Charles Quittner

Thank goodness for the grand feats of woke escapism that took over New York venues this year. Charles Quittner reflects on his favorite theatrical events featuring pirates, pirates, more pirates, and drag queens.

The fireworks found in every Baz Luhrmann film are on display in Vegas supplied by three fabulous women in BAZ- Star Crossed Love.

New York theatre stuck it to the patriarchy this year with healthy-for-the-soul offerings like A 24 Decade History of Popular Music, O, Earth, The Wolves, and more!

Irondale Ensemble's 1599 tackles one of William Shakespeare's finest years with incredibly acted hour long adaptations of Henry V, Julius Caesar, As You Like it, and Hamlet.

William Burke's new play suspends actors in a net above the audience of JACK set to an awesome score.

Radical Oklahoma!! Melodramatic vampires! Hamilton! Charles Quittner counts down the top 11 shows he saw this year.

Tempests, tricks, and twin antics are told surprisingly well in an early 20th century Christmas party setting In Esperance Theatre Company's inaugural production of Twelfth Night, solidifying the title's setting on the twelfth day of Christmas.

From a Milli Vanilli opera to Hamlet, Charles Quittner recounts the boldest theatrical pieces from 2014.

You simply must visit The Civillians' new home. A downtown mainstay, the investigative theatre troupe began their Metropolitan Museum residence September 12th their revealing and brilliant cabaret, Let Me Ascertain You in the Petrie Court Cafe.

The new absurdist comedy, Teach Teacher, Teachest, One-Eighth Theater and INTAR Theatre pits Ionesco against Lazy Town and other supercharged pre-school aimed shows for highly entertaining results.

Corruption and power fit together like a key in a lock. Political scandal is tragically and comically normalized in William Shakespeare's relevant dark comedy Measure for Measure, presented with thematic simplicity and ingenuity by Fiasco Theater at the New Victory Theater playing now through March 16.

George Salazar, currently performing in Godspell at the Circle in the Square Theater, will be joining the cast of Missed Connections for their opening night performance in the FRIGID New York Festival on Wednesday, February 22.

In today's obsessed with being obsessed society, it is a wonder why the "cult" hasn't been thrown around more. The obvious cult-prit would be a certain "church" with many a celebrity follower but with high profile media dominating forces like Kim Kardashian, The cast of Jersey Shore, and Tea-Parties permeating our lingo, and general imaginations, a clever little bill like "Follow The Leader," playing at Triskelion Arts seems ripe of relevance.

Minimum Rage, the new solo show from Sue Smith (The Good Wife), returns to the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre (307 W. 26th Street) at 8pm on Thursday, December 22. Tickets are $5, which includes admission to Minimum Rage and Pose and can be reserved here.

TADA! Youth Theater is busy whistling while they work preparing for their week-long holiday camp, December 27-30. This camp is just one of the programs the 27-year-old TADA! produces, in fact they are currently preparing for the musical, The History Mystery, which opens on January 20 (and runs through February 19). The Drama Desk and Coming Up Taller Award-winning TADA! provides young people of all different backgrounds the opportunity to explore and perform musical theater together in an educational, supportive, and professional environment.

Dael Orlandersmith has crafted an affecting, packed tale of addiction in the scope of a well-to-do white family that comes full circle in many shocking ways.

With site-specific theatre, the audience should get a sense of varying point of views and leave many grey areas to ponder after the show. Unfortunately, 'It Is Done,' the new thriller now playing at the Mean Fiddler bar, is purely black and white.

The concept of nightclub musicals being performed as if in the Cabaret, or perhaps La Cage if you prefer, has been turned on its rear. 'The Fartiste,' a clever new musical directed by John Gould Rubin, transforms the entire downstairs area of Sofia's into the infamous Moulin Rouge, complete with can-can girls and a riotous emcee. The talented 6-person cast filled the entire space throughout the 90 minute show fully immersing the audience into the world of Joseph Pujol.

The wardrobe sure has gotten petite since it's gigantic 2005 film adaptation. Inventively set to a smaller scale, and a shorter running time for a younger audience, Off Broadway Family Theatre's production of 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' gives a fresh new look at the classic novel.

AMZ Creative, LLC announced it is accepting submissions for the 2012 Voices Inside Playwriting Residency at Northpoint Training Center, a male population medium security prison in Burgin, Kentucky.