Staff Picks No. 115
Flaming September : Justin Vivian Bond, Daniel Fish
St. Ann’s Warehouse
September 24th-28th 2025
Justin Vivian Bond fulfills a lifelong promise to perform at St. Ann’s Church, in this outing performing Marianne Faithfull’s seminal album “Blazing Away” - a real treat, I’d say. Whether you are there to bask in the glory of Mx. Bond, or love that album (COUGH, people with taste), or want to see an artist do something they love beyond measure, I will happily recommend. Buried lede - Daniel Fish (sexy Oklahoma!, ACQUANETTA, White Noise) directs!
Staffer: Reuven Glezer
Jack of Hearts Club : Jon Richardson, Leda Hoffman
Provincetown Theater
October 2nd-November 2nd 2025
I'm really sending people out of town with these recent Picks, but for good reason! If you're getting away to Provincetown this fall, visit the. Jack of Hearts: a club and the namesake musical of a lovely tale of a late-60s Ptown club rich in community and characters. An ode to Land's End and an honest portrait of how people choose home, and when to leave it, the musical is a balm and features a top-notch cast, many Ptown favorites.
Staffer: Billy McEntee
The Maenads : Stephen Foglia, Phillip Christian Smith
The Tank
September 18th-October 12th 2025
I have a feeling this will be both saucy and spicy. Maybe even a little gooey and gnarly? Probably checking most of the boxes for my favorite things according to my forthcoming theater manifesto - funny, sexy, scary, disgusting. If Phillip and Stephen are going Dionysian… this could be exactly the trip to the mountaintop that you have been needing.
***ASL on Oct 5th and 10th!
Staffer: Theresa Buchheister
metamorphosis III episode 2 : Stacy Grossfield, Alexandra Albrecht, Nola Sporn Smith, Hannah Franzen, Gordon Wells
The Collapsable Hole
September 19th-20th 2025
Just watch this video. Everything I love is here. The sound of fascia and joints clackling on the hardwood. An unapologetically bare room. Wigs. An audience that gets it. This is muscular non-self-serious bananas dance to write home about. Like most dance, a tragically short run — which is what Staff Picks is all about right:)
Staffer: Matthew Antoci
This one is a MUST. metamorphosis III episode 1 freaked me out real bad, and simultaneously rocketed to the top of my 2025 favourites list. I have never enjoyed watching grown women beat the hell out of each other as much as I did last month. (The line “‘My partner’s an addict!’”, derisively spat out to mock a bad friend, has been pinging around my skull since then.) Grossfield is a master of discomfort, and I am now her willing disciple. See you at the Hole!
Staffer: Leah Plante-Wiener
River Run : John P. Hastings, Aaron Meicht, Bill Solomon, Joe Moffett, Jonathan Finlayson, Chris DiMeglio, Blair Hamrick, Matthew Jaimes, Will Lang, Jen Baker, Kathleen Geldard, Kenny Rainey, Shu Tu
West Harlem Piers at 132nd St. Manhattan
September 20th and 21st 2025
I will always be intrigued by a John P. Hastings project. Truly some of my most cherished memories are a result of his thoughtful creations and collaborations. This time, it is brass, percussion and the river… and, of course, a brilliant group of musicians playing and responding. I will have to be there in spirit (body in Kansas), but I trust that I will be. It is a big weekend, astrologically, so if you desire a contemplative and chill space for your insides to resonate, head to the West Harlem Piers.
Staffer: Theresa Buchheister