TUES-THURS, 2/18-20: CHEAP BOOK SALE, FILM FESTS, RESTAURANT WEEK OF THE SIDES, AND MORE

tuesday

thru 3/1: restaurant week of the sides: 38 businesses along the 7-train line in sunnyside and woodside, queens, offer three-course dinner specials for $35. >>

thru 2/25: sixth chelsea international photography competition exhibition: chelsea’s agora gallery presents its sixth annual photography competition exhibition, showcasing winning works from hundreds of global submission. reception thursday 6-8pm. free admission. >>

tues 7pm (monthly): brooklyn books + booze: hear established and up-and-coming authors of different genres read from their current works every third tuesday of the month at barrow’s intense tasting room (industry city). tonight’s lineup includes alaya dawn johnson, taran hunt, veronica schanoes, and john foster. hosted by randee dawn. free admission. >>

tues 7pm (monthly): astronomy on tap: 150: things are looking up at astronomy on tap, a night where astronomy enthusiasts gather at a bar for talks by professional scientists and educators, plus themed games, and other cosmic fun. tonight’s 150th event features community manager at science friday santiago flórez and columbia university astronomy graduate student shreyas seethalla. pete’s candy store (williamsburg), free admission. >>

tues 7:30pm: david briggs at the great organ: the cathedral church of saint john the divine (morningside heights) celebrates the return of its restored great organ with free performances this month. tonight, cathedral artist in residence david briggs premieres his organ transcription of brahms’ passionate 2nd symphony alongside his own ‘mannahatta diptyque,’ a musical tour of nyc throughout history. free with rsvp. >>

tues 8pm (monthly): animation nights new york: watch a curated program of animated short films from around the world at this monthly screening event. the gutter spare room (williamsburg), pay-what-you-wish admission. >>

sponsored

Hot Sardines co-creator and “stylish and tenacious” (Paste) frontwoman Elizabeth Bougerol is capping a decade with her “potent and assured” (The New York Times) little big band, performances from Montreal to Newport, 70 million Spotify streams, a sold-out 2024 Carnegie Hall debut, and their 30th show at Joe’s Pub. Now in her first solo project, Elizabeth examines the hunger that drove her to ditch her midtown cubicle and chase the joy of re-imagining classics by the likes of Billie Holiday, the Platters, and Peggy Lee. Featuring The Dulcetones.

March 26 at 7pm & 9:30pm
Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater
425 Lafayette Street (at Astor Place), NY
$30 (inclusive of service fee) / $42 at the door
*There is a 2 drink or 1 food item minimum, per person, during every show at Joe’s Pub.
TICKETS AND MORE INFO

wednesday

weds thru sun: 13th annual winter film festival: the winter film festival returns for its 13th year, showcasing over 80 films from 20 countries, including animation, documentaries, dramas, comedies, horror, music videos, and web series by emerging talent. with a strong focus on diversity—half of the films are made by women and half by people of color—the five-day event features screenings, director q+as, filmmaker workshops, and networking parties. look cinemas (hell’s kitchen), $12.50 adv, $16.50 door, $5 for students. >>

weds 7pm: jessica valenti on abortion with alexis mcgill johnson: feminist writer and activist jessica valenti discusses the state of abortion access and her book, abortion: our bodies, their lies, and the truths we use to win, in a conversation with alexis mcgill johnson, president and ceo of planned parenthood of america, at brooklyn public library. central library (prospect heights), free admission. >>

weds 7pm (monthly): adam wade: live in new york: 20-time moth story slam winner adam wade returns to under st. marks theater with a storytelling show featuring three to four different stories from his extensive catalog (no two shows will be the same) and a different special guest who’ll kick things off. under st. marks theater (east village), sliding scale admission. >>

weds 7pm: adsit + you: comedian and former 30 rock cast member scott adsit takes the stage at ucb (east village) for a night of spontaneous, two-person scenes—featuring (possibly) you. audience members can volunteer to improvise alongside him, or just sit back and watch everything unfold. $10 adv, $15 day of. >>

weds 7:30pm: motion picture pop quiz: screening party meets trivia competition at motion picture pop quiz, where you’ll watch short clips from movies, tv shows, and news reports while entertainers craft questions on the spot. answers are judged on correctness or creativity, with winners chosen by a random drawing. lo-res bar at nitehawk williamsburg, free admission. >>

