Helene Ellford

Like it or hate it, Yelp is an undeniable force in American culture. Like Google, it's become a verb, as in, 'I Yelped the restaurant that gave my reservation away!,' or 'I'm going to Yelp the mechanic who installed brakes instead of a timing belt!'Yelp reviews can go viral, as with the recent post by a Kyle O. from Texas about Berghain, an exclusive Berlin nightclub that is actually a gay sex mecca. They can even cost a Yale professor a deanship, as with June Y. Chu, whose elitist, mean-spirited reviews of multiple New Haven businesses added yet more fuel to the flame of anti-Yale sentiment nationwide. SELF-YELP, then, a two-woman short play by Helene Ellford and Emily Thomas featured both at the Midtown International Theater Festival and the Strawberry One-Act Festival, could not be more timely. The five vignettes are drawn from Yelp reviews in New York City, and while the thread tying these reviews together is tenuous, the writing is consistently funny. The small audience (under ten people) laughed through most of the 30 minute piece.

The Midtown International Theatre Festival returns for another summer of quality stage works, July 15 - August 6, 2017 at the WorkShop (312 W. 36th Street, NYC). New York's oldest continuing theater festival will present 100 plays in 23 days!

The Midtown International Theatre Festival returns for another summer of quality stage works.

Inspired by real Yelp reviews and the people who write them, Self Yelp is a character-based show starring and written by Helene Ellford & Emily Thomas which will have eight performances July 14 - August 1 this summer as a part of both the Midtown International Theatre Festival and the Strawberry One Act Festival.

The Riant Theatre - the Audelco Award-winning nonprofit providing a nurturing developmental environment for playwrights and theatre creators of diverse cultural backgrounds - presents THE STRAWBERRY ONE-ACT FESTIVAL. A celebration of cultural diversity, THE STRAWBERRY ONE-ACT FESTIVAL will be presented at the Theatre at St. Clement's (423 West 46th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues, NYC) beginning today, July 13th. The festival will continue through Sunday, July 30th, 2017.

The Midtown International Theatre Festival returns for another summer of quality stage works, July 15 - August 6, 2017 at the WorkShop (312 W. 36th Street, NYC). New York's oldest continuing theater festival will present 100 plays in 23 days!

This is an auspicious year for John Chatterton and the Midtown International Theatre Festival. MITF is now the OLDEST CONTINUING THEATRE FESTIVAL IN NEW YORK! John Chatterton has set the gold standard for presenting new and exciting independent theatrical works in NYC. This year's special festival brings more than 100 productions to Manhattan - as well as an astounding number of international works. The 18th Annual Midtown International Theatre Festival once again proves itself to be one of the best reasons to stay in New York in July!

Inspired by real Yelp reviews and the people who write them, Self Yelp is a character-based show starring and written by Helene Ellford & Emily Thomas which will have eight performances July 14 - August 1 this summer as a part of both the Midtown International Theatre Festival and the Strawberry One Act Festival.

The Riant Theatre -- the Audelco Award-winning nonprofit providing a nurturing developmental environment for playwrights and theatre creators of diverse cultural backgrounds -- proudly presents THE STRAWBERRY ONE-ACT FESTIVAL.

This is an auspicious year for John Chatterton and the Midtown International Theatre Festival. MITF is now the OLDEST CONTINUING THEATRE FESTIVAL IN NEW YORK! John Chatterton has set the gold standard for presenting new and exciting independent theatrical works in NYC. This year's special festival brings more than 100 productions to Manhattan - as well as an astounding number of international works. The 18th Annual Midtown International Theatre Festival once again proves itself to be one of the best reasons to stay in New York in July!

The Midtown International Theatre Festival returns for another summer of quality stage works.

LMAO OFF BROADWAY – the interactive musical Improv comedy show by EIGHT IS NEVER ENOUGH - is teaming up with the power hosue team of BIG D & the Closers at the Broadway Comedy Club (318 West 53rd Street, New York, NY 10019). Tickets are now on sale for the Saturday 20th performance at 8pm via Theatermania ($25 at the door or call 866-811-4111; Group Sales SGF PRODUCTIONS 212-568-6560).

For fans of improv comedy this innovative show combines The Harold, a form created by Charna Halpern and Del Close in Chicago and long since considered a cornerstone of longform improv, with a new element: cue music! In the style of Baby Wants Candy, and Broadway's Next Hit Musical, Big D performs an entirely improvised musical Harold right before your very eyes. It's basically like Seinfeld meets Book of Mormon. Watch it. You'll never be the same again.

The NYC Cabaret Festival 2013 is under way and excited to present some exciting shows guaranteed to tickle your funny bone. From now through October 6, in addition to traditional cabaret singers and musicians - and a few not-so-traditional - NYCCF2013 is full of a full range of comedy shows for all tastes.

HOMO: THE MUSICAL will resume performances tomorrow, Saturday, November 3, with performances at 8 PM and 10 PM. There is an added a matinee on Sunday, November 4 at 2 PM, which is their final performance.

Mustache Ride Entertainment in association with Royal Family Productions present Homo the Musical!, written and directed by Lola Rock-N-Rolla with music & lyrics by Gina Volpe, and choreography by Aliane Baquerot, It continues performances through November 3, 2012 at The Wild Project (195 E 3rd). Get a first look at the production in the photos below!

Mustache Ride Entertainment in association with Royal Family Productions present Homo the Musical!, written and directed by Lola Rock-N-Rolla with music & lyrics by Gina Volpe, and choreography by Aliane Baquerot, It begins performances on October 12 - November 3, 2012 at The Wild Project (195 E 3rd), tickets are $18 and available by visiting www.homothemusical.com or call 212.352.3101.

Mustache Ride Entertainment in association with Royal Family Productions present Homo the Musical!, written and directed by Lola Rock-N-Rolla with music & lyrics by Gina Volpe, and choreography by Aliane Baquerot, It begins performances on October 12 - November 3, 2012 at The Wild Project (195 E 3rd), tickets are $18 and available by visiting www.homothemusical.com or call 212.352.3101.

Rent A White Guy, a new multilingual musical fable about life for laowai (foreigners) living in China, will get its New York premiere at the Secret Theatre in Long Island City this September.