this week in (live)streaming

ARTISTS & COMMUNITY: THE ORESTEIA

Kelley Curran reprises her STC role of Clytemnestra in virtual TFANA production (photo from STC world premiere by Scott Suchman)

Who: Obi Abili, Corey Allen, Helen Carey, Kathleen Chalfant, Kelley Curran, Franchelle Stewart Dorn, Rinde Eckert, Robin Galloway, Ismenia Mendes, Rad Pereira, Reynaldo Piniella, Sophia Skiles, Simone Warren, Emily Greenwood, Drew Litchenberg
What: Virtual production of Ellen McLaughlin’s adaptation and translation of Aeschylus’s trilogy and talks
Where: TFANA online
When: June 25, 7:00 through June 29, 7:00, free with RSVP
Why: In the spring of 2019, Ellen McLaughlin’s The Oresteia, an adaptation of Aeschylus’s trilogy of Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, and The Eumenides, had its world premiere at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in DC. “The Oresteia are three of the oldest plays we have,” McLaughlin (Tongue of a Bird, Blood Moon) said at the time. “They show us Aeschylus grappling with the experiment of civilization — considering, with clear eyes, its weaknesses and its hopes. The Greeks had no illusions about the fragility of society and of democracy. They knew all too well that the whole undertaking was always at risk, threatened by forces both without and within.”

As part of its digital programming and its “Artists & Community” series, Brooklyn-based Theatre for a New Audience is presenting a virtual production of The Oresteia, streaming for free June 25-29. The 160-minute work, which delves into the nature of history, justice, and humanity, is directed by Andrew Watkins (The Yellow Wallpaper, Before You Go), who has been assistant or associate director on several TFANA shows (The Skin of Our Teeth, A Doll’s House), with original music by Kamala Sankaram (Looking at You, The Parksville Murders). The outstanding cast features Reynaldo Piniella as Orestes, Obi Abili as Agamemnon, Kelley Curran as Clytemnestra, Rinde Eckert as Chorus A and Watchman, Corey Allen as Chorus B, Sophia Skiles as Chorus C, Robin Galloway as Chorus D, Rad Pereira as Electra and Chorus E), Helen Carey as Nurse and Chorus F, Franchelle Stewart Dorn as Chorus G, Ismenia Mendes as Cassandra and Chorus H, Simone Warren as Iphigenia and Chorus I, and Kathleen Chalfant as the Narrator. Seven of the actors are reprising their roles from the STC world premiere. “We have to remember that these stories were as ancient to the Greeks as they are to us,” McLaughlin added. “They used these old stories to look at their own times and to assess their souls, the size of them, what they were capable of, and what they were up against. I believe that’s what artists do, and if you’re lucky, you do it with an extraordinary company like this one.” In addition to the stream, TFANA will host a pair of discussions, on June 26 at 4:00 moderated by Yale classics professor Emily Greenwood and on June 27 at 2:00 moderated by STC dramaturg Drew Litchenberg; you can register for the talks here.

AILEY VIRTUAL SPRING GALA: HOPE, PROMISE, AND THE FUTURE

Kanji Segawa’s Future is part of Alvin Ailey virtual spring gala (photo by Cherylynn Tsushima)

Who: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Lonnie G. Bunch III, James E. Clyburn, Michelle Obama, DJ M.O.S., DJ Kiss
What: Virtual gala
Where: Alvin Ailey online
When: Thursday, June 24, free with RSVP, 7:30 (available for forty-eight hours)
Why: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s virtual spring gala looks ahead with a public celebration of “Hope, Promise and the Future.” On June 24 at 7:30, the company, founded in 1958 and dedicated “to further the pioneering vision of the choreographer, dancer, and cultural leader Alvin Ailey by building an extended cultural community which provides dance performances, training and education, and community programs for all people,” will present a special program of dance and recognizing honorees. The evening features works by Ghrai DeVore-Stokes (Hope), Chalvar Monteiro (Promise), and Kanji Segawa (Future), filmed in such locations as Hudson Yards, St. Nicholas Park, and the Unisphere, in addition to artistic director Robert Battle’s For Four, set to Wynton Marsalis’s “Delfeayo’s Dilemma,” and Bird Lives!, a Charlie Parker tribute with Clifton Brown and students from the Ailey School. AAADT will also honor Secretary of the Smithsonian Lonnie G. Bunch III and the late congressman John L. Lewis, the latter with reflections from Congressman James E. Clyburn, excerpts from Jamar Roberts’s March on Washington Film Festival commission In Memory, and an appearance by former first lady Michelle Obama. “Over the past year, we’ve learned to focus on the opportunity of this moment, not the challenges, and the privilege of carrying on the legacy of Alvin Ailey that speaks to all of us,” Battle said in a statement. “Instilled in movement is a message of hope that helps us look towards the bright promise of our future together. We’re delighted to have this opportunity to share Ailey’s inspiring artistry in new dance films and honor a legend of the civil rights movement as we join in a virtual celebration with our community around the world.” The gala will be followed by a dance party with DJ M.O.S. and DJ Kiss. Admission is free with RSVP although donations will be accepted, and the presentation will be available on demand for forty-eight hours.

