‘A Streetcar Named Desire’
Many times we have asked, “Dear God, ‘Streetcar’ again?” And many times we have been reminded that Tennessee Williams’s haunting tale of desire and violence is presented often because it is a masterpiece. This latest production, a London import directed by Rebecca Frecknall (“Cabaret”), stars Paul Mescal (“Gladiator II”) as Stanley, Patsy Ferran (“Miss Austen”) as Blanche and Anjana Vasan as Stella. In a New York Times review of this production’s original run, Matt Wolf described it as being “deeply empathic” and served by an “electrifying” ensemble cast. (Through April 6, Brooklyn Academy of Music)
‘Wine in the Wilderness’
The necessary and illuminating rediscovery of Alice Childress’s work continues with this piece, directed by the Tony Award winner LaChanze — who, in 2021, starred in the belated Broadway premiere of Childress’s brilliant satire “Trouble in Mind.” Set in Harlem in 1964, as a riot turns the city red, “Wine in the Wilderness” actually premiered on Boston public television in 1969, as part of a series titled “On Being Black.” The story centers on the fraught relationship between a painter (Grantham Coleman, a terrific Benedick in Shakespeare in the Park’s “Much Ado About Nothing”) and his would-be model and muse (Olivia Washington). (Through April 13, Classic Stage Company)
‘Deep Blue Sound’
Set in a tight-knit community in the Pacific Northwest, Abe Koogler’s deceptively simple play about the mysterious disappearance of an orca pod requires a strong cast to evoke the group’s ties and bring the show fully alive. Such was the case in the premiere production a couple of years ago, as part of the Clubbed Thumb company’s Summerworks series. Luckily, some of the actors, led by the wondrous Maryann Plunkett, return for this encore run, along with worthy additions including Mia Katigbak and Miriam Silverman (a Tony winner for “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window”). (Through March 29, Public Theater)
‘Have You Met Jane Goodall and Her Mother?”
In 1960, Jane Goodall set off to study chimpanzees in Tanganyika (now Tanzania) at the age of 26, yet that country’s government still required a chaperone. So Goodall took her mother, Vanne. Researching that story, the playwright Michael Walek discovered that the two women liked each other and got along, so at least his comedy shouldn’t rely on overused tropes of pent-up mother-daughter acrimony. Bonus: There is puppetry. (Through March 30, Ensemble Studio Theater)
‘All Nighter’
One of the spring’s most intriguing ensembles gathers Julia Lester (“Into the Woods”), Kathryn Gallagher (“Jagged Little Pill”), Kristine Froseth, Alyah Chanelle Scott and the rising star Havana Rose Liu (“Bottoms” and a staggering number of upcoming high-profile screen projects). They portray the friends and roommates assembled by the gifted comic playwright Natalie Margolin (whose star-studded pandemic Zoom play “The Party Hop” is available on YouTube) for a nightlong studying marathon fueled by Adderall, hummus and kibitzing. (Through May 18, Robert W. Wilson MCC Theater Space)
‘I’m Repeating Myself’
Sometimes you can take a title literally: The main character of this autofictional new show is portrayed by five actors — Matthew Antoci, Alma Cuervo, Enette Fremont, Frankie Placidi and Jon Norman Schneider (“Poor Yella Rednecks”) — as well as by the playwright himself, Chad Kaydo. In a series of vignettes, we meet a refracted version of Kaydo and his family, most notably the sister who slowly emerges as a focal point. Staged in the round by Carsen Joenk, this gentle, slightly melancholy production seems to suggest that intimacy is hard, no six ways about it. (Through March 15, The Brick)
‘Metamorphoses (or How to Stop Your Child From Ruining Your Great Uncle’s Funeral)’
Since his home country invaded Ukraine, the Russian director Dmitry Krymov has been living in exile in New York, where he now creates work that is, quite simply, unlike anything else in town. In 2023 we saw “Big Trip,” based on texts by Pushkin, Hemingway and O’Neill. Now he returns to La MaMa with a new show that he wrote in collaboration with his company, Krymov Lab NYC, and that is said to explore grief in a surreal, darkly comic vein. Of course, what we’re curious about is what Krymov, who can spin wonders out of simple props, will pull out of his hat this time. (March 7-23, La MaMa)
‘Vanya’
New Yorkers can’t seem to go a few months without another dose of Chekhov, with “Uncle Vanya” being a big favorite. Hot on the heels of a production headlined by Steve Carell and two that were staged up-close-and-very-personal in lofts, comes this British import that combines star power and intimacy as Andrew Scott (“All of Us Strangers,” “Ripley”) takes on all the characters. Adapted by Simon Stephens — who used a modern vernacular and made the older professor a filmmaker, among other tweaks — and directed by Sam Yates, the London iteration won the 2024 Olivier Award for best revival. (March 10-May 11, Lucille Lortel Theater)
‘The Cherry Orchard’
Another Chekhov crosses the Atlantic to land in New York this spring. This time, the big draw is the extraordinary German actress Nina Hoss (“Tár,” “Returning to Reims”), who takes on the role of Ranevskaya, the charismatic matriarch of a landed family in need of cash. Houman Barekat, who wrote the New York Times review of the Donmar Warehouse production in London, found “plenty to admire in this refreshingly playful retelling,” which comes courtesy of Benedict Andrews — a director used to wildly theatrical takes on classics, as with “A Streetcar Named Desire” starring Gillian Anderson and “The Maids” with Cate Blanchett and Isabelle Huppert. (March 26-April 20, St. Ann’s Warehouse)
‘We Had a World’
A year after his “Prayer for the French Republic” ran on Broadway and got a Tony nomination for best play, Joshua Harmon returns with another show about a family. His new dramedy draws a tight focus on just three characters, representing successive generations: a grandmother (Joanna Gleason), her grandson (Andrew Barth Feldman) and the young man’s mother (Jeanine Serralles), stuck in the middle. Since his breakthrough play, “Bad Jews,” in 2012, Harmon has demonstrated an enduring knack for biting dialogue and lacerating looks at family and relationships. Fasten your seatbelts. (Through April 27, Manhattan Theater Club)
