From the outside, the SoHo Playhouse looks like what it once was: a charming, federalist rowhouse. In its long and storied past (it converted to theaterhood in the ’20s), the venue has had many masters, including Edward Albee, who produced a number of exciting premieres here during the '60s. Now the 199-seat proscenium seems incredibly tiny—when the enormously successful 2009 production of Emperor Jones played here, it seemed like the actors might get snagged on the lights. Still, the Playhouse feels like a slice of old New York, granting a certain gravitas to the many rental productions that cycle through its doors.
Nora Burns, of the tight-knit comedy troupe Unitard, blends Greenwich Village with Our Town in an original musical set in New York City in 1979. Adam Pivirotto directs a diverse cast of ten, and Robin Carrigan choreographs the feverish moves. After buzzy short runs in the past two years, the show returns for an encores at SoHo Playhouse, where it plays in rep with Burns's memoir David's Friend.
Writer-performer Nora Burns (of the funny troupe Unitard) recalls painting New York City pink with her gay best friend, who died of AIDS in 1993, in a bittersweet comedic memoir. Adam Pivirotto directs the multimedia production, which features adult film performer Ricky Roman and runs in rep with Burns's The Village! A Disco Daydream.
Discover Time Out original video