euphrate by Nil Bosca, Euphoria by Caroline Breton, and much more.
L'Alliance New York has revealed its upcoming Spring 2026 programming. From April 10 through June 24, 2026, L'Alliance will bring an exciting array of dance, theatre, film, and talks to New York audiences.
Friday, Apr 24 - Sunday, Apr 26 | FESTIVAL
Comic Arts Fest
L'Alliance New York
https://lallianceny.org/event/comic-arts-fest-2026/
Meet some of the world's most celebrated graphic novelists and comic book artists across a full weekend of conversations, masterclasses, screenings, book signings, parties, and workshops featuring world-renowned artists such as Charles Burns, Elène Usdin, Felipe Smith, Julie Rocheleau, Benjamin Lacombe, and more.
Comic Arts Fest 2026 is curated by publisher Rodolphe Lachat.
Saturday, May 2 at 2pm | THEATER
Euphrate
Nil Bosca
L'Alliance New York Florence Gould Theater
https://lallianceny.org/event/euphrate/
Daughter of a Turkish father and a French mother, Euphrate is a high school senior struggling with the French education system. On top of keeping up her mediocre grades, she has to choose a career path, which leads her to interrogate how her dual heritage has shaped her identity. In a witty dialogue with her father, she embarks on a journey through her Turkish roots and childhood memories. Blending dance and spoken word, this solo performance by Nil Bosca tells the story of a young woman discovering her own voice.
Saturday, May 30 | DANCE/FAMILY
Euphoria
Caroline Breton
Le Skyroom at L'Alliance New York
https://lallianceny.org/event/euphoria/
"It's hard not to get swept away in the irrepressible energy of this half-human, half-bird duo!" - L'oeil d'Olivier
Told through movement, color, and sound, EUPHORIA is a playful dance featuring two half-human, half-owl creatures who explore their environment using movement and sound. Through a poetic metamorphosis, the creatures develop a new understanding of themselves and each other. Created for families with kids as young as five years old, choreographer Caroline Breton invites us to find wonder and joy in the world around us.
Wednesday, June 24 at 5pm
Sunset Soirée at Le Bain
PARTY
Le Bain at the Standard Hotel | Free 21+
https://lallianceny.org/event/sunset-soireeat-le-bain-2026/
Celebrate the end of a fabulous season of arts and culture at L'Alliance New York and the start of summer. Dance to global beats from live DJs, sip cocktails, speak a little French, and take in the spectacular skyline from the rooftop of the iconic Standard Hotel.
Friday, Apr 10 at 8:30am | TALK
CreativeMornings
L'Alliance New York Florence Gould Theater & Tinker Auditorium
https://lallianceny.org/event/creativemornings-x-lalliance-new-york/
Join us at L'Alliance New York for an inspiring CreativeMornings! The event begins with a complimentary breakfast, where you can connect with fellow creatives. Afterward, enjoy a discussion from leading creative minds sharing fresh ideas and insights. Don't miss this opportunity to engage with a new community and be inspired in a vibrant atmosphere! Guest speakers will be announced closer to the program date - stay tuned!
L'Alliance New York regularly hosts the New York branch of CreativeMornings, a monthly free lecture series aimed at young professionals looking to meet new people and engage their creative minds. The free event begins with breakfast, followed by a lecture from guest speakers, usually innovative creators or thought leaders. There is also often a musical performance, and founder/host Tina Roth Eisenberg kicks off the event with a speech.
Comic Arts Fest Full Schedule
Friday, April 24
Charles Burns: 100% Noir
TALK & SCREENING
7:30pm
Celebrated comic artist Charles Burns (Black Hole, Final Cut) is known around the world for his instantly recognizable illustration style and his surreal, otherworldly stories. At this special event, he talks about his cult-classic work in a rare public appearance. The discussion precedes a screening of Fear(s) of the Dark (dir. Blutch, Charles Burns, Marie Caillou, Pierre di Sciullo, Lorenzo Mattotti, Richard McGuire, 2007, 85min), an animated black-and-white horror anthology with shorts from Burns, Blutch, Richard McGuire, and more.
After the screening and Q&A, join us for the Opening Night Party. Savor delicious food and drinks, enjoy music, and watch a Live Exquisite Corpse session where guest illustrators will create a unique piece of art. An Exquisite Corpse is a group drawing activity that gained popularity in 1920s artistic circles when it was adopted as a technique of the Surrealist movement to generate collaborative artworks.
Saturday, April 25
Family Workshops
10:30am, 1:30pm and 3:15pm
Unleash your inner superhero in these free, family-friendly workshops! From learning to sketch to making their own superhero mask, kids will take inspiration from comics to create larger-than-life characters of their own.
Sketch a Superhero: Inspired by the incredible superhero comics illustrated by festival guests, kids will learn how to draw their own characters and bring their stories to life on the page.
Become a Superhero: Mask-Making Workshop: If drawing a superhero isn't enough, try becoming a superhero yourself! Create a superhero mask using paper, fabric, glitter, and more. Take inspiration from iconic comic book characters or straight from your own imagination.
Drawing Workshop with Felipe Smith
WORKSHOP
11am
Manga artist and writer Felipe Smith is known for his graphic novel series Peepo Choo and Marvel's Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider. Learn from a leading manga artist in this intimate, hands-on drawing workshop!
Miraculous World: New York, United HeroeZ
SCREENING
Dir. Thomas Astruc, 2020, 52min
11:30am
This French animated series became a global smash hit, chronicling the adventures of Parisian teens Marinette and Adrien who transform into superheroes Ladybug and Cat Noir. Watch the characters' journey to New York City in this TV special from Miraculous, which has inspired bravery and kindness in young superheroes around the world.
