this week in theater

FOLKSBIENE CHANUKAH SPECTACULAR

Who: Carol Burnett, Emanuel Azenberg, Mayim Bialik, Billy Crystal, Tovah Feldshuh, Beanie Feldstein, Joel Grey, Jackie Hoffman, Carol Kane, Barry Manilow, Mandy Patinkin, Itzhak Perlman, Eleanor Reissa, Neil Sedaka, Steven Skybell, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Jerry Zaks, Geni Brenda, Mendy Cahan, Yefim Chorny, Josh Dolgin, Suzanna Ghergus, Miwazow Kogure, Shura Lipovsky, Freydi Mrocki, Polina Shepherd, Merlin Shepherd, Motl Didner, Zalmen Mlotek, Frank London, Tatiana Wechsler, Elmore James, more
What: Global online Chanukah celebration
Where: National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene
When: Tuesday, December 8, free with RSVP, 7:00 (available for ninety-six hours)
Why: National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene is doing more than its part in keeping alive Yiddish theater and the Yiddish language itself, with regular presentations at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. But with the pandemic lockdown, it has adapted to online shows and discussions, and on December 8 it will welcome in the Festival of Lights with a Chanukah celebration with guests from around the world. Debuting on December 8 at 7:00 and available on demand for ninety-six hours, “Folksbiene Chanukah Spectacular” features an all-star lineup, beginning with an audio greeting from Carol Burnett and including appearances by such favorites as Mayim Bialik, Billy Crystal, Tovah Feldshuh, Beanie Feldstein, Joel Grey, Jackie Hoffman, Carol Kane, Barry Manilow, Mandy Patinkin, Itzhak Perlman, Neil Sedaka, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, and many others.

Although it’s free to watch, Chanukah gelt will be gladly accepted, as this is a fundraiser for the company, which in recent years has staged such wonderful Yiddish productions as Fiddler on the Roof, The Sorceress, and The Golden Bride, under the leadership of conductor and artistic director Zalmen Mlotek, who said in a statement with executive director Dominick Balletta, “We’re excited to present this exceptional Yiddish celebration, bringing together Yiddish ambassadors from across the globe, from across the United States to as far away as Australia. This will be a theatrical experience like no other — presented virtually so that families and communities across the world can enjoy it together.” Directed and produced by Adam B. Shapiro, the evening will include music and dance, comedy sketches, and tributes to the golden age of Yiddish theater, along with a grand finale led by members of the Children’s Choir from Tzipporei Shalom of Congregation Beth Shalom in New Jersey. There’s also a special preshow Zoom event with Skybell, Mlotek, and others if you donate at a certain level, in addition to an appetizer delivery from the Lox Cafe.

THE BOOK OF JOB: KNOX COUNTY, OHIO

Who: Bill Murray, Frankie Faison, David Strathairn, Marjolaine Goldsmith, Kathryn Erbe, Nyasha Hatendi, Bryan Doerries, Matthew T. Starr, more
What: Dramatic reading and interactive community discussion
Where: Theater of War Zoom
When: Sunday, December 6, free with RSVP, 4:00
Why: “So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot even unto his crown.” That was only one of many indignities the patient, blessed Job is forced to endure in the Bible as questions of faith and righteousness are brought to bear. How would Job react to 2020? Theater of War has been extremely busy during the pandemic lockdown, presenting dramatic readings of King Lear, Antigone, Oedipus the King, and other classic works, relating them to public health and social justice issues happening around the country today in light of the George Floyd protests and the Covid-19 crisis. On December 6, Bill Murray, Frankie Faison, David Strathairn, Marjolaine Goldsmith, Kathryn Erbe, and Nyasha Hatendi will read from the Book of Job, translated by Stephen Mitchell and directed and adapted by artistic director Bryan Doerries, who will also facilitate a conversation with Mayor Matthew T. Starr of Mount Vernon, Ohio, and other local community leaders in Knox County; Theater of War is in the midst of a yearlong virtual residency at Kenyon College, which is located in Gambier, Ohio. Knox County is named after Henry Knox, an officer in the American Revolution who later served as secretary of war.

