Staff Picks No. 138
figure-01, vérité : Sophie Dushko, N. Frances Goth
41 Varick Ave
March 6th-14th 2026
A spicy double bill! First, N. Frances Goth's piece about two artists, and what we give to our work and what it takes from us (who feels seen???), and the other Sophie Dushko's solo performance that may or may not involve you as she plunges into her deeply personal. process. Intrigue awaits.
Staffer: Billy McEntee
Zoopraxic Season Launch and Open Studios : Helen Banner
Zoopraxic
Saturday March 7th 2026
Brilliant playwright, director, new media artist Helen Banner unveils a new micro-performance and gallery space in Long Island City this weekend. Zoopraxic will have open studio hours 10a-4p on Saturday/Sunday and will host a launch party on Saturday evening. I got a sneak peak at the space, and it’s looking great! Disclosure: Helen is a friend, I’ve had a tiny hand in setting up the space, and I will be sharing work there in May. So like I’m obviously biased, but that is also how I know it’s going to be cool! :) Come through!
Staffer: Joshua Dumas
heaven is the arrivals gate at the airport in my hometown : Emilia Harrison Daniel, Ethan Williams, Tiny Tim Machine
The Maker's Space
March 18th-22nd 2026
I have zero clue what this will be like, I’m fully going off the description & title and wondering what this show will be - something elliptical and mysterious perhaps. I’m game, are you?
Staffer: Reuven Glezer
ACTUA 1 : Object Collection, Yuki Kawahisa, Nicolás Noreña, Timothy Scott, Pimprenelle Noël, Daniel Allen Nelson, David Pym, Robin Margolis
The Collapsable Hole
March 12th-22nd 2026
I have been talking about this upcoming show nonstop. I even wrote a substack about Object Collection, as they are a company I have been following since 2005 and it was fascinating to rummage through my memory to pull out all of the images and sounds and experiences I have had because of them. This piece was first shared as a night at a gallery 15 years ago. It will have layers and nuance of accrual and abstraction. I cannot wait.
Staffer: Theresa Buchbeister
Special Effects Festival 2026 : Amanda Card, Purser, Shayna Strype & Sarah Willis, Emily Batsford, Justin Otaki Perkins, Frank Barret, Mx Asa Metric, Lisa Clair, Delia Delia, Leonie Bell, & Kenneth Keng and Carlos Lising / Buong Buo Collective
The Wild Project
Wednesday March 5th-7th 2026
Mini-festival! Mini-festival! SFX Festival returns to the Wild Project and this lineup is AMAZING. An evening of puppetry? Delia Delia and Leonie Bell? New work! New artists who also have work coming up this Spring! I am excited excited excited, are you?
Staffer: Reuven Glezer
This line-up is bananas and I would give anything to check out this festival. Dang! If you are like - I need to get outta my head and just share time with freaks in space - go to this festival. If you are like - I am going on a second date and I really want them to be surprised and have a good time and think I am really tapped in - go to this festival. If you are like - I want to walk around a neighborhood and feel nostalgic even if it is for a time before I lived in NY and then see a show that fits into that vibe - go this festival.
Staffer: Theresa Buchheister
GREY ARIAS : Adrienne Truscott & Le Gateau Chocolat
The Flea
March 5th-7th 2026
What a treat to have internationally renounced chanteuse Le Gateau Chocolat in town!! And here to explore identity and political correctness with the hilarious Adrienne Truscott
Staffer: Travis Amiel
KITTYGRRL_ : Alix Curnow
The Maker’s Space
March 25th-29th 2026
OnlyFans has come for our screens, which means it's only a matter of time before it comes to the stage. Enter KITTYGRRL_, a mixed-media performance about an Instagram influencer and how the body is a vessel for far more than just sex. As many say in restaurants, the camera eats first.
Staffer: Billy McEntee
Ivanov : Michael DeFilippis, Zachary Desmond
The West End Theater
March 11th-April 5th 2026
This is a bygone Chekhov piece, dusted off, translated, and given fresh life by a fresh company: New American Ensemble. I'm in for two main reasons: 1) a Chekhov I haven't seen, and 2) New American Ensemble is looking to grow into New York's only year-round ensemble theater company. Hallelujah, bring back the acting company model. Community! Actors who grow over time! Shared language! Process-driven and actor-focused, baby!
Staffer: Billy McEntee