Playtime 21
June 1-7, 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: Jerome opens June 2 at Playwrights Horizons, John J. Caswell Jr.’s play set at the height of the AIDS epidemic in an Arizona ghost town. It’s directed by Dustin Wills, who directed a much celebrated one-man version of Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro in 2024.
The musical version of Girl, Interrupted opens June 4. I’ve said here from the beginning that I’m not sure how that will work on stage, but I have faith because Aimee Mann has done the music.
Also, Joy Guidry will perform this week at the Park Avenue Armory on June 3 and 4. Guidry creates a “a ruminative performance in the spirit of a Southern church revival and based on her ambient album Five Prayers, reimagining it into movements based on different themes of Black American spirituality and artistic expression ranging from jazz and minimalism to opera, ballet, blues, and gospel.”
And it’s the final week for three things worth catching before they close on June 7: This Is Not About Me at 59E59 (Hannah Caplan’s meta-theatrical Brits Off Broadway), Indian Princesses at the Atlantic Theater Company, and Thornton Wilder’s The Emporium at CSC.
Week of June 1, 2026
59E59 Theaters This Is Not About Me (through June 7)
59E59 Theaters / Theater A David Copperfield (through June 28)
Atlantic Theater Company / Linda Gross Theater Indian Princesses (through June 7)
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! / Lena Horne Bandshell Sheila E. with Leon Knight and DJ Spinna (June 4, free)
Chocolate Factory Theater Moriah Evans: […/+*^%€£¥$&@!!!!^^^] (June 5 – 6)
Classic Stage Company / Lynn F. Angelson Theater Thornton Wilder’s The Emporium (through June 7)
Lucille Lortel Theatre KENREX (through June 27)
Minetta Lane Theatre New Born (through June 8)
Minetta Lane Theatre What Happened Was… (through June 14)
New York Classical Theatre / Central Park The Tragedy of Julius Caesar (first preview June 2, opens June 9, free)
Park Avenue Armory / Artists Studio Joy Guidry (June 3 – 4)
Park Avenue Armory / Making Space Unscripted: Live from the Armory (June 6)
Perelman Performing Arts Center CATS: The Jellicle Ball Benefit Performance (June 3)
Pioneer Works Going In at Pioneer Works (June 6, 12pm – 12am)
Playwrights Horizons / Judith O. Rubin Theater Jerome (in previews, opens June 2)
Roulette Eve Beglarian: The Light is Always Changing / Wolf Chaser (June 1)
Roulette Pi Recordings 25th Anniversary Celebration (June 4 – 5)
Signature Theatre / Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre SMALL (through July 25)
Signature Theatre / Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre Animal Wisdom (through June 14)
SoHo Playhouse Can I Be Frank? (through June 27)
St. Ann’s Warehouse The Maids (through June 14)
Studio Seaview Well, I’ll Let You Go (through June 20)
The Public Theater / Delacorte Theater Romeo and Juliet (through June 28)
The Public Theater / Martinson Hall Girl, Interrupted (in previews, opens June 4)
The Tank KTCO (through June 18)
Vineyard Theatre Girls Chance Music (through June 21)
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 venues with rotating programming, 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