Theatr Insiders | A Freeky Monday
Including recs from Theatr Insiders, latest theatre news, funny community comments, and closing shows
👋 Hello and welcome back!
👀 What’s new in the theatre world?
We’re in luck because George Clooney-led Good Night, and Good Luck will be broadcast live from Broadway on CNN. Read more.
Bobby Cannavale, James Corden, and Neil Patrick Harris will lead ART on Broadway for a limited run starting September 16 at the Music Box Theatre. Read more.
Life is painless for Derek Klena because he will return to Wicked as Fiyero 12 years after he left. Read more.
📝 What Our Insiders Have Seen Recently
This week we’re sharing reflections from our Theatr Insiders on Off-Broadway shows around the city, A Freeky Introduction, Lunar Eclipse, Eurydice, Bowl EP, and Creditors.
A Freeky Introduction
📍Atlantic Stage 2
👍 Recommended by Sid
@Sid_xs7 | A data scientist living near broadway
A Real Freaky Night (In the Best Way Possible) It’s hard to describe this show without spoiling its surprises—but let’s try. Imagine a one-man performance that feels more like a party than a play, where a wildly charismatic performer guides you through stories, poems and sonic chaos. Add a DJ on stage—not just in the background, but actively spinning the vibe. It is a real freaky experience, but not in a creepy way. It’s playful, joyous, a little raunchy at times, and thoroughly celebratory. Yes, there are some pretty graphic moments. But it’s never gratuitous. It’s always in service of something warmer, livelier, and fundamentally optimistic. This show doesn’t wallow in pain—it sparkles with confidence and livelihood. Audience participation is essential though. The energy in the room, the willingness to cheer, laugh, or even dance, determines the performance. If you’re willing to dive in and surrender to the vibe, you’ll likely have a blast. If you’re more introverted, though, maybe skip the front row—unless you’re ready to be part of the show. What sets this performance apart isn’t just its tone, but its form. The interplay between performer and DJ adds dimension: soft and sensual transitions, sudden bursts of club energy, moments of silent tension and live spontaneity. The whole experience is fluid and constantly shifting, like a dream laced with humor and glitter and the occasional deep question about what it means to live freely. It may not be for everyone, but for the right crowd, it’s a night you’ll remember. Read more
Lunar Eclipse
📍The Pershing Square Signature Center
👍 Recommended by Tyler
@tylernabinger | NYC-based washed up theater kid
On paper, I wasn’t expecting for this play to resonate with me — a two-hander about a roughly retirement-age couple spending a night in a field on their Kentucky farm. But to my surprise, the whole thing ended up having an uncanny resemblance to my own parents, so I was all in. Lunar Eclipse by Donald Margulies is a quiet and naturalistic portrait of two people who are old enough to know exactly who they are, but still manage to find meaningful and unexpected conversation with each other through their mutual curiosity. As they observe the stages of the eclipse, they talk about everything — life, love, loss, grief, their futures, their pasts, their regrets and worries. Over the course of the play, we learn about various events in their joint history which are gradually and naturally revealed, providing some well-needed specificity for these characters who are otherwise pretty ordinary. I thought the naturalistic performances and writing were both very strong, and as I mentioned, I found this unexpectedly resonant on a personal level. Although this play isn’t doing anything new or particularly interesting, I would argue that its familiarity is part of its charm. Read more
Eurydice
📍Signature Theatre
👍 Recommended by Alyssa
@alyssaj | Actor, writer, theatre maker, UNCSA Drama graduate. Thought-provoking contemporary theatre exterior, nerdy middle school musical theatre interior. Lover of all kinds of theatre.
I love this play. I'm biased because I have loved this play since I worked on it in sophomore year of college, but nonetheless, I love this play. It's a story that we all know the ending of—and yet Ruhl somehow injects more hope, more love, more humanity into the familiarly tragic myth. This exists in the text already, but was aided in the excellent and specific direction from Les Waters. The actors are all brilliant. I'm always at least a little wary of the now-colloquially-known-as nepo babies, but I've liked Maya's screen work and was open to whatever was to come. And she did NOT disappoint. The casting was superb--and the show was not just carried by Maya but beautiful woven by Brian D'arcy James and Caleb Eberhardt. They were already some of my faves. The set and lighting design were inventive, beautiful, sometimes frightening. Costumes terrific as well. A very cohesive production that came together to make me cry. Multiple times. Thanks Sarah Ruhl. To top it all off, I got a $30 ticket w/ signature's 30under30 program, and I was second row. It's a little wacky, kind of scary, very sweet, and warmly sad. See this if you can. Read more
Bowl EP
📍Vineyard Theatre
😐 Mixed Feelings from Aj
@ashowgoer | I’m a longtime arts manager with degrees in directing and producing who has worked with a variety of theatrical and cinematic organizations.
An interesting, non-traditional play that focuses more on character than plot. The story is broken up into little vignettes and then morphs into something else entirely midway through. While I can’t say I loved it, I admired what the playwright was trying to do, appreciated the performances, and thought the staging / set was very cool and memorable. This won’t be the cup of tea for many theatergoers who are used to traditional plays. It’s very Black, very gay, and very sexual — and wears those things very proudly. Read more
Creditors
📍Minetta Lane Theatre
👍 Recommended by Brandon
@brandongarciaw | A theatre journalist with a focus mainly on Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. There is nothing more exciting than getting lost in a performance. I am here to reflect on a wide variety of shows, from those who honor Theatre history, to those who are changing its future.
Adapting a play more than a hundred years old is no easy task, yet the team behind Creditors makes it look easy. The play, originally by 19th century Swedish playwright August Strindberg, has been skillfully adapted by Jen Silverman. Silverman brings the show into our modern era while staying true to the naturalism the original script is known for. From the first moment he speaks, Liev Schreiber has audiences leaning forward in their seats. His ability to create intimacy onstage is masterful. Even in a packed house, it’s as if Schreiber is sharing a secret with just you. Though there are times the show lacks urgency, the exploration of what it means to have a healthy romantic relationship keeps audiences engaged. The play’s character-driven storytelling allows audiences to ponder in real time their own romantic relationships, both past and present. The result is a story that may sound a bit absurd on paper, but is wildly captivating and forever timely on stage. Read more
🤣 Comments from the Community
Highlighting funny comments that you all have made on currently-running shows — Want the chance to be featured in our newsletter? Post your funniest reaction of a show on Theatr!
Just in Time
Floyd Collins
Othello
Producing a show in NYC in 2025?
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💨 Closing in Two Weeks
The Death of Rasputin | The Arts Center at Governors Island | Closing on 5/31
Short Plays Where the Queers Win (Mostly) | WOW Cafe Theater | Closing on 5/31
The Last Bimbo of the Apocalypse | The Pershing Square Signature Center | Closing on 6/1
Ballet Hipánico | New York City Center | Closing on 6/1
The United States vs Ulysses | Irish Arts Center | Closing on 6/1
PUPPETOPIA 2025 | HERE Arts Center | Closing on 6/1
Il Barbiere di Siviglia | The Metropolitan Opera | Closing on 6/5
La Bohème | The Metropolitan Opera | Closing on 6/6
Shun Ishiwaka: Jazz Transcending | Japan Society | Closing on 6/7
The Queen of Spades | The Metropolitan Opera | Closing on 6/7
Antony and Cleopatra | The Metropolitan Opera | Closing on 6/7
Goddess | The Public Theater | Closing on 6/8
Bowl EP | Vineyard Theatre | Closing on 6/8
Good Night, and Good Luck | Winter Garden Theatre | Closing on 6/8
Othello | Barrymore Theatre | Closing on 6/8