The Day I Accidentally Went to War Written and performed by Bill Posley Soho Playhouse August 16, 2025 Production website 💉💉💉 out of 5
My final one-person show of this visit to NYC was The Day I Accidentally Went to War. Written and performed by Bill Posley, the play confronts his experience as a soldier in Iraq during the War on Terror. The audience follows a deeply personal journey from his childhood through basic training, his unexpected deployment, and eventual homecoming. Apart from his personal story, he is trying to bridge the anti-military with the pro-military.
Lord Nil and the Seven Deadly Sins Created and Performed by Lord Nil Stage 42 August 14, 2025 Production website 💉💉 out of 5.
Lord Nil is an alum of America’s Got Talent and clearly a Las Vegas act that has come to NYC to test the waters. In 75 minutes, you get to see Lord Nil climb his way and un-padlock his way out of seven different “death defying traps.” I am not sure how the hell they are to be likened to the seven deadly sins but I guess it sounds eviller and more mysterious that way. The most notable sequence has Lord Nil balancing over a hot stove, with the scorching cooking surface only inches from his exposed skin. To ensure the audience understands that this stove is real, the other performers in 7 Deadly Sins cook bacon and toast for all to see. Lord Nil must utilize every muscle in his body to remain focused and somehow unlock the chains that bind him to strategically placed balancing beams. Strange because … well, do theatergoers really need to have the cast members descend into the audience to show them the bacon that is, in fact, cooked? The aroma of roasted pig stays with the show for the remainder of the evening. I guess . . .
Morgan Bassichis: Can I Be Frank? Written and performed by Morgan Bassichis Soho Playhouse August 13, 2025 Production website 💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
Sam Pinkleton has been very busy this giving a career boost to three burgeoning gay actors. He began with Cole Escola and won a Tony for directing him in Oh, Mary! And – tonight I watched his next collaboration with Morgan Bassichis and his Off-Broadway solo show, Can I Be Frank? This 70-minute solo show sets the fiercely funny Bassichis exploring the life of performance artist/comic/musician Frank Maya, who died from AIDS-related complications in 1995. I would imagine you are like me and don’t have a clue who Frank Maya is. You are not alone. You will be after this show as Bassichis’s mission is to spread the gospel of Maya far and wide. Maya performed at La Mama and PS 122 and other off-Broadway venues, but also at the hugely influential Caroline’s Comedy Club and on networks including Comedy Central. A 1991 voiceover intro on MTV’s Half Hour Comedy Hour called him “America’s only openly gay comedian.”
Ta-Da! Written by Josh Sharp Directed by Sam Pinkerton Greenwich House Theater August 11, 2025 Production website 💉💉💉 out of 5.
Sam Pinkleton has been very busy this giving a career boost to three burgeoning gay actors. He began with Cole Escola and won a Tony for directing him in Oh, Mary! And – tonight I watched his next collaboration with Josh Sharp and his Off-Broadway solo show, Ta-Da. The title makes you feel like you are going to be watching a magic show but there is no rabbit to be pulled out of a hat. Instead, we get a bit of a TED Talk-like personal monologue lasting some 80 minutes that is driven and defined by exactly 2,000 rapid fire projects – for the most part displaying his script or a few clever asides to the script. It felt like a standup comedy routine where every moment was scripted – and that was the very source of its humor. 2,000 slides – – in 80 minutes he had to hit the PowerPoint button every 2.4 seconds to get us to the finish line!
Viola’s Room Art Installation by Punchdrunk The Shed August 10, 2025 Production website 💉💉💉 out of 5.
Technically, Viola’s Room is NOT theatre in that there is no interaction between a live audience and a live performer. It is truly an art instillation with a story that is promising to have a bit of a “play” to it. Created by Punchdrunk, the company that created the long-running hit Sleep No More, it is a sensory experience guided by the pre-recorded voice of Helena Bonham Carter, queen of the creepy.
