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Exciting & Inexpensive Theatre: 15 Shows to See Off-Off Broadway This November & December

By: Andrew Block
Date: Nov 17, 2023

Catch the return of Jill Sobule, a revival of Once, Ivo Dimchev's in-your-face theatrics and more

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Adventurous audiences know that some of the biggest theatrical thrills are found on NYC's smallest stages. These shows are also great for theatregoers on a budget. In fact, TDF members can see dozens of Off-Off Broadway productions for as little as $11! Not a TDF member? Consider joining our Go Off-Off and Beyond program, which gives you access to discount tickets to indie theatre, music and dance performances for a one-time fee of five bucks.

If you're a TDF member, log in to your account daily to see what we're selling as ticket inventory changes frequently.

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Wild Project: Jill Sobule's F*ck7thGrade - begins November 8

The Wild Project, 195 East 3rd Street between Avenues A and B in the East Village

Begins November 8. Closes November 26. If you're a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase $15 tickets.

A musical memoir from the pop star who wrote "I Kissed a Girl"—no, not Katy Perry! Back in 1995, Jill Sobule, a queer and delightfully quirky singer-songwriter, charted with "Supermodel," which was on the Clueless soundtrack. But after a brief flirtation with fame and the original "I Kissed a Girl" single, she returned to her eccentric, indie roots. F*CK7THGRADE traces the evolution of her songwriting and sexuality with humor and heart, as Sobule, playing herself, realizes that in some ways, she'll forever be haunted by her awkward middle school years. After a well-reviewed run last year, this charming show is back for an encore run.

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JACK: United States v. Gupta - begins November 10

JACK, 20 Putnam Avenue between Grand and Downing Streets in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn

Begins November 10. Closes November 28.

Masks are required.

A metatheatrical musical inspired by real events, Deepali Gupta's United States v. Gupta chronicles the fall of her father, Rajat Gupta, a former managing director of McKinsey & Company who was convicted of insider trading in 2012. Inspired by the writer-performer's memories and imagination as well as courtroom transcripts, this is an inventive exploration of a very public personal history. Coproduced by JACK and New Georges, the show stars Broadway vet Jonathan Raviv (The Band's Visit) as Rajat Gupta and Deepali Gupta as herself.

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The Tank: Backlash to Brazilian Happiness - begins November 16

The Tank, 312 West 36th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues in Midtown West

Begins November 16. Closes November 20.

Masks are required.

Performance artist Debora Balardini delves into the challenges of being a multiracial Brazilian-American woman in this new solo show, loosely inspired by Medea, who endured sexism, misogyny and abuse that culminated in tragedy. Ages 18 and up only due to mature themes.

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La MaMa: In Hell with Jesus/Top 40 - begins November 16

La MaMa's The Downstairs, 66 East 4th Street between the Bowery and Second Avenue in the East Village

Begins November 16. Closes November 26.

Queer Bulgarian performance artist, choreographer, singer and iconoclast, Ivo Dimchev, brings this indescribable and interactive anti-musical to La MaMa. Dimchev and his coconspirators play a sort of truth or dare game with the audience, asking crazy questions ("Would you rather be in hell with Jesus or in heaven with Trump?") and coaxing theatregoers on stage for NC-17 shenanigans. They even pay volunteers to see how far they'll go! This feature in The New York Times gives you a taste of what's in store, though Dimchev is not known for sticking to the script. Leave your inhibitions at the door and bring your ID—you must be 18 to attend.

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The Duchess of LES: An AI Musical From Little Ukraine - begins November 16

The Kraine Theater, 85 East 4th Street between Bowery and Second Avenue in the East Village

Begins November 16. Closes December 3. If you're a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase $15 tickets.

A new musical cowritten by artificial intelligence, The Duchess of LES is set in the 1980s in the tight-knit enclave of Little Ukraine in the East Village, where young immigrants are enamored with NYC's burgeoning hip-hop culture. Featuring breakdancing, catchy beats and a dramatic love triangle, this show is a song-filled nostalgia trip.

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Thirdwing: United Nations: The Other West - begins November 21

154, 154 Christopher Street between Greenwich and Washington Streets in the West Village

Begins November 21. Closes December 10. If you're a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase $12 tickets.

Thirdwing, a hybrid theatre company that presents work in person and online, is behind United Nations: The Other West, a geopolitical thriller about UN representatives from the US, Russia and Germany vying for power during a lockdown in West Africa's Burkina Faso. A sequel to Thirdwing's 2022 play United Nations: The Border and The Coast, it's written and directed by the company's founder, Cameron Darwin Bossert.

