New York City Theater

The Kitchen, 512 W. 19th St. (www.thekitchen.org), This nonprofit venue provides space to visual artists, playwrights, composers, dancers, and other artists to cook up the most experimental new work. Founded in 1971, The Kitchen was one of the first venues to explore video and performance art. Tickets to events are a steal, especially for students, and many are even free. Many events free, other tickets generally around $15. Student discount of 20% for tickets over $10. Call for information about ushering in order to see shows for free. Box office open Tu-Sa 2-6pm and 1hr. before curtain. Gallery open M-F noon-6pm, Sa 11am-6pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.
Shakespeare in the Park, Central Park (www.shakespeareinthepark.org), One of NYC's most beloved traditions. Every summer from early June to early August, The Public Theatre runs two plays by William Shakespeare. Past performers have included Natalie Portman, Denzel Washington, Christopher Walken, Al Pacino, and Meryl Streep. Tickets are distributed at the theater at 1pm, but people begin lining up before sunrise to guarantee themselves tickets. If interested in picking up tickets, try to arrive by 8am at the latest. Visit the website for more information. Two tickets per person in morning line. Free. Performances at 8pm.
Race, Ethel Barrymore Theater, 243 W. 47th St. (www.raceonbroadway.com), It's not all song and dance on Broadway. Plays at Broadway theaters are top-of-the-line, and are often easier to find tickets to. This David Mamet play is about the part crime plays in race relations. $59.50-121.50. Performances Tu 7pm, W and Sa 2pm and 8pm, Su 3pm. Takes credit cards.
Promises Promises, Broadway Theatre, 1681 Broadway (www.promisespromisesbroadway.com), A musical comedy based on the 1960s hit movie The Apartment. Original cast features everyone's favorite “Glinda” from the original cast of Wicked, Kristin Chenoweth and Will and Grace's Sean Hayes..as a straight man! Tenure of Chenoweth and Hayes' performances unknown. $56.50-$136.50 Performances M-Sa 8pm, W and Sa 2pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.
In the Heights, Richard Rogers Theatre, 226 W. 46th St. (www.intheheightsmusical.com), An exhilarating story about Manhattan's Washington Heights Latino community that will have you jamming to the Caribbean beats in your seat. Limited wheelchair seating within the theater. $40-120. Performances Tu 7pm, W-F 8pm, Sa 2pm and 8pm, Su 2pm and 7pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.
Wicked, Gershwin Theatre 222 W. 51st St. (www.wickedthemusical.com), Since it opened in 2003, Wicked has become a favorite on Broadway. Set to an irresistibly poppy soundtrack, it tells the story of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch before The Wizard of Oz. Show is 2hr. and 30min. long. $56.25-131.25 Performances Tu 7pm, W 2pm and 8pm, Th-F 8pm, Sa 2pm and 8pm, Su 3pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.
Primary Stages, 354 W. 45th St., between 8th and 9th Ave. (www.primarystages.com), A company that thrives on performing new works. They also help new playwrights get their sea legs through the Dorothy Strelsin New American Writers Group. Tickets $45. Performances Tu-W 7pm, Th-Sa 8pm, Sa 2pm, Su 3pm and 7pm. Takes credit cards.
Beacon Theater, 2124 Broadway, at 74th St. (www.beacontheatre.com), Thankfully, 1986 plans to convert the Beacon Theater (est. 1929) into a disco were thwarted by a a judge who wanted to preserve the building's historic architecture. The theater has hosted every kind of performance, from opera, to ballet, to the Rolling Stones, to the Dalai Lama. Recently, the lineup has frequently featured comedians and big names in music, with regulars featuring the Allman Brothers Band. For wheelchair-accessibility information call Tickets $39.50-$124.50. Box office open M-Sa 11am-7pm, Sa noon-6pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.
Queens Theatre in the Park, In Flushing Meadows Corona Park (www.queenstheatre.org), In the middle of Flushing Meadows Corona Park is a circular pavilion, which looks as though it has flying saucers growing out of it. Built for the 1964 World's Fair, it houses a main stage, a cabaret-style theater, and a black-box theater. Comedians, dancers, actors, poets, musicians, and a slew of other performers make use of these spaces throughout the year. In the summer, a Latin Festival showcases artists performing largely in Spanish. Tickets $18-42. Box office open Tu-Sa noon-6pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.
