With a vast array of extraordinary voices that persist beyond the ephemeral stage production, we're delivering a new vision of what theater can be. Some of the Audible Theater productions on our list this year were recorded in front of a live audience at our own Minetta Lane Theatre, so you can laugh out loud along with them. Others were honed and polished in our studios for deliciously intimate performances. Several preserve award-winning Broadway productions for posterity. Whether a commission of the Audible Emerging Playwrights Fund or an original work from veteran writers, each delivers the emotional heft of the stage to any moment you happen to be listening.
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As Michael Cruz Kayne says several times in this production, "Things can be one way, and they can also be another way." His hilarious and heartbreaking one-man "comedy show about grief," recorded in front of a live audience at the Minetta Lane Theatre, is all about those contradictions that come with love and loss. He spins you through myriad topics—from Audrey Hepburn to Disney ride disappointments, from nonsensical math to funeral home receipts—demonstrating how loss is inescapably woven through everything, and it has to be if we want to experience the good stuff too. —Emily C.
After discovering a vibrant flea market painting, gallerist Yésica Ortega is intent on solving the mystery of this forgotten great American artist. When she calls up Reinalda Paraíso (the enigmatic 126-Year-Old Artist), it’s clear the relationship between these two Latinas ain’t gonna be easy, as we're drawn into an unusual art caper and get a glimpse at the tensions of being Brown and queer in America. C. Quintana’s commission for the Audible Emerging Playwrights Fund—performed by an immensely talented cast of actors—offers a thrilling tale that has unexpected twists to keep listeners guessing. —Jerry P.
In Mathilde Dratwa's drama, a young woman's grieving process—following the sudden death of her mother—is turned upside down when she learns that her father has been having an affair for the past six years. Grief becomes a multipronged thing, able to attack her from any angle at any time, which is personified by a powerful chorus of narrative voices. Alison Pill and Reed Birney are utter perfection as they work through the stilted conversations of a grieving father and a furious (and grieving) daughter. And Marsha Mason surprises as the "other woman," earning unexpected sympathy from the listener. —E.C.
From the very first act, it’s apparent why Matthew López’s Tony Award-winning play has received so many accolades since its initial run in 2018. Inspired by the plot and characters of E.M. Forster’s Howard’s End, it’s a meta-referential look at LGBTQIA+ history. Activist Eric Glass (Adam Kantor) and his boyfriend Toby Darling (Juan Castano) set the stage for an epic examination of what it means to be a gay man in America. Between the incredible sound design and star-studded cast, it’s difficult not to feel like you’re right beside the characters. —Michael C.
As the narrative in Good Enemy jumps between 1984 and 2021, we learn that our protagonist Howard's (Francis Jue) past life in China is his ticket to a future with his daughter Momo (Geena Quintos). In a play filled with complex topics of oppression and isolation, the comedic timing of Yilong Liu’s production cannot be overlooked. From Howard meeting Momo’s boyfriend to his disdain for social media, I couldn’t help but think of my own father. I haven’t felt this connected to characters in a long time, and it’s a reminder that the unspoken bonds between people matter. And so does this listen. —Caitlyn L.
I've enjoyed Jane Krakowski and Tituss Burgess on TV together (30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Schmigadoon!), so couldn't miss them clash and collaborate in this wacky variety show (recorded live at the Minetta Lane Theatre) that showcases their dueling vocals. Playing double-booked hosts of a faux charity fundraiser, the narcissistic celebs trade scathing barbs in between singing pop and theatrical hits. Whether it's Tituss belting out "Something's Coming" from West Side Story or Jane's interpretation of "Let Me Be Your Star" from Smash or Lana Del Rey's "Young and Beautiful," the charismatic performers keep the hits coming—and me cracking up. —J.P.
When I first saw James Ijames’s electrifying, Pulitzer Prize-winning Hamlet reimagining staged in New York City, I was struck by the playwright's ability to carve and serve up the classic Shakespeare tragedy as a comedic critique of being queer, Black, and “soft” in the American South. After Juicy (Marcel Spears) is visited by his father’s ghost, Pap (Billy Eugene Jones), at a backyard barbecue, he's tasked with avenging his father’s death and killing his uncle. But hearing the play's lyrical language again, I'm even more impressed by this meta-meditation on love, violence, and what it means to be a "real man." —J.P.
Laura Linney and Jessica Hecht give an acting master class in David Auburn's gentle, two-person play about female friendship. Diana (Linney) and Alice (Hecht) are both white, college-educated, Midwestern women whose ambitions have been derailed by having children and changing their goals. It's those kids that bring them together as friends, although they couldn't be more different in personalities, their approach to parenting, or living their frustrated lives. Having Linney and Hecht close to my ears is pure pleasure, and the story is so real and relatable (never giving in to easy sentimentality) that the bittersweet ending leaves an indelible mark. —J.P.
