Staff Picks No. 117
Vivian Oblivion : Cameron Stuart, Matthew Antoci, Rawya El Chab, Leonie Bell
The Brick Theater
October 9th-12th 2025
I love this project so much… I got to stage a portion of the book with Title:Point at Brick Aux nearly 2 years ago AND I got to interview Cameron Stuart about this current interpretation and so much more for CultureBot last week! Matthew, Rawya and Leonie are three very different and very exciting artists who make brain-reshaping live performance events and are taking their inspiration from a stageable book that Cameron wrote. It promises to be unlike anything else you will see this fall. And maybe ever.
Staffer: Theresa Buchheister
Blue Cowboy : David Cale, Les Waters
The Bushwick Starr
October 14th-November 1st 2025
Les Waters is enough to get me through the door, and what beautiful ones they are at the Bushwick Starr's new home. Queerness in the American West will always win me over (My Own Private Idaho! Sam Hunter!), so I'm excited to see what unexpected turns are in store for this play (where, god willing, gay characters are not killed).
Staffer: Billy McEntee
The Degenerate Lab (Faggot/Terrorist, Up Your Ass, Next Up) : Adam M. Kassim, Malena Dayen, Anthony Vaughn Merchant
Target Margin Theater
September 18th-October 5th 2025
Staff Picks first! I am re-Picking a Pick I already Picked! BECAUSE there is only one weekend left and I want to bump it to the top of peoples’ minds and hearts and calendars. The Target Margin Lab is very important to the fabric of art and collaboration in NYC. FOR YEARS. Right now? I can say with all my breath and belief that is mine to use that these are artists that warrant your support and attention.
Staffer: Theresa Buchheister
Fyre Fest Was So Fun!!! : Catherine Weingarten, Meg McCary, Francesa Keller, Violet Savage, Ryan Pater, Spencer Kramer, GirlPox
The Bencb
October 17th-19th 2025
Got to see a little bit of this at Interrobang when we shared a bill and I'm happy it's gotten a premiere! Go forth to Fyre Fest and tell us what the sandwiches were like
Staffer: Reuven Glezer
Please Laugh : Sarah Jae Leiber, Jackson McManus
The Tank
October 24th-30th 2025
Ok, so I am definitely biased because I helped develop this play way back when, but it’s finally getting a run at the Tank and I’m very happy to recommend it to anyone listening. Sarah is a really wonderful writer who should be on your radar - I’ve developed…what, like 3 of her works? And they’ve all been astounding in their own right. And the wonderful Jackson McManus is helming. Come on. I won’t tell you what it’s about, but let’s just say Late Night will never be the same.
Staffer: Reuven Glezer
A Bright Room Called Day : Rachel Gita Karp, Rebecca Friday, and Portal Rose aka Jake Lasser
697 Madison Street
October 3rd-19th 2025
I realize there is something trite about looking to art for salvation in these cruel times, yet, at the same time, I must admit - I have gone to art for salvation. And I've come back, every now and then, my heart less the pace of a ticking time bomb and more the pace of - well, a heart. Times super suck and a few decades ago Tony Kushner knew they sucked and wrote a beautiful and prescient play all about it — and how we can get out of it. Come to a new special site-specific production of that play, A Bright Room Called Day, at an apartment in Bed-Stuy, to slow down with the feelings and questions of the moment and find our ways out.
Staffer: kanishk pandey
Slaughter City : Naomi Wallace, Reuven Glezer, Small Boat Productions, Alex Winter, Mario C. Brown, Lucy Buchanan, Gil Charleston, Jacob Dysart, Catt Filippov, Raven Jeannette, Le’Asha Julius, Gabrielle Kogut, Soph Metcalf, Ben Natan, Nicolas Eric Sanchez, KP Sgarro, Alan Simon, Honigman & Sons, Miranda Tejeda, Maya Jeyam, Alexandra Haddad, Forest Entsminger, Hannah Bird, Celia Krefter, Emma Hasselbach, Emily Johnson-Erday, Jonathan Schatzberg, AJ Liu, Tessa Ramirez-Keough, Matt Cubillos, Alex Passikoff
Jeffrey and Paula Gural Theatre
October 4th-18th 2025
Oh my gosh I know I know. This is another artist with whom I got to do an interview about their project… but that means I have a special window into the whys and hows and process and perspective! I do not want to spoiler anything at all, though. So, just go see it. And then you will know why it is hard to say anything in advance…Also, just gonna say, stoked for Reuven and cheering on from afar.
Staffer: Theresa Buchheister