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Andrew Scott in an acclaimed mounting of Present Laughter, which is streaming courtesy of National Theatre at Home. Photo by Manuel Harlan.
Even though in-person theatre and dance are back in full swing, in the name of accessibility we're continuing to round up performances to watch online from the comfort of home. Our curated list spotlights the five best options to stream this weekend, Friday, December 6 to Sunday, December 8, for free or at low cost.
Live-streaming Sunday, December 8 at 6 p.m. for FREE.
Veteran artivist Reverend Billy and his Stop Shopping Choir return to Joe's Pub with an urgent new political piece, Extinction the Musical, which is also being live-streamed to at-home audiences. If you're worried about our planet's future, tune into this performance that laments rampant consumerism, a plethora of plastic and our environmental crisis. Reverend Billy's revival-style concerts both amuse and inform!
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Streaming starting Friday, December 6 for $10.
In 2020, London's lauded National Theatre launched its own streaming service featuring professional stage captures of its productions. While you can buy a subscription, shows are also available to rent individually. New to the roster is the Old Vic's acclaimed mounting of Noël Coward's effervescent comedy Present Laughter, starring Andrew Scott, who won an Olivier Award for his hilarious turn as narcissistic actor Garry Essendine, plagued by midlife fears, an uncontrollable libido and obsessed fans. Recorded live on stage in London in 2019, the production was directed by Matthew Warchus. A 72-hour rental costs $10 and captions are available. It's just one of many fantastic National Theatre shows you can stream, so be sure to browse the entire list.
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Streaming for FREE.
The annual The Fire This Time Festival, which has helped launch the careers of a slew of superb Black playwrights, including Dominique Morisseau, Jocelyn Bioh and Marcus Gardley, kicks off its 16th edition next month in the East Village. To celebrate, All Arts is streaming the six short plays that made up last year's fest. Check out timely, ten-minute playlets about incarceration, estranged family and other hot-button topics from exciting up-and-coming playwrights.
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Streaming for FREE.
In honor of the sparkly season, All Arts is streaming different iterations of the classic Christmas ballet, including Czech National Ballet's interpretation, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by French dance-maker Bouba Landrille Tchouda and a version starring students from the Interlochen Arts Academy.
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Streaming until Tuesday, December 31 for FREE.
Last season, this long overdue Broadway revival of Ossie Davis' 1961 satire about racism earned raves and a Tony Award for Kara Young. Directed by Tony winner Kenny Leon and subtitled "A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch," this politically charged comedy centers on a Black preacher (Hamilton Tony winner Leslie Odom, Jr.) who returns to his rural Georgia home hell-bent on winning back his church and freeing his people from an exploitative overseer (Jay O. Sanders). Witty, wise and timelier than ever.
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Raven Snook is the Editor of TDF Stages. Follow her on Facebook at @Raven.Snook. Follow TDF on Facebook at @TDFNYC.
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