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The Onomatopoeia Theatre Company: You Are Not Alone - begins November 24

Gene Frankel Theatre, 24 Bond Street between Lafayette Street and Bowery in Noho

Begins November 24. Closes December 16. If you're a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase $15 tickets.

A romance that transcends death, You Are Not Alone centers on an obsessive man who'll go to any lengths to make contact with his late lover, who committed suicide years earlier. But a deal with the devil is never a good idea. Thomas R. Gordon wrote and directs this intriguing new play for The Onomatopoeia Theatre Company.

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Ruth Stage: Lone Star - begins November 24

Theatre Row, 410 West 42nd Street between Ninth and Dyer Avenues in Midtown West

Begins November 24. Closes December 23. If you're a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase $27.50 tickets.

A new production of James McLure's enduring dark comedy, Lone Star is the tale of two toxic Texas brothers who reunite after one returns from a traumatic stint in Vietnam. In the messy backyard of their local bar, these siblings banter, bicker and reveal secrets that blow up their lives. Ruth Stage creative director Matt de Rogatis stars alongside Dan Amboyer (TV Land's Younger) and Broadway vet Ryan McCartan (Wicked, Frozen).

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Happenstance Theater: ADRIFT | A Medieval Wayward Folly - begins November 29

59E59 Theaters, 59 East 59th Street between Madison and Park Avenues in Midtown East

Begins November 29. Closes December 24.

Kooky characters from Hieronymus Bosch's over-the-top paintings come to life in this devised work, which fuses live music, physical comedy and puppetry to conjure the perils of existence during the Middle Ages. Expect angels, devils and a hilarious hellmouth in this Happenstance Theater production.

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The Tank: As I Eat The World - begins November 30

The Tank, 312 West 36th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues in Midtown West

Begins November 30. Closes December 17.

Masks are required.

Luis Roberto Herrera's harrowing solo show explores how the pressures of Latine culture exacerbated his struggles with depression and eating disorders. Scout Davis directs.

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Funhouse Philosophers: Killin' Republicans - begins November 30

Theater for the New City, 155 First Avenue between 9th and 10th Streets in the East Village

Begins November 30. Closes December 17. If you're a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase $11 tickets.

Masks are required.

Dick D. Zigun, the so-called Permanently Unelected Mayor of Coney Island, penned this political romp about Jodie Foster trapped on a plane with a Nigerian Afrobeat star and her oilman husband from Biloxi, Mississippi. This unlikely threesome engages in one hell of a transatlantic flight conversation, covering eclectic topics such as assassinations, Jim Crow and Dixiecrats.

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Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre: The Red Rose - begins November 30

Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre, 304 West 47th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues in Midtown West

Begins November 30. Closes January 7, 2024. If you're a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase $11 tickets.

Acclaimed Latine company Pregones / Puerto Rican Traveling Theater revives The Red Rose, a bio-musical about the Afro-Puerto Rican writer and activist Jesús Colón. After arriving in NYC as a 16-year-old stowaway in 1917, he worked various menial jobs and eventually became a celebrated chronicler of the Puerto Rican immigrant experience, even sparking the Nuyorican movement. Book writer and co-lyricist Rosalba Rolón directs this new production.

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Gallery Players: Once - begins December 2

Gallery Players, 199 14th Street between Fourth and Fifth Avenues in Park Slope, Brooklyn

Begins December 2. Closes December 17.

Brooklyn's intrepid Gallery Players revives the Tony-winning musical Once about the unexpected romance between a Dublin street musician and a talented young Czech woman. Based on the movie musical of the same name, the show features exquisite songs by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová.

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Loose Change Productions: Export Quality - begins December 3

HERE, 145 Sixth Avenue at Dominick Street in Soho

Begins December 3. Closes December 17. If you're a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase $18 tickets.

Inspired by true stories, Export Quality chronicles the heartrending journeys of four mail-order brides from the Philippines. The play investigates the sexism and colonialism inherent in the industry as well as the women's personal experiences with hope, despair, love and loss.

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The Brick: SchmidtSmithSchmidt - begins December 7

The Brick, 579 Metropolitan Avenue near Lorimer Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Begins December 7. Closes December 17.

SchmidtSmithSchmidt is a devised experimental work about mothers, daughters and grandmothers, as three generations of women harbor secrets and secret desires. Performed in German and English.

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Andrew Block is an Ovation Award-winning director who hails from New Orleans and now works primarily with the vibrant NYC independent theatre community. He also serves as TDF's Manager of Off & Off-Off Broadway Services.