A Feminine Gaze on the Other America
CONFERENCE
12:15pm
What does it mean to look at America from the outside? Julie Rocheleau (Globetrotters) and Elène Usdin (Detroit Roma, René·e aux bois dormants) discuss how their work approaches America as a place of projection, displacement, and imagination, through travel, fiction, and personal narrative. A conversation on perspective, storytelling, and the many faces of the "other" America.
Felipe Smith: Manga from the US to Japan
MASTERCLASS
3pm
Felipe Smith's career has spanned continents and genres. He's the creator of PEEPO CHOO, the first manga serialized in Japan by a Western creator for a Japanese-speaking audience. He went on to work in animation (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) before developing Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider with Marvel. In this masterclass, he discusses his wide-ranging work and how he bridges U.S. and Japanese manga traditions, moving between industries, audiences, and storytelling styles.
Superheroes: A Living Myth
CONFERENCE
5pm
The figure of the superhero continues to captivate contemporary society, from blockbuster films to bestselling comic books. Leading comic artists who engage with superheroes in their work, including Fabrice Sapolsky and Julie Rocheleau, discuss how superheroes have become a modern myth, fraught with questions of morality, politics, gender and violence. The conversation is moderated by Comic Arts Fest curator Rodolphe Lachat.
Drawing Gatsby: A Live Illustrated Concert
6:30pm
Benjamin Lacombe, known for his adaptations of classic literature, brings The Great Gatsby to life through live drawing and contemporary jazz. Watch Lacombe create real-time illustrations while listening to New York-based jazz musicians who shape their music to Lacombe's images as they appear. The result is a concert where the visuals and the score are developed onstage, offering a new way into F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel.
Sunday, April 26
Children of Captain Africa
SCREENING & TALK
Dir. Xavier Fournier, Frédéric Ralière, 2025, 53min
11am
In the 1980s, Ghanaian artist Andy Akman created Captain Africa, one of the first comic book series to feature an African superhero. His work inspired new generations of African comic artists, who continue to create exciting and original superhero stories. This new documentary from Xavier Fournier and Frédéric Ralière is followed by a conversation with writer/director Fournier and artist Greg Anderson Elysée.
Drawing Workshop with Benjamin Lacombe
WORKSHOP
11am
French illustrator Benjamin Lacombe is known for his whimsical, ethereal adaptations of classics including The Great Gatsby and Edgar Allan Poe. Learn from a leading illustrator artist in this intimate, hands-on drawing workshop!
Benjamin Lacombe: Reimagining the Classics
MASTERCLASS
1pm
Benjamin Lacombe is a leading French illustrator, known for his adaptations of classic literature including The Great Gatsby, Alice in Wonderland and The Little Mermaid. In this masterclass, he discusses visual storytelling, his technique, and his approach to translating iconic texts into powerful visual worlds. Lacombe will also talk about how he works with musicians and dancers to create unique live illustration performances that bridge artistic mediums.
Drawing Workshop with Elène Usdin
WORKSHOP
2pm
Illustrator Elène Usdin is known for her graphic novels Detroit Roma and René·e aux bois dormants. Learn from a leading artist in this intimate, hands-on drawing workshop!
The Legend of Kingdom Come
SCREENING & TALK
Dir. Remsy Atassi, 2025, 77min
2:30pm
Chronicling the creation of one of the most beloved DC comics, this documentary explores how Alex Ross and Mark Waid developed the story and illustrations for Kingdom Come, including Ross' use of traditional, hand-painted and hyperrealist illustration rather than the more popular digital styles used in other comics. The screening is followed by a discussion with writer Joey Cavalieri and editor Charles Kochman.
How to Succeed in Comics: A French Creator's Journey
CONFERENCE
3:30pm
How can a French comics fan break into the American market? What codes need to be understood, what obstacles navigated, and what strategies adopted? Blending practical insight, firsthand anecdotes, and a clear-eyed view of the industry, Fabrice Sapolsky offers an informative and humorous talk, shedding light on the realities and opportunities of creating comics in the United States.
An editor for major American publishers, co-creator of Spider-Man Noir at Marvel, and author of numerous graphic novels including Intertwined, Lady-Bird, One-Hit Wonder and The Big Lie, Fabrice Sapolsky has been working in the American comics industry for more than twenty years. He has experienced every side of the business, from publishing to creation, and draws on this unique background, as well as on the journeys of fellow French creators and professionals working in the US.
This discussion will be followed by a Closing Night Celebration in the Tinker Auditorium.
Superheroes: A Never-Ending Battle
SCREENING & TALK
Dir. Michael Kantor, 2013, 60min
5:30pm
Rounding out this year's focus on superheroes, Comic Arts Fest 2026 comes to an end with a screening of the first episode of Superheroes: A Never-Ending Battle, followed by a discussion with director Michael Kantor, writer Laurence Maslon and comics writer Ivan Cohen. The film is distinguished by the exceptional scale and authority of its testimonies. Few documentaries on comics have assembled such an extensive constellation of seminal voices, spanning generations and disciplines. It features major architects of the modern superhero such as Stan Lee, Joe Kubert and Neal Adams, alongside influential contemporary figures including Geoff Johns, Jim Lee and Chris Claremont. Through this unusually rich gathering of writers, artists, editors and screen creators, the documentary unfolds as a rare and authoritative oral history of the American superhero, narrated by those who have defined, expanded and reinvented it.
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