ABC No Rio, 156 Rivington St., between Clinton and Suffolk St. (www.abcnorio.org), Activism meets art in a series of events including gallery exhibitions, poetry readings, and punk and experimental music. A darkroom, silkscreen print shop, computer center, and Zine Library is available to the public. Check calendar on the website for hours. Tickets $3-15. Darkroom $6 per hr.
Bowery Poetry Club, 308 Bowery, between Houston and Bleecker St. (www.bowerypoetry.com), A venue that books alternative and world music in addition to current literary talents reading their own works. It's not all berets and roses either—the Literary Death Match series is a cut-throat (and hysterical) competition for the LDM Championship. Open Mic Night is Monday at 10pm, and the Urbana Poetry Slam is Tuesdays at 7pm (sign-up at 6:30). Prices vary. Some events free, others $7-10. Open M-F 5pm-4am, Sa-Su noon-4am. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.
The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St. between E. 4th St. and Astor Pl. (www.publictheater.org), Run by the same people who brought you Shakespeare in the Park and Joe's Pub, The Public Theatre strives to bring the best in new theater to the people. Call Ticket prices vary. Box office open Su-M 1-6pm, Tu-Sa 1-7:30pm; phone box office open 10am-9pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.
Theater for the New City, 155 1st Ave., between E. 9th and 10th St. (www.theaterforthenewcity.net), A winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and the Mayor's Stop the Violence Award, the theater produces between 30 and 40 new American plays each year. The theater also offers a host of community-oriented, service programs, including theater training and performances for at-risk and low-income youth and adults. Ticket prices vary from free to cheap. Performance times vary. Does not take credit cards. Wheelchair access.
SoHo Playhouse, 15 Vandam St. (www.sohoplayhouse.com), Built in 1826, this 199-seat theater shows productions that require an up-close-and-personal experience between actors and audience members. A mainstage-favorite is the all-female, unscripted sitcom Naked in a Fishbowl which has run for four straight summers. The bar and cabaret downstairs is called the “Huron Club” in reference to the days when the building was a nightclub frequented by the Tammany Hall political machine. Mainstage tickets $20-90. Huron Club tickets $10-30. Box Office Open Tu-Sa noon-6pm; hours extended on days of shows. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access.
Actors Playhouse, 100 7th Ave. (www.nyactorsplayhouse.com), An off-Broadway center since the 1950s, this small theater in the heart of the Village has garnered a reputation for the offbeat by hosting unusual plays and comedians. Its current incarnation began in 2007 after a few years of inactivity due to increased rents. Tickets $25-50. Box office open M-F 1-6pm. Showtimes vary; check website for details. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Has air conditioning.
Players Theatre, 115 MacDougal St. (www.theplayerstheatre.com), The Players Theatre has been busy since the 1940s hosting a wide variety of shows, from musicals to Shakespeare to interactive performances. There are two spaces: an off-Broadway theater holding around 200, and The Loft, a small off-off Broadway space that seats 50. Tickets $25-50. Showtimes vary; check website for details. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Has air conditioning.
Lucille Lortel Theatre, 121 Christopher St. (www.lortel.org/LLT_theater), One of the Village's premier theaters, the Lucille Lortel has seen productions of The Threepenny Opera, Steel Magnolias, and Seussical during its nearly 60-year history. Check out the sidewalk in front, where stars emblazoned with famous playwrights' names make for an interesting entrance. Contact the theater in advance if you want to watch a show for free by working as an usher. Prices vary; summer programs often free. Showtimes vary; check online schedule for details. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Has air conditioning.
Union Square Theater, 10 E. 17th St. Formerly Tammany Hall, the Union Square Theater was founded in 1926 and has since become one of the highlights in Off-Broadway. Plays in the 499-capacity space are generally offbeat; a recent production was an adults-only puppet show. Tickets $25-50. Box office open Tu-Su 1-6pm. Does not take credit cards. Wheelchair access. Has air conditioning.
Vineyard Theater, 108 E. 15th St. (www.vineyardtheater.org), The Vineyard hosts a variety of new and acclaimed dramas, comedies, and musicals. It's tiny—seating only 120 people—but cozy. This is where T Avenue Q began its long and still-popular run, but more recent productions include the award-winning Scottsboro Boys. Tickets $25-60. Box office open Tu-Th 1-6pm, F 1-8pm. Does not take credit cards. Wheelchair access. Has air conditioning.