KENNETH TAM: THE CROSSING

The Crossing marks Kenneth Tam’s live, virtual debut at the Kitchen OnScreen (rehearsal photo courtesy Lumi Tan and Kenneth Tam)

Who: Kenneth Tam, Lumi Tan
What: Kenneth Tam’s first live performance
Where: The Kitchen OnScreen Zoom
When: December 5-6, free with RSVP, 7:00
Why: Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary artist Kenneth Tam has been in residence at Queenslab in Ridgewood since October 30, preparing a new work for the Kitchen, following all Covid-19 protocols as he rehearses the piece and prepares for its livestream debut December 5-6. Performed by Martin Richard Borromeo, Paulina Meneses, James Lim, and Resa Mishina, The Crossing explores issues of race, gender, identity, ritual, and assimilation in relation to Asian Americans and Culturally Based Fraternal Organizations, centering on Taoist funeral rites, probate ceremonies, and the brutal hazing death of Baruch college freshman and pledge Michael Deng in 2013 while running through the gantlet known as the Glass Ceiling. Admission is free with RSVP; the December 6 performance will be followed by a Q&A with Tam (All of M, Breakfast in Bed) and Kitchen curator Lumi Tan. You can see previous Kitchen OnScreen projects here by Baseera Khan, Autumn Knight, and Ka Baird with Max Eilbacher.

EdgeCut: SANITY

Katelyn Halpern and Paul Pinto’s Living Room video is part of “EdgeCut: Sanity”

Who: Malena Dayen, Karen Lancel & Hermen Maat, Caitlin & Misha, Katelyn Halpern, Paul Pinto, divinebrick, Chris SooHoo
What: 3D live, interactive experience
Where: New York Live Arts
When: Saturday, December 5, $7-$15, 1:00 – 4:00
Why: On October 10, EdgeCut introduced us to the remarkable NowHere platform for the first part of its collaboration with New York Live Arts, “Captivity,” five hours of short performance works, discussions, and networking in which audience members navigated through different levels in order to watch livestreamed events in little pods and hang out with curators, creators, and other visitors in their pods. You could steer through fantastical landscapes, float in space, and pull up next to another pod and talk about where you’d been so far or where you were off to next, with cameras on so your face is visible on the front of your pod. I’ve tried just about every form of online entertainment while we’re all sheltering in place and arts venues are closed, and nothing else comes close to this one, even given various hiccups that require patience.

The second iteration, “Sanity,” takes place December 5 from 1:00 to 4:00, a more manageable three hours that will feature four unique rooms. In the Growth Room, you can catch director and singer Malena Dayen’s opera While You Are with Me and the bright and colorful Living Room music video of dancing television heads by multidisciplinary artists Katelyn Halpern and Paul Pinto; in the Worry Room, you can let out steam with Caitlin & Misha’s Infinite Worries Bash, a participatory installation of electroacoustic piñatas that inquires, “Can the destruction of these interactive worry vessels create space for clarity?”; in the Transformation Room, you can meditate to divinebrick and Chris Soohoo’s Performance Prayer; and in the Kissing Room, you can share private moments courtesy of intimacy agents Karen Lancel and Hermen Maat, who ask, “Can we measure a kiss and what kissers feel together?”

Intimacy agents Karen Lancel and Hermen Maat explore what online kissing is like at “EdgeCut: Sanity”

Curated by Heidi Boisvert and Kat Mustatea, the EdgeCut program, which originally convened at the New Museum’s NEW INC incubator for art, tech, and design for in-person presentations, is now seeking to expand and redefine the virtual 3D experience during the pandemic lockdown, exploring the question “How do we create collective experience and transformative gatherings in this moment of ‘a crisis within a crisis’ that speak to transition, change, healing, humanity?” The works were chosen through an open call; the finale of the trilogy, “Humanity,” is scheduled for February 13, 2021. Tickets range from $7 per room to $15 for the full experience, which has to be seen to be believed.