weds 7:30pm: we have fun: a stand-up show: hosts zach sims and dan wilbur bring the fun-ny to young ethel’s (park slope), with stand-up by guests shalewa sharpe, billy prinsell, julie mitchell, and max chavez. free admission. >>

weds 8pm: the moth storyslam: the popular community-based open mic storytelling competition, where anyone can share a five-minute tale based on the evening’s theme to an attentive audience, returns to the bell house (gowanus). tonight’s theme: ‘oblivious.’ $19.65. >>

weds 9:30pm: friends with caveats: expect everything from stand-up and character performances to music and even powerpoint presentations at caveat’s new weekly comedy show, ‘friends with caveats.’ tonight’s lineup includes jessie lee, jenny gorelick, kenice mobley, molly brown, and more. caveat (les), $10 adv, $15 door. >>

weds 10pm: late bloomers: naomi odenkirk presents late bloomers, an evening of unexpected solo characters at union hall (park slope). featuring sarafina ludlow, kate owens, ashley padilla, mary shalaby, jamie linn watson, and jane wickline. hosted by ava bunn. union hall (park slope), $12 adv, $15 door. >>

thursday

thurs thru 3/7: doc fortnight 2025 moma: the museum of modern art’s 24th annual doc fortnight festival presents new nonfiction and hybrid fiction cinema from 28 countries, including work by michael almereyda and courtney stephens, lila avilés, radu jude, mariano llinas, errol morris, stanley nelson, ben rivers, amy sillman, cauleen smith, elisabeth subrin, lou ye, jasmila žbanić, and many others. museum of modern art (midtown west), $14 general, $12 seniors, $10 students. >>

thurs thru sun: cheap book sale: thousands of new and used books, records, and cds are waiting for new homes at the 31st annual park slope united methodist church book sale, where most items are priced at just $2-3 each. $30 admission preview sale thursday, free admission friday thru sunday. >>

thurs 6pm: flirtation cards: press your luck: join the seaport museum and downtown alliance for a post-valentine’s day singles mixer and workshop at the 19th century-style letterpress print shop bowne + co., and explore the tradition of acquaintance cards—or flirtation cards—a playful variation on the victorian calling card. bonus: all participants will get to take home the items they print during the evening. free admission. >>

thurs 7pm: the story collider podcast’s science storytelling show: ‘perseverance’: storytellers share true, personal stories about science and the tenacity it takes to make it to the finish line at the latest edition of the story collider show. hosted by gastor almonte and julio chávez. qed (astoria), $15. >>

thurs 7pm (monthly): facts machine: science, comedy + trivia: scientists and comedians share the stories behind their favorite facts, ‘conduct experiments’ (play drinking games), and probe their knowledge with a trivia challenge loosely inspired by tonight’s theme: ‘evolution.’ hosted by scientists and pub trivia hosts em costa, noah guiberson, and rob frawley. caveat (les), $18.76 with promo code ‘theskint’ (reg. $24-$25). >>

thurs 7:30pm (monthly): pete’s reading series: hear from literary icons and newcomers alike at this long-running reading series, hosted by temim fruchter and brian gresko. tonight’s event features sarah chihaya (bibliophobia), erin crosby eckstine (junie), emily schultz (brooklyn kills me), and tyler wetherall (amphibian). pete’s candy store (williamsburg), free admission. >>

thurs 7:30pm: voices of a people’s history: i know what the red clay looks like: building on historian howard zinn’s vision, voices of a people’s history presents an evening of music, spoken word, and readings by black female artists, drawn from the newly expanded edition of 1994’s i know what the red clay looks like: the voice + vision of black women writers. narrated by writer and cultural critic rebecca carroll with activist haley pessin. lincoln center’s david rubenstein atrium (uws). free admission. >>

thurs 8pm (monthly): the princess bride entirely from memory: blindly-cast ten bones theatre company performers will attempt to recreate rob reiner’s the princess bride (1987), using only what they can remember from watching the film once recently. as chaos ensues, drinks are drunk while the players are challenged to incorporate lines written by the audience and create ‘deleted’ scenes. littlefield (gowanus), $12 adv, $14 day of. >>

