Theater in New York City

A topic close to my heart, these venues for theater and performance art are showing the hottest young artists around, and can be considered the important focal points for New York's independent and experimental theater scene. This is anything but Broadway. Now you have no excuse not to support New York's artists by going to a show. Here's a beginning, and I'll flesh out the list in the coming days.

The Public Theater
425 Lafayette Street
www.publictheater.org

Performance Space 122
150 First Avenue at East 9th Street
www.ps122.org

3-Legged Dog (3LD) Art & Technology Center
80 Greenwich Street
http://www.3ldnyc.org/

Abrons Arts Center
466 Grand Street
http://www.henrystreet.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AACHOME_homepage

Dixon Place
161A Chrystie Street
www.dixonplace.org

Here Arts Center
145 6th Avenue (at Dominick Street, near Spring Street)
www.here.org

La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club
74A East 4th Street
http://www.lamama.org/

The Kitchen
512 West 19th Street
www.thekitchen.org

Ontological-Hysteric Theater
131 East 10th Street (at 2nd Avenue)
http://www.ontological.com/

The Performing Garage
33 Wooster Street
http://www.thewoostergroup.org/twg/tpg.html

The Ohio Theater
66 Wooster Street
http://www.sohothinktank.org/

Baryshnikov Arts Center
450 West 37th Street, suite 501
http://www.bacnyc.org/index.php/events/performances
The opinions expressed here are those of the individual and not those of StreetAdvisor.
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6 Comments

DBlack 2yrs+
Some friends did a show at La MaMa a while ago. It was pretty experimental music stuff, really interesting.
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BroadwayBK 2yrs+
anything amazing currently being put on that you highly recommend?
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Uraniumfish 2yrs+
The Under the Radar festival at the Public is finishing up tonight, and so is the COIL festival at ps122. They're both major events for the theater community, so I'm expecting it'll be relatively quiet for a couple of weeks while everybody kind of calms down from all that excitement.

Word on the street is the Wooster Group is now rehearsing their show North Atlantic, considered by many one of their excellent ones. It will be shown in March in New York at the Baryshnikov Arts Center and is definitely worth an early booking.

I'll write again as I hear of good shows. "Jerk" was a favorite at the Coil Festival at PS122 and very likely to be brought back for a longer run.
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Magg 2yrs+
One of the best things about New York theater in midtown is being able to hit restaurant row on West 46th Street. For great prixe fix deals on dinner show meals make sure you check out the restaurants that between 8th and 9th avenues. There is plenty to choose from -- from Italian, Spanish, Steak Houses, Chinese, Japanese and French.
Be sure to show up early because it can get pretty crowded.

For cheaper faire, walk along 9th avenue between 46th and 54th avenues. You'll find smaller restaurants for theater goers on a budget.
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Uraniumfish 2yrs+
Okay, Mayeg, but in this would probably only be useful if you're going to see Broadway shows. I kinda made this post to highlight all the OTHER kinds of theater that are made in the city besides the Broadway stuff, including experimental, independent, and off-off-Broadway shows. If you'll notice, none of the venues I listed are in Midtown, they tend to be downtown, actually.
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Long Island City has a lot on now - check out The Secret Theatre. They're doing loads of improvisational/experimental Shakespeare, including the rather bizarre pairing of Titus Andronicus and Midsummer's Night Dream in repertory .At just $15 a ticket, it's a serious bargain. Also, for $10 cover + $10 drink minimum, Jim Caruso's Cast Party every Monday night at Birdland is a great option for Broadway fans without the dosh - it's an open mike night that tends to be up-and-coming Broadway performers hoping to garner buzz.

That said, if you're willing to shell out the big bucks, I just saw "A Little Night Music" on Broadway with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury and it's seriously worth it - some of the minor cast is a bit "off" vocally, but CZJ has enormous stage presence, it's worth the money alone for the audience's adoring response to Lansbury, and it's a great script/score.
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