NYC on the Cheap: What to Do - SPFnyc.com

In 2004, I discovered the Summer Play Festival in it's infancy. I saw El Paso Blue, a play about, well, this was part of my synopsis at the time:

Somehow a story about a man just out of the can trying to find his wife who's run off with his father managed to incorporate issues of gender, the beauty myth, tradition, classism, friendship, cultural roots, aging, and everyone fighting internal demons.

It was a stellar performance, which you might or might not have been able to surmise from its brief summary on the site. But superb it was - the cast, the play, and even the props & the set - I loved every last thing about it.

The following year, I fared much worse. To call the play a poor choice would be euphemistic. For the first (and only) time ever, I walked out during intermission & never looked back. I mention this only to highlight that when your choice of plays is based on a blurb written by you-don't-know-who, it's really hit-or-miss.

Now, unlike most of my NYC posts, SPF is not free. But it is a fine chance to to catch a play or two for under $15 in a city where good seats to Disney's production of Mary Poppins on Broadway is $85, on sale. (And that's only the 8pm show on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, May 1 thru May 24; Code: BBXOMP.)

SPF is now in it's fourth year, and in spite of the terrible experience I had the second time around, I'd still be willing to put $12.50 ($25 if you go with a friend) on the chance I might catch another El Paso Blue. So check it out, you never know what you'll find!