Staff Picks No. 134
Gooey’s Toxic Aquatic Adventure : La Daniella, Ben Langhorst, Sammy Zeisel
The Bushwick Starr
February 4th-21st 2026
Oh, how I can't wait to delight in this one — and presented in association with newly minted Obie winners ¡Oye! Group. Puppets, sludge, capitalism, music, apocalyptic Brooklyn, community, fierce love. I think this one will be special (and associate line produced by our own Leah Plante-Wiener), so I say nab a ticket before it's too late.
Staffer: Billy McEntee
without mirrors : Jerry Lieblich, David Greenspan, Kate McGee, Johnny Gasper, Kathleen Capdesuner, Emily Lawrence, Caren Celine Morris, June Buck, Cecil Howell, Third Ear Theatre Co.
The Brick
February 12th-28th 2026
From the writer of last year’s standout madness fest THE BARBARIANS and feast of language flesh MAHINERATOR comes a new solo work featuring the inimitable David Greenspan, with design from geniuses Kate McGee & Johnny Gasper, so you know this will something deeply unmissable. I know we like, just pick’d this but I'm that obsessed with the deep possibilities in a work like this.
Staffer: Reuven Glezer
Twelve Minor Prophets : Eno River Players, Leo Egger, Charlie Mayhew, Tommy Robertshaw, Katherine Mostek, Lauren Lee, Madeleine Rubin-Charlesworth, Jake Eisner, Sam Pergola, Anna Aubry, Jake Fallon, Liat Graf, Yehuda L. Hyman, Brian Linden, Chani Reese, Felix Teich
JACK
February 13th-28th 2026
I love a work wrestling with text, a work about text & Judaic religious questions, a play with a big cast (biased because I've worked with both Jake Fallon and Liat Graf before, and I've seen Yehuda L. Hyman do amazing things on stage), a play I think will be an ambitious, fun, scintillating evening. We can all see the prophets and grab a drink at the Irish bar next door, like good theologians do.
Staffer: Reuven Glezer
i want to hold onto something beautiful and empty : Hillary Gao, Nikkie Samreth, Isabel Ebeid, Miranda Kang, Sam Xu, Ring Yang, Emily Lawrence, Leigh Honigman, Hannah Bird, Forest Entsminger, Emma Hasselbach, Miguel Lorenzo, Connor Sale, Eva Rubin, Joshua Chiang, Celine Abdallah
The Brick (The Exponential Festival)
January 30th - February 7th2026
I know this one has been picked, but not picked over! I'm sharing the last licks of Exponential, so get thee to The Brick (or on the waitlist) to see this one — did anyone else see the pic of the artists crossing arms and making a fun star formation? Sold sold sold.
Staffer: Billy McEntee
PARCHED : Official Puppet Business (Andy Manjuck, Dorothy James, Jon Riddleberger)
HERE
February 17th-March 1st 2026
Puppetopia returns and this is my big big pick of the festival (but you should check out all the offerings). I loved this company’s earlier work, BILL’S 44TH, a delightful and heartfelt show about a birthday party gone awry, so I can’t wait to see their tale of a post-human, post-water world. Exciting puppetry on the rise this year my friends!
Staffer: Reuven Glezer
Psychotherapy LIVE! with Dr. Lisa : Lisa Levy
LifeWorld
Thursday February 26th 2026
I got to do Lisa’s radio show several years ago and we had the best time. Expect real insight and real laughs. This show is a great example of what I love about NY… $5, all ages, worth a roll of the dice.
Staffer: Theresa Buchheister