Deep Blue Sound
Where: The Public Theater
When: Through April 5
Why It's Worth a Look: Clubbed Thumb is one of the downtown theater hubs you can routinely look to for interesting new plays, and Deep Blue Sound (from the writer Abe Koogler) is ending its run at the Public after premiering during the company's Summerworks series in 2023. Starring Maryann Plunkett, who won an Obie for the role in 2024, it takes place in the Pacific Northwest as a community addresses a missing pod of orcas.
The Reclamation by Reggie Wilson/Fist and Heel Performance Group
Where: NYU Skirball
When: April 4 - 5
Why It's Worth a Look: Founded in 1989, Fist and Heel is a fascinating Brooklyn-based dance company that describes its mission as to use "the spiritual and mundane traditions of Africa and its Diaspora." This new work from artistic director Reggie Wilson both reclaims and redefines his own earlier work—and sees him taking center stage at his alma mater.
Ailey II
Where: Citigroup Theater
When: Through April 6
Why It's Worth a Look: New York recently got an inspiring dose of Alvin Ailey thanks to a blockbuster show at the Whitney that highlighted how his choreography responded to and shaped Black art. Now, you can see Ailey II, the company that highlights young dancers training in the groundbreaking choreographer's practice. In Ailey II's latest stint, the dancers perform works by their late founder, of course, but also Judith Jamison, Ailey's muse who died in November, and Houston Thomas, a new voice who carries on his legacy.
The Cherry Orchard
Where: St. Ann's Warehouse
When: Through April 27
Why It's Worth a Look: You probably know German actor Nina Hoss best as Cate Blanchett's smoldering wife in Tár. Here, she takes on one of Anton Chekhov's grandest heroines in a version of The Cherry Orchard coming from the Donmar Warehouse in London. Set against an intriguing geometric backdrop of a set, this beautiful but very current interpretation from Benedict Andrews has been praised for highlighting the play's comedy, which tackles the dying dreams of the aristocracy.
A Streetcar Named Desire
Where: BAM
When: Through April 6
Why It's Worth a Look: Internet Boyfriend Paul Mescal gives a beastly performance as Stanley Kowalski in this take on Tennessee Williams's lust-soaked drama, imported from London. But while Mescal's name might be the draw, his two leading ladies are equally entrancing. Patsy Ferran is a Blanche DuBois conscious of how her manipulations serve as a means of self survival, and Anjana Vasan is a Stella who refuses naivete. It all meshes together in director Rebecca Frecknall's production—making the text feel more modern than ever before.
Dances of the Mind by the Martha Graham Dance Company
Where: The Joyce
When: April 1 - 13
Why It's Worth a Look: Martha Graham was the mother of modern dance, and her company is in residence at the Joyce for the first half of April. They are performing three different programs, all of which pair classic Graham pieces with the work of new choreographers—putting the past and present in conversation. Watch out for the Isamu Noguchi sets in the Greek-infused Clytemnestra Act II and Errand into the Maze.
Vanya
Where: Lucille Lortel Theatre
When: Through May 11
Why It's Worth a Look: Want Chekhov of a different nature? Try this: Andrew Scott, best known as Fleabag's Hot Priest, plays every role in this version of Uncle Vanya. It's an opportunity to see what an incredibly virtuosic performer Scott is as he shifts between the pitiful titular character and the lovelorn Sonya.
Becoming Eve
Where: Abrons Art Center
When: Through April 27
Why It's Worth a Look: Fresh off her Broadway debut in Romeo + Juliet, Tommy Dorfman stars in this play based on Abby Chava Stein's memoir of the same name about coming out as trans after being raised in a Hasidic family. Adapted by Emil Weinstein, the production also stars Tony-winner Brandon Uranowitz all while tackling a rabbinical discussion of identity.
Purpose
Where: Helen Hayes Theatre
When: Through July 6
Why It's Worth a Look: Branden Jacobs Jenkins is one of the best living American playwrights. You know that if you saw his searing drama Appropriate on Broadway last season. Now he's back with Purpose, another take on the brutal truths of kin, this one centering on the Jaspers, a prominent Black family with some real-world analogues. The legendary Phylicia Rashad directs.
