New York Theater Review peeked ‘neath my petticoats to find the nitty gritty on my monthly variety show Necromancers of the Public Domain. Read it here!
Ayun plays Mrs. Claus in The Truth About Santa, December 5-20 NYC
Theater of the Apes and The Tank present
THE TRUTH ABOUT SANTA
An apocalyptic holiday tale by Greg Kotis Directed by Ilana Becker
Kiet Tai Cao, Ayun Halliday, David Carl & Milo Kotis as Jim Jim, Mrs. Claus, Santa, & Jo Jo in THE TRUTH ABOUT SANTA by Greg Kotis, directed by Ilana Becker
Ho ho ho, children!
Many people think they know the truth about Santa, but they are wrong. Santa has some shocking unadvertised powers, a couple of half-mortal offspring his wife hasn’t found out about yet, and a lot on his mind. He’s tired of those damn singing elves. He’s tired of the lies. This is the Christmas Santa will reveal his true self. Prepare for the Ragnarök, urm, SANTA CLAUS’ RETURN TO OFF-OFF-BROADWAY.
(Get a babysitter. We don’t wanna traumatