15+ Stage Performances to Watch August 4-5
Wednesday, August 4
Chichester Festival Theatre: South Pacific
On Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. ET, the UK’s Chichester Festival Theatre presents Rodgers and Hammerstein’s beloved musical South Pacific. Filmed live on stage last month, this new production of the Tony-winning classic about romance and racism during World War II features British stage stars Gina Beck and Julian Ovenden as Navy nurse Nellie Forbush and Emile de Becque, the dashing Frenchman with a secret; Joanna Ampil as Bloody Mary; Keir Charles as Luther Billis and Rob Houchen as Lt. Joseph Cable. Tickets start at £20, approximately $28 and the recording is viewable for 24 hours from the start time. Closed captions are available.
TDF: Conversation About Hybrid Theatre
On Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET, TDF presents a conversation about hybrid theatre—in-person shows that are also streamed to at-home audiences. TDF’s own Andrew Block moderates this fascinating discussion with three NYC theatre-makers: Erez Ziv, the managing artistic director of Frigid New York; Cameron Cueva Clarke, the artistic director of Company of Fools; and Daniella Topol, the artistic director of Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. All three are committed to continuing to offer their shows online even as performance venues reopen, and they talk about the challenges as well as the advantages of streaming. Watch for free on TDF’s YouTube channel.
Weathervane Theatre: Buyer & Cellar
On Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET, New Hampshire’s Weathervane Theatre presents a virtual production of Buyer & Cellar, Jonathan Tolins‘ uproarious one-man play about an out-of-work actor who lands an insane job curating the tchotchkes in Barbra Streisand’s basement. Nathaniel P. Claridad directs Jorge Donoso in this laugh-out-loud comedy. Tickets start at $22.50 but if you’re a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase them at a discount.
Black Trans Women at the Center: An Evening of Short Plays
On Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET, New Haven, CT’s Long Wharf Theatre presents a trio of playlets showcasing the stories and performances of Black trans women. The evening was curated and co-produced by Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi, a Washington, DC-based Black trans theatre-maker, who directed two of the offerings: Under False Colors by Mickaela Bradford, starring L Morgan Lee from A Strange Loop; and Poly Pockers by Morticia Godiva. Rounding out the lineup is Adisa Steele‘s The Tower Moment. Watch for free on Long Wharf’s YouTube channel.
Stars in the House: Jessie Reunion
On Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET, Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley are on a well-deserved vacation, during which they’re presenting encore streams of popular Stars in the House episodes. Tonight, catch a reunion of the Disney Channel sitcom Jessie from April 2020, featuring three-time Tony nominee Kevin Chamberlin. Watch for free on YouTube though donations to The Actors Fund are encouraged.
Thursday, August 5
Play-PerView: Marie Antoinette
On Thursday at 7 p.m. ET, Play-PerView presents a live reading of Marie Antoinette, David Adjmi‘s history-inspired comedy, which had an acclaimed run at Soho Rep in 2013. This live reading reunites the cast of that production, led by Tony nominee Marin Ireland as the quirky queen, alongside Steven Rattazzi, Karl Miller, Chris Stack, Jennifer Ikeda, David Greenspan and Will Pullen. Indecent Tony winner Rebecca Taichman once again directs. Tickets start at $5 and net proceeds benefit the Cultural Solidarity Fund.
Jacob’s Pillow: Brian Brooks / Moving Company
On Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Berkshires’ lauded Jacob’s Pillow dance festival resumed in-person performances this summer, but some are also being streamed to at-home audiences. Starting tonight, you can catch a program by Brian Brooks‘ troupe The Moving Company, which was filmed live on stage last month. The lineup features Flight Study, a new work set to a string quartet by Bryce Dessner; an untitled solo piece performed by Brooks himself; and Closing Distance set to music by Caroline Shaw. RSVP to receive the free viewing link though donations are encouraged. The recording is viewable until Thursday, August 19.
Stars in the House: Glee Reunion
On Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley are on a well-deserved vacation, during which they’re presenting encore streams of popular Stars in the House episodes. Tonight, catch a Glee reunion from April 2020 featuring Darren Criss, Matthew Morrison, Jane Lynch, Jenna Ushkowitz, Chris Colfer, Amber Riley and Kevin McHale. Watch for free on YouTube though donations to The Actors Fund are encouraged.
