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THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY TO PRESENT THE FOURTH INSTALLMENT
OF "OPEN 'THO SHUT," ITS WALK-BY THEATER SERIES, ON DECEMBER 5
Downtown variety show is staged weekly in TNC's set shop for outdoor audiences.
NEW YORK -- On Saturday, December 5 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM, Theater for the
New City (TNC), 155 First Ave., will present the fourth installment of
"Open 'Tho Shut," its afternoon of "walk-by theater" that
is staged in its set shop and visible from East Tenth Street between First and
Second Avenues.
The program offers a succession of free, live performances in which acts are
staged in the theater's set shop for audiences of socially distanced passers-by,
who watch through an open garage door on East Tenth Street. The shop was renamed
"The Chopshop Theater" for this series. It is outfitted with an elaborate
set by Mark Marcante and Litza Colon, full stage lighting and a four-mic sound
system.
See the lineup of performances at bottom of this document. Highlights of performances
in coming weeks are also below.
BACKGROUND
The series was launched November 14 as part of "More Ways than Broadway's,"
a city-wide collection of safe and socially distanced pop-up performances to
demonstrate small theaters' readiness and desperate desire to physically reopen
and to counteract the perception, based on formal Broadway, that legitimate
theaters can't reopen safely. The performances were intended to demonstrate
an Off-Off Broadway aesthetic that could allow smaller theaters to open safely
at this time.
TNC pioneered walk-by theater in its 2020 Village Halloween Costume Ball October
31, when it reconfigured its set shop with lighting and sound to make it a venue
for ten-minute plays. The effort was named "Chopshop Theater." Ten
live performances were offered for revelers who might pass by on East Tenth
Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenues). They watched through an open garage door
and were separated from the performers by a waist-high, see-through traffic
barricade. Standing spaces for audience members were delineated six feet apart
with chalked pumpkins on the sidewalk. Onlookers were urged to move on between
performances so that the crowd would not become too large, health-wise.
TNC requires all "Open 'Tho Shut" performers to be tested before their
appearances. Temperatures are taken as they arrive to perform. Hand sanitizer
is provided and microphones are sanitized between performances. Masks are provided
to any audience members who arrive without their own. Emcees have a separate
mic.
LINEUP OF PERFORMANCES
THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY - "OPEN 'THO SHUT, PART 4" - DECEMBER 5
Info as of 11/30/2020
* Mistress of Ceremonies: Jenne Vath
* Cobu (Japanese all-women Taiko drumming and dance troupe)
* John Grimaldi (juggler)
* Opera singers Jonathan Fox Powers and Paige Cutrona (husband-and-wife team)
* Justin Rodriguez and Natasha Velez Earth Cry (Grito de Terra) in song from
TNC's Summer Street Theater, "Liberty or Just Us"
* "I'am! Back Mama" performed by Justine J Hall
* Matt Angel with Robert Varcony (guitarists/singers)
These live performances are also streamed live on TNC's website (https://www.theaterforthenewcity.net) and Facebook page.
Previous editions of "Open 'Tho Shut" are archived here: https://theaterforthenewcity.net/the-chopshop-theater/
UPCOMING IN "OPEN 'THO SHUT"
TNC is presenting "Open 'Tho Shut" as a recurring weekly event.
Here are some highlights of lineups-in-formation:
DECEMBER 12: "The One" by Toby Armour performed by John
David West. West performed this piece in the Village Halloween Costume Ball
and and can be viewed in the multimedia archives: (Radio Hour Category): https://theaterforthenewcity.net/the-tnc-radio-hour/?vimeography_gallery=20&vimeography_video=472638698
DECEMBER 19: Christmas Caroling. Song sheets will be distributed for audience
participation. Crystal Field will revisit "The Night Before Christmas."
# # #
PHOTOS OF THE NOVEMBER 14 EVENT:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/UZsWZ9fKuPVqiBAb6
PHOTOS OF NOVEMBER 21 EVENT:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ry7cvpz4Wv8TvJtD7
PHOTOS OF NOVEMBER 28 EVENT:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/jHDfCjj7oKq7QfVM8