\ud83c\udfad NEW! Off-Broadway Theatre Newsletter<\/p>\n
New York Theatre Workshop (Artistic Director Patricia McGregor<\/a>; Managing Director Maya Choldin) has announced additional details for the first-ever IN THE BRICKS Festival, a curated festival of intimate work exploring the elemental connection between performer, audience, and the present moment. The festival will take place May 5 through June 14, 2026, with a Festival Celebration on May 13.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfad NEW! Off-Broadway Theatre Newsletter<\/p>\n The IN THE BRICKS Festival will feature The Peculiar Patriot, written and performed by Liza Jessie Peterson<\/a> and directed by Talvin Wilks<\/a>, co-presented with National Black Theatre<\/a> in association with Lena Waithe<\/a>. Also newly announced is The Unexpected 3RD: A Radical, Rollicking Rumination on the Optimism of Staying Alive, written and performed by NYTW Usual Suspect Kathryn Grody<\/a> and directed by Timothy Near<\/a>. Both productions will play in repertory at 79 E 4th Street.<\/p>\n Presented in repertory at 83 E 4th Street will be Mention My Beauty, written and performed by Leslie Ayvazian<\/a> and directed by David Warren<\/a>, and Sardines (a comedy about death), written and performed by Chris Grace<\/a> and directed by Eric Michaud<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Horse of Jenin, written and performed by Alaa Shehada, will be presented with PlayCo as screenings at Cinema Village (22 E 12th Street). NYTW had previously planned in-person performances of the piece; however, in November 2025, Shehada was detained by Customs and Border Patrol while attempting to enter the U.S. on a valid O1-B visa and was denied entry. Screenings will be presented in lieu of live performances. NYTW, PlayCo, and producing partners remain committed to ensuring Palestinian voices are heard.<\/p>\n Single tickets for the IN THE BRICKS Festival start at $30. A limited number of festival passes will be available for $120. NYTW member and donor priority booking begins February 23, with public on-sale March 10 at 1 p.m. ET.<\/p>\n PRESENTED IN REPERTORY @ 79 E 4TH STREET<\/p>\n THE PECULIAR PATRIOT<\/p>\n Written and Performed by Liza Jessie Peterson<\/a> Inspired by Peterson\u2019s decades-long work with prison populations, including at Rikers Island, this one-person show examines the human impact of mass incarceration. The piece traces the migration of systemic injustice from plantation to prison yard through the story of Betsy LaQuanda Ross, a self-proclaimed \u201cpeculiar patriot\u201d who regularly visits incarcerated loved ones.<\/p>\n THE UNEXPECTED 3RD: A RADICAL, ROLLICKING RUMINATION ON THE OPTIMISM OF STAYING ALIVE<\/p>\n Written and Performed by Kathryn Grody<\/a> NYTW Usual Suspect Kathryn Grody<\/a> reflects on entering elderhood at 79, exploring aging, democracy, climate change, grief, and discovery in a personal, humorous meditation on impermanence.<\/p>\n PRESENTED IN REPERTORY @ 83 E 4TH STREET<\/p>\n MENTION MY BEAUTY<\/p>\n Written and Performed by Leslie Ayvazian<\/a> Ayvazian shares stories of navigating the anti-war movement, the women\u2019s movement, and the sexual revolution while grappling with the expectations of Armenian parents shaped by the Genocide of 1915.<\/p>\n SARDINES (A COMEDY ABOUT DEATH)<\/p>\n Written and Performed by Chris Grace<\/a> A hit at the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Sardines explores mortality, art-making, and joy through humor and reflection. The show asks whether we can fully enjoy life while knowing how it ends.<\/p>\n SCREENINGS PRESENTED @ CINEMA VILLAGE (22 E 12TH STREET)<\/p>\n THE HORSE OF JENIN<\/p>\n Written and Performed by Alaa Shehada Blending storytelling, mask, and stand-up comedy, The Horse of Jenin reflects on a sculpture built from the debris of invasion in Occupied Palestine and its symbolic role in the life of the playwright. Screenings will run May 8\u201314 at 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m., and 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 plus fees.<\/p>\n FOR THE CULTURE SERIES EVENTS<\/p>\n Through its For the Culture Series, NYTW will host affinity events during the festival, including a masterclass with Chris Grace<\/a>, open salons centered on art and incarceration, a community mixer, an Open Streets salon presented with FABnyc, and a Longest Table gathering focused on storytelling and connection.<\/p>\n ADDITIONAL NYTW PROGRAMMING<\/p>\n Also beginning performances later this month at NYTW is the World Premiere of My Joy is Heavy by The Bengsons<\/a>, directed by Rachel Chavkin<\/a>, running February 25 through April 5, 2026.<\/p>\n Founded to empower visionary theatre-makers, NYTW has mounted more than 150 productions, including Rent, Once, Hadestown, and Slave Play, earning a Pulitzer Prize, 29 Tony Awards, and numerous other honors.<\/p>\n
\nDirected by Talvin Wilks<\/a><\/p>\n
\nDirected by Timothy Near<\/a><\/p>\n
\nDirected by David Warren<\/a><\/p>\n
\nDirected by Eric Michaud<\/a><\/p>\n
\nDirected by Katrien Van Beurden<\/a> and Thomas Van Ouwerkerk<\/a><\/p>\n