The 11th Annual East Side Stories features 12 new plays and solo performances chronicling the real estate, riots, rising development and real-life stories of a neighborhood in flux
Cast of Alphabet City. From left: Jody Christopherson, Tammy McNeill, Brigitte Barnett, Lillian Rodriguez, Jason C. Brown and Randy Lee
OBIE Award-winning theater company Metropolitan Playhouse will present the 11th Annual East Side Stories, a three-week celebration of the life and lore of the East Village featuring twelve new plays and solo performances chronicling such timely topics as real estate, rising development and the loss of old neighbors as well as historical events like the Astor Place and Tompkins Square Riots. Performances begin April 14.
East Village Chronicles features new plays inspired by the life, lore and history of the diverse neighborhood. Alphabet City features solo performances derived verbatim from interviews with local residents.
2014 ESS Play: gen-tri-fi-ca-tion, noun, by Kathy Coudle King Mikel Lambert
The program of performances is as follows:
RIOTS
Two new plays about turbulence in the East Village
B’Hoys Do Macbeth
Written by Jonathon Ward
Directed by Mike Durkin
In 1849, an African American entrepreneur caught between rival gangs of New York and the Upper Ten Percent gets entangled in a Shakespearean-sized conflict that leads to the Astor Place Riot, one of the bloodiest in New York City’s history.
Tomkins ’88
Written by Suzaenne Willett
Directed by Mike Durkin
A council member, an anarchist, a real estate developer, a communist and a cop try to work out a deal to stop the Tompkins Square Riots of 1988.
Tuesday, April 14 at 7:30pm
Saturday, April 18 at 1pm
Sunday, April 19 at 7pm
Thursday, April 23 at 7pm
Saturday, April 25 at 7pm
Monday, April 27 at 7pm
Wednesday, April 29 at 7pm
Saturday, May 2 at 4pm
REAL ESTATE
Four new plays about the greatest game in town
Kiko
Written by John Von Hartz
Directed by Wendy Merritt
Feeling unaccepted in her East Village neighborhood, a successful professional reaches out to a street-wise mechanic and his savvy sidekick, who happens to be a dog.
2014 ESS Play: Locked, by David Vazdauskas
Thomas F. Walsh and Valeri Mudek
East Village Vignette: An Improbable Romance
Written by Al Meglin
Directed by Wendy Merritt
Can a funky, finicky flutist best a demon real estate agent at her own game?
Real Estate of Emergence
Written by Elise Marenson
Directed by Wendy Merritt
A family with deep roots in the neighborhood prepares for eviction from skyrocketing rents, overshadowed by rampant new construction out their window. But grandma has a radical fight in her, a secret weapon.
Post-Establishment
Written by Evan Allgood
Directed by Wendy Merritt
Two hipsters find themselves in either an abandoned building or the most cutting-edge hangout in all of the city.
Thursday, April 16 at 7pm
Saturday, April 18 at 7pm
Sunday, April 19 at 4pm
Wednesday, April 22 at 7pm
Saturday, April 25 at 4pm
Sunday, April 26 at 1pm
Friday, May 1 at 7pm
Sunday, May 3 at 7pm
10th Annual ESS Play: Resistance, by Armand Ruhlman David Rankin.
THE INDELIBLE
Three new monologues based on interviews with our neighbors, told entirely in their own words
Lillian Rodriguez as Jonas Mekas
Directed by Chris Harcum
Jonas Mekas founded the Film-Makers’ Cooperative in 1962 and the Film-Makers’ Cinematheque in 1964, which grew into Anthology Film Archives, one of the world’s largest and most important repositories of avant-garde cinema.
Jason Brown as Jeanise Aviles
Directed by Chris Harcum
An account of Hair Artist/Color Specialist/WigMaker/Performance Artist/KnitBomber Jeanise Aviles
Tammy McNeill as Jimmy Webb
Directed by Chris Harcum
The story of Jimmy Webb, “The Punk Peter Pan”, trailblazing manager and buyer for the iconic Trash and Vaudeville
THE INDELIBLE will be presented on the following dates:
Wednesday, April 15 at 7pm
Saturday, April 18 at 4pm
Monday, April 20 at 7pm
Friday, April 24 at 7pm
Sunday, April 26 at 4pm
Tuesday, April 28 at 7pm
Saturday, May 2 at 7pm
Sunday, May 3 at 1pm
THE VANGUARD
Three new monologues based on interviews with our neighbors, told entirely in their own words
Brigitte Barnett as Alex Harsley Alex Harsley is a visionary and photographer who is founder and director of the Lower East Side’s 4th Street Photo Gallery Jody Christopherson as Clove Galilee A glimpse of Clove Galilee, experimental theater artist, choreographer, Mabou Mines Artistic Associate and daughter of Lee Breuer and Ruth Maleczech Randy Lee as Corlie Ohl Corlie Ohl is your friendly, bossy, sassy and giving real estate agent
Directed by Chris Harcum
Directed by Chris Harcum
Directed by Chris Harcum
Friday, April 17 at 7pm
Sunday, April 19 at 1pm
Tuesday, April 21 at 7pm
Saturday, April 25 at 1pm
Sunday, April 26 at 7pm
Thursday, April 30 at 7pm
Saturday, May 2 at 1pm
Sunday, May 3 at 4pm
East Side Stories will be presented from April 14 through May 3, 2015 at Metropolitan Playhouse, located at 220 East 4th Street in New York City.
East Side Stories Festival Passes granting admission to all four programs for the discount rate of $50 are available by visiting www.MetropolitanPlayhouse.org or calling (800) 838-3006.
Single tickets ($20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors, $10 for children under 18) are also on sale.
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