Hybrid Production For THE SLAVE WHO LOVED CAVIAR By Ishmael Reed Announced at Theatre for the New City

To reach the widest possible audience, Theater for the New City will offer the entire run of Ishmael Reed's new play, "The Slave Who Loved Caviar," for both live audiences and online viewing. Each performance will be performed and streamed live from TNC's Johnson Theater.

Playwright Ishmael Reed uses satire to explore aspects of American culture and history overlooked by others. His "The Slave Who Loved Caviar" is a theatrical Investigation into the relationship between Jean-Michel Basquiat and the art world, challenging the notion that Basquiat was merely Andy Warhol's "mascot." The take-no-prisoners satire digs into the exploitation of Basquiat by art world vampires. Directed by Reed's frequent collaborator, Carla Blank, it's the latest work for the stage by the man The New Yorker called "America's most fearless satirist."

Theater for the New City has been at the forefront of theaters demonstrating creative and safe performance possibilities. Last Winter, TNC offered "Open 'Tho Shut," a series of weekly free, live performances mounted in the theater's set shop for audiences of socially distanced passers-by, who watched through an open garage door on East Tenth Street. These shows, 23 in number, were also live streamed on TNC's website (https://www.theaterforthenewcity.net) and Facebook page.

TNC also offered a variety of live-streamed and on-demand performances and festivals. These included its annual Halloween festival, Thunderbird American Indian Dancers' Pow-Wow and Dance Concert, the annual Love 'N Courage benefit, and plays by New Yiddish Rep and others.