Live from Feinstein’s/54 Below: Antonio Cipriano: Nostalgia
On Thursday at 9:45 p.m. ET, even though Feinstein’s/54 Below has reopened for in-person performances, the swanky cabaret club is continuing to stream select shows live from its stage. Tonight, Jagged Little Pill star Antonio Cipriano croons tunes from a simpler time in Nostalgia, an evening of songs from the early 2000s. Tickets are $15.
Available to Watch Both Days
Christopher Lloyd in King Lear
Wednesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. ET, Obie and Emmy Award-winning actor Christopher Lloyd (Taxi, Back to the Future) is currently headlining King Lear at Shakespeare & Company in the Berkshires, but you can also stream the show at home. Directed by Nicole Ricciardi, the production was filmed live on stage earlier in the run. Tickets are $25.
Jacob’s Pillow: Ballet Hispánico
The Berkshires’ lauded Jacob’s Pillow dance festival resumed in-person performances this summer, but some are also being streamed to at-home audiences. Catch a 50th anniversary program by Ballet Hispánico, featuring highlights from its rich repertoire, including Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Tiburones; Batucada Fantástica, composed of three solos by Vicente Nebrada; and Gustavo Ramírez Sansano’s 18+1. RSVP to receive the free viewing link though donations are encouraged. The recording is viewable until Thursday, August 12.
Irish Repertory Theatre: The Cordelia Dream
On Wednesday at 3 and 8 p.m., and Thursday at 7 p.m. ET, NYC’s venerable Irish Rep presents The Cordelia Dream, Marina Carr‘s psychologically complex two-hander about the fraught interactions between a Woman and a Man which recall the dysfunctional relationship between Cordelia and King Lear. Director Joe O’Byrne‘s production was filmed live on stage at Dublin’s New Theatre and stars Stephen Brennan and Danielle Ryan. Tickets are required to receive the free viewing link; a $25 donation is suggested.
Baltimore Center Stage: A Play for the Living in a Time of Extinction
On Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 ET, Baltimore Center Stage presents A Play for the Living in a Time of Extinction, a dark comedy by Miranda Rose Hall about a theatre company putting on a show about climate change that goes awry. So the stage manager/light board operator/dramaturg comes up with some unexpected ways to engage the audience. Log on ready to participate in this communal experience. Tickets start at $25 but if you’re a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase them at a discount.
Lincoln Center Theater: The Wolves
Lincoln Center Theater shares a never-before-seen treat: a recording of The Wolves, Sarah DeLappe‘s Pulitzer finalist play about nine high school juniors on a soccer field exchanging ideas, thoughts and confidences as they pass the ball back and forth. The chatter is incessant but insightful, offering a glimpse into the insular and messy world of American teenage girls as they candidly discuss everything from periods to politics. Directed by Lila Neugebauer, this Obie-winning production stars Lauren Patten, Sarah Mezzanotte, Susannah Perkins, Tedra Millan and other up-and-comers, and was filmed live on stage at Lincoln Center’s Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater in 2017. ; the recording is viewable until Sunday, August 15.
The Great Filter
Jason Ralph and Trevor Einhorn from the Syfy series The Magicians star in The Great Filter, an out-of-this-world thriller about a pair of astronauts returning to Earth after a failed mission who realize the planet may be in crisis. Equal parts sci-fi and comedy, this one-act was written and directed by Frank Winters and filmed live on stage earlier this summer at the Wild Project in the East Village. Tickets are $18 and the recording is viewable until Thursday, August 26.
New Normal Rep: Lines in the Dust
New Normal Rep presents Lines in the Dust by Obie winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist Nikkole Salter. Set in Newark in 2010, this moving drama centers on a working-class single mother desperate to find an alternative to the underperforming zoned school for her bright young daughter. How much will she risk to give her kid a leg up? Awoye Timpo directs Lisa Rosetta Strum, Melissa Joyner and Jeffrey Bean. Tickets are $25 but if you’re a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase them at a discount. The recording is viewable until Sunday and closed captions are available.
—
Top image: Marin Ireland, who’s starring in a reunion reading of Marie Antoinette on Thursday evening.
RAVEN SNOOK