thurs 9:15pm: shouting at the screen: watch a film from the world of 70’s-era blaxploitation and black cult cinema accompanied by drinking games and mst3k-style commentary from hosts wyatt cenac (problem areas) and donwill (webby award-winner, the almanac of rap). nitehawk cinema (prospect park), $18. >>

thurs 10pm: taking back thursday: the only girl run emo vs nü metal night: dance and sing/scream/cry the night away at the one-year anniversary of dj k styles and kayte’s taking back thursday emo vs nü metal night. arlene’s grocery (les), free admission. >>

ongoing

our roundup of 40+ ongoing events and attractions: ‘christo and jeanne-claude: the gates and unrealized projects for new york city,’ 2-for-1 off-broadway week tickets, ice skating, and more. >>

stay safe and healthy
– the skint

FRI-MON, 2/14-17: SKINT WEEKEND

💖 25 valentine’s-themed events:

► thru fri (various times): casablanca in 35mm at village east by angelika. $21. >>

► fri (various times): love in times square: weddings, vow renewals, surprise proposals, and more. free admission. >>

► fri (various times): a night at the paris: valentine’s day screenings of casablanca and amélie at the paris theater (midtown). $17 general, $15 seniors/students/people with disabilities. >>

► fri 7pm: vocabaret linguistic variety show: ‘dating games’ edition at caveat (les). $15 with promo code ‘caveatorb’ (reg $20 adv, $25 door). >>

► fri 7pm: footlight’s annual palentine’s day party: candy, crafts + romcoms at footlight underground at the windjammer (ridgewood). $10 suggested donation. >>

► fri 7pm + 10pm: doll parts ‘heartbreak’: a dolly parton cover band experience at the sultan room (bushwick). $25.14. >>

► fri 7-10pm: valentine’s day fight night: drag queen wrestling, burlesque, and vendors at strong rope brewery (red hook). free admission. >>

► fri 8pm: young hot sluts: a matchmaking game show with comedian carly ann filbin at littlefield (gowanus). save $5 with promo code ‘yhs’. >>

► fri 8pm: why are you single? a dating game show with comedian marie faustin at the bell house (gowanus). $25.05. >>

► fri 8pm-late: wild at heart: rubulad’s valentine’s day party at rubulad (bushwick). $18 adv, $25 door. >>

► fri 9pm: cheap therapy comedy show by hoes with feelings hosts melissa rich and karolena theresa at arlo soho. $12.51 2-for-1 promo (reg. $20 each). >>

► fri 9pm-3am: weeb adjacent’s one-year anniversary cosplay rave at wonderville (bushwick). $10. >>

► fri 10pm-2am: not my slutty valentine’s day dance party at littlefield (gowanus). a limited number of tickets are available for $5 off with promo code ‘notmy5’ >>

► fri 10pm-late: soul connection black love valentine’s day party at nowadays (bushwick). $25+ general admission, $10-15 with rsvp. >>

► fri 10:30pm: the devil’s eyes presents: a valentine’s day cabaret at sleepwalk (bushwick). $14.73 adv, $15 door. >>

► fri 10:30pm: boots! valentine’s a go-go at alphaville (bushwick). free admission. >>

► sat 4pm: perfume room presents: smells like love – a dating show where the nose does the picking with comedian, matchmaker, and perfume expert emma vernon at caveat (les). a limited number of $20 tickets are available with promo code ‘skint20’ (reg. $25 adv, $30 door). >>

► sat 5-7pm: blind date with a book at yu + me books (chinatown). free admission. >>

► sat 7pm: 26th annual love hangover: duos singing songs of love in all forms with joan as police woman, wesley stace, jenny toomey, richard alwyn, jessie kilguss, tammy faye starlite, lenny zenith, and many more at berlin (east village). $17.45 adv, $20 day of. >>

► sat 7-11pm: love af booze-free valentine’s party at hekate café + elixir lounge (alphabet city/east village). free admission. >>

canceled ► sat 8pm: i love you but: a comedy show about love and marriage with hosts (and married couple) casey james salengo and courtney maginnis. the gutter spare room (williamsburg), $10. >>

► sat 8:30pm: improvised erotic thriller with improv group help me i’m drowning at brooklyn comedy collective pig pen (williamsburg). $10 adv, $15 day of. >>

► sat 9pm-3am: gemini + scorpio presents: meet me in paris – a clandestine cabaret at gemini + scorpio loft (gowanus). $25 general, $10 after 12:30am. >>

