Staff Picks No. 80

NINA : Forrest Malloy, Katie Birenboim
TheaterLab
January 23rd-February 9th 2025

It's backstage at a conservatory production of "The Seagull" -- well, I'm intrigued. Featuring a cast of rising Broadway talent, this premiere shows promise, but let's be honest, I'm mostly here to see how the team activates Theaterlab's (in)famous pole conveniently located in the middle of its playing space.

Staffer: Billy McEntee

U Are The Dream : Allyson Dwyer, Ben Holbrook, Catt Filippov, Hannah Birch-Carl, Forest Entsminger, Reuven Glezer, Rishita Chowdary, Alyse Lamb, Christina F. Tang, Mind Dream Theater & Most Unwanted Productions
The Brick (part of The Exponential Festival)
January 24th-February 1st 2025

I love an internet love story, and Allyson has cooked one up in this ~dream~y play. Ben Holbrook returns to The Brick after his epic "Goldhaven" musical, and I'm excited to see what technodreamscape Dwyer and co cook up for a show that will help close out Exponential!

Staffer: Billy McEntee

Braiding Water : Xiaoyue Zhang
JACK (as part of The Exponential Festival)
January 17th-18th 2025

Exponential Festival never fails to deliver and I am so excited for this piece! Tech meets performance meets traditional Chinese massage therapy. I think it's going to be a good time... see you there?

Staffer: Hillary Gao

When I am reviewing applications, I am most excited by something entirely new to me and which is also deeply grounded, conceived and somehow capable of existing on this planet. That combination is powerful on many levels - for the festival, the space hosting, the audience and me in particular. I also know it is meaningful to the artist and that they want us to be there. I am so happy Xiaoyue Zhang agreed to do Braiding Water at The Exponential Festival. See you there!

Staffer: Theresa Buchheister

The Search for Power : Tania El Khoury, Ziad Abu Rish
Invisible Dog
January 9th-19th 2025

Tania El Khoury is doing such brilliant work at the intersection of installation, performance, and justice, making poetical experiential phenomena that invite audiences to interact with and be present to history, violence, resilience, family. I adored last year’s Under The Radar offering “Cultural Exchange Rate” and look forward to El Khoury’s exploration of the Lebanese Civil War, and of power – in many forms. Come through!

Staffer: Joshua Dumas