The Brick Theater

The Brick Theater is a venue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn that presents dance, performance art, drag, comedy, film, music, experimental theatre, and more.[1][2] Gothamist has hailed the space as “one of the city’s most reliable sources for smart, funny, and surprising performance.”[3]

History

The Brick was founded by Michael Gardner and Robert Honeywell in 2002.[4] The theater is in a brick-walled former garage/auto-body shop and former yoga center.[5][6] Since its inception, the Brick has presented off-beat revivals, messy shows, and festivals on themes such as the convergence of video games in theatre, stage combat, and comic book artists.[7]

In 2019 it was announced that Theresa Buchheister would step into the role of Artistic Director, joined by Ryan William Downey and Travis Just as Associate Artistic Directors.[1] In December 2019, the space was renovated to improve its technical capabilities and accessibility.[8] Buchhesiter, Downey, and Just assumed leadership in January 2020 alongside curators Harrison Rivers, Nicolás Noreña, Justin Linville, Yuki Kawahisa, Teresa Braun, and Alyse Lamband. While remaining "Williamsburg’s primary incubator of innovative theater and performing arts" the team's renewed vision is producing multi-week theatrical runs along with one-off performances events.[9]

In March 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brick created Out of An Abundance of Caution, a livestreamed avant-garde microfestival online via Twitch. In April 2020 the Brick began releasing archival recordings of shows produced at the space on YouTube.[10]

Selected Production History

Shows

Absence of Magic[5] Action Jesus (The Baby Jesus One-Act Jubilee 2009)[11] Adventures of Caveman Robot[12] Afternoon Playland (The Antidepressant Festival)[4] . . . And the Fear Cracked Open (The Antidepressant Festival)[4] And the Spirit of Christmas Passed (The Baby Jesus One-Act Jubilee 2009)[11] Assyrian Monkey Fantasy[13][5][14] The Baby Jesus Conversation (The Baby Jesus One-Act Jubilee 2009)[11] Babylon, Babylon[3] A Bender Family Christmas (The Baby Jesus One-Act Jubilee 2009)[11] Bethlehem or Bust (Fight Fest 2010)[15] Bizarre Science Fantasy[5] Blood on the Cat’s Neck (The CollisionWorks 2009)[16] Bouffon Glass Menajoree[3] Brick-a-Brac[5] The Buccaneer (Fight Fest 2009)[17] Buffoon Anonymous: 12 Steps To Inanity (Clown Festival 2012) Butterfly, Butterfly, Kill Kill Kill! (Fight Fest 2009)[17] Cabaret Terrarium (The Antidepressant Festival)[4] A Christmas Carol (The Baby Jesus One-Act Jubilee 2009)[11] Craven Monkey and the Mountain of Fury (Fight Fest 2009)[18] Dandilion and the Bicycle-Powered Cloud Plane (The Too Soon Festival)[19] Dar and Matey’s Christmas SpectaculARGH! (Fight Fest 2010)[15] Dear Dubya (The Moral Values Festival)[13][5][14] Death Is a Scream (The Too Soon Festival)[19] Deck the Hallmans (Fight Fest 2009)[18] Evolution (Fight Fest 2009)[18] Exit, Pursued by Bears (The Antidepressant Festival)[20] Fallout Follies[5] George Bataille’s Bathrobe (The CollisionWorks 2009)[16] Glee Club (The Antidepressant Festival)[4] Grand Theft Ovid (Game Play 2010)[21][22] The Granduncle Quadrilogy: Tales from the Land of Ice[23] Greed: A Musical Love $tory[24] Habitat[5] Hack! An I.T. Spaghetti Western (The Too Soon Festival)[19] Happily after Tonight (The Too Soon Festival)[19] Hollow Hallow (The Baby Jesus One-Act Jubilee 2009)[11] In a Strange Room (based on Faulkner's As I Lay Dying)[5] Infectious Opportunity (The Antidepressant Festival)[4]