► sun 5pm doors: fireside mystery theatre: ‘love potions + other poisons’ edition at the slipper room (les), $20. >>

► sun 9pm: sad girl karaoke at purgatory (bushwick). free admission. >>

friday

fri thru ?: songs of new york: 100 years of imagining the city through music: an immersive, interactive exhibition at the museum of the city of new york takes you through a full range of music from and about nyc, from be-bop to k-pop, hip-hop to punk, across genres, boroughs, and musical movements. featuring sound and visuals, songs of new york reflects on topics like the subway, apartments, nightlife, and neighborhoods from 100 artists including blondie, bob dylan, merle haggard, yoko ono, lil’ kim, lcd soundsystem, ll cool j, tito puente, the velvet underground, susanne vega, wu-tang clan, and many others. museum of the city of new york (east harlem), pay-what-you-can admission for new york state residents (reg. $23 general, $18 seniors, $14 students, free for everyone on wednesdays). >>

fri thru 3/2: academy award-nominated short films: get caught up on this year’s academy award-nominated short animated, documentary, and live action films at ifc center in greenwich village (fri), nitehawk cinema in williamsburg + prospect park (fri thru 2/20), and syndicated in bushwick (fri thru 3/2). various prices.

fri thru mon: yoko ono: wish tree: marking her 92nd birthday, artist yoko ono has installed a grove of 92 trees in park avenue armory’s wade thompson drill hall, where visitors are invited to contribute to the work by tying their personal wishes to the branches. admission is free with rsvp, and a series of symposiums and tribute concerts are offered for $35-45. >>

fri 8pm: gummy worm comedy show + party: sarah adelman and alex murdoch host a night of standup comedy and dancing at downstairs at early terrible in the les. featuring michael rowland, chanel ali, shaunak godkhindi, and sureni weerasekera. $12. >>

fri 8:30pm: bitches brew comedy show: see what all the brew-ha-ha is about at this women-produced and-hosted comedy show, returning to the back room at halyards (gowanus) with stand-up by sydney duncan (comedy central), peng dang (vulture), connor creagan (comedy central), naomi karavani (siriusxm), and henry sir. free admission (a tip jar will be passed around at the end of the show). >>

fri 9pm: drop up video: a panel of comedians roast the music videos that we love to hate. featuring eli yudin, harshil shukla, cherith fuller, dwayne cullen, brittany caldwell, zach swan. hosted by justin thompson. pine box rock shop (bushwick), $5 with promo code ‘skint’ (reg. $10). >>

sponsored

Myrtle Avenue Restaurant Week is back!

Beginning February 15, savor the flavors and experience the culinary journey that awaits on Myrtle Avenue. 15 restaurants in Fort Greene & Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, are offering exclusive 3-course dining deals at price points for every budget. For $25, $35 or $45, taste cuisines from Northern France to Cambodia, Italy to Nepal, and everywhere in between. Not only will you enjoy an affordable and delicious dining experience, but you’ll also be supporting the local small businesses that make Myrtle Avenue thrive!

Participating Restaurants: Castro’s – 511 Myrtle | Glin Thai Bistro – 330 Myrtle | Lula Mae – 472 Myrtle | Mint Heights – 368 Myrtle | Myrtle Thai – 438 Myrtle | Neno’s – 499 Myrtle | Osteria Brooklyn – 458 Myrtle | Putnam’s Pub –419 Myrtle | Rosticceria Evelina – 455 Myrtle | Somethin’ On Myrtle – 503 Myrtle | Spice & Grill – 441 Myrtle | Third Falcon – 360 Myrtle | U-GU – 541 Myrtle | Yamashiro – 468 Myrtle | Zhong Zhong Noodles – 154 Adelphi

