The Forum
The Forum is an opportunity for artists and community members to connect after a performance.
Audience members are encouraged to participate, ask questions, have conversations, and build community.
All standard Upstart Creatures events include a multi-course meal and are always FREE.
Our most recent event: Guests enjoyed, hummus, arroz chaufa with sweet plantains followed by raisin and almond cake.
Sanctuary City
by Martyna Majok
Directed by Bryan Hagelin
October 5 at 6 pm
Metro Baptist Church
410 West 40th Street
Sanctuary City tells the story of two childhood friends brought to America as children who become one another’s sanctuaries. This play by Pulitzer Prize-winner Martyna Majok explores the intricacies of friendship and immigration against the backdrop of post-911 America. A reading of the play will be accompanied by a full meal (BYOB) and live music, followed by a discussion about crossing borders & the immigrant experience in the US.
Blac Rabbit
Blac Rabbit
Fresh off their South American tour with Lenny Kravitz, Blac Rabbit performs both Beatles covers and original songs with a "vintage" sound. The band is led by twin brothers Amiri and Rahiem Taylor, who describe their original music as psychedelic rock, influenced by the Beatles, Radiohead, 1980s music, and contemporaries MGMT, Tame Impala, and Toro y Moi.
"Their music has all of the positivity and optimism of an LSD trip with none of the existential dread."
Erin White, Afropunk
Sanctuary City
Sanctuary City
by Martyna Majok
Directed by Bryan Hagelin
Sanctuary City tells the story of two childhood friends brought to America as children who become one another’s sanctuaries. This play by Pulitzer Prize-winner Martyna Majok explores the intricacies of friendship and immigration against the backdrop of post-911 America. A reading of the play will be accompanied by a full meal (BYOB) and live music, followed by a discussion about crossing borders & the immigrant experience in the US.
An Evening with the Villalobos Brothers
Villalobos Brothers
The Upstart Creatures are proud to welcome the Villalobos Brothers, the Grammy-winning contemporary Mexican music group.
The Villa Lobos Brothers brought music to the Upstart Creatures. We enjoyed a full taco bar, chorros, cordials, wine and community. All for free.
Galatea
Galatea
by MJ Kaufman (they/them)
Directed by Benita de Wit (they/them)
Performance and dinner followed by discussion about gender identity, featuring psychologists Lizzie Glaesar, PhD (she/her) and Mike Strupp-Levistsky, PhD (they/he).
Murder on the Internet Express
Because even during a lockdown, no one is safe...FROM MURDER!
Oedipus Tyrannus
Because what's more relevant than a 2500-year-old story about leadership transition during a plague?
The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window
Because in New York, everything always changes — and nothing does…
4th Annual Gala
4th Annual Gala
We celebrated our season and looked ahead to 2020, raising money so we can start paying
our previously volunteer corps of dedicated artists!
Our gala is literally the only event we charge for in the entire year.
Literally.
This is how you, our most ardent and passionate supporters, help us run our outreach programs, create an entire year of artistic programming, all the while feeding bodies and souls.
Our fanciest food (we provide the wine this time!), along with entertainment that will guarantee to distract you from the hellish times we're living in.
All of our other events are completely FREE to attend, thanks to the support of generous people just like you!
Thank you for helping us feed bodies and souls for another year.
November 3 at 7pm
VIP cocktail hour at 6pm
Metro Baptist Church
410 W 40th Street
Festive dress!
Featuring the Upstart Creatures
Paul Bernardo
Carla Briscoe
Stephen Bel Davies
Carol Halstead
Logan Kovach
Linda Larson
Roya Shanks
Eugenio Vargas
Alison Walls
Gabra Zackman
and a Gourmet Menu
squash blossom soup
lamb with mint-pistachio pesto and herb barley with mushrooms
prosciutto and melon arugula salad
a delicious dessert
The Ladies of the Corridor
Because the only thing we love more than a dry martini is even drier wit…
3rd Annual Gala
Our 3rd annual gala was a record-breaking success!
Thanks to everyone who celebrated with us and contributed.