ALL ARTS TALKS: UNTIL THE FLOOD WITH DAEL ORLANDERSMITH

Dael Orlandersmith will discuss the streaming Until the Flood at live online talk December 2 (photo by Robert Altman / courtesy Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, 2018)

Who: Dael Orlandersmith, Sherman Fleming, James King
What: Live discussion about Until the Flood
Where: All Arts Facebook, YouTube
When: Wednesday, December 2, free with RSVP, 4:00
Why: In January 2018, Pulitzer Prize finalist Dael Orlandersmith presented her one-woman show Until the Flood at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. In the play, which was originally commissioned by the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Orlandersmith portrays eight composite characters in relating the tragic story of the killing of Michael Brown at the hands of police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, on August 9, 2014; Orlandersmith traveled to Ferguson and interviewed dozens of people to understand the incident from every possible angle, creating Black retired schoolteacher Louisa Hemphill (70s), white retired policeman Rusty Harden (75), Black teen Hassan (17), white high school teacher Connie Hamm (35), Black barber Reuben Little (late 60s/early 70s), white landowner and electrician Dougray Smith (late 30s/early 40s), Black high school student Paul (17), and Black minister Edna Lewis (late 50s/early 60s), who share their thoughts on racism, anger, violence, poverty, fear, bigotry, liberalism, protest, privilege, education, and other social issues. Orlandersmith delivers each monologue in a different costume (by Kaye Voyce) on Takeshi Kata’s open set centered by a chair she often uses, with a burst of interstitial projections (by Nick Hussong) between scenes.

A recorded version of Until the Flood, directed by Neel Keller, is currently streaming for free at All Arts TV into 2023. On December 2 at 4:00, Orlandersmith (Yellowman, Forever) will be joined by Philly-based performance artist Sherman Fleming for a live Zoom talk moderated by All Arts artistic director James King, discussing the power of art and Until the Flood, placing the work in context of the murder of George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the pandemic lockdown; admission is free with RSVP. The event is presented in partnership with ACT Theatre, Center Theatre Group, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Goodman Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Portland Center Stage, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, and Repertory Theatre of St. Louis.

OUT OF THE BOX FOLLIES

Who: Stephanie Byer, J. D. Brookshire, Georgia Buchanan, Susan Case, Susan Courtney, Kelly Gilmore, James Harter, Larry Stephen Hines, John Christopher Jones, Colleen Kennedy, Laurel Lockhart, Susan McBrien, Phil Mougis, Ward Nixon, Woody Regan, Joseph Rose, Betsy Ross, Gloria Sauvé, Sally Sherwood, Lin Snider, Jennifer Sherron Stock
What: Online streaming benefit
Where: Out of the Box Theatre Company
When: December 4-6, $20-$1,000
Why: Founded in 2006 by the late Scott Robinson, Out of the Box Theatre Company is a nonprofit that’s mission is “to feature working professionals at their peak and in their prime: seasoned actors, directors, and designers primarily past fifty years of age . . . and to present new interpretations of period plays and contemporary classics: works written in the last century and earlier.” Because of the pandemic lockdown, its annual fundraiser has moved online, where it will be streamed December 4-5 at 8:00 and December 5-6 at 3:00. “Out of the Box Follies” will consist of songs, sketches, poems, and more, including such tunes as “Vodka” by the George Gershwin, “Smile” by Charlie Chaplin, and “And I Was Beautiful” by Jerry Herman, a new skit by Susan Courtney and James Harter, who starred last year in Harvey, and an excerpt from William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The show is directed by Lin Snider, with music direction by Woody Regan. “The pandemic has presented so many challenges and hardships to performing artists,” producer Halina Malinowski said in a statement. “We decided that we wanted to give the our company members — the average age of the performers in this show is over sixty years old — a chance to perform when it’s not safe for many of them to leave their homes.” Tickets are $20 and up, depending on what you can afford.

