Last year, at this time, Alberto the gardener was saving mankind from a genetically aligned hybrid of a man's penis and a potato (known as "Dick Tater") in Theatre for the New City's Biotech. Now, for their 25th annual street theatre production, they present another Crystal Field work, The Patients are Running the Asylum premiering Aug. 4 at their Lower East Side space and touring the five boroughs through Sept. 16.
In The Patients are Running the Asylum, General Hate's army have taken psychiatrist-philosopher Professor Midlife into custody for teaching a "revolutionary" idea of feeding the poor. The Professor escapes and flees with the aid of CCNY alumni Alpha (who happens to be a large dog with a degree in Psychology).
Field also directs her work, which has been run by TNC for 25 years. The multi- faceted Field is also currently the artistic director of TNC, which she co-founded in 1970. Her first work Mama Liberty's Bicentennial Party (1976) ran as the TNC Street Theatre piece for that year, and she has written a new work for the company each year. Music for Patients is composed and arranged by Joseph-Vernon Banks.
The 2 PM performances, unless noted otherwise, are scheduled as follows:
Aug. 4 - Manhattan, E. 10th St. and 1st Ave.
Aug. 5 - Manhattan, Harry's Playground, 206 E. 124th St.
Aug. 11 - Manhattan, St. Mark's Park/Abe Lebewohl Park, E. 10th St. & 2nd Ave.
Aug. 12 - Brooklyn, Herbert Von King Park (Bedford/ Stuyvesant).
Aug. 17 - 8 PM - Brooklyn, Coney Island Amusement, 100 Surf Ave.
Aug. 18 - Bronx, St. Mary's Park, 147th St. & St. Ann's Ave.
Aug. 19 - Queens, Rufus King Park in Jamaica, between Parsons and Sutton.
Aug. 25 - Brooklyn, Prospect Park, Oriental Pavillion.
Aug. 26 - Staten Island, Sobel Court & Bowen Street.
Sept. 8 - Manhattan, Wise Towers, 89th St. & Amsterdam Ave.
Sept. 9 - Manhattan, Central Park Bandshell.
Sept. 15 - Manhattan, Tompkins Square Park, E. 7th St. & Ave. A.
Sept. 16 - Manhattan, Washington Square Park. For more information call (212) 254-1109 or visit the TNC site at www.theaterforthenewcity.org.
— by Ernio Hernandez
