Friday 5: Favorite Off-Broadway Theaters - The Institutions

Favorite Off-Broadway Theaters

(The Institutions)

A couple of Fridays ago, we shared our 5 favorite "stand alone" off-Broadway theaters - those individual theaters, non-subscription based, quirky spaces (HERE). Today, we we share our 5 favorite off-Broadway institutions, part of a theater company, or multi-faceted entertainment juggernauts.

Atlantic Theater Company

This nifty space used to be a church. The outside and surrounding area is charming for the middle of Manhattan. I've been there a few times, including the intriguingly odd "mod" musical These Paper Bullets (above, left). It was interesting and strange. And I got to stand about 2 feet away from BillieJoe Armstrong, one of the show's writers and member of Green Day of Amrican Idiot fame. Over the years, ATC has been the birthplace of some of my favorite musicals, including Kimberly Akimbo and The Band's Visit. But I consider myself most fortunate to have seen the off-Broadway premiere of Spring Awakening (above, right). The space was so perfect for it, that when the show transferred to Broadway, they recreated it down to the last detail!

 

Classic Stage Company

Hard to believe they can do so much in such a small space! It is unassuming from the get go - it's really easy to walk right by it as you go down the street. I've been there several times, and have been impressed every single time. One of my favorite shows there was the rarely performed Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Allegro, starring one of my favorite performers, Claybourne Elder (above, right). I've also seen a trio of Sondheim shows - all relatively rarely performed: Passion with Melissa Errico, Ryan Silverman and Judy Kuhn, Pacific Overtures (above, left) with George Takei, Thom Sesma and Ann Harada, and Assassins with Ethan Slater, Will Swensen, Brandon Uranowitz, Steven Pasquale and Judy Kuhn. The caliber of performers and creatives make this small space a must-see as often as possible.

 

The Laura Pels Theatre - Roundabout Theatre Company

A somewhat conventional space, albeit "off-Broadway" size, here's another venue I always look forward to returning to (the stairs to get down to it - and back up - notwithstanding!). Two Fiasco Theater Company productions that we caught there were real standouts: Into the Woods (above, right) and Merrily We Roll Along, both performed by tiny casts playing multiple roles. Their minimalist approach forces creativity, and both productions were all the better for it. We also really enjoyed the all-star production of Maury Yeston's Death Takes a Holiday, (above, left) including stellar performances from Julian Ovendon and the late Rebecca Luker. As of this writing, we are very much looking forward to seeing the new musical The Heart at this venue.

 

The Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater - Lincoln Center Theater

With the resources of Lincoln Center, this venue is really lovely, a sort of miniature version of the gargantuan Vivian Beaumont Theater upstairs. Over the years, I've seen a wide-variety of amazing productions - each one daring, thought-provoking and envelope-pushing. Among my favorites there have been LaChiusa's Hello, Again, with Donna Murphy and Carolee Carmello (above, left), a play, Twelve Dreams, the subway musical, Happiness with Joanna Gleason, the commedia del arte musical, The Glorious Ones with Marc Kudisch, and most recently, another LaChiusa musical, The Gardens of Anuncia, starring Priscilla Lopez (above, right). This is really one of my favorite theaters spaces of any size.

 

Playwrights Horizons

This venerable institution sits in the center of the 43nd Street block known as Theater Row. Home to decades worth of world premieres, its production history is a who's who of award-winning modern classics. Famously, it produced the world premieres of both Sunday in the Park with George and Assassins, not to mention shows like Violet, Grey Gardens, Floyd Collins, all three one acts of the Falsettos trilogy, A Strange Loop, and plays like Stereophonic and Clybourne Park. I've been fortunate to have seen a variety of new musicals there including adaptation of the independent films Saved (above, right) with Celia Keenan-Bolger, Julia Murney and a new actor named Aaron Tveit, and Far From Heaven (above, left) starring Kelli O'Hara and Steven Pasquale.

40 Years of Broadway: Creative Influencers: 21 Playwrights

 40 Years of Broadway:

Creative Influencers: 21 Playwrights

Even with my somewhat limited exposure to plays over the past 40 years, I've enjoyed the works of a wide range of playwrights and book writers. They come from different eras, with different economic, ethnic, religious and sexual backgrounds. In short, they represent a pretty fair amount of diversity. As such, they gave voice to complex issues, celebrated our triumphs, criticized our faults, examined our beliefs, and questioned our choices. Their unique perspectives shed light on humanity.

This is a list of artists that had the biggest impact on my theater-going experience, and is not complete. Even as I write this, I can think of another dozen or more names. But I feel confident that these are a solid representation. Your mileage may vary.

The Masters

The names on this list were major playwrights well before the early to mid 1980s, but who still contributed new works and revivals. Their works influenced culture during their time and continue to do so today. I'm confident that far into the future, these writers will continue to be studied, performed, and revered. They will continue to influence generations of writers seeking new ways of human expression.

Edward Albee       Terrence McNally         Arthur Miller         

Neil Simon        August Wilson

The Contemporary Dramatists

Here is a group of writers who really came into their own over the past 40 years. They became reliable voices in the cultural conversation. Each had critical praise and their share of popular success. Perhaps just as importantly, they also had their failures, and they learned from those, emerging stronger. Most of these artists continue to create, and we are all the better for it - these are masters in the making.

Douglas Carter Beane        Harvey Fierstein        David Henry Hwang

Tony Kushner        James Lapine        Tracy Letts        Lynn Nottage

Suzan-Lori Parks        Yasmina Reza        Paula Vogel

New Voices

Finally, these are the current generation of writers who have already made a name for themselves. Their modern perspectives represent a new wave of style, themes and politics. We are all the richer for their diverse, important voices. And they are just getting started. We needn't worry about the future - it is very bright.

Jeremy O. Harris        Lucas Hnath        Quiara Alegria Hudes

James Ijames        Stephen Karam        Matthew Lopez

Contest Question #14:

Which two of the above playwrights won Tony Awards for both their writing AND for acting?