Central Park Theater — Mon Jun 22 – Sun Jun 28

Your Sunday week-ahead look, covering Mon Jun 22 through Sun Jun 28.

Hi theater fans — staged theater is quiet (the Delacorte’s dark this season), but the performance highlight is a big one: Laurie Anderson brings “Republic of Love” with Sexmob to SummerStage Friday. Before that, the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene plays SummerStage Monday night — two text-and-performance evenings worth the trip even between major outdoor productions.

A wet open — thunderstorms Monday (76°), showers Tuesday (79°) — clears to a fine midweek (sunny Wed 83°, mostly sunny Thu 84°), then turns hot and unsettled for the weekend (82° Friday, 86° Saturday). Monday’s and Friday’s outdoor shows are the weather gambles of the week; keep a poncho handy and watch the SummerStage status line before heading over.

Mon 6/22 — National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene at SummerStage, 7 PM

The week’s headline. “New York Sings Yiddish: Passing the Torch to a New Generation” brings the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene — the longest continuously running Yiddish theatre in the world — to SummerStage at Rumsey Playfield (7 PM), free. Musical director Zalmen Mlotek leads a roster of rising talent in a program that’s as much theatrical revue as concert. Storms are possible (76°), so confirm before you go.

Tue 6/23 — The Knights at the Naumburg Bandshell, 7:30 PM

Not theater proper, but the closest thing to programmatic stagecraft this week: The Knights perform free at the Naumburg Bandshell at 7:30 PM, part of the 121st season. Worth it if you appreciate ensemble performance and a historic stage. Showers earlier (79°) — bring cover.

Wed 6/24 — Dark on the boards

Sunny, 83°. No staged theater on the calendar. If you want a performance fix, SummerStage’s music programming carries the night (Black Country, New Road plays Rumsey at 6 PM) — and the indoor “40 in Focus” SummerStage photography exhibit is still up at the Arsenal.

Fri 6/26 — Laurie Anderson: Republic of Love, 6 PM

The week’s most theatrical booking, even if it’s billed as a concert. Laurie Anderson — the pioneering performance artist — makes her SummerStage debut at Rumsey Playfield (6 PM, free) with “Republic of Love,” a piece of songs, spoken word, and stories on the state of America, backed by the jazz quartet Sexmob. For anyone who values text-and-performance over plot, this is the can’t-miss of the week. Warm and unsettled (82°), so bring cover.

Sat 6/27 — Tango as performance on the Mall

Hot at 86°. The most performance-adjacent thing going: tango at the Shakespeare statue (6–9 PM), where dancers turn the Mall into an open-air stage. Free, social, and a fine substitute for a curtain on a quiet theater week.

Sun 6/28 — Movement and spectacle

Summer warmth, possible afternoon storm. International folk dancers at King Jagiello Plaza (from 11 AM) offer a morning dose of staged movement, and if you’re up for spectacle of a different kind, Dreamland: Pride at SummerStage (3–10 PM, ticketed) is the big production of the day — performance in the broadest sense.

Quick recap

• Mon 6/22, 7 PM: National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene at SummerStage — free, weather-permitting.
• Fri 6/26, 6 PM: Laurie Anderson “Republic of Love” with Sexmob — performance art at SummerStage, the week’s can’t-miss.
• The Delacorte is dark this season — no Shakespeare in the Park run right now.
• Tue 6/23, 7:30 PM: The Knights at Naumburg — ensemble performance on a historic stage.
• Sat 6/27, 6 PM: tango at the Shakespeare statue — open-air movement on the Mall.
• Sun 6/28: folk dancing at King Jagiello (11 AM); Dreamland: Pride spectacle at SummerStage (3 PM, ticketed).

Curtain up, — Central Park Guide

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— Central Park Guide