OFF BROADWAY

Who: Dylan Baker, Becky Ann Baker, Jessica Frances Dukes, Jason Butler Harner, Hal Linden, Jillian Mercado, Richard Kind, Kara Wang
What: New streaming play by Torrey Townsend, directed by Robert O’Hara
Where: Broadstream
When: June 24-27, free with RSVP
Why: Playwright Torrey Townsend (The Workshop, Executioners) and director Robert O’Hara (Antebellum, BootyCandy) started working on the new play Off Broadway prior to the Covid-19 crisis, but it has been reimagined for online viewing, about a nonprofit theater that suddenly has to reinvent itself over Zoom in order to keep functioning. Presented by Jeremy O. Harris, the play, streaming for free June 24-27, features an all-star cast consisting of Dylan Baker, Becky Ann Baker, Jessica Frances Dukes, Jason Butler Harner, Hal Linden, Jillian Mercado, Richard Kind, and Kara Wang. “Championing challenging, exciting new work during this pandemic has been my chief mission,” Harris (Slave Play, “Daddy”) said in a statement. “Torrey Townsend’s Off Broadway is a brilliant satire that dares to ask questions of a community that, though attempting, still has a long way to go. Knowing that arguably our country’s best satirist is directing the piece made this the most exciting piece to put my energy behind this year.”

O’Hara added, “Before the pandemic, Torrey and I had been developing his brilliant new satire examining the white supremacy that has been lurking behind the walls of the American theater. For months, I couldn’t get it out of my head, so I suggested that we do exactly what theater was doing during the pandemic — go digital — because, of course, the same systemic issues remain ‘off-line.’ I’m so excited to share this new work as we begin to reopen our theaters and hopefully prepare to come back in a more equitable and much less toxic manner.” Ari Fulton designed the costumes and props, with Teniece Divya Johnson as intimacy director, Twi McCallum as sound designer, and Leah Vicencio as technical director and video editor. I’m in for anything Harris is involved with, but with Linden and Kind in the cast, there’s even more reason not to miss this short-run show.

NIGHT OF A THOUSAND JUDYS

Who: Alan Cumming, Vivian Reed, Sam Harris, Mary Testa, Karen Mason, Nathan Lee Graham, Jose Llana, Margo Seibert, Jane Monheit, Grace McLean, Kevin Smith Kirkwood, Nadia Quinn, Duchess Trio, Gabrielle Stravelli, Kim David Smith, Justin Sayre
What: Pride concert to benefit the Ali Forney Center
Where: Night of a Thousand Judys
When: Thursday, June 24, free (donations encouraged), 8:00
Why: It turns out that Cary Grant never actually said, “Judy, Judy, Judy.” However, it will be nothing but “Judy, Judy, Judy . . .” at the ninth annual “Night of a Thousand Judys,” a virtual benefit for the Ali Forney Center, whose mission is “to protect LGBTQ youths from the harms of homelessness and empower them with the tools needed to live independently.” A celebration of all things Judy Garland, past events have featured Martha Wash, Sarah Dash, Madeleine Peyroux, Ann Hampton Callaway, Nellie McKay, Lena Hall, Tonya Pinkins, Liz Callaway, Telly Leung, Justin Vivian Bond, Bridget Everett, Karen Akers, and Michael Musto. The 2021 iteration takes place on June 24 at 8:00 with Alan Cumming, Vivian Reed, Sam Harris, Mary Testa, Karen Mason, Margo Seibert, Jane Monheit, Grace McLean, Nadia Quinn, and others, written and hosted by Justin Sayre, with Tracy Stark serving as music director. “We’re all getting back to normal, but maybe we can make a new normal,” Sayre said in a statement. “A normal where LGBTQIA kids don’t experience homelessness at such a larger rate than most. Maybe our new normal can be better, for these kids. Maybe we can insist that it is. We all had to stay at home this year to be safe. We all deserve a home where they can be safe. That’s what the work, that’s the new normal that the Ali Forney Center is fighting for. We’re all honored to help them creating this new normal.” The stream will be available on demand for about a month; in addition, there is an online auction where you can pick up some Judy Garland art starting at $150.

