The Flea Theater is a

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communi ...

in the

TriBeCa Tribeca ( ), originally written as TriBeCa, is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City. Its name is a syllabic abbreviation of "Triangle Below Canal Street". The "triangle" (more accurately a quadrilateral) is bounded by Canal Str ...

neighborhood of

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. It presents primarily

experimental theatre Experimental theatre (also known as avant-garde theatre), inspired largely by Richard Wagner, Wagner's concept of Gesamtkunstwerk, began in Western theatre in the late 19th century with Alfred Jarry and his Ubu Roi, Ubu plays as a rejection of bot ...

by Black, brown, and queer artists, as well as a venue for film stars to act on a 74-seat stage. The theater was founded in 1996 by Jim Simpson,

Sigourney Weaver Susan Alexandra ( ; born October 8, 1949), better known by her stage name Sigourney Weaver, is an American actress. Prolific in film since the late 1970s, she is known for her pioneering portrayals of action heroines in Blockbuster (entertainme ...

, Mac Wellman, and Kyle Chepulis. The Flea earned early acclaim for original productions of post-

9-11 The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...

play ''

The Guys ''The Guys'' is a play by Anne Nelson about the aftereffects of the collapse of the World Trade Center. A film version of the play was released in 2002 and starred Sigourney Weaver and Anthony LaPaglia. History In the play, Joan, an editor, h ...

'' and political works by A. R. Gurney. According to the New York Times, "Since its inception in 1996, The Flea has presented over 100 plays and numerous dance and live music performances. Under Artistic Director Jim Simpson and Producing Director Carol Ostrow, The Flea is one of New York’s leading off-off-Broadway companies."

History

Founded in 1996, the award-winning Flea Theater was originally formed to create, according to the theatre's website, “a joyful hell in a small space”. The Flea receives over 17,000 visitors each year. In March 2015, The Flea announced that Niegel Smith would be taking over for Jim Simpson as its new artistic director. Production highlights include ''

'' by Anne Nelson, starring

and

Bill Murray William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor and comedian, known for his deadpan delivery in roles ranging from studio comedies to independent dramas. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Bill Murra ...

. Additional productions include ''Oh the Humanity and Other Exclamations'', by Pulitzer finalist Will Eno, starring

Marisa Tomei Marisa Tomei ( , ; born December 4, 1964) is an American actress. She gained prominence for her comedic performance in '' My Cousin Vinny'' (1992), which earned her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She received further nominations ...

and Brian Hutchison. This collection of five short plays extended through winter 2008. Another recent Flea hit was ''Mrs. Farnsworth'', a political comedy written for The Flea by renowned playwright A. R. Gurney, which was performed by

and

John Lithgow John Arthur Lithgow ( ; born , 1945) is an American actor. He studied at Harvard University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before becoming known for his John Lithgow filmography, diverse work on stage and screen. He has rece ...

. ''Mrs. Farnsworth'' won rave reviews and returned to The Flea for an encore in the fall. For two years in a row, The New York Times named a Flea production as one of the best Off-Broadway shows of the season—''O Jerusalem'' in 2003 and ''Mrs. Farnsworth'' in 2004. Recent productions include ''The Great Recession'': six plays commissioned by The Flea exploring the impact of the current economic crisis on the younger generation written by Thomas Bradshaw, Sheila Callaghan, Erin Courtney, Will Eno,

Itamar Moses Itamar Moses (born 1977) is an American playwright, author, producer and television writer. He gained acclaim for writing the book for the Broadway musical '' The Band's Visit'' (2017) receiving the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical. He w ...

and Adam Rapp;

Jonathan Reynolds Jonathan Neil Reynolds (born 28 August 1980) is a British politician who has served as Secretary of State for Business and Trade and President of the Board of Trade since July 2024. A member of the Labour and Co-operative parties, he has been ...

's ''Girls in Trouble''; and Bathsheba Doran's ''Parents’ Evening''. In the early 2020s, the Flea Theater underwent a substantive organizational reconfiguration in response to longstanding grievances within its artistic community. Dissatisfaction, notably surrounding unpaid labor and perceived mistreatment of Black artists, surfaced prominently in 2020 when actress Bryn Carter articulated concerns regarding elitism and racism within the institution. This catalyzed a transformative process culminating in the establishment of the Fled Collective, a group vocally critical of the extant Flea paradigm, which secured financial support to independently curate programming in the TriBeCa venue. Confronting fiscal challenges subsequent to the departure of key personnel, including Carol Ostrow, the Flea instituted a hybrid operational model, committing to remunerative practices for actors and a thematic emphasis on the works of "Black, brown, and queer artists." Founding artistic director Jim Simpson and Sigourney Weaver endorsed the transfer of control to the Fled Collective in a joint statement. Emphasizing the Fled Collective's earned merit, passion, and potential for a dynamic season, the couple criticized the dissolution of the Flea's programs. They underscored the historical contributions of young individuals and concluded with a resolute plea to "Give them the keys." The organization's revival commenced with the staging of ''Arden — But, Not Without You,'' reflecting a renewed artistic direction.

New works

The Flea produces several original major productions each year. Flea artists have been honored with two OBIE Awards, an Otto Award and, in May 2004, The Flea was given a Drama Desk Award for Distinguished Achievement commending its dedication to adventurous theater.

Awards and recognition

In 2010, The Flea was awarded the

American Theatre Wing The American Theatre Wing (the Wing for short) is a New York City–based non-profit organization "dedicated to supporting excellence and education in theatre", according to its mission statement. Originally known as the Stage Women's War Relief ...

's National Theatre Company Grant.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Flea Theater Theatre companies in New York City Off-off-Broadway Tribeca Arts organizations established in 1996 1996 establishments in New York City

History

New works

Awards and recognition

See also

References

External links