Appropriately in this sticky heat, it’s kind of a slow week for theater, at least openings-wise. So for a change of pace, instead of a show roundup, here are a few recent theater-world tidbits that struck Gothamist as interesting. more ›

The highlight of the first play, John Guare’s Madagascar, is unquestionably Amy Love as Carrie, a woman who marries into the Madagascar “medical mafia” of Madagascar, Illinois. The play starts with her addressing the audience as though they are browsing at her yard sale; she appears very perky and happy as she describes what’s for sale (the set is mostly bare), but gradually her inability to be quiet means that she tells some dark stories associated with those objects. That’s the trajectory of the play as a whole, too – it just keeps getting more disturbing. It’s quite long, and would maybe be better expanded even further out of the constraints of the one-act formula, but Love’s performance, at least, is great. more ›

If you’re like Gothamist and you enjoy new theatre in small venues (with small ticket prices), theater festivals are unbeatable. If you don’t go to shows much but want to get a taste for what’s out there, again, these gatherings of innovative voices and acting talents are the way to go. In the summer months, festivals arrive thick and fast; the first wave begins this week. more ›

Spalding Gray, who committed suicide in 2004, was a beloved fixture of the downtown theatre scene. He cofounded the Wooster Group in 1977 and turned extraordinarily personal monologue performances into a hypnotizing experience for audiences. One of these, Swimming to Cambodia, became a movie filmed by Jonathan Demme and released in 1987, and it propelled his fame beyond the experimental off-Broadway scene (it’s also just been reissued as a book). But it was his friends and fans from that world who have missed him most, and they’re giving a tribute to him tonight at the Union Square Barnes & Noble, at 7pm. Eric Bogosian, Bob Holman, Reno, Roger Rosenblatt and Kate Valk will read from Gray’s work in this free event. If you ever saw Gray perform, or if you just have enjoyed the innovative avant-garde theatre that he nurtured and refined, you should definitely catch what will undoubtedly be both a sad and loving appreciation. more ›

With stories about the papacy finally tapering off, Gothamist was feeling a bit of withdrawal, and thought The House of Blue Leaves might help because it’s about the day in 1965 when Pope Paul VI passed through NYC. The play doesn’t, in the end, have that much to do with the Pope, but far from being disappointed, Gothamist found it to be a top-notch show from start to finish. Written by John Guare in 1970, it has dated only in some of its specific cultural references, like the feel-good tunes that greet you upon entering the theater, or the amusing go-go wardrobe of the female lead. In most other respects, though, the play is still fresh and powerful, and the fantastic cast contributes a great deal to that success. more ›