15+ Stage Performances to Watch February 16-17
Tuesday, February 16
Theatre Exile: Sin Eaters
On Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET, Philadelphia’s Theatre Exile presents Sin Eaters, a new play by the always provocative Anna Moench about a social media content moderator who comes across a graphic video that upends her life. Matt Pfeiffer directs Bi Jean Ngo and David M Raine in this adults-only conversation starter. Tickets are $15.
Irish Repertory Theatre: A Touch of the Poet
On Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET, this winter, the venerable Irish Rep is presenting encore streams of its entire digital season. Tonight, catch Eugene O’Neill’s compelling immigrant drama A Touch of the Poet, featuring Tony nominee Robert Cuccioli as Con, an Irish-American inn owner near Boston in 1828, clinging to a gentlemanly past that never was. Ciarán O’Reilly directs a cast that includes Ciaran Byrne, Kate Forbes and Mary McCann. Tickets are free but required to receive the viewing link; donations are encouraged.
The Metropolitan Opera: Falstaff
On Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera presents Franco Zeffirelli‘s classic 1992 staging of Verdi’s Falstaff. Paul Plishka is the lascivious and louche title character, who’s outwitted by the clever ladies around him, played by Marilyn Horne, Mirella Freni and Susan Graham. Watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera’s website. You can still stream yesterday’s opera, La Bohème, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.
Stars in the House: Black Theatre United’s Behind the Scenes
On Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET, stage manager Carin Ford and sound designer Lisa Dawn Cave from Black Theatre United guest host Stars in the House, shining a light on what the organization is doing to help champion Black artists backstage. Guests include stage manager Theron Alexander, sound engineer Anthony Jones, hair designer Mia Neal and company manager Kendra Moore. Watch for free on YouTube though donations are encouraged.
Wednesday, February 17
Primary Stages: The Night Watcher
On Wednesday at noon ET, Primary Stages presents an encore stream of Charlayne Woodard‘s autobiographical solo show The Night Watcher, about how she’s served as a maternal figure to many beloved folks in her life. A Tony nominee for Ain’t Misbehavin’ and a star of TV’s Pose, Woodard originally performed this show at Primary Stages in 2009 and then reimagined it as a virtual theatre piece last year. It’s a wise and empathetic exploration of what it means to mother. Tickets are pay-what-you-wish and the recording is viewable until Sunday, February 28.
The Metropolitan Opera: Così fan tutte
On Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET, ever since the shutdown began, the Metropolitan Opera has been sharing productions from its Live in HD series nightly at 7:30 p.m. ET. But it also presents weekly student streams that debut on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. ET. These productions have been specially selected for families and are complemented by online educational materials. This week’s offering is Phelim McDermott‘s eye-popping 2018 mounting of Così fan tutte, which sets Mozart’s tantalizing comedy of romance and infidelity on Coney Island in the ’50s. Amanda Majeski, Serena Malfi, Ben Bliss and Adam Plachetka star as the young couples, with Tony winner Kelli O’Hara in a supporting role. Watch for free until Friday at 5 p.m. ET on the Metropolitan Opera’s website.
The Metropolitan Opera: Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci
On Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Metropolitan Opera presents two classic one-act works: Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana about a tragic love triangle, and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci about the leader of a vaudeville troupe. Franco Zeffirelli staged this 1978 double bill, with legendary tenor Plácido Domingo singing both leading roles. Tatiana Troyanos, Jean Kraft, Vern Shinall, Teresa Stratas, Sherrill Milnes and Allan Monk costar. Watch for free for 23 hours after the start time on the Metropolitan Opera’s website. You can still stream yesterday’s opera, Falstaff, until 6:30 p.m. ET today.
Irish Repertory Theatre: YES! Reflections of Molly Bloom
On Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET, this winter, the venerable Irish Rep is presenting encore streams of its entire digital season. Tonight, catch YES! Reflections of Molly Bloom, Aedín Moloney‘s solo adaptation of the “Penelope episode” from James Joyce’s Ulysses. This monologue play was a hit at the theatre in 2019 and offers intimate insights into one woman’s desires and dreams, with brief musical interludes composed by Paddy Moloney of The Chieftains. Tickets are free but required to receive the viewing link; donations are encouraged.
Stars in the House: Melissa Manchester
On Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET, Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley celebrate Melissa Manchester‘s birthday with surprise guests. Watch for free on YouTube though donations to The Actors Fund are encouraged.
Available to Watch Both Days
Play-PerView: Revenge Porn
On Saturday, Play-PerView presented a live reading of Revenge Porn and you can watch a recording until Wednesday. Carla Ching‘s unsettling drama centers on a woman considering whether to go after the ex who released an intimate video of her. Bernardo Cubría directs Tina Haung, Amy Hill, Kahyun Kim, Christopher Larkin, Ken Leung and Roland Ruiz. Tickets are pay-what-you-wish but a $20 donation is suggested. Proceeds go to NYC’s Ma-Yi Theater Company.
ACT of Connecticut: Stephen Schwartz’s Snapshots: A Musical Scrapbook
ACT of Connecticut presents Snapshots: A Musical Scrapbook, a chamber musical featuring songs by Stephen Schwartz, the genius behind Wicked, Pippin, Godspell and multiple Disney movie musicals. His iconic hits are integrated into a fresh story about an estranged couple looking back on the decades they shared. The theatre’s artistic director, Daniel C. Levine, helms this intimate digital production. Tickets are $20 but if you’re a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase them at a discount. The recording is viewable until Sunday, February 28.
Andrea Marcovicci: A Kern Valentine
In honor of Valentine’s Day, cabaret legend Andrea Marcovicci performs a half-hour concert of romantic songs by acclaimed composer Jerome Kern, whose oeuvre includes “A Fine Romance,” “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” and “The Way You Look Tonight.” Watch for free until Saturday on YouTube though donations to The Actors Fund are encouraged.
Romeo & Juliet 2021
On Tuesday at 2:30 p.m., and Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. ET, fall in love with a brand-new digital mounting of Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet. A stage-cinema hybrid filmed last year, the production stars Olivier Award winner Sam Tutty and Emily Redpath as the ill-fated lovers, and theatre legend Derek Jacobi as the narrator. Tickets are £20, approximately $28.
Adjust the Procedure
The pandemic has impacted every industry, but higher education has been permanently transformed. In Jake Shore‘s written-for-Zoom play, a Manhattan university struggles to survive the crises of the past year, including the virus, calls for racial justice, and immigration and mental health challenges. Ed Altman, Adam Files, Meagan Moses and Nicholas Miles star and the playwright himself directs. Tickets are $10 and the recording is viewable until Sunday, March 7.
—
Top image: Kelli O’Hara in Così fan tutte, which is being streamed by the Metropolitan Opera on Wednesday. Photo by Marty Sohl/The Metropolitan Opera.
RAVEN SNOOK