In a year when there is no New York City Fringe Festival, Theater for the New City, along with other theaters, is filling a growing gap for big presentations showcasing theater with a far-reaching assortment of new work.
TNC is gearing up to present its eighth Dream Up Festival, featuring work from across the nation and abroad all presented in one relatively brief burst.
The full lineup of the festival showcases 23 shows from Aug. 27 to Sept. 13 including four musicals, four shows on LGBTQ themes, five solo shows, a clown show, two shows related to race in America and one based on visual art.
It also includes an English language premiere of a work from Iceland mixed in with this nearly month-long presentation of new work.
TNC Literary Manager Michael Scott-Price is curating and overseeing the festival, which includes 12 world premieres, four American premieres and two New York premieres.
Theater for the New City, at 155 First Ave., at East 10th Street, is presenting the shows in its various theaters all in one building.
“An ultimate new work festival, it is dedicated to the joy of discovering new authors and edgy, innovative performances,” the theater said in a written statement.
The theater says the goal is to bring audiences”the excitement, awe, passion, challenge and intrigue of new plays from around the country and around the world.”
Dream Up Festival tickets are $12-$20 as Theater for the New City, a nonprofit, seeks to keep ticket prices affordable.
BUSKERS: THE MUSICAL BY MARK TJARKS
September 3 at 5:00 PM, September 4 at 6:30 PM, September 5 at 9:00 PM, September 6 at 6:30 PM, September 7 at 9:00 PM, September 9 at 5:00 PM. (Johnson Theater)
“Buskers, the Musical” is a mashup of the highly stylized, fantasy-driven Broadway musical with an unvarnished documentary of subway musicians, weaving together the stories and performances of actual New York buskers to create a unique theatrical experience: a documentary musical, one part American dream, two parts New York grit.
Complete info: http://www.jsnyc.com/season/buskers.htm
A CRACK UP AT THE RACE RIOTS ADAPTED BY TONEY BROWN
August 27 at 8:00 PM, August 30 at 9:00 PM, August 31 at 6:30 PM, September 3 at 8:00 PM, September 6 at 9:00 PM, September 11 at 9:00 PM, September 14 at 9:00 PM, September 16 at 5:00 PM. (Johnson Theater)
An experimental play based on the book “A Crack Up at the Race Riots” by Harmony Korine collection of jokes, half-remembered scenes, dialogue fragments, movie ideas and suicide notes. Korine has described it as his attempt “to write the Great American Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Novel.” The text of the play is taken directly from the novel and is brought to life on stage with a cast of seven performers. Directed by Toney Brown.
Complete info: http://www.jsnyc.com/season/crackup.htm
DIMENSIONS BY FREEDOM RUSSINO
August 27 at 2:00 PM, August 28 at 6:30 PM, August 29 at 6:30 PM, September 2 at 8:00 PM, September 10 at 5:00 PM, September 17 at 5:00 PM. (Johnson Theater)
A show that utilizes theater, dance and spoken word to tell a story of the difficulties of young minority students in forming their sexual identity for the first time while studying in a Los Angeles art school.
Complete info: http://www.jsnyc.com/season/dimensions.htm
ELEANORA DUSE DIES IN PITTSBURGH BY DON NIGRO
August 27 at 2:00 PM, September 2 at 5:00 PM, September 3 at 2:00 PM, September 8 at 6:30 PM, September 9 at 2:00 PM, September 10 at 2:00 PM, September 12 at 6:30 PM. (Cabaret Theater)
A short dark comedy by Don Nigro about the terror and holiness of theater in which a famous Italian actress Eleanora Duse attempts to find some sort of relief only to be pestered by the comedic interactions of other famous characters, leaving her more uncertain of her eventual fate. The play is a tongue in cheek interpretation of hallucinations. Aan Steele directs and heads the cast of eight.