PLAYWRIGHTS HORIZONS FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY VIRTUAL GALA

Who: Heather Christian, Mykal Kilgore, Carla R. Stewart, Ali Stroker, Marinda Anderson, Cassie Beck, Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Reed Birney, Aya Cash, Kirsten Childs, Milo Cramer, Sarah DeLappe, Larissa FastHorse, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Peter Friedman, Dave Harris, Lucas Hnath, Michael R. Jackson, Sylvia Khoury, Taylor Mac, Matt Maher, John-Andrew Morrison, Kelli O’Hara, Annie Parisse, Pedro Pascal, Max Posner, Tori Sampson, Rhea Seehorn, Lois Smith, Paul Sparks, Jeremy Strong, Sanaz Toossi, more
What: Fiftieth anniversary virtual gala
Where: Playwrights Horizons online
When: Wednesday, June 23, free with RSVP (donations encouraged), 8:00
Why: Over the course of fifty years, seven Pulitzer Prizes, thirteen Tony Awards, and forty-seven Obies, Playwrights Horizons has lived up to its mission as “a writer’s theater dedicated to the support and development of contemporary American playwrights, composers, and lyricists and to the production of their new work.” On June 23 at 8:00, PH will celebrate its golden anniversary with a virtual gala featuring appearances by a wide range of creators with connections to the company, which is based on West Forty-Second St. The evening will be highlighted by a quartet of performances: Carla R. Stewart singing “Lifted” from Tori Sampson’s If Pretty Hurts Ugly Must be a Muhfucka, Mykal Kilgore singing “Memory Song” from Michael R. Jackson’s A Strange Loop, Heather Christian delivering “Recessional” from Prime: A Practical Breviary, and Ali Stroker singing “Her Sweater” from Kirsten Guenther and Ryan Scott Oliver’s Mrs. Sharp. In addition, among those wishing PH a happy anniversary will be Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Reed Birney, Sarah DeLappe, Larissa FastHorse, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Lucas Hnath, Taylor Mac, Kelli O’Hara, Annie Parisse, Pedro Pascal, Lois Smith, and Paul Sparks.

MTC CURTAIN CALL: THE NICETIES

Lisa Banes and Jordan Boatman reprise their roles for online streaming version of The Niceties

Who: Lisa Banes, Jordan Boatman, Eleanor Burgess, Kimberly Senior
What: Virtual reading and discussion
Where: Broadway on Demand
When: Online streaming extended through June 27, free with RSVP
Why: “It’s a dangerous time, and this is a play that ignites those thoughts and makes you look at yourself and makes you look at your place in the world,” Lisa Banes says in a brief recorded conversation about Eleanor Burgess’s The Niceties, which is streaming in a sizzling online version through June 27. “I mean, every time we had talked to the audience after the play, we were asked as human beings, not just as actors, Where do you stand on this?” Sadly, Banes will no longer be answering these questions; she died on June 14 at the age of sixty-five after being hit by a scooter on the Upper West Side; the perpetrator has not been found. This production from MTC’s Curtain Call series and the Huntington Theatre Company in Boston is the last play featuring the extraordinarily talented Banes.

Banes and Jordan Boatman had reunited for the virtual reading; they starred in the two-character play when it premiered at MTC’s Studio at Stage II at City Center in 2018. The two-act, one-hundred-minute play has been moved from an American history professor’s office at a prestigious university to Skype, where Janine (Banes), a tenured teacher, is offering advice to one of her students, Zoe (Boatman), who’s working on a paper about radical revolutions. Janine is white; Zoe is black. The discussion does not go as expected; what was supposed to be a productive session turns into a ferocious confrontation about how the past and the present define and regard colonialism, slavery, political protests and marches, constitutional democracy, racial oppression, the concept of freedom, and the Supreme Court. “I love critical dialogue; I’m listening,” Janine says. But Zoe argues that she is not being heard.

“You have a contempt for your students, and particularly your students who think different from you,” Zoe explains.

“Differently,” Janine corrects.

Zoe: “You use your intelligence to critique and belittle people who have less power than you. Like your comments on my paper. Do you think that’s helpful? To take a person who’s trying to put forward an underrepresented point of view and criticize them until they feel like they might as well give up because you’ll never understand?”

