Playtime 16
April 27-May 3, 2026
This is PLAYTIME, a weekly email of theater shows in New York City, put together by me (Nora) and consisting of what I’m paying attention to and excited about.
Here are my picks for this week: It's the final week for Seagull: True Story at the Public which closes May 3, and once it goes, it goes. I always say that Chekhov is best in the spring.
Cable Street opens this week at 59E59, a musical inspired by the 1936 Battle of Cable Street in the East End against Oswald Mosley's fascists, in which Jewish, Carribean and Irish communities banded together for a common cause. It’s not a subject I expected to see set to music, but here we are. It played to good reviews in London in 2024.
La MaMa Moves! is in its final stretch, the dance festival wraps May 10, and this week brings Iteration IV (For Allen) April 30–May 1 and BamBam Frost & Ori Flomin's YES May 2–3. And on Thursday, joseph webb & beautiful fire performs at Joe’s Pub at 7 pm. webb’s show is a mix of tap, emceeing/spoken word, and live instrumentation.
Week of April 27, 2026
59E59 Theaters / Theater A Cable Street (first preview April 26, opens May 3)
Atlantic Theater Company / Linda Gross Theater Indian Princesses (first preview April 30, opens May 19)
BAM Harvey Theater Hamlet (first preview April 19, opens May 4)
Cherry Lane Theatre You Got Older (through May 3)
Greenwich House Theater What We Did Before Our Moth Days (through May 24)
Greenwich House Theater Wallace Shawn performs “The Fever” (Sunday and Monday nights through May 24)
Irish Repertory Theatre Ulster American (through May 10)
Joe’s Pub @ The Public joseph webb & beautiful fire, presented in partnership with YoungArts (April 30)
La MaMa / The Club Iteration IV (For Allen) (April 30 – May 1)
La MaMa / The Club YES — BamBam Frost & Ori Flomin (May 2 – 3)
Lucille Lortel Theatre Kenrex (through June 27)
Minetta Lane Theatre Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes (through April 30)
Minetta Lane Theatre What Happened Was… (through June 14)
Playwrights Horizons / Peter Jay Sharp Theatre Rheology (through May 16)
Second Stage / Irene Diamond Stage The Receptionist (first preview April 15, opens May 7)
Studio Seaview Well, I’ll Let You Go (first preview April 30, opens May 19)
The Public Theater / LuEsther Hall SEAGULL: TRUE STORY (through May 3)
Theatre at St. Clement’s The Adding Machine (through May 17)
West End Theatre Othello (through May 31)
A bit about the listings:
The events are listed in alphabetical order of theatres. When a show is listed as “through” a certain date, the show has already opened.
For festivals, I’ve only highlighted certain shows and there’s usually a lot more happening. Check the full lineups on their websites.
I’ve done my best to get everything right, but details can change. Always double-check the official event page for the latest times, dates, and any updates.
If you’d like to submit a show to be added to Playtime email playtime@substack.com
Read my personal thoughts and god knows what else on my other Substack here.