Over the last 15 years, The Public’s UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL has presented over 229 companies from 42 countries. It has grown into a landmark of the New York City theater season and is a vital part of The Public's mission, providing a high-visibility platform to support artists from diverse backgrounds who are redefining the act of making theater.
Widely recognized as a premier launching pad for new and cutting-edge performance from the U.S. and abroad, Under the Radar Festival has presented works by such respected artists as Elevator Repair Service, Nature Theater of Oklahoma, Gob Squad, Belarus Free Theatre, Guillermo Calderón, and Young Jean Lee. These artists provide a snapshot of contemporary theater: richly distinct in terms of perspectives, aesthetics, and social practice, and pointing to the future of the art form.
Festival Highlights:
MINEFIELD - In her trademark political and playful style, Lola Arias brings together British and Argentinian veterans of the Falkland Islands/Islas Malvinas war to share their first-hand experience of the conflict and life since. Digging deep into the personal impact of war, MINEFIELD is a collaboratively created new work that merges theatre and film to explore the minefield of memory, where truth and fiction collide.
FRANKENSTEIN - Love, loss, and creation merge in unexpected ways in this thrilling classic gothic tale conceived by Manual Cinema. Stories of Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein, and his Monster expose how the forces of family, community, and education shape personhood—or destroy it by their absence.
WEIGHTLESS - written by The Kilbanes, is a genre-bending theatrical event that combines intimate storytelling with a high-energy rock show.
INCOMING! - A festival within a festival
MACBETH IN STRIDE - One in a five part series on Shakespeare's women, this concert play is a battle cry for black female power and desire.