Complete info: http://www.jsnyc.com/season/eleanoradusedies.htm
FINISHING THE SUIT BY LAWRENCE ARONOVITCH
September 5 at 6:30 PM, September 6 at 6:30 PM, September 7 at 9:00 PM, September 9 at 2:00 PM, September 10 at 8:00 PM. (Community Space Theater)
A memory play about a tailor who mourns the loss of the two most important people in his life: his lover Jimmy and his most famous client, the Duke of Windsor. Directed by Joan Kane.
Complete info: http://www.jsnyc.com/season/finishingthesuit.htm
FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH BY CHRIS BAYON
September 10 at 8:00 PM, September 12 at 9:00 PM, September 13 at 6:30 PM, September 17 at 8:00 PM. (Johnson Theater)
A musical about a group of talented jazz and classical musician-actors living and working in New York City. Set in the 1930s, the play peeks into a society where the classical instrumentalists are the elite while the Jazz players are poor street workers. Directed by Chris Bayon.
Complete Info: http://www.jsnyc.com/season/forwhatitsworth.htm
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“GAY BOY” BY JD STEWART
September 6 at 9:00 PM, September 8 at 9:00 PM, September 9 at 5:00 PM, September 10 at 5:00 PM, September 14 at 6:30 PM, September 16 at 2:00 PM, September 17 at 5:00 PM. (Cabaret Theater)
A solo play by JD Stewart who plays a man named Gay Boy experiencing life as an English teacher in Daegu, South Korea. Drawing on a society the West knows little about, Stewart illuminates an aspect of gay culture we think we understand, only to learn that sometimes what we think we know is more harmful than good. Directed by Ashley Wren-Collins.
Complete info: http://www.jsnyc.com/season/gayboy.htm
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GOD IN A BOX” BY CRAIG SILVER
September 4 at 9:00 PM, September 7 at 9:00 PM, September 11 at 6:30 PM, September 15 at 9:00 PM. (Cabaret Theater)
A one-act play written, directed and performed by Craig Silver, who plays a man contemplating what to do with God when the deity has been captured and put into a box in front of him.
Complete info: http://www.jsnyc.com/season/godinabox.htm
GUILTY BY HRAFNHIDUR HAGALÍN. TRANSLATED BY SALKA GYUDMUNDSDOTTIR.
September 5 at 9:00 PM, September 11 at 9:00 PM, September 16 at 2:00 PM, September 17 at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM. (Community Space Theater)
Iceland in the 19th century was not exactly an idyll; it was an island nation of farming and fishing communities, much cut off from the much of the rest of the world. Crime was rare and capital crimes rarer still. So the country’s criminal cases have become the stuff of legend, including an 1837 case as infamous to Icelanders as The Manson Family is to Americans. Contemporary Icelandic playwright Hrafnhildur Hagalín revisits this infamous case with , a verse play that examines issues of obsession and mercy which cling to it to this day. Directed by Robert Greer. Performed in English.
Complete Info: http://www.jsnyc.com/season/guilty.htm
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THE HOUSE OF CHARITY BY ANDRE DEGAS
August 27 at 2:00 PM, August 28 at 9:00 PM, August 29 at 6:30 PM, August 30 at 9:00 PM, August 31 at 6:30 PM, September 2 at 8:00 PM, September 3 at 2:00 PM, September 4 at 6:30 PM, September 13 at 9:00 PM. (Community Space Theater)
It’s the biggest night of the year at The House of Charity soup kitchen. Can the kitchen staff of recovering addicts and alcoholics band together to feed the record crowd and convince wealthy donors that The House truly is fulfilling its mission of love and kindness? We come face-to-face with the reality of addiction and the road back to hope. Directed by Jonathan Schwolsky.
Complete Info: http://www.jsnyc.com/season/houseofcharity.htm
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I.M. LOST! BY NATHALIE ELLIS-EINHORN
August 27 at 8:00 PM, August 28 at 6:30 PM, August 30 at 6:30 PM, September 2 at 5:00 PM, September 3 at 5:00 PM. (Community Space Theater)
An interactive clown show based on interviews with clowns and the author’s experiences with clown training. Directed by Benita de Wit.
