This year, the festival is mounted with the theme “We will not be silenced, speak up for democracy.” The subject will be addressed in some of the playlets and acts written for the festival.

Theater for the New City has currently scheduled over 200 performing arts organizations, independent artists, poets, puppeteers and film makers for its 30th annual Lower East Side Festival of the Arts.

Indoor performances will take stage from 6:00 PM to midnight each day, utilizing two of TNC’s four theaters. From 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Saturday, vendors and food sellers, including booths from nearby restaurants, will set up in the closed-off block of East Tenth Street between First and Second Avenues.

Schedule:

FRIDAY EVENING IN THE JOHNSON – MAY 23:

6:00 PM – COBU
6:22 PM – The Anthropologists
6:34 PM – Richard Ploetz
6:46 PM – CONSTELLATION MOVING COMPANY
6:58 PM – Thunderbird American Indian Dancers
7:10 PM – PENNY ARCADE
7:22 PM – Glitter Kitty
7:34 PM – Rita Constanzi (harp)
7:46 PM – Rod Rodgers Dance Company
8:10 PM – Lissa Moira
8:22 PM – The Shine Challenge
8:34 PM – Julieta Valero
8:46 PM – Scammed Into Love
8:58 PM – KT Sullivan
9:10 PM – Anne Lucas
9:22 PM – Mister Pablo
9:34 PM – Inma Heredia
9:46 PM – Jose Francisco Ruiz
9:58 PM – Sylvain Leroux (Flutist)
10:10 PM – Austin Pendleton
10:22 PM – Boxcutter Collective
10:34 PM – Louisa Bradshaw
10:46 PM – Ejyp Johnson
10:58 PM – Hollie Harper
11:10 PM – Drilling Company
11:22 PM – Gravity
11:34 PM – Bryce Payne
11:46 PM – Rocco George
11:58 PM – Terry Lee King w/ Billy Little

FRIDAY EVENING IN THE CABARET – MAY 23:

6:30 PM – STAR ‘69
6:52 PM – Dada NY
7:04 PM – Catalina Beltran
7:16 PM – Yenny Sanchez
7:28 PM – Miguel Loyola
7:40 PM – Devorah Shubowitz
7:52 PM – Viktoriya Papayani
8:04 PM – Stan Baker
8:16 PM – Textile Theater Collective
8:28 PM – Clara (Ego Actus)
8:40 PM – David Jacobsen
8:52 PM – Anita Daswani
9:04 PM – Broken Chains
9:16 PM – Michael A. Green
9:28 PM – Evan Laurence
9:40 PM – Rew Starr
9:52 PM – Ed Malin
10:04 PM – William Electric Black
10:16 PM – Wendy Stuart
10:28 PM – Elisa Blynn
10:40 PM – Christine Stoddard
10:52 PM – Thomas Baker
11:04 PM – Ellen Speir

SATURDAY EVENING IN THE JOHNSON – MAY 24:

6:00 PM – Tilted Axes (Procession in)
6:22 PM – John Grimaldi
6:34 PM – Douglas Lackey
6:45 PM – Speech by Carlina Rivera
6:55 PM – Infinity Dance Theater
7:07 PM – Amy Coleman/ Sunscreen
7:19 PM – Judy Gorman
7:36 PM – Mimi Block
7:40 PM – Ego Actus
7:52 PM – Rainbow Troupe
8:04 PM – Carol Tandava
8:16 PM – Yara Arts
8:28 PM – Ashley Liang
8:52 PM – Chinese Theater Works
9:04 PM – Peter Dizozza
9:16 PM – Victor Vauban
9:28 PM – TNC Street Theater
9:40 PM – Zylik Brothers
9:52 PM – Tym Moss
10:04 PM – The India Center
10:16 PM – David Amram (20min)
10:38 PM – Bennet Pologe
10:50 PM – Artichoke Dance Company
11:02 PM – The Wise Guise
11:14 PM – Eduardo Machado
11:26 PM – Andrea Fulton
11:38 PM – Tortas Y Tacones (JC Augustin)
11:50 PM – Ms. Phillip

SUNDAY EVENING IN THE JOHNSON – MAY 25:

6:00 PM – Oyu Oro
6:22 PM – Joan Reinmuth
6:34 PM – Toby Armour
6:46 PM – Zero Boy
6:58 PM – Tom Diriwachter
7:10 PM – Charles Kretzel (Federica Garcia Lorca)
7:22 PM – Alessandra Belloni
7:34 PM – Barbara Kahn
7:46 PM – Charly Wenzel
7:58 PM – Willieanne Gissendanner
8:10 PM – Melange
8:22 PM – David Mandelbaum
8:34 PM – Kanpai
8:58 PM – Pamela Enz
9:10 PM – Toni Renee Taylor
9:22 PM – Folksbiene
9:34 PM – Art Lillard Quartet
9:58 PM – Barbara Kahn
10:10 PM – Lily James Roberts
10:22 PM – Robert Gonzales Jr.
10:34 PM – Stephan Morrow
10:46 PM – Zen Mansley
10:58 PM – Rori Nogee
11:10 PM – Valery Oisteanu
11:22 PM – David Slone

SUNDAY EVENING IN THE CABARET – MAY 25:

6:30 PM – Burning City Orchestra
6:52 PM – Maude Lardner Burke
7:04 PM – LES Performing Arts
7:16 PM – Jasmine Hyman
7:28 PM – J Dolan Byrnes
7:40 PM – Richard Webber
7:52 PM – Joe Bendik
8:04 PM – Peter Welch
8:16 PM – Roman Primitivo
8:28 PM – Larry Litt
8:40 PM – Michael Sanders
8:52 PM – Beth Griffith
9:04 PM – Sarah Lilly
9:16 PM – Dante Jayce
9:28 PM – Thomas Goggans
9:40 PM – Randy Mchaney
9:52 PM – Justine Hall
10:04 PM – Anwar Suleiman
10:16 PM – Levi Frazier
10:28 PM – Adrian Tomby
10:40 PM – Luke Grande

Dates: May 23 - 25, 2025

Hours: 6:00 PM - 12:00 Midnight

Venue:

Theater for the New City
155 First Avenue (btw E 9th and E 10th Street)
New York, NY 10003

Admission is free but donations will be gratefully accepted.

Click Here for more information.