The East Village has a full calendar between Monday, October 19 and Monday, October 26, 2026, and most of it costs $20 or less. Three new plays close their runs at Theater for the New City on First Avenue, two productions wrap up at La MaMa on East 4th Street, NYC Parks rangers lead a free tree walk through Tompkins Square Park, and a Monday night jazz session caps the week. Here is the rundown.

Final Week for Three Plays at Theater for the New City

Theater for the New City, at 155 First Avenue between 9th and 10th Streets, has three productions running in repertory through Sunday, October 25. All three play Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 3 p.m.

A Part of the Noise, a new play by Carl Kline directed by Joe John Battista, is set in 1959 and follows the painter Franz Kline in a dispute with his dealer, Sidney Janis, over whether new color abstractions belong in an upcoming solo show. Much of the action moves to the Cedar Tavern, where downtown painters, writers and musicians of the era gathered. It plays in the Johnson Theater and runs about two hours with an intermission. Tickets are $20, or $15 for students and seniors.

The Invisibles, written by Pat GoodSon and directed by Amy Herzberg, looks at three generations of one family (a grandmother recovering from a hip injury, her daughter and her granddaughter) and how each deals with aging and money. Stream of Consciousness of Singing Birds is a poem play by Bina Sharif about injured birds that can no longer fly, told through monologues, prose poems and song, performed by Sharif, actor Kevin Mitchell Martin and drummer Eric Blitz.

The theater notes that reservations are held until ten minutes before curtain and the box office opens one hour before each show. The box office phone is (212) 254-1109.

Two Productions Close at La MaMa

La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, now in its 65th season, has two shows in their last week, both running through Sunday, October 25.

UNCONDITIONAL, a new musical memoir is written and performed by Margot Rose, who also co-composed the music with musical director Aaron Benham. Anne Kenny directs. Rose plays one of two mothers in a family facing the loss of a child, telling the story in song with musicians on stage around her. The show runs 90 minutes, and La MaMa also sells livestream tickets for viewers who cannot attend in person.

Doll Day Afternoon, conceived and directed by Dmitri Barcomi and presented by the artist collective Vice Squad, tells the story of Elizabeth Eden, the trans woman whose life was connected to the events behind the 1975 film Dog Day Afternoon. The text is adapted from Eden's own words, and Daphne Kinard stars. It runs 60 minutes. La MaMa lists a content warning covering transphobia, drug use, and descriptions of suicide and domestic violence.

La MaMa's spaces are at 66 East 4th Street (the Ellen Stewart Theatre and The Downstairs) and 74 East 4th Street (The Club). Tickets for both shows are sold through lamama.org.

A Free Tree Walk and a Volunteer Morning in Tompkins Square Park

On Sunday, October 25, from 1 to 2 p.m., NYC Parks Urban Park Rangers lead Great Trees of Tompkins Square Park, a walk through the park looking at different tree species and ways to identify them in fall. It is free, no registration is required, and the group meets at Avenue A and St. Marks Place.

The day before, Saturday, October 24, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Friends of Tompkins Square Park hosts an It's My Park volunteer session with planting and general cleanup. Volunteers meet at the Field House on 9th Street between Avenues A and B. It is free, and the group can be reached at info@friendsoftompkinssquarepark.org.

Families with younger children can also stop by Kids in Motion, a free NYC Parks drop-in program of games, sports and arts and crafts at Avenue A and St. Marks Place. This week it runs Wednesday through Friday, October 21 to 23, from 2 to 6 p.m., and Saturday, October 24, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Monday Night Jazz on First Avenue

Rome Neal's Banana Puddin' Jazz series returns to Theater for the New City on Monday, October 26, with an evening titled Jazzy Thespians Night, dedicated to AUDELCO, the organization founded in 1973 by Vivian Robinson to honor Black theater and its artists in New York City. Neal, a multiple AUDELCO Award winner, built the series around jazz musicians, poets and actors sharing a stage. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the music runs from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $20, and early reservations can be made with Rome Neal at 718-288-8048.

Looking Ahead: A 50th Halloween Ball

Theater for the New City has also posted details for its Village Halloween Costume Ball on Saturday, October 31, which the theater says will be the 50th edition. Outdoor attractions on East 10th Street between First and Second Avenues run from 3 to 7 p.m. and are free, including a costume competition for kids. Indoor events across the theater's four stages run from 7 p.m. to midnight for $20, with live music, ballroom dancing, cabaret and a costume parade before a panel of judges. Costumes or formal wear are requested and reservations are optional.

Getting There

Theater for the New City (155 First Avenue at East 10th Street) and Tompkins Square Park (Avenue A to Avenue B, East 7th to East 10th Streets) are both a short walk from the L train at First Avenue. La MaMa on East 4th Street between Second Avenue and the Bowery is closest to the F train at Second Avenue and the 6 train at Bleecker Street. Check each organization's page before heading out, since schedules can change.

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