Staff Picks No. 57

Fish Meat: Esmé Maria Ng
The Connelly Theater
August 2nd - August 3rd 2024

I caught a reading of Fish Meat last ummer (as part of Breaking & Entering’s Rooftop Reading Series) and to no surprise it is one of the tightest new plays on my radar. I frankly dislike readings, and I distinctly remember actually feeling on the edge of my seat, so immediately invested in Esmé’s story and characters across time and space. I’m so thrilled to see a full production come so soon, and I cannot wait to see how some of the more theatrically poetic moments are constructed on stage. This is a must-see, and if Esmé is not on your radar, they should be (and are now).

Staffer: Laia Comas

Saga of the Shining Emblem: Matthew Schott and Sam Kessler
Brick Aux
Wednesday, July 31st 2024

Saga of the Shining Emblem is such a treat and a joy. And anyone who knows me knows I do not say this lightly - it is REALLY GOOD improv.

I said it. It is true. 20 years in NY I can say for sure that I have seen way more terrible-to- mediocre improv than not, but Matthew and Sam are shifting the scales. It is D&D vibes with ridiculous scenarios and a touch of Choose Your Own Adventure classics from the days of Scholastic Book Order Forms.

Staffer: Theresa Buchheister