Saturday, February 15 – Sunday, March 2. Discover the restaurants, menus, & more at myrtleavenue.org/restaurantweek2025

saturday

sponsored: sat thru 3/2: myrtle avenue restaurant week: savor the flavors and experience the culinary journey that awaits on myrtle avenue! 15 restaurants in fort greene and clinton hill, brooklyn, are offering exclusive 3-course dining deals at price points for every budget. for $25, $35 or $45, taste cuisines from northern france to cambodia, italy to nepal, and everywhere in between. not only will you enjoy an affordable and delicious dining experience, but you’ll also be supporting the local small businesses that make myrtle avenue thrive! discover the restaurants, menus, and more here >>

sat + sun (various times): 39th annual new york sword dance festival: 10 performing troupes from new york, massachusetts, and d.c. bring family-friendly performances of traditional english sword dances—with modern twists—to public spaces across manhattan and brooklyn. the fest showcases both mystical, stately longsword and vigorous rapper sword dancing, with live music on fiddle, accordion, and other instruments. free admission. >>

sat + sun (sat 7pm, sun 3pm): raise the page, uplift the word: a bipoc festival of short plays: abingdon theatre company and amt theater present their annual staged readings of short plays spotlighting stories written by people of color. amt theater (theatre district), free admission. >>

sat 1pm: national boston terrier day celebration: god loves a terrier! see why at the third annual national boston terrier day meetup at the washington square park dog run (greenwich village). no dogs without people. no people without dogs. but you can watch from outside the dog run. >>

sat 2-5pm: textile arts center 16th open studios: see and learn about the work of textile arts center’s eight current artists in residence. textile arts center (gowanus), free admission. >>

sat 5-9pm: phil collins day: can you feel it coming in the air tonight? open your ears and heart for the annual celebration of all things phil collins, featuring music, raffles benefitting the brooklyn music school, and a performance from music school staff. berry park (greenpoint), free admission. >>

sat 6pm doors: the astigmatism comedy show: a book-ish standup comedy show highlighting diversity in laughter and literature: fun-loving comedians alexis bradby, kristal adams, and isabelle pierre bring together underrepresented voices in comedy and literature for ‘the tiny desk of comedy’ at p+t knitwear bookstore (les). tonight’s one-year anniversary show features phoebe robinson, brittany carney, joanna briley, murahd shawki, and briana crowe. $15 admission includes $5 that can be applied towards any purchase in the bookstore or café. >>

sat 7pm doors: second annual johnny cash tribute concert: sean kershaw and the brooklyn country all-stars walk the line once again for their second annual johnny cash tribute concert, featuring guests binky griptite (of the dap kings), eli ‘paperboy’ reed, wfmu’s honky tonk radio girl (becky b.), and many others. the bowery electric (east village), $23.10. >>

sat 7:30pm: peoples’ symphony concerts classical music series: juilliard string quartet: the 125th season of peoples’ symphony concerts continues with juilliard string quartet, returning with a program that includes works by haydn, mozart, and schubert. historic washington irving high school auditorium (gramercy), $20-25 general, $10 students/essential workers. >>

sat 8pm: fun gutter: punks and punchlines meet at fungutter, a stand-up comedy show with a punk house band. tonight’s show, hosted by sasha von didkovsky and bailey pope, features standup from max higgins and nick telleli, a sermon by unlicensed youth pastor ‘pastor dave,’ an essay reading by claire pellegrino, and a karaoke after party. the cobra club (bushwick), free admission. >>

sat 8pm (+ 4/5, 5/17): new york repertory orchestra 2024-25 season: the all-volunteer, community-based orchestra is back with a new season of concerts, continuing tonight with a program that includes works by david diamond, vitezslava kaprálová, and paul hindemith. the church of st. mary the virgin (theater district), free ($15 suggested donation). >>

sat 10pm: sandwich comedy: comedians serve up slices of freshly assembled material at gastor almonte and jess salomon’s sandwich comedy show. featuring mailk elassal, will abeles, joey dardano, grace johnson, and gavin matts. union hall (park slope), $10 adv, $15 door. >>

sunday

sun 11:30am-3:30pm (festival + booths), 1pm (parade): 27th chinatown lunar new year parade and festival: lions leap, dragons dance, and drummers drum through the streets as manhattan’s chinatown celebrates the new year. >>

sun 7pm (monthly): new tricks: good tales don’t age at this storytelling show where all of the performers are over 40. hosted by adrianne frost (the moth storyslam champion) with stories by alice chumard, adam selbst, jeff simmermon, kelli dunham, and joanna m. briley. tonight’s theme: ‘heartbreakers.’ q.e.d. (astoria), $12. >>

