15+ Stage Performances to Watch Online This Weekend September 10-12
In-person theatre is back in NYC, both and beyond. So we’ll be phasing out these streaming roundups soon as more shows (re)open. I’m so glad virtual performances helped keep us going while theatres were dark. Below are performances you can watch online this weekend, Friday, September 10 to Sunday, September 12, for free or at low cost.
Friday, September 10
Bryant Park: Classical Theatre of Harlem
On Friday at 7 p.m. ET, Classical Theatre of Harlem presents excerpts from two exciting new works in person at Bryant Park, but you can also stream the performance at home. A Harlem Dream is Peter Francis James‘ vibrant reimagining of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream set during the Harlem Renaissance. Three-time Tony nominee Joshua Henry stars in Walter Marks‘ music-filled play Langston In Harlem about legendary poet Langston Hughes. This is a fabulous way to see in action! Watch for free on Classical Theatre of Harlem’s website or arrive at the green space early to attend in person. Entry is first come, first served, and proof of vaccination or recent negative COVID-19 test is required.
Saturday, September 11
Table of Silence Project 9/11
On Saturday at 8 a.m. ET, choreographer Jacqulyn Buglisi presents a hybrid adaptation of her annual Table of Silence Project 9/11, which commemorates the September 11 attacks. In the past, more than 150 dancers have gathered around Lincoln Center’s Revson Fountain to perform this moving tribute. But this year in order to avoid crowding, 32 dancers will perform the piece’s prologue as well as an excerpt from Buglisi’s Requiem, followed by a recording of the 2019 mounting of the full ritualistic work. Watch for free all weekend on YouTube.
Third Rail Projects: Return the Moon
On Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, endlessly inventive immersive theatre company Third Rail Projects (Then She Fell, The Grand Paradise) presents Return the Moon, a live, interactive, created-for-Zoom theatrical experience that uses a fairy tale about the moon as a way to conjure art and community. Conceived and directed by Zach Morris, the 75-minute piece is performed for a small audience who participate in the evening’s outcome and even receive a post-performance gift in the mail. Log on ready to share. Tickets start at $15.
Saturday, September 12
All Weekend
Irish Repertory Theatre: Angela’s Ashes: The Musical
NYC’s venerable Irish Rep presents Angela’s Ashes: The Musical, a stage adaptation of Frank McCourt’s beloved memoir about his colorful but challenging upbringing in Ireland dealing with his drunken father, depressive mother, pompous priests and bullying schoolmasters. With songs by Adam Howell and a book by Paul Hurt, this musical debuted in Ireland in 2017 starring Jacinta Whyte as the title character and Eoin Cannon as McCourt. That production was recorded live on stage and Irish Rep presents its North American debut. Tickets are $30 and the recording is viewable until Wednesday, September 22.
Jacob’s Pillow: Ballet Coast to Coast
The Berkshires’ lauded Jacob’s Pillow dance festival resumed in-person performances this summer, but select events are also being streamed to at-home audiences. Catch leading artists from Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet is this brand-new program of solos and group pieces recorded live on stage earlier this season. RSVP to receive the free viewing link though donations are encouraged. The recording is viewable until Thursday, September 23 at 6 p.m. ET.
Jacob’s Pillow: STREB Extreme Action
The Berkshires’ lauded Jacob’s Pillow dance festival resumed in-person performances this summer, but select events are also being streamed to at-home audiences. Catch a retrospective of high-energy pieces choreographed by Elizabeth Streb, who fuses acrobatics, aerial arts and contemporary dance. This program chronicles STREB’s evolution from experimental solos in the ’70s and ’80s to breathtaking 21st-century action epics featuring wild circus-style contraptions. RSVP to receive the free viewing link though donations are encouraged. The recording is viewable until Thursday at 6 p.m. ET.
Signature Theatre: Detroit ’67
Virginia’s lauded Signature Theatre presents Detroit ’67, the first installment in Tony-nominated playwright Dominique Morisseau‘s Detroit Project exploring different periods in her beloved hometown’s history. This powerful family drama about two Black siblings squabbling over how to move forward takes place against the backdrop of the Detroit Rebellion, as tensions rise indoors and outside. Directed by Candis C. Jones, this production was filmed live on stage. Tickets are $35 but if you’re a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase them at a discount. The recording is viewable until Thursday.
Rattlestick Playwrights Theater: Ni Mi Madre
On Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 4 p.m. ET, NYC’s acclaimed Rattlestick Playwrights Theater is presenting a hybrid season, with its productions performed in person but also streamed to at-home audiences. First up is Arturo Luís Soria‘s autobiographically inspired solo show Ni Mi Madre, about the complex relationship between an over-the-top Brazilian woman and her queer son as they grapple with identity and what it means to be an immigrant family in America. Tickets are usually $40 for both streamed and in-person performances at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, although Sunday’s performance is pay-what-you-wish.
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RAVEN SNOOK