5 Shows to See in New York This Month

1. Nothing Can Take You From the Hand of God
In Jen Tullock and Frank Winters’s quietly brilliant solo play at Playwrights Horizons, Tullock portrays every character in this story about a lesbian who was raised in a conservative evangelical community in Kentucky, left to live her authentic life, and has written a memoir about the abuse she suffered. I know, I know … you’ve heard it all before and it’s not even Pride Month™. But Tullock and Winters complicate this well-worn narrative by questioning the reliability of memory and the lasting hold of belief. How can you be so certain that your truth is the truth? Tullock creates an entire cinematic universe using just her body, two folding chairs, and three cameras. It’s an impressive feat to behold and will give you plenty to discuss on the ride home.

2. Oh Happy Day!
Jordan E. Cooper’s new play at the Public Theater, Oh Happy Day!, is also about a queer homecoming—one with biblical consequences. Cooper, who plays the lead role of prodigal gay son Keyshawn, reimagines the story of Noah’s Ark via a birthday BBQ in Laurel, Mississippi (you can read more about the play in this interview with the playwright). Cooper wrote and starred in the hilarious comedy Ain’t No More. While its run at the Belasco was ultimately doomed, it introduced the Broadway audience to one of the smartest performer-playwrights working today. I’m excited to see his new show, which features original songs by Grammy Award-winning gospel artist Donald Lawrence.

3. Tartuffe
Do you want to hear Tony Award winner André De Shields sing gospel in a 17^th-century Italian library while dressed like a Catholic cardinal in a Lady Gaga music video? Then buy a ticket to this season’s first off-Broadway production of Tartuffe (the second begins performances next month at New York Theatre Workshop and stars Matthew Broderick). De Shields plays Molière’s infamous charlatan posing as a holy man. He leads a cast that includes the excellent Amber Iman in the role of Elmire. The staging takes place in the beautiful library at House of the Redeemer, which was purchased in Italy by a member of the Vanderbilt family and shipped across the seas to be reassembled on East 95^th Street. This is an opportunity to see De Shields perform in an intimate setting before he returns to Broadway in Cats: The Jellicle Ball.

4. Punch
James Graham’s Punch is likely to be remembered as the tearjerker of the fall season on Broadway—a somewhat unexpected development from the playwright behind Ink and Tammy Faye. Based on Jacob Dunne’s memoir, it’s about a council estate tough who gets locked up after landing a single deadly punch in a street fight. But what’s truly shocking is what happens after he emerges from prison and the parents of the deceased reach out to him through a restorative justice program. In a time of so many seemingly intractable conflicts, Punch explores the outer limits of the human capacity for forgiveness, leaving not a dry eye in the house.

5. Ragtime
And speaking of shows that will leave you misty, if you haven’t done it already, stop reading this and buy your tickets to the Broadway revival of Ragtime. This musical about the immigrants, plutocrats, anarchists, and aimless young men who inhabited New York City at the dawn of the 20^th century feels more relevant than ever, and the score has never sounded better. The show boasts a 28-piece orchestra (including a tuba and a harp!) undergirding soon-to-be-legendary performances by Caissie Levy, Brandon Uranowitz, and (especially) Joshua Henry—I suspect we’ll be hearing their names a lot when the Tony nominations are announced in April. This is the kind of production that will turn a first-time theatergoer into a lifelong devotee.