Staff Picks No. 161
XXX Lulu : Brouhaha Theatre Project
Halyards Bar
August 30th-31st 2026
A 60-minute comedy in a great bar from a company that has accomplished lots and lots of site-specific mad/goodness. Two nights only! A celebrated chanteuse! Her plucky pianist! The vibes, and art, will be good, so come check this one out. (Any "Vicky Archives" fans out there? Absolutely transformed The Tank's Attic, and minds.)
Staffer: Billy McEntee
PANG : Cherry Jaymes, Atomic Annie, Evangeline, Mocha Lite, Mx. Ology
C’Mon Everybody
Wednesday August 26th 2026
Drag queens perform the entirety of high pop enchantress Caroline Polachek’s debut album. Major news for me, who screamed every word to So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings (“show me the banana” included) live in concert at Terminal 5 circa December 2019.
Staffer: Leah Plante-Wiener
MYRIAD : Jason Driver, Jillian Seibert, Felipe Luz, Lauren Steele, Ski Gozo
NoMAA Studio 3
Monday August 31st 2026
My dear friend and collaborator Jason Driver— whom you may have seen at box machine, or as the stalwart stage-manager-cum-fire-marshal of Baby Butcher Choke For Free—has cooked up a night of performances at the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance. Expect a warm and welcoming environment, exciting new works from a multidisciplinary slate of theatre artists, and a short commute for those of you living uptown.
Staffer: Leah Plante-Wiener
Damocles : Das Besties (Calpurnia, Travis Amiel)
Ars Nova ANT Fest
Wednesday September 16th 2026
A new Das Besties show! What a gift! One night only at Ars Nova's ANT Fest, so you'd better get your ticket while the getting's good. I am still thinking about Das Rauschgift at Box of Moonlight many months later, and I can't wait for this next addition to their oeuvre (or should I say - ihr gesamtwerk).
Staffer: Blake Bolan
Ugh I cannot believe I will not be in town for this. Das Besties always bring something new and exciting to the stage. My hope is that this will be such a smash hit Wednesday night show that a high-powered producer sees it and says - “I am gonna ensure this happens again and again!”
Staffer: Theresa Buchheister
kUnST fEsT : Lisa Clair, Rachel Kauder Nalebuff, Kate Kremer, Caitlin Ryan O’Connell, Johnny Gasper, Lucas Degirolamo, Caitlin Ayer, Katie Friedman, Mary Ellen Stebbins, Kristina Gramlich, Winter Commander, Ean Sheehy, Zoë Geltman, Michael Costagliola, Ásta Bennie Hostetter, Sarah Samonte, Lu Glassberg, Santana Dempsey, Marianna McClellan, Elizabeth Stahlmann, Anne Wechsler, Jonathan Crimmins, Blaze Ferrer, Grace Sallee, Luiza Dale, Immediate Medium, Broadway Babysitters, PAAL, Privy Collective
Collapsable Hole
September 15th-20th 2026
3 plays, 1 Fest! It is gonna be jam-packed with all the good stuff. The founding women have assembled teams of great talent to pull off their individual plays, but there is also a lot of very cool sharing of resources to make it all happen. This is how it gets done! Go see all 3!
Staffer: Theresa Buchheister
Summer Drift : Maxelle Talena, Jessica Dunn Rovinelli
Earth Gallery
Friday August 21st 2026
You have seen a Jessica Dunn Rovinelli tweet. You have seen a MAXELLE TOPPED GRIMES sticker. These two facts are indisputable. These two facts alone make this event worth your time.
Staffer: Leah Plante-Wiener