Jeannine’s Abortion—A Play in One Trimester (The Too Soon Festival)[19] Jenna Is Nuts[5] The Kung-Fu Importance of Being Earnest (The $ellout Festival)[12] Kool-Aid Man in Second Life (Game Play 2010)[22] Last Life (Fight Fest 2009)[17] Marshmallow World (The Baby Jesus One-Act Jubilee 2009)[11] Memoirs of My Nervous Illness[5][14] Modal Kombat (Game Play 2010)[21][22] Mother Mary Come to Me (The Baby Jesus One-Act Jubilee 2009)[11] My Year of Porn (The Moral Values Festival)[5][14] The Nigerian Spam Scam Scam (The $ellout Festival)[12] The Ninja Cherry Orchard (Fight Fest 2009)[17] Notes from Underground[3] Power Burn 3 (Fight Fest 2009)[18] The Pragmatists[5][12][14] Rapier Wit! (Fight Fest 2010)[15] The Revellers (The Baby Jesus One-Act Jubilee 2009)[11] RIP JD—A Celebration of Death (The Too Soon Festival)[19] Samuel and Alasdair: a Personal History of the Robot War[25] Schaden, Freude and You: a 3 Clown Seminar (The Antidepressant Festival)[20] Sincerely, Raven Harte (The Baby Jesus One-Act Jubilee 2009)[11] Suspicious Package (The Film Festival: a Theater Festival; Game Play 2009)[20] Suspicious Package: Rx (The Antidepressant Festival)[20][26] The Tale of the Good Whistleblower of Chaillot’s Caucasian Mother and Her Other Children of a Lesser Marriage Chalk Circle (The Antidepressant Festival)[4] That Old Soft Shoe (The Too Soon Festival)[19] That’s Not How Mahler Died[14] Theater of the Arcade (Game Play 2010)[21] Third Person (The Moral Values Festival)[14] Trayf (The Baby Jesus One-Act Jubilee 2009)[11] Tupperware Orgy[5] Uncomplicated (The Baby Jesus One-Act Jubilee 2009)[11] The Vigil or The Guided Cradle[27] The Wedding of Berit Johnson and Ian W. Hill (The Too Soon Festival)[19] Who Is Wilford Brimley?[5][14] WILM 690: Pirate Radio (The Antidepressant Festival)[4] World Gone Wrong (The Moral Values Festival; The CollisionWorks 2007)[5][14] Your Lithopedian (The Antidepressant Festival)[4]

Festivals

The Too Soon Festival (2010)[2][19]
The Antidepressant Festival (June 5–July 4, 2009)[20][4]
The Film Festival: a Theater Festival (2008)[5]
The Pretentious Festival (2007)[5]
The $ellout Festival (2006)[5]
The Moral Values Festival (2005)[5]
The Hell Festival (2004)[2][5][3]
Game Play[2][21]
Tiny Theater Fest[2]
The Baby Jesus One-Act Jubilee[5][4][11]
Fight Fest[17][18][15]
The CollisionWorks[16]

The Havel Festival (2006)[28]

The New York Clown Theater Festival[13][2][5][4]

Awards

Samuel and Alasdair: a Personal History of the Robot War, 2010 IT Award, Outstanding Production of a Play[29]
Samuel and Alasdair: a Personal History of the Robot War, Marc Bovino, Joe Curnutte, Michael Dalto, Stephanie Wright Thompson, 2010 IT Award, Outstanding Ensemble[29]
Samuel and Alasdair: a Personal History of the Robot War, Stowe Nelson, 2010 IT Award, Outstanding Sound Design[29]
The Vigil or The Guided Cradle, Crystal Skillman, 2010 IT Award, Outstanding Original Full-Length Script[29]
2009 Caffe Cino Fellowship Award[30][31]
Suspicious Package, ITBA Award, Best Off-Off Broadway Unique Theatrical Experience[32]
Bouffon Glass Menajoree, 2007 IT Award, Outstanding Production of a Play[3]
The Present Perfect, 2007 IT Award, Outstanding Lighting Design[33]
2006 Village Voice Best of NY—Best Reason for Theater Haters to Buy Season Tickets[12]
2005 nytheatre.com’s People of the Year[14]
2004 nytheatre.com’s People of the Year[14]
In a Strange Room, Time Out New York Top Ten Plays of 2004

Nominations

Craven Monkey and the Mountain of Fury, 2010 IT Award nominee, Outstanding Performance Art Production[34]
Craven Monkey and the Mountain of Fury, Julianne Kroboth, 2010 IT Award nominee, Outstanding Costume Design[34]
Infectious Opportunity, James Comtois, 2010 IT Award nominee, Outstanding Original Full-Length Script[34]
Samuel and Alasdair: a Personal History of the Robot War, Marc Bovino, 2010 IT Award nominee, Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role [35]
Samuel and Alasdair: a Personal History of the Robot War, Joe Curnutte, 2010 IT Award nominee, Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role [35]
Samuel and Alasdair: a Personal History of the Robot War, Stephanie Wright Thompson, 2010 IT Award nominee, Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role [35]
Samuel and Alasdair: a Personal History of the Robot War, Lila Neugebauer, 2010 IT Award nominee, Outstanding Director [35]
The Granduncle Quadrilogy: Tales from the Land of Ice, Ivanna Cullinan, 2009 IT Award nominee, Outstanding Actress in a Featured Role[36]
The Granduncle Quadrilogy: Tales from the Land of Ice, Ian W Hill, 2009 IT Award nominee, Outstanding Lighting Design[36]
Suspicious Package, 2009 IT Award nominee, Outstanding Production of a Play[36]
Bouffon Glass Menajoree, Lynn Berg, Audrey Crabtree, Aimee German, 2007 IT Award nominee, Outstanding Ensemble[33]
Bouffon Glass Menajoree, Lynn Berg, Audrey Crabtree, Eric Davis, Aimee German, 2007 IT Award nominee, Outstanding Original Short Script[33]
Bouffon Glass Menajoree, Eric Davis, 2007 IT Award nominee, Outstanding Director[33]
Greed: a Musical Love $tory , 2007 IT Award nominee, Outstanding Production of a Musical[24]
The Kung-Fu Importance of Being Earnest, Qui Nguyen, 2007 IT Award nominee, Outstanding Choreography/Movement[33]
The Present Perfect, 2007 IT Award, Outstanding Set Design[33]
Strom Thurmond Is Not a Racist/Cleansed, 2007 IT Award nominee, Outstanding Production of a Play[33]
Strom Thurmond Is Not a Racist/Cleansed, Thomas Bradshaw, 2007 IT Award nominee, Outstanding Original Full Length Script[33]
Strom Thurmond Is Not a Racist/Cleansed, Barrett Doss, 2007 IT Award nominee, Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role[33]
Strom Thurmond Is Not a Racist/Cleansed, Suzan Perry, 2007 IT Award nominee, Outstanding Actress in a Featured Role[33]

