Welcome to the NYTW Blog—a resource for behind-the-scenes insights on our productions, share-outs from the classroom penned by teaching artists, community partner spotlights, and a peek behind the curtain to see how work gets made at NYTW.

BIPOC Critics Lab: A Chat with Kristina Wong, interviewed by Gamaliel Arroyo

Gamaliel Arroyo (they/he) got the chance to chat with actor, writer, activist, and performance artist Kristina Wong (she/her) about her staged show Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord before it began performances at NYTW. From uncovering government-failed outreach during the height of the pandemic to how to spend only $50 a month on groceries, they uncover a lot on how pre- and post-pandemic life has changed us. So, grab some headphones and listen in on a conversation that unfolds Kristina’s experience during the pandemic and how she was able to make that reality into a zoom show and luckily with some mask and vaccine mandates, a one-woman staged show.

November 16, 2021 by Gamaliel Arroyo


“Theatre at its Best and Most Essential”

Diep Tran pens a deeply moving review on KRISTINA WONG, SWEATSHOP OVERLORD, and asks us to wrestle with the same question Kristina poses at the end of the show, “​​”What do you hope for as we move forward? Will you be generous in more than times of crisis?”

November 5, 2021 by Diep Tran for New York Theatre Guide


Get to Know NYTW Lingo

If you’re new to our community, you may be puzzled at first by some of the jargon you frequently encounter in conversations and our media. We’ve taken familiar words and adapted them in unique ways that have become a part of our culture! So, we thought we’d take a minute to loop you in!

October 14, 2021 by Gaven Trinidad, NYTW Community Engagement Associate


Restarting Shows After the Shutdown

Usual Suspects Jocelyn Bioh and Martyna Majok chat with Gordon Cox about what it means to bring back their plays after the COVID shutdown.

September 29, 2021 by Gordon Cox for Variety


Rediscovering Sanctuary City

On March 11, 2020, Sanctuary City unknowingly played its final performance to audiences. The next day Broadway theatres (and NYTW) announced a shutdown in response to the rising transmission rates of the coronavirus in NYC. Sanctuary City was in previews for only a week before the closure, which was originally planned for 30 days, but extended nearly 18 months. Over that period, the set and lights remained intact at the Lucille Lortel Theater and the company stayed in contact, eager to return to the play.  On September 8, 2020, the cast and crew performed the play for the first time to a live audience since the closure.

September 20, 2021 by Aaron Malkin, NYTW Literary Director and Dramaturg


Singing and Dancing on East 4th Street

In March 2020, NYTW and Poetic Theater Productions quickly transitioned the Open Mic Night series into the virtual space. From the very first virtual Open Mic Night, artists from across the globe were chiming in every month to share poetry, music, dance, theatre, and movement in response to themes that spoke to the political and cultural moment. With the reopening of public spaces after more than a year, NYTW and Poetic Theater Productions wanted to find a way to finally provide space for some of these artists to come together, meet, and perform live in-person. Why not perform outside on the streets of New York?

September 1, 2021 by Gaven Trinidad, Jeremy Karafin, and Frank Murdocco


Meet our 2050 Administrative Fellows for the 2021/22 Season!

As we make a return to live performance and NYTW staff heads back to our offices, we are proud to announce the Fellows that will be joining us this September as part of the 2050 Administrative Fellowship for the 2021/22 Season.  

“This vital program has been a tremendous source of talent and energy in our community over the last several years. While ultimately the right call, it was a painful decision to forgo having a new cohort of Fellows last year, and their absence was deeply felt. We could not be more excited to be welcoming these eight talented young people to the Workshop in September!” said Artistic Director James C. Nicola and Managing Director Jeremy Blocker. 

August 24, 2021 by NYTW


Summers at Dartmouth are Back!

For 30 years, our Summer Residency at Dartmouth College has been the beating heart of our Workshop activity. Our Workshop is not about readying work for production, but about giving artists the space to experiment and ask the challenging questions about their work. For three weeks each August, our Artistic Staff and a group of artists gather in the Upper Valley, working on particular projects, building community, and finding respite from the demands and frenetic energy of routine in NYC (and beyond).

August 11, 2021 by Aaron Malkin, NYTW Literary Director and Dramaturg


REST IS RADICAL

Star of SEMBLANCE Nikiya Mathis pens a Career Dispatch where she digs into her experience during the pandemic and why rest is not a luxury, but a critical part of the revolution.

August 6, 2021 by By Nikiya Mathis for BACKSTAGE


ONE WEEK MORE!

In less than one week, we will welcome audiences back to East 4th Street for the first time in over 500 days, and as writer/director Whitney White says, “It’s not gonna look like anything you’ve seen before!” Whitney and star of SEMBLANCE Nikiya Mathis sit down with Rebecca Ibarra to chat about the filmed theatrical presentation that begins our 2021/22 season.

July 28, 2021 by Rebecca Ibara for WNYC