Crystal Field News

Dining with Ploetz, an evening of one-acts, will play at Theater for the New City September 5 – 22. Opening night is slated for Friday, September 6 at 8:00 pm. Written by playwright and published author Richard Ploetz, the production features three dark comedies, Goldfish, Memory Like a Pale Green Clock and Bone Appetite.

Some stories are painted, some are sung. But one being presented at Theater for the New City, Crystal Field, Executive Producer, this summer could easily be said to be quilted or stitched into your soul.

Dangerous to Dance With written by Bill Rogers and directed by Gerald vanHeerden, a featured event of DREAM UP FESTIVAL 2019, presented by Theater For The New City, Crystal Field, Artistic Director.

With performances between August 31st and September 4th, Theater for the New City's Dream Up Festival will present the world premiere of 'This is Like That' by Michael Sean Cirelli, a solo performance piece in the form of an eccentric slide lecture with a temperamental carousel projector and an apple.

Theater for the New City, Crystal Field, Executive Director, presents The Chaos Theory of Now, a world premiere solo play using chaos theory to explain today's America and what's next, written and performed by comedian and science maven Jennifer Joy Pawlitschek. Ashley Wren Collins directs. Seven performances will be staged at Theater for the New City, 155 First Avenue in New York City, from September 8-15, 2019.

From August 25 to September 2, Theater for the New City's Dream Up Festival will present the world premiere of a new translation by Robert Greer of August Strindberg's 'The Father,' directed by Mr. Greer and performed by an ensemble of actors from August Strindberg Rep, who developed the piece in a workshop production last November at Gene Frankel Theatre. 

From August 25 to September 15, 2019, Theater for the New City (TNC), under the direction of Crystal Field, Artistic Director, will present its tenth annual Dream Up Festival, a feast of adventurous theater mixing world premieres and New York premieres. It's an ultimate new work festival dedicated to the joy of discovering new authors and edgy, innovative performances.

Dining with Ploetz, an evening of one-acts, will play at Theater for the New City September 5 - 22. Opening night is slated for Friday, September 6 at 8:00 pm. Written by playwright and published author Richard Ploetz, the production features three dark comedies, Goldfish, Memory Like a Pale Green Clock and Bone Appetite.

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.)

Written by Solnik, directed by Nikki Reed and presented by Executive Artistic Director Crystal Fields, "Birds of Paradise" is being performed in the East Village for a very limited run. With opening night this past Thursday and running only through July 14th, this show is definitely one I recommend seeing. With a rather clever plot that is as touching as it is on the constant brink of drama, "Birds of Paradise" is now one of my favorite of Solnik's productions.

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.)

To celebrate the official kick-off of Summer, Theater for the New City (Crystal Field, EXECUTIVE Artistic Director) will host the 24th Annual LOWER EAST SIDE FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS, a FREE Summer Arts Festivals HOSTED BY Theater for the New City (155 First Ave. at 10th St.). The festival will take place over Memorial Day Weekend, May 24 - 26, 2019 from 6pm - MIDNIGHT and will feature theater, music, art, dance, video, film, aerial arts, poetry, magic and comedy with over 270 performances, OVER 70 GROUPS, over the course of the weekend.  For the full list of performers and schedule please, visit www.theaterforthenewcity.net or call 212-254-1109.

Since classical times, artists have always had to reconcile the demands of their patrons with their own artistic integrity.  In the 21st century, the patrons' demands can come from both the left and right. 'Zen A.M.,' a new comedy by Natalie Menna, illustrates the conundrum, nesting it in present-day issues of class identification, compassion, cultural identity and creative resistance.  Theater for the New City will present the world premiere of the piece May 31 to June 16, directed by Andrew Block.

A glorious group of ghosts are converging on Theater for the New City - and it has nothing to do with the theater's annual Halloween ball slated for later in the year.

On Sunday, March 31, Theater for the New City will present a free reading of Goethe's classic 'Urfaust,' translated by Charles E. Passage, directed by Elizabeth Ruf Maldonado, to follow the 3:00 PM production of 'Johannes Dokchtor Faust, a Petrifying Puppet Comedye' by Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre.

Where Do All the Ghosts Go? is a dark comedy about the demolition of a historic NYC building and the ghosts of significant people who have made it their post-life home. They must convince a young lesbian couple that ghosts really exist in order to get their help. Written and directed by Barbara Kahn. Set and Lights by Mark Marcante. Prop design by Lytza Colon. Costumes by Everett Clark. Sound by Joy Linsheid. With Chloe Simone Crawford, David Leeper, Christopher Lowe, Sarah Teed, Steph Van Vlack, Ashley Versher, Fleur Voorn. 155 First Ave (9th & 10th Sts). April 11-28 2019. Thus-Sat at 8pm, Sun at 3pm. Res/Info: 212-254-1109

On Friday, March 22, Theater for the New City will present a special one-hour, acoustic-punk reading of Christopher Marlowe's classic 'Doctor Faustus' script, directed by Elizabeth Ruf-Maldonado. The reading follows the 8:00 PM production of 'Johannes Dokchtor Faust, a Petrifying Puppet Comedye' by Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre.

Theater for the New City and Executive Artistic Director Crystal Field will present a reading of Pie Lessons by Carrie Robbins, on Monday, March 11, 2019, 7:00 PM in the Community Space Theater at Theater for the New City. Pie Lessons will be presented as part of TNC's Scratch Night performance program, which offers the opportunity for artists to present work in progress to an audience for one night. HOMEMADE PIE WILL BE SERVED TO ALL COMERS!

Theater for the New City (Crystal Field, Executive Artistic Director), in association with MBL Productions (Mary J. Davis, Producer), presents the New York premiere of the new play, Still at Risk by Tim Pinckney (Message to Michael). Performances begin TONIGHT, Thursday, March 7, 2019 for a limited engagement through Sunday, March 31, 2019 in the 88Community Space Theater at Theater for the New City (155 First Avenue, between 9th & 10th Streets). Opening Night is Sunday afternoon, March 10,2019 at 3:00 p.m.

Theater for the New City (Crystal Field, Executive Artistic Director), in association with MBL Productions (Mary J. Davis, Producer), will present the New York premiere of the new play, Still at Risk by Tim Pinckney (Message to Michael) at the Community Space Theater at Theater for the New City (155 First Avenue, between 9th & 10th Streets). Directed by Carl Andress (The Divine Sister; Die, Mommie, Die!), the five-member cast will feature Robert Gomes (Dada Woof Papa Hot, The Tempermentals) as Kevin, Christopher J. Hanke (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Buyer & Cellar) as Christopher, Amy Hohn (November, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) as Susan, Ryan Spahn (Daniel's Husband, Summer and Smoke) as Byron, and Jonathan Walker (The Assembled Parties, The Divine Sister) as Marcus.