Theater for the New City's 2021 Street Theater Tour to Play to Live Audiences in All Five NYC Boroughs

Theater for the New City's award-winning Street Theater Company will return to playing for live audiences this year, opening its 2021 annual tour July 31 with "Critical Care, or Rehearsals for a Nurse," a rip-roaring original musical which tells the story of a young person studying to be a nurse who, in order to pay for tuition and books, takes a job in a nursing home. Free performances will tour parks, playgrounds and closed-off streets throughout the five boroughs through September 12. Book, lyrics and direction are by Crystal Field; the musical score is composed and arranged by Joseph Vernon Banks. (Schedule follows at bottom of this document.)

In the musical's story, a third year nursing student finds a job as a nurse's aid in a nursing home, where residents dance before her eyes, becoming superstars as they sing "Who We Really Are." They are menaced by the dreaded Covid-19 virus, but good people fight back. A fighting scientist acts as the girl's mentor and activists teach her how to tell the truth. She learns from a physician/scientist who battles the insurance companies and from a head nurse who partners with a mayoral candidate to teach us to stick together. All find joy in working together to defend out immigrant population, pushing our politicians for affordable housing, and bringing us a jobs program so that we can survive the terrible lockdown of the "early days." A juggling clown from the clown care unit of the Big Apple Circus entraps the virus and Lady Hypodermic administers a coupe de grace. Theater, music and dance join hands to tell us how to find each other so that the terror of the Trump years will not happen again.

The production will be staged with an elaborate assemblage of trap doors, giant puppets, smoke machines, masks, original choreography and a huge (9' x 12') running screen or "cranky" providing continuous moving scenery behind the actors. The company of 30 actors, ten crew members, two stage managers, three assistant directors and five live musicians (led by the composer at the keyboard) will share the challenge of performing outside and holding a large, non-captive audience. The music will vary in style from Bossa Nova to Hip Hop to Musical Comedy to classical Cantata. The play is a bouncy joyride through the undulations of the body politic, with astute commentary couched in satire, song and slapstick.

TNC's free Street Theater productions are delightfully suited for family audiences, since complex social issues are often presented through children's allegories, with children and neighborhood people as the heroes.

TNC Street Theater's leading actor is and has been Michael David Gordon, a teacher and performer with Irondale Theatre Company who is also bandleader of a performance group which plays classic rock in the subways. In this year's show, he plays the Doctor who is the Nurse's mentor and the Narrator of the play.

Last summer, in response to the Covid-19 lockdown, TNC's Street Theater production, "Liberty or Just Us: a City Park Story," was an oratorio, live streamed for an eight week, 14 performance run. Each performance payed tribute to the park or other location it had been originally scheduled for.

SCHEDULE

Saturday, July 31@ 2:00 PM: MANHATTAN -- Outside Theater for the New City at E. 10th Street & 1st Ave.
Sunday, Aug 1 @ 2:00 PM: BRONX -- Pontiac Playground at St. Mary's Park, 350 St. Ann's Ave.
Saturday. Aug 7 @ 2:00 PM: MANHATTAN -- Wise Towers, 117 West 90th Street
Sunday, Aug 8 @ 2:00 PM: MANHATTAN -- Central Park Bandshell, 72nd Street Crosswalk
Friday, Aug13 @ 6:30 PM: BROOKLYN -- Coney Island Boardwalk @ W. 10th Street
Sat, Aug 14 @ 2:00 PM: MANHATTAN -- Abe Lebwohl Park @St. Marks Church, E. 10th St. & 2nd Ave.
Sunday, Aug 15 @2:00 PM: MANHATTAN -- Jackie Robinson Park, W. 147th St. & Bradhurst Ave.
Saturday, Aug 21 @ 2:00 PM: MANHATTAN -- Washington Square Park
Sunday, August 22 @ 2:00 PM: QUEENS -- Travers Park, 34th Avenue Between 77th and 78th Street
Saturday, August 28 @ 2:00 PM: BROOKLYN -- Sunset Park, 6th Ave. & 44th Street
Sun, Aug 29 @ 2:00 PM: BROOKLYN -- Ft. Greene Park, Myrtle Ave. bet. N. Portland Ave. & St. Edwards St.
Saturday, Sept. 4 @ 2:00 PM: MANHATTAN -- Outside Theater for the New City at E. 10th Street & 1st Ave.
Saturday, September 11 @ 2:00 PM: STATEN ISLAND -- Tappen Park at Canal, Bay and Water Streets
Sunday, September 12 @ 2:00 PM: MANHATTAN -- Tompkins Square Park at E. 7th St. & Ave A

WHERE AND WHEN:

July 31 to September 12 (critics invited to all performances).
In parks, playgrounds and closed-off streets throughout the five boroughs.
Presented by Theater for the New City (www.theaterforthenewcity.net).
Free to the public. Audience info (212) 254-1109, www.theaterforthenewcity.net.
Runs 1:15. Critics are invited to all performances.

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