5 Shows to See in New York This Month

1. The Winter’s Tale
You only have one more week to see the free Shakespeare in the Park production of The Winter’s Tale, which plays its final performance August 23. Lily Rabe and Raúl Esparza lead the cast of this Shakespearean “problem play” that feels like a summation of the bard’s obsessions: jealousy, betrayal, pastoral joy, and love. The tonal shifts could easily flummox a lesser director (one of the reasons it is rarely produced), but Daniel Sullivan reasserts himself as this town’s most masterful interpreter of Shakespeare in a production that TheaterMania’s Kenji Fujishima calls “transcendent.”

2. Paranormal Activity
The 2026-27 Broadway season starts in earnest this weekend with Paranormal Activity (Celebrity Autobiography feels like a strange dream). Inspired by the film franchise, it’s about a couple who have fled a mysterious trauma in Chicago and attempt to start over in London, only to discover that the thing continues to haunt them. The script is by Levi Holloway, who previously terrified Broadway audiences with Grey House. Felix Barrett, one of the creators of Sleep No More, directs. Paranormal Activity is just the first of a series of spooky plays scheduled to hit New York this fall, including 2:22 – A Ghost Story and A Ghost in Your Ear. The scariest thing for New York theatermakers? All three of these hit thrillers started in London.

3. The Pass
So did John Donnelly’s The Pass, which is now making its US debut with the Max Hunter Company at La MaMa. Matisse Ratron-Neal and Terry Bell star as Jason and Ade, two young footballers (translation: soccer players) sharing a hotel room the night before a consequential match. What happens in that room (specifically in the shower) will haunt both players for the next 12 years as they take wildly divergent paths. While Donnelly’s drama is somewhat overwritten, it’s still a bracing look at how a laser focus on one’s career can stunt one’s development as a human. It is also quite well-acted.

4. Pre-Existing Condition
Some of the best actors working today have been cast in the return engagement of Marin Ireland’s Pre-Existing Condition, which begins performances September 1 with Lupita N’Yongo (recently seen as Helen of Troy in The Odyssey) in the lead role of “A,” a woman recovering from the trauma of domestic violence. A series of super talented actors (Phillipa Soo, Susannah Flood, Hari Nef, Edie Falco) will take over the role in the coming months, joining Greg Keller, Dael Olandersmith, and Sarah Steele in a play that left audiences stunned when it premiered in the summer of 2024.

5. Garry Starr: Classic Penguins
But if you’re more in the mood for something lighter, you should check out Garry Starr: Classic Penguins, which begins performances at Studio Seaview September 3. Starr (the alias of Aussie comedian Damien Warren-Smith) performs potted versions of every classic novel published by Penguin, while dressed like a penguin. Specifically, he wears black tails, flippers, and nothing else. It’s the kind of zany show that kills at the Edinburgh Fringe (Starr has been a star attraction at the festival for several years) and is best enjoyed with a drink or two in you. Laughter is an excellent way to punctuate the summer.