THE ARS NOVA FOREVER TELETHON

Who: Julia Abueva, César Alvarez, Frankie Alvarez, Cathy Ang, Brittain Ashford, Jaclyn Backhaus, Courtney Bassett, Gelsey Bell, Nick Belton, Katja Blichfeld, Brian Bogin, Rachel Bonds, Hannah Bos, Michael Breslin, Salty Brine, Starr Busby, Andrew R. Butler, Nikki Calonge, Josh Canfield, Kennedy Caughell, Rachel Chavkin, Karen Chee, Manik Choksi, Claudia Chopek, Heather Christian, Lilli Cooper, Gavin Creel, Lea DeLaria, Blake Delong, Sonia Denis, Vinny DePonto, Dickie DiBella, Billy Eichner, Erik Ehn, Naomi Ekperigin, Bridget Everett, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ashley Pérez Flanagan, Patrick Foley, Peter Friedman, Laura Galindo, Nick Gaswirth, Matt Gehring, Alex Gibson, Betty Gilpin, Amber Gray, Deepali Gupta, Stephanie Hsu, Khiyon Hursey, Joomin Hwang, Joe Iconis, James Monroe Iglehart, Michael R. Jackson, Sakina Jaffrey, Kyle Jarrow, Mitra Jouhari, Jinwoo Jung, Stephen Karam, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Jennifer Kidwell, Billy Kiessling, Blaine Krauss, Mahayla Laurence, Arthur Lewis, Chris Lowell, Grace McLean, Dave Malloy, Andrew Mayer, Karyn Meek, Sammy Miller, James Monaco, Kaila Mullady, Shoba Narayan, Lila Neugebauer, Ryan O’Connell, Emily Oliveira, Isaac Oliver, Larry Owens, Ashley Park, Joél Pérez, Paul Pinto, Pearl Rhein, Matt Rogers, Phil Romano, Kyra Sedgwick, Shalewa Sharpe, Scott R. Sheppard, Brooke Shields, Rona Siddiqui, Leigh Silverman, Ben Sinclair, Tessa Skara, Peter Smith, Phillipa Soo, Scott Stangland, Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan, Babak Tafti, Jason Tam, Robin Lord Taylor, Stephanie Wright Thompson, Alex Timbers, Anthony Veneziale, Cathryn Wake, Natalie Walker, Jason “Sweettooth” Williams, Beau Willimon, Bess Wohl, Lauren Worsham, Katrina Yaukey, John Yi, Paloma Young, more
What: Virtual fundraiser
Where: Ars Nova online
When: Friday, December 4, free with RSVP (donations accepted), 6:00
Why: What, you were expecting something standard from Ars Nova? Then you don’t know the arts organization very well, do you? Whether you’re a longtime fan of the innovative company or a newbie, you’ll find a vast array of talent participating in the Ars Nova Forever Telethon, taking place over twenty-four consecutive hours beginning at 6:00 pm on December 4. Founded in 2002, Ars Nova develops and nurtures experimental, cutting-edge, innovative presentations at its main home on West Fifty-Fourth St. and its new satellite venue at Greenwich House; among its biggest recent successes are Small Mouth Sounds, The Lucky Ones, Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future, boom, and Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812.

Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 will be celebrated by original cast members at Ars Nova Forever Telethon (photo by Ben Arons)

The telethon will feature appearances by such theatrical luminaries as Gavin Creel, Lea DeLaria, Bridget Everett, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Betty Gilpin, Amber Gray, Stephanie Hsu, James Monroe Iglehart, Michael R. Jackson, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Lila Neugebauer, Ashley Park, Kyra Sedgwick, Brooke Shields, Leigh Silverman, Phillipa Soo, Robin Lord Taylor, Alex Timbers, and Bess Wohl, among dozens of others, who are all listed above. Registration is free, but donations are encouraged based on what you can afford; if you make a gift of $100 or more in advance, you will receive a watch party box filled with goodies you can eat, drink, and wear during the show. The full schedule is below.

The Kickoff, hosted by Ashley Pérez Flanagan and Grace McLean, 6:00 pm

The Comet Comes Home, hosted by Rachel Chavkin & Dave Malloy, celebrating Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, 8:00 pm

Showgasm, hosted by Matt Rogers & Shalewa Sharpe, variety show, 10:00 pm

Isaac Oliver’s Lonely Quarantine, hosted by Isaac Oliver, midnight

The Witching Hour with the Neon Coven, hosted by the Neon Coven, 2:00 am

Cartoon Camp, hosted by Mahayla Laurence & Matt Gehring, 4:00 am

Ars Nova Rewind: Vintage Videos, rare archival footage, 6:00 am

Morning Meditations: An In-Home Retreat, hosted by Sakina Jaffrey, inspired by Small Mouth Sounds, 8:00 am

“Boom Crunch” Zoom Brunch: A Celebration of Theatrical Choices, hosted by Larry Owens & Natalie Walker, 10:00 am

So You Think You Can KPOP, hosted by Jason Tam, celebrating KPOP, noon

Thon-Tha-Thon-Thon-Thon, hosted by Freestyle Love Supreme, 2:00 pm

The Finale for the Future!, hosted by Lilli Cooper & Joél Pérez, 4:00 pm