Complete Info: http://www.jsnyc.com/season/imlost.htm
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I AM ANTIGONE ADAPTED FROM SOPHOCLES BY SAUDAMINI SIEGRIST
September 8 at 9:00 PM, September 9 at 8:00 PM, September 12 at 6:30 PM, September 14 at 6:30 PM, September 15 at 6:30 PM, September 16 at 2:00 PM, September 16 at 8:00 PM. (Johnson)
Defiant, real, funny, an unapologetic defender of truth, Antigone offers a timely contemporary commentary, denouncing the abuse of power, testifying to the ability we all possess to oppose injustice and government corruption. The play re-appropriates the mythological story of Antigone from her point of view. . Directed by Myriam Cyr.
Complete Info:
http://www.jsnyc.com/season/iamantigone.htm
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JEANIE AND MAY: A ROAD TRIP PLAY” BY E.M. MORTON
September 1 at 6:30 PM, September 2 at 2:00 PM, September 3 at 8:00 PM, September 4 at 6:30 PM, September 5 at 5:00 PM. (Cabaret Theater)
This play upends the American upends the American literary tradition of the road trip by re-casting the traditionally young male narrative with two older female leads: Jeanie, a self-deprecating artist in her 50s battling doubt and depression and her Aunt May, a feisty woman in her 70s with a youthful demeanor but fearful of the outside world. The two hoard several possessions of their painful past that leads them into trouble with their landlord. Fearing eviction, the duo steal their landlord’s car and drive off for the freedom of the open road, Canada. Directed by Jennifer Sandella.
Complete Info: http://www.jsnyc.com/season/jeanieandmay.htm
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KATIE BY MIGUEL TORUÑO
August 28 at 9:00 PM, August 29 at 9:00 PM, September 1 at 6:30 PM, September 2 at 2:00 PM, September 4 at 9:00 PM, September 5 at 6:30 PM, September 7 at 6:30 PM, September 11 at 6:30 PM. (Johnson Theater)
What are the limits of devotion? The play looks at the choices we make to help those we love when lines are blurred between the law and what we feel is right. This is the first play written by Miguel Toruño, who served as an assistant district attorney in the Manhattan DA’s office and was a senior attorney to the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Ethics. Directed by Penny Templeton.
Complete Info: http://www.jsnyc.com/season/katie.htm
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LETTERS” BY DANIEL SCHWARTZMAN
September 6 at 9:00 PM, September 9 at 8:00 PM, September 10 at 5:00 PM, September 13 at 6:30 PM, September 14 at 9:00 PM, September 16 at 5:00 PM, September 17 at 5:00 PM. (Community Space Theater)
What can we do when it’s too late to fix the mistakes of the past? This musical covers the life of Frida, a middle-aged writer of children’s books who decides to read the letter her parents sent her over the years, all unanswered. Directed by Elmore James. Musical Director is Erica Kaplan.
Complete Info: http://www.jsnyc.com/season/letters.htm
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LOOKING BACK AT BANGKOK AND BEYOND….” BY STEPHAN MORROW
September 5 at 6:30 PM, September 9 at 8:00 PM, September 13 at 9:00 PM, September 16 at 8:00 PM, September 17 at 8:00 PM. (Cabaret Theater)
A solo play written and performed by Stephan Morrow based on a global pilgrimage he embarked on at the end of his teenage years.
Complete Info: http://www.jsnyc.com/season/lookingbackatbangkok.htm
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PARENTAL GUIDANCE SUGGESTED: A TRULY UNFORTUNATE MUSICAL DRAMEDY BY IRENE HERNANDEZ
August 27 at 5:00 PM, September 1 at 9:00 PM, September 2 at 8:00 PM, September 3 at 5:00 PM, September 6 at 6:30 PM, September 10 at 8:00 PM, September 12 at 9:00 PM. (Cabaret Theater)
A darkly comedic, partly autobiographical musical about the chaos of working at a daycare center for minimum wage. Directed by Irene Hernandez. Lyrics are by Hernandez and Music is by Paul Bremner and Jen Bush.
