Staff Picks No. 91
The Swamp Dwellers : Wole Soyinka
TFANA
April 1st-April 20th 2025
Seeing a play by a playwright that was on my History of Drama syllabus in college still gets me. Pair that with "rarely produced" and Awoye Timpo, director of the soaring and searing "Wedding Band" from 2022, and I'm so in.
Staffer: Matthew Antoci
Donald Barthelme Humors You : Olivia Facini, Sam Gonzalez, Zachary Desmond, Lucas Iverson
TheaterLab
April 10th-13th 2025
It's a hot cast, and I'm waiting to see how they activate the pole (not being facetious, we of course mean the Theaterlab Pole™️). Olivia's been keeping busy with The Hearth (good people) and Mercury Store (funny people), so I think this play, and the short stories it pulls from, will be good + funny.
Staffer: Billy McEntee
ESCAPED ALONE [NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT ENOUGH OXYGEN] : Chloe Claudel, Mitchell Polonksy, Jess Barbagallo, Paul Lazar, Abbie Sage
The Torn Page
April 9th-April 20th 2025
My first pick, wahoo! Starting off strong with a Caryl Churchill double-bill from the Goat Exchange. Kind of a match made in every heaven there is - Jess Barbagallo and Paul Lazar? Check. Intimate venue where happenings can be haunted? Check. I loved the Goat Exchange's DEADCLASS, OHIO, so to see them tackle the wiry, chamber horrors that lurk in Churchill's work....I will be there. And it's Pay What You Can!
Staffer: Reuven Glezer
What a great team! What a great venue! It is like a beautiful dream I had once. I think this will be one of those iconic NY things that you really should not miss…
Staffer: Theresa Buchheister
GilgaMash, a Wrestling Problem : Harold Lehmann, Lake Simons, Theresa Buchheister, Camille Cooper, Nat Marvan, Kiowa Hammons, Cameron Stuart, Lianne ElSouki, Leonie Bell, Amy Dupcak, Spit Temple, Richard Lehmann
We Are Here
April 5th and 6th 2025
This is gonna be a wild couple of nights... which is how every book release should be! Harold Lehmann has written a brilliantly layered, genuinely absurd and emotionally riveting text that will be partially staged at this event. There will also be performances from some of my favorite artistes, Lianne ElSouki and Leonie Bell! And music! And party! And who the hell knows what else?! All hosted by Cameron Stuart! If you want something truly unique to do this weekend, look no further. Get into GilgaMash.
Staffer: Theresa Buchheister
SalOn!: Three Hole Punch : Mia Fowler, Margot Gage & Charlie Chauca, Hannah Kallenbach & Hillary Gao, The Goat Exchange, Mahayla Laurence, LeahLaia, Lisa McGinn,Christina Tang, Sam Morreale
Co-curated by Jillian Jetton & Matthew Antoci
Brick Aux
Thursday, April 3rd 2025
Call me biased but I think this line-up's pretty baller bananas. SalOn's the spot and we want you there. And it is FREE!
Staffer: Matthew Antoci
Call me biased number 2, but SalOn! continues a great tradition of a stacked line-up of variety presentations - not only artists but other kinds of fascinating humans, too! There are always surprises and many of them are delightful.
Staffer: Theresa Buchheister
DraftWork : Anna Thérèse Witenberg + Dominica Greene
Danspace in St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery
Saturday April 5th 2025
DraftWork is a beautiful way to spend your Saturday: a casual work-in-progress showing, a small talkback, and lots of people who showed up because they love experimental dance and are happy to see each other. Anna Thérèse Witenberg and Dominica Greene are both fascinating artists with strong perspectives–they have drastically different aesthetics but come together in tender worship of dance. I'll be busy helping my partner move, so please go to this showing and tell me all about it!
Staffer: Noa Rui-Piin Weiss