References

1. McEntee, Billy (2019-08-08). "Thursday Spotlight: Meet The Brick's New Artistic Director, Theresa Buchheister". Greenpointers. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
2. Reznik, Eugene. "Inspecting The Brick Theater's Foundations | Theater Reviews | The L Magazine - New York City's Local Event and Arts & Culture Guide". The L Magazine. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
3. Del, John (2008-03-13). "Michael Gardner, The Brick Theater". Gothamist. Archived from the original on 2012-01-25. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
4. "off-off-Broadway reviews, listings, and more". offoffonline. 2009-06-04. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
5. "The Brick Theater, Inc". Visitbrooklyn.org. Archived from the original on 2010-06-13. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
6. "TDF Stages: VIDEO: Get to know the Brick Theater". www.tdf.org. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
7. "The Brick Theater - East Williamsburg - New York , NY 11211 | Metromix New York". Newyork.metromix.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
8. "BRICK 2020: New Look, New Vibe, Old Souls". Kickstarter. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
9. Desk, BWW News. "Theresa Buchheister, Ryan William Downey and Travis Just Usher The Brick into its New Era". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
10. Desk, BWW News. "The Brick Theater Announces Lineup For Archival Streaming Series Through May 14 and More". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2020-05-09.
11. "off-off-Broadway reviews, listings, and more". offoffonline. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
12. "New York Best reason for theater haters to buy season tickets - Brick Theater - Best Of New York". Village Voice. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
13. — Kaitlin Jessing-Butz. "The Brick Theater - Performing Arts Venues - New York Magazine". Nymag.com. Retrieved 2011-12-17.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
14. Archived November 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
15. "The Week Ahead - Nov. 28-Dec. 4". NYTimes.com. 2010-11-26. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
16. Saltz, Rachel (2009-08-13). "Theater Review - 'George Bataille's Bathrobe' and 'Blood on the Cat's Neck' - Fassbinder and Foreman on the Limits of Language - NYTimes.com". Theater.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
17. "Fight Fest Roundup: Part 1 - Time Out New York". Newyork.timeout.com. 2009-12-11. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
18. "Fight Fest roundup No. 2 - Time Out New York". Newyork.timeout.com. 2009-12-18. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
19. Kuntzman, Gersh (2010-06-16). "Our weekly events calendar!". NYPOST.com. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
20. Steven Mcelroy (2009-05-07). "Summer Stages - Theater Festivals - List". NYTimes.com. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
21. Schiesel, Seth (2010-07-15). "Video Games - Theater and Video Games Meet at Brick's Game Play". NYTimes.com. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
22. Mastrapa, Gus (2010-06-30). "The Brick Theater | Game|Life". Wired.com. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
23. Del, John (2008-12-07). "Opinionist: The Granduncle Quadrilogy". Gothamist. Archived from the original on 2012-01-19. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
24. "Off-Off-Broadway Theatre Gets Innovative | Times Square New York City". Timessquare.com. 2007-10-07. Archived from the original on 2012-02-04. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
25. Alexis Soloski (2010-04-13). "Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War - Page 1 - Theater - New York". Village Voice. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
26. "An Interview With Gyda Arber". The New York Theatre Experience, Inc. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03.
27. Zinoman, Jason (2010-05-01). "Theater Review - 'The Vigil or the Guided Cradle' - Crystal Skillman on the Art of Torture - NYTimes.com". Theater.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
28. Andy Propst (2006-10-17). "Foreign Intelligence - Page 1 - Theater - New York". Village Voice. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
29. "2010 New York Innovative Theatre Awards Recipients Announced - News from the IT Awards". Nyitawards.com. 2010-09-21. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
30. "Meet the 2009 Honorary Award Recipients - News from the IT Awards". Nyitawards.com. 2009-09-13. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
31. "2009 Recipients Announced! - News from the IT Awards". Nyitawards.com. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
32. "Independent Theater Blogger Awards, Broadway Shows, New York Theatre Blog". Theaterbloggers.com. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
33. "2007 Nominees - New York Innovative Theatre Awards". Nyitawards.com. 2007-09-24. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
34. "2010 New York Innovative Theatre Award Nominations Announced". Playbill.com. 2010-07-19. Archived from the original on 2012-08-20. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
35. "The 2010 Nominees Are... - News from the IT Awards". Nyitawards.com. 2010-07-19. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
36. "2009 Nominees - New York Innovative Theatre Awards". Nyitawards.com. 2009-07-20. Retrieved 2011-12-17.

External links

Official website

YouTube page