Secret Academy — Attraction in New York

My wife and I loved the performance of "Much Ado About ..." Intimate theater, great performance! You can reach out and touch the actors because you are SO close ... I very much liked being able to be SO close to the performers and hear them breath... and feel the emotion, the laugher , the sadness, the love. The character switches were fabulous. I loved how they used the accents ... well done! At intermission I stuck up a few conversations with friendly folks ... one gentleman explained to me some very funny twists in the interpretation ... the other guy I spoke to was struggling with the language of Shakespeare but he was enjoying the performance also. I was truly entertained by these talented actors for a VERY reasonable price. I recommend this performance ... you are NOT taking a chance ... it is a STRONG show with great actors. I may seem sappy or simpleminded, but I DID Laugh and I DID Cry.

The dog was very...

I signed up for improv lessons with Face Off after attending their hit show "Batsu!" at St. Marks Place. I had no improv training, but 3 months later I was proud to call improv my primary hobby. Eric, Jay, and Joe each bring something unique to the group yet all three are very obviously masters of their craft.

While the lessons, which mostly consist of learning, practicing, and critiquing performance in short-form games, are geared towards comedy (many students go on to perform for Face Off, myself included), these lessons are more about adopting a way of thinking and being that is responsive to the social and environmental situation one is in. They're about being supremely present in the moment.

I haven't taken other improv classes in the city, only because I am completely satisfied with my Face Off experience so far. If you're looking for an effective counter to NYC jadedness, this...

A funky little gem of a local theatre that's quick and easy to get to from Manhattan - and, btw, just a stone's throw from the excellent PS 1 MOMA museum and only a mile form the also way cool Museum of the Moving Image - so you can make a great cultural day in the area on a modest budget... ...with this as the after dinner treat!

Just saw their current electric production of Macbeth and the space is full of a vibe of a lot of creative spirits injecting positive energy into it over a period of years like the way a well-played violin gets a better sound over time.

Inexpensive, intimate - the first row of chairs is on the floor of the main stage - we were five feet from the King of Scotland (!) - and I'm inclined to follow their schedule...