sun 8pm: dungeons + drag queens: drag queens take the stage for a live, rousing game of d+d, complete with fierce spell numbers, live music, and more—hosted by dungeon master paul curry. c’mon everybody (bed-stuy), $12.36. >>

sun 8:30pm: say less: a too truthful comedy show: buckle up for an evening of overly personal jokes and stories scored by a live band at the say less comedy show. hosted by niccolo aeed and shem pennant, tonight’s lineup features hoodo hersi, demetrius fields, cj hunt, and meka mo. ucb (east village), $10 adv, $15 day of. >>

monday

mon thru 3/9: 2-for-1 off-broadway week tickets: more drama for less money! this seasonal promotion offers 2-for-1 ticket deals to 29 shows, including kowalski, liberation, mindplay, still, the jonathan larson project, and the play that goes wrong. >>

mon 4pm, 7pm (season ends today): classics in black + white: metropolis: village east and cinema 123 by angelika host a series of classic black + white screenings, continuing tonight with george cukor’s the philadelphia story (1940), starring cary grant, katharine hepburn, and james stewart. $19.

mon 5:30pm: emotionally unreasonable: take a walk down the aisle with comedian maria decotis as she presents a fresh take on her one-woman show, emotionally unreasonable, a mix of stand-up and musical comedy about her experience as a professional wedding officiant presiding over ceremonies while her own marriage is unraveling. ucb (east village), $10 adv, $15 day of. >>

mon 7:30pm: dirty little secrets improv show: see your secrets turned into comedy gold at the dirty little secrets show, where your anonymously-submitted confessions serve as inspiration for improv performers. the wara theatre (east village), save $5 with promo code ‘skintsecrets’ >>

ongoing

our roundup of 40+ ongoing events and attractions: ‘christo and jeanne-claude: the gates and unrealized projects for new york city,’ film + play fests, ice skating, and more. >>

stay safe and healthy
– the skint

“STRONG PERFORMANCES ABOUND” HENRY IV – NOW THRU MARCH 2 ONLY (SPONSORED)

Theatre for a New Audience Presents

HENRY IV
By William Shakespeare
Adapted by Dakin Matthews
Directed by Eric Tucker

GET A NEW DEAL TICKET TO ANY PERFORMANCE FOR JUST $20!*
If you are 30 years old or under OR a full-time student of any age, you can purchase a $20 New Deal ticket (up to $95 value). Choose your seat, choose ticket type New Deal (change from Standard), and use promo code NEWDEALSKINT. ONE ID PER TICKET, FOR OTHER ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS – SEE BELOW.

YOU’RE INVITED TO OUR NEW DEAL NIGHT!
If you’re eligible for the New Deal, join us at New Deal Night on Sunday, February 16! Buy your $20 New Deal ticket for the 1:00PM performance of Henry IV and stay for a free post-show talkback. This talkback will be immediately followed by a party at Fulton Hall with complimentary food and drinks and wonderful opportunities to connect with other artists and theatregoers.

SINGLE TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR ANYONE FOR $65** WITH CODE SKINT65!

GET TICKETS AT TFANA.ORG

Watch director Eric Tucker discuss the production.

Running time: 3:45 including two intermissions

Henry IV, Part One is one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, but Henry IV, Part Two is rarely produced. Dakin Matthews has taken Henry IV, Part One and Part Two and adapted them into one three-act play of 3:45 including two intermissions, creating one play approximately half the length of the two separately.

With vivid, indelible characters drawn from 15th-century England’s civil war, the Adaptation is gripping and epic, exploring timeless questions about legitimate authority and how the private lives of rulers conflict with their public lives. When the play begins, King Henry IV has taken the throne from his cousin Richard. Henry is plagued by guilt and challenged by a rebellion led by the brave Henry Percy (Hotspur). Prince Hal, King Henry’s son, is alienated from his father and, rather than assuming the duties of the heir apparent, spends his time in a tavern with the old knight Falstaff, an outlaw, liar, and great wit with insatiable appetites.

Matthews writes “The two plays are one in conception…(and) together tell of the transition of power from father to son. Hal’s growth … and the choices he must make on the way to becoming Henry V, organize the entire action…It is the story of a man becoming a king. Simultaneously, it is the story of a boy becoming a man, and of a son disappointing, surprising, frustrating, pleasing, and ultimately outgrowing his own father.”

