Now Playing
A queer tragicomedy about sex, love, death, and drag.
Norman’s been a little distant lately. After breaking up with his boyfriend-since-college, Ian, Norman moves clear across the country, leaving his fathers, George and Jack, in a tizzy. Months later, with George, a prominent gay activist, and historian, in failing health, Norman returns home to make things right and to introduce them to Andy, his new partner. Although happy for Norman at first, his parents are dismayed when they finally meet Andy, who is a far cry from what they wanted for their gay son. Tension breaks into an intergenerational confrontation about sexuality, identity, and monogamy.
Peruvian citizens have just elected a President bent on ridding the political and legal system of corruption. A righteous whistleblower, Jesús (Anwar Wolf), and a rash lawyer, Bara (Mateo d’Amato), find themselves sharing a cell under the surveillance of two cruel guards. Together Jesús and Bara navigate the landscape of their crimes – what transpires is both sinister and illuminating.
The work, Barabbas, speaks not just to the state of South American politics, but to the present global ethos. Much like the culture of corruption cultivated here in the U.S., Peruvian politics are similarly marred by scandal. Barabbas draws these parallels, and others more biblical, to examine the boundaries of modern morality.
A statement from director Machado, “Not since Richard Nelson’s, Principia Scriptoriae have I seen a play written by an American that has a neutral and yet passionate view of Latin American politics. Mr. Will has found an objective center to the Latin American male psyche.”
Coming Soon
Daniel Pavacic, Marisa Gold, Peter Tarantino and Abigail Grizzle star in this play by Claude Solnik, directed by Jim Keeler, about a pivotal time in American history. A happy family who runs a store and the family's best friend struggle to retain normalcy and happiness during the Great Depression, while all around them the financial collapse threatens to disrupt their way of life. Birds of Paradise shows how, despite love, goodwill, and best intentions, it's difficult if not impossible to escape the destructive effects of what goes on around us. We watch financial pressures bring out both the best and the flaws in each character in this play about love, struggle, and survival in dire circumstances set against the backdrop of American history.
The motto of the festival is "Dream Up: Invent, Concoct." The festival is dedicated to new works. The question of the artist's vision to free or attack the material will be asked in each application. The festival does not want traditional theater which is presented in a traditional way. Theater for the New City wants to use this festival as a way to push ideas to the forefront with the hope of revealing roads less traveled or undiscovered. Presentation of a straightforward play must be imaginative in some way.
Festival performance dates:
August 25 – September 15, 2019.
All performances will take place at Theater for the New City