Janine: “I didn’t tell you to give up. . . .”

Zoe: “Listen, there is one appropriate way of responding to a woman of color who says I have an idea to assert. And that is to shut up and listen, because she has experiences you cannot possibly know and insight you can learn from.”

Janine: “To shut up and listen, as you so rudely put it, would be doing you a disservice.”

Three weeks later, they are dealing with the aftermath of their fierce exchange, but while much has changed, much has not as they continue to disagree about personal and public aspects of dignity, equality, and compromise.

The Niceties is set in the spring of 2016, during the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Original director Kimberly Senior (Disgraced, Sweat) helms this virtual iteration, which is ablaze with passion while including artful little touches: Janine drinks out of a Hillary Clinton mug, even after Zoe expresses her fondness for President Obama, and Janine has a framed portrait of George Washington on her wall, whereas Zoe has a poster of The Color Purple behind her. And KRS-ONE’s “Sound of Da Police” plays during the five-minute intermission, preparing viewers for a highly volatile second act.

Obie winner Banes (Look Back in Anger, My Sister in the House, Isn’t It Romantic?) and Boatman (The Good Fight, The Path) are electrifying, picking up right where they left off at Studio at Stage II; this is no mere reunion reading but a thrillingly performed work that takes on issues that have only grown more complex since 2018. Banes is elegant and refined as the meticulous woman forced to defend her career, while Boatman is fervent and intense as a tenacious student fighting to be heard. If The Niceties doesn’t get your juices flowing, then you haven’t been paying attention to what has been happening across the country, and around the world, these past few years.

“I was so, so happy to do this,” Banes says in the talk. “It came at just the right moment. I feel like we started our engines and got ’em going, and now I can’t wait for the next thing.” Banes, who also appeared in such films as Cocktail and Gone Girl and the television series Son of the Beach and Royal Pains, is survived by her wife, Kathryn Kranhold. Anyone with information about the tragic hit-and-run that took her life is urged to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS.

THE TONIGHT ZOOM WITH JORDAN KLEPPER: A CELEBRATION OF LIVE THEATRE

Who: Jordan Klepper, Fred Armisen, Maura Tierney, Thomas Sadoski, Arian Moayed, Annie McNamara, April Matthis, Vin Knight, Young Jean Lee, Joel Perez, Yo La Tengo
What: Virtual gala
Where: Elevator Repair Service online
When: Wednesday, June 23, $25-$500, 7:30 (private virtual cocktail reception at 7:00 for donors of $2,500+)
Why: During the Trump era, comedian Jordan Klepper has been one of the funniest, move insightful television journalists around, in his “Fingers the Pulse” segments on The Daily Show, in which he fearlessly goes straight into the heart of the MAGAverse, speaking with Trumpists who are not in on the joke. He has also hosted his own satirical series, The Opposition with Jordan Klepper, as well as the influential special Jordan Klepper Solves Guns. On June 23 at 7:30, the Michigan-born Klepper, a former member of the Second City and Upright Citizens Brigade, will be hosting The Tonight Zoom with Jordan Klepper A Celebration of Live Theatre (remotely) (and partially pre-taped), a virtual gala benefiting New York City experimental theater stalwarts Elevator Repair Service.

Founded in 1991 by artistic director John Collins, ERS has developed a unique theatrical language over its thirty years, presenting collaborative works that often reimagine literary classics into something new and unpredictable at such venues as the Public Theater, New York Theatre Workshop, the New York Public Library, and PS122. Among their shows are Marx Brothers on Horseback Salad, The Sound and the Fury (April Seventh, 1928), Everyone’s Fine with Virginia Woolf, The Select (The Sun Also Rises), Measure for Measure, and their widely acclaimed Gatz, an eight-hour adaptation of The Great Gatsby.

At the virtual gala, Klepper will interview ERS company members Vin Knight, April Matthis, and Annie McNamara as characters they have portrayed in the troupe’s productions; there will also be appearances by Fred Armisen, Maura Tierney, Thomas Sadoski, Arian Moayed, Young Jean Lee, Joel Perez, and Yo La Tengo. It might be called “a celebration of live theatre,” but, in true Klepper/ERS style, they are pointing out that it will take place remotely, with some prerecorded segments. Tickets start at $25 and go up to $10,000 for the Gold Virtual Table, which includes a preshow cocktail reception for twelve people, tickets to ERS’s upcoming adaptation of The Seagull at the Skirball Center, and select merchandise.