Emma Smith, Shakespeare scholar and author, observes Henry IV is also “deeply concerned with real and imagined relationships between fathers and sons. There’s Northumberland and his son Hotspur as well as King Henry and his son Hal. But when King Henry wishes, at the outset of the play, that the brave Hotspur were really his son… his wish for an alternative son legitimates Hal’s own wish for an alternative father.”

Henry IV introduces Falstaff, one of Shakespeare’s most compelling creations. Harold Bloom describes Falstaff as “the most intelligent person in all of literature” and also says of him, “Falstaff is life!”

Elijah Jones as Prince Henry (Hal), Dakin Matthews as King Henry IV, Cara Ricketts as Lady Percy, Jay O. Sanders as Sir John Falstaff, and James Udom as Henry Percy (Hotspur) lead this cast of sixteen.

The full company is William Bednar (Musician/Traveler/Messenger/Servant), Jordan Bellow (Ned Poins/Prince John/Feeble), Steven Epp (Earl of Worcester/Francis/Silence), Nigel Gore (Earl of Warwick/Sir Richard Vernon), Slate Holmgren (Nym/Sheriff/Mouldy/Earl of Douglas), Elijah Jones (Prince Henry (Hal)), PJ Ju (Musician/Traveler/Messenger), John Keating (Earl of Westmoreland/Robert Shallow), Owen Laheen (Lady Mortimer/Traveler/Servant to Hotspur/Davy/Messenger/Page), Dakin Matthews (King Henry IV/Traveler), Cara Ricketts (Lady Percy/Doll Tearsheet), Michael Rogers (Earl of Northumberland/Owen Glendower/Bullcalf), Jay O. Sanders (Sir John Falstaff), Sandra Shipley (Mistress Quickly/Lady Northumberland/Archbishop of York), James Udom (Henry Percy (Hotspur)/Pistol), and Elan Zafir (Bardolph/Edmund Mortimer/Lord Hastings).

Polonsky Shakespeare Center: 262 Ashland Place, Brooklyn, NY 11217

* Each New Deal ticket holder must be 30 years of age and under, or a full-time student. A valid ID proving eligibility must be presented for each ticket purchased. IDs must be presented at entry beginning two hours prior to curtain. Failure to show proof of age or student ID will result in a surcharge for a full price ticket.

** $65 ticket discount offer expires 3/2/2025. Full price up to $95. Subject to availability. All internet and phone orders are subject to a handling fee. The offer may be discontinued at any time. Not valid for previous purchases.

Box Office hours are Monday–Saturday, 1–7pm and it can be reached at 646-553-3880 or tickets@TFANA.org.

Face masks are encouraged, but not required.

Click here to learn more about our policy on refunds and exchanges.

Henry IV adapted by Dakin Matthews marks the company’s completion of exploring Shakespeare’s eight-play History Cycle as separate productions (not a single presentation of the complete cycle). The commitment began 32 years ago with TFANA’s 1993 production of Henry V, featuring Mark Rylance in the title role in his New York debut. In 1996, TFANA produced Henry VI, Parts One, Two, and Three, adapted into two plays performed in repertory featuring Philp Goodwin in the title role in a Drama Desk Award-winning performance. In 1998, TFANA produced Richard II featuring Steven Skybell in the title role, performed in repertory by a single company with Richard III featuring Christopher McCann in the title role.

This production of Henry IV is supported by the donors to the Theatre’s Completing the Canon Fund: Frank and Aileen Drury, Alan Jones and Ashley Garrett, and the Michael Tuch Foundation.

This production of Henry IV is made possible in part by Shakespeare in American Communities, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

Additional support for the production of Henry IV and related education programs in the New York City Public Schools was provided by The Achelis and Bodman Foundation.

Design by Paul Davis Studio / Paige Restaino

Deloitte and Bloomberg Philanthropies are the 2024-2025 Season Sponsors.

Principal support for Theatre for a New Audience’s season and programs is provided by the Bay and Paul Foundations, The Jerome and Marlène Brody Foundation, the Howard Gilman Foundation, the Jerome L. Greene Foundation Fund at the New York Community Trust, The Dubose & Dorothy Heyward Memorial Fund, The Polonsky Foundation, The SHS Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, and The Thompson Family Foundation.

Theatre for a New Audience’s season and programs are also made possible, in part, with public funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities; the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

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