Carol & Rich Agins, Monica Alzugaray, Rosemary Andress, Quemuel Arroyo, Morena Baccarin, David Baker, Peter Balis, Kareen Bar-Akiva, Ronne Bassman-Agins, Aaron Bender & Roya Shanks, Carla Briscoe, MaryBeth Bunge, Marisa Calin, Alan Charlton, Suzanne Chesney, Diana Cheung, Deborah Constantine, Gordon Cox, Julieta Dominguez & Robert Hidalgo, Bob Dreyfuss, Fault Line Theatre, Leo Dunn-Fox, Doug & Joanne Eaton, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Carola Fiorentini, Andrea Fisher, Michelle Fix, Terry Fox, Emily and Max Frey, Chris & Meghan Gies, Callan Gies, Patricia Girardi, Carol Goldberg, Stephen Greer, Marilyn Grosswirth, Carol Halstead, Kate Hamill, Qusai Hammouri, Michael Aram, Michael Hausman & Tracy Pogue, Heather Hay, Il Buco Alimentari, Micol Ceramics, Roberto Higaldo, Helen Hockney, Martin Holmes, Xiang Hang Huang, Il Punto, Aditya Julka, Saskia, Leo Kriksunov, Judi Kupermann, Maryanne Kuzniar, Christine Labeste, Deborah Laufer, Krupa Grocery, Marisa Lerer, Jerome Link, Leslie Lowe, Saskia Maarleveld, James Mandel and Irina Mashlenko, Daniel Mintz, Donald Morisette, Julia Motyka, Jim Kilpatric and Harry Neyens, Ward Nixon, Scott Ohanesian, Claudia Ortiz, Flor de Caña, Maggie Paczkowski, Tracy Pogue, Kalmon Post, Christina Rattiner, Jacquelyn Reingold, Adam Reynolds, Eric Roberts, Abby Royle, Brendan Ryan, Fonda, Carol Schrager, Geane & Richard Schubert, Paul Serritella, Odeon, Shelley Silver, Barbara Sklar, Mitchel Skolnick, Jeffrey Smith, Anna Smith, Sonya Sobieski, Makela Spielman, Eileen Stevens, Taqueria Diana, Jason Weller, Andrea Winter, Ella Wrenn, "The Other Josh Cohen", James Yaman, Gabra Zackman, Ronnie Zackman, Anonymous
Flights of Fancy
our 3rd annual gala
Celebrate with us as we soar into 2019.
Our gala is literally the only event we charge for in the entire year.
Literally.
This is how you, our most ardent and passionate supporters, help us run our outreach programs, create an entire year of artistic programming, all the while feeding bodies and souls.
Enjoy our fanciest food (we provide the wine this time!), along with entertainment that will guarantee to distract you from the hellish times we're living in.
And be the first to learn about our very special and exciting announcement.
All of our other events are completely FREE to attend, thanks to the support of generous people just like you!
Help us feed bodies and souls for another year.
November 11 at 6:30pm
Metro Baptist Church
410 W 40th Street
Festive dress!
Featuring the Upstart Creatures
Stephen Bel Davies
Ariel Neema Blake*
Carla Briscoe
Carol Halstead
Jared Brendon Hopper*
Matthew Jackson
Linda Marie Larson
Colleen Litchfield*
Celina Polanco
Abby Royle
Roya Shanks
Joan Valentina
Alison Walls
Gabra Zackman
Music Director
Joseph Thalken*
Stage Manager
Lauren Stern*
Sound Operator
Hillel Friedman
*Guest Artist
Our Gourmet Menu
White Gold Piña Colada
Featuring Flor de Caña Rum
Crostini di scampi
Stuffed Malagueta Rosa peppers
Spinach amuse bouche
Blues in the Night Blåbärssoppa (Swedish blueberry soup)
Duck, Duck Pie (duck pot pie with roasted baby carrots)
Ruby Roasted Delight (Roasted beets & goat cheese on a bed of greens)
Morenita Takes Flight (Bitter-sweet chocolate brownie)
Courtesy of Fonda
Flor de Caña Rum Flight
Courtesy of Flor de Caña
Wines
Cogito Malbec 2015, Mendoza, Argentina
Berthier Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Loire Valley, France
underwritten by Krupa Grocery
The Prostitute Play
Because what could be timelier than a prostitute bringing down the most powerful political man of her time?
Dusty and the Big Bad World
Because even a cartoon dustball is awfully threatening to some folks…
The Burial at Thebes
Because what better time to remember the importance of truth in the face of power
Rituals of Signs and Transformations
Because when was the last time you saw a play set in Damascus?