The virtual film festival circuit rolls on, as last night the Tribeca Film Festival announced its jury awards via an online awards ceremony and today the Brooklyn Film Festival announced much of its programming for what will be a streaming version this summer.  More →

WEDNESDAY

What Do We Need To Talk About?
Wednesday, April 29 at The Public Theater on YouTube, 7:30 pm: FREE

We’re used to movies having sequels for years on end, but when it comes to live performance, this practice is much rarer. It’s far from nonexistent, though—just ask Richard Nelson. The playwright’s epic Apple Family saga (formally known as the Rhinebeck Panorama) has stretched for a literal decade, and has always been performed at The Public Theater. Obviously things are different now, but the story continues nonetheless. Nelson wrote this latest play very recently while quarantined in Rhinebeck, and of course, it takes place over Zoom instead of over the dinner table. And if you’re new to this tale, Nelson’s previous Rhinebeck plays are available to stream for free, so you can get all caught up.

Imagine going on a blind date onstage in front of hundreds of strangers. The audience provides you topics, interjects, or perhaps even pitches a crowd member as the more ideal date. More →

During quarantine, Faten Gaddes doesn’t just use cleaning products to disinfect her home—she poses next to them. In her upcoming series “Postcards from Home,” the Tunisian photographer puts her own twists on the iconic “Keep Calm” posters, evoking irony and humor from life indoors under coronavirus. More →

WEDNESDAY

Kings of the World
Wednesday, April 22 on Twitch, 9 pm: FREE ($10 suggested donation)

Big cities and nightlife go hand-in-hand, but when it comes to virtual shows, it doesn’t matter where you live. Drag king showcase Kings of the World knows that well, seeking to virtually spotlight kings from all over rather than just focusing on major metropolitan areas. Hosted by LA-based performer Mo B. Dick, the show does indeed have drag kings from practically every part of the world. There are acts from Ireland, India, Australia, Puerto Rico, Spain, DC, and more, illustrating the wide range of queer performers out there. And of course, NYC is represented, in the form of local Brooklyn performers Muscles Monty and Uncle Freak. A $10 suggested donation gets you acts from 20 kings, and that’s quite a deal indeed.

If you’re looking for something resembling your usual Thursday night gallery hop in these unusual times, sit back with your own box wine tonight as The Zero Experiment launches its new virtual gallery series. Tonight’s “opening” features the work of mixed media artist Pierre Fraiture, whose performance group Arts Elektra recently rocked Art Basel Miami with the help of his brother, Strokes bassist Nikolai Fraiture.

“Pierre is influenced by philosophy and will often find parts of poems, or worldly texts embedded in his work,” says Marina Dojchinov, founder of The Zero Experiment. His works in acrylic, oil, marker, pen, and fabric.

Fraiture will host tonight’s opening in his studio, from 6:30-8pm, giving housebound visitors a tour of his work. “In a traditional gallery opening, often the artist is inundated with people and the audience never gets the chance to ask questions,” says Dojchinov. “This fully interactive setting allows for an intimate conversation that they can really understand.”

The Zero Experiment was created by Dojchinov to support the arts community during the recent pandemic while helping local businesses stay afloat. “Each week we showcase a different artist, and a different charity to raise money for those affected by Covid-19. Through sales of art, we want to give back to those going through a hard time and create a global community.” This week will highlight the needs of Broadway Bound Kids, an organization that has made it its mission to “inspire and empower kids through the performing arts” but has struggled to keep operating in the shadow of the virus.

Future artists will include Jessica Maffia, whose art has been featured by Childish Gambino; fashion photographer and former America’s Next Top Model judge Udo Spritqnbarth; and Eddy Bogaert, who just held an Armory Week show right before the state lockdown went into place. The Zero Experiment’s artists will be announced the week of and you can RSVP here to follow the listings.

THURSDAY

Sleeping Car Porters
Thursday, April 16 at The Brick on YouTube, 8 pm: FREE (donation suggested)

The thing typically said about live theater is that it’s ephemeral. It happens for a certain amount of time, and then it’s gone. But in the wake of the pandemic, that’s starting to somewhat change. Many venues are combing through their archives, offering viewers the chance to stream filmed versions of shows that have since closed. The Brick in Williamsburg is the latest to do so, starting Thursday with their experimental, acclaimed, Western-ish play Sleeping Car Porters. Sure, it won’t be quite the same as being in the room with a group of performers, but we have to take what we can get, and the chance to see theater after it happened IRL shouldn’t be underestimated.