Gene Frankel Theatre Festival

Last year, NoHo's Gene Frankel Theatre, one of the city's oldest Off-Off venues—it was founded in 1949—came under the new ownership of Onomatopoeia Theatre Company's Thomas R. Gordon. Among Gordon's innovations at the space is this new August festival of 25 original one-act and short plays, which he has selected from more than 100 submissions. The shows are divided into eight blocks; the wrap-up event on August 17 will include awards for the festival's best acting, writing and directing.