15+ Stage Performances to Watch Online This Weekend October 8-11
In-person theatre is back in NYC, both and beyond. But there are still wonderful shows to stream at home. Below are performances you can watch online this holiday weekend, Friday, October 8 to Monday, October 11, for free or at low cost.
Sunday, October 10
Monday, October 11
All Weekend
PBS: Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It
Hey you guuuuuys! PBS presents Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It, Mariem Pérez Riera‘s critically acclaimed documentary about the legendary EGOT winner, whose groundbreaking 70-year career included starring roles on stage and screen. This 90-minute film chronicles her entire life, from her early years in Puerto Rico, to being typecast as various “exotic” ethnicities in Hollywood, to her Oscar-winning performance in West Side Story, to becoming a little-kid icon on The Electric Company. At age 89 she’s still working—her sitcom One Day at a Time wrapped last year and she’s appearing in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming remake of West Side Story—and she’s still got a lot to say about the sexism and racism she’s encountered in the entertainment industry. In addition to interviews with Moreno and her famous friends, including Gloria Estefan, Morgan Freeman, Whoopi Goldberg, Eva Longoria, Terrence McNally, Karen Olivo, Norman Lear and Lin-Manuel Miranda, the film features footage from some of her iconic performances. Watch for free until Wednesday, October 20 on PBS’ website.
Center Theatre Group: Chavez Ravine: In 9 Innings
Los Angeles’ Center Theatre Group presents Chavez Ravine: In 9 Innings, a virtual reimagining of a 2003 play about the small, tight-knit LA neighborhood that was razed so Dodger Stadium could rise. Devised by the collective Culture Clash, this digital production features scenes from the original script filmed at LA’s Kirk Douglas Theatre and on location around the city, incorporating music, archival videos and photos, and new interviews. Tickets are $20 and the recording is viewable until Monday, December 6.
Lantern Theater Company: The Plague
Philadelphia’s Lantern Theater Company presents The Plague, Neil Bartlett‘s adaptation of Albert Camus’ existentialist classic La Peste about a disease upending a city. Talk about timely! Charles McMahon directs this production, which was filmed live on stage this past summer. Tickets are $20 and the recording is viewable until Sunday, November 7.
PlayCo and Por Piedad Teatro: Django in Pain
An adult fable co-presented by PlayCo and Por Piedad Teatro, Django in Pain centers on the misadventures of a suicidal man and a three-legged dog. Hand-made puppets inhabiting a vibrant tabletop world star in this tale of despair, loyalty and hope. Tickets are $15 and the recording is viewable until Tuesday, October 19.
Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Three Short Plays by Tracy Letts
Chicago’s invaluable Steppenwolf Theatre Company presents a triptych of playlets by Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy Letts (August: Osage County, Linda Vista). The virtual offering received a rave review in The New York Times and consists of Night Safari, a monologue performed by Rainn Wilson as the world’s most depressing animal tour guide; The Old Country, in which two wizened men are portrayed by puppets voiced by William Petersen and Mike Nussbaum; and The Stretch, starring Letts as a man parsing this horse race we call life. Tickets are $20 and the recording is viewable until Friday, October 15.
PBS: Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes
PBS Great Performances presents Matthew Bourne‘s Olivier Award-winning stage adaptation of the legendary 1948 movie The Red Shoes, based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of the same name. An eye-popping examination of obsession, possession and the hard choices artists make in their pursuit of perfection, the production stars Ashley Shaw as a rising ballerina torn between Adam Cooper‘s imperious impresario and Dominic North‘s intense composer. The dance production was filmed live on stage at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London. Watch for free until Friday October 15 on PBS’ website.
New Normal Rep: F.I.R.E.
New Normal Rep presents F.I.R.E., a story of corporate intrigue and greed by Julia Blauvelt. A diverse ensemble portrays lowly accountants at a high-end hedge fund trying to wrap up an emergency audit so they can go party with the bigwigs at a swanky soiree. Heather Arnson directs. 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 Wednesday, October 20.
Center Theatre Group: Canyon
LA’s Center Theatre Group presents Canyon, a timely new play by Jonathan Caren about a thirtysomething couple whose progressive ideals are challenged when they hire a Mexican father and son to renovate a deck and the job goes awry. Filmed at the Kirk Douglas Theatre and directed by rising star Whitney White, the show was coproduced by IAMA Theatre Company and The Latino Theater Company. Tickets are $15 and the recording is viewable until Friday, October 22.
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Top image: Rita Moreno, who’s the subject of the documentary Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It, currently available to stream on PBS.
RAVEN SNOOK