Mark Marcante News

Alexander Hamilton, meet Benjamin Banneker.

Theater for the New City presents Speakeasy: John and Jane's Adventures in the Wonderland, a fantastical musical of Prohibition-era NYC queer life written and composed by Danny Ashkenasi.

In 'Allen Wilder 2.0' by Matt Morillo, a director of softcore porn returns from Hollywood to his dead parents' house in Levittown, LI to sort through his belongings and re-examine the shame of his life. Can his ex-babysitter, recently divorced, soothe the wounds of failure he feels?  The 'trap of regrets' in each of these two gets comic treatment in this new play, whose premiere will be presented by Theater for the New City January 7 to 31, 2016, directed by the author.

Two plays about the epic conflict of faith, hope and despair - one existential and one disturbingly real and circumstantial - will be seen in tandem at Theater for the New City, 155 First Avenue, in December.

Nonstop theater, a costume competition and ballroom dancing will bewitch the East Village in Theater for the New City's 38th annual Village Halloween Costume Ball tonight, October 31 at TNC, 155 First Avenue.

From tonight, October 8, through October 25, Theater for the New City will present the world premiere of 'Wives,' newly written by Mario Fratti, in a double-bill with his breakthrough play, 'The Academy.' Taken together, the two plays illustrate the changing nature of the battle of the sexes between the postwar period and now. The two-part evening is directed by actor/director Stephan Morrow, who plays the instructor of a school for gigolos in 'The Academy.'

Nonstop theater, a costume competition and ballroom dancing will bewitch the East Village in Theater for the New City's 38th annual Village Halloween Costume Ball on Saturday, October 31 at TNC, 155 First Avenue. This unique festival continues as a grand coming-together for everyday New Yorkers and artists alike. A carefree fall tradition, it celebrates the creativity that comes with the season.

From October 8 to 25, Theater for the New City will present the world premiere of 'Wives,' newly written by Mario Fratti, in a double-bill with his breakthrough play, 'The Academy.'  Taken together, the two plays illustrate the changing nature of the battle of the sexes between the postwar period and now.  The two-part evening is directed by actor/director Stephan Morrow, who plays the instructor of a school for gigolos in 'The Academy.'

Theater for the New City (Executive Director, Crystal Field) presents the world premiere of the musical comedy Heather Smiley for President, which will begin previews on Thursday, October 1st, at the Theater for the New City (155 First Avenue at 10th Street), with an opening set for Sunday, October 11th.    The musical has a book and lyrics by Tom Attea with music composed by Arthur Abrams. The production is directed by Mark Marcante and choreographed by Angela Harriell. Heather Smiley for President will play a limited engagement through October 25th. Tickets are $15 ($10 for seniors) and can be purchased online at www.TheaterfortheNewCity.net or http://www.smarttix.com or at the box office and by calling 212-254-1109.  

'Casterbridge,' based on Thomas Hardy's classic Victorian novel, 'The Mayor of Casterbridge,' is a new musical theater work with book and lyrics by David Willinger and music by Christopher Beste. The 20-character, two-act musical is fairly faithful to Hardy's parable of the spiritual ups and downs of man and features a score inspired by English country music of the period. Theater for the New City will present the piece's world premiere run today, June 4 to 19, directed by Willinger.

'Casterbridge,' based on Thomas Hardy's classic Victorian novel, 'The Mayor of Casterbridge,' is a new musical theater work with book and lyrics by David Willinger and music by Christopher Beste. The 20-character, two-act musical is fairly faithful to Hardy's parable of the spiritual ups and downs of man and features a score inspired by English country music of the period. Theater for the New City will present the piece's world premiere run June 4 to 19, directed by Willinger.

Truce, a futuristic musical for peace running April 9-19 at Theater for the New City, enacts this imagined possibility, inspired by recent collective imaginings of peace as the world celebrated the 100th anniversary of the World War One Christmas Truce of 1914 when soldiers converted the battleground to common ground, exchanging gifts and sharing songs.

'Great Kills' by Tom Diriwachter is a darkly comic tale of a get-rich-quick scheme in Staten Island that goes awry. Theater for the New City (TNC) will present the play's debut run tonight, March 26 to April 12, featuring Joe Pantoliano (who is noted for his starring roles on Broadway, film and TV), Robert Homeyer and Peter Welch. Jonathan Weber directs.

Truce, a futuristic musical for peace running April 9-19 at Theater for the New City, enacts this imagined possibility, inspired by recent collective imaginings of peace as the world celebrated the 100th anniversary of the World War One Christmas Truce of 1914 when soldiers converted the battleground to common ground, exchanging gifts and sharing songs.

'When Black Boys Die,' written and directed by William Electric Black, is a new drama about a teenage girl's journey as she tries to understand the madness of gun violence that has killed her brother and consumed her mother (and so many other mothers who have also lost their sons to inner city violence). It is the second in a series of five plays by William Electric Black, to be collectively called 'GUNPLAYS,' that address inner city violence and guns. Theater for the New City, 155 First Ave (East Village), will present the work tonight, March 5 to 22, directed by the author.

'Great Kills' by Tom Diriwachter is a darkly comic tale of a get-rich-quick scheme in Staten Island that goes awry. Theater for the New City (TNC) will present the play's debut run March 26 to April 12, featuring Joe Pantoliano (who is noted for his starring roles on Broadway, film and TV), Robert Homeyer and Peter Welch. Jonathan Weber directs.

The distinguished Cuban-American playwright Eduardo Machado has created a touchstone piece by taking a one-act play with music, written in 1982, and turning it into a full-length, two-act musical. His 'Rosario and the Gypsies,' with songs by composer Rick Vartorella and lyrics by Mr. Machado and Mr. Vartorella, was a short, wild rock 'n roll play with music about the backstage romances and melodramas of a hippie performance troupe in southern California who were devoted to the art of change. Its songs were a combination of street pop and 60's-70's rock. It was produced in NYC by Ensemble Studio Theater in 1982 and it got Machado recognized as a writer to be reckoned with. Machado and Vartorella have now revised the piece and completed its story, adding a second act, in which we learn the future for its characters. Theater for the New City will present this revised and expanded version of 'Rosario and the Gypsies' from tonight, February 18 to March 8, directed by Machado.

'When Black Boys Die,' written and directed by William Electric Black, is a new drama about a teenage girl's journey as she tries to understand the madness of gun violence that has killed her brother and consumed her mother (and so many other mothers who have also lost their sons to inner city violence). It is the second in a series of five plays by William Electric Black, to be collectively called 'GUNPLAYS,' that address inner city violence and guns. Theater for the New City, 155 First Ave (East Village), will present the work March 5 to 22, directed by the author.

The distinguished Cuban-American playwright Eduardo Machado has created a touchstone piece by taking a one-act play with music, written in 1982, and turning it into a full-length, two-act musical. His 'Rosario and the Gypsies,' with songs by composer Rick Vartorella and lyrics by Mr. Machado and Mr. Vartorella, was a short, wild rock 'n roll play with music about the backstage romances and melodramas of a hippie performance troupe in southern California who were devoted to the art of change. Its songs were a combination of street pop and 60's-70's rock. It was produced in NYC by Ensemble Studio Theater in 1982 and it got Machado recognized as a writer to be reckoned with. Machado and Vartorella have now revised the piece and completed its story, adding a second act, in which we learn the future for its characters. Theater for the New City will present this revised and expanded version of 'Rosario and the Gypsies' from February 18 to March 8, directed by Machado.