Complete Info: http://www.jsnyc.com/season/parentalguidance.htm
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THE PHARMACIST” BY SAMSUN KNIGHT
August 27 at 8:00 PM, August 28 at 9:00 PM, August 29 at 6:30 PM, August 30 at 9:00 PM, August 31 at 6:30 PM. (Cabaret Theater)
A one-man show written and performed by Samsun Knight about a pharmacist who accidentally gives someone the wrong prescription, and then tries to fix his mistake. Directed by Aaron Akira Shibata Garfinkel
Complete Info: http://www.jsnyc.com/season/thepharmacist.htm
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SWORD OF THE UNICORN” BY HARRISON STENGLE
August 27 at 5:00 PM, August 30 at 6:30 PM, August 31 at 9:00 PM, September 1 at 9:00 PM, September 2 at 5:00 PM, September 3 at 2:00 PM. (Johnson Theater)
Sebastian travels across the cosmos to obtain the mythical Sword of the Unicorn while overcoming his fears and doubts about his sexuality. The show offers a chance for young LGBTQ people to see their stories reflected in a fun and fantastical way onstage. Directed by Harrison Stengle. Soundtrack by Brendan Stengle, a contributor to the bands Hiding Scarlet and Spearhead Ghoul, is played by an onstage prog rock band.
Complete Info: http://www.jsnyc.com/season/swordofunicorn.htm
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THE VOIRE DIRE PROJECT 1.5″ BY CONI CIONGOLI KOEPFINGER, MAXINE KERN, J. LOIS DIAMOND AND LIZ AMADIO
September 7 at 6:30 PM, September 8 at 9:00 PM, September 9 at 5:00 PM, September 10 at 2:00 PM, September 11 at 6:30 PM, September 14 at 6:30 PM, September 15 at 9:00 PM, September 16 at 8:00 PM. (Community Space Theater)
A collection of four unique plays, inspired by four paintings, featuring 20 artists. The plays included are “Afterlife” by Coni Ciongoli Koepfinger, “Dostoyevsky” by Maxine Kern, “In Alabama” by J. Lois Diamond and “In the Attic” by Liz Amadio. They are directed by Joan Kane, Liz Amadio, Glenora Blackshire, and Danielle Earle respectively.
Complete Info: http://www.jsnyc.com/season/voiredireproject.htm
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VILLAGE, MY HOME BY MARCINA ZACCARIA
August 27 at 5:00 PM, August 29 at 9:00 PM, August 31 at 9:00 PM, September 1 at 9:00 PM, September 2 at 2:00 PM, September 3 at 8:00 PM. (Community Space Theater)
In preparation for the New Year, a Village housewife joins businesspeople, locals and tourists as they question what matters to them. The play, written in a sequence of interlocking testimonials with movement interludes, captures the dreams and hopes of men and women who wish to explain their wisdom, even in the most troubling moments.
Complete Info: http://www.jsnyc.com/season/villagemyhome.htm
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THE WOMAN ILLUSION BY PIPER RASMUSSEN
September 11 at 9:00 PM, September 13 at 6:30 PM, September 14 at 9:00 PM, September 15 at 6:30 PM, September 16 at 5:00 PM, September 17 at 2:00 PM. (Cabaret Theater)
A play on the playful, wicked gallery of ways to be a woman, interspersed with parlor magic. The settings range from a tense job interview to the battlefields of Queen Elizabeth. Directed by Piper Rasmussen.
Complete Info: http://www.jsnyc.com/season/womanillusion.htm
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YOU, ME, AND ANXIETY BY RACHEL SCHMELING
August 28 at 6:30 PM, August 29 at 9:00 PM, August 30 at 6:30 PM, August 31 at 9:00 PM, September 7 at 6:30 PM. (Cabaret Theater)
A solo cabaret show, written and performed by Rachel Schmeling, on the subject of mental health. This show is part stand up, part audience interaction, part musical journey and part panic disaster.Musical director is Jody Shelton.
Complete Info: http://www.jsnyc.com/season/youmeandanxiety.htm
Tickets are available from Smarttix at 212-868-4444 or at www.dreamupfestival.org. For additional info, call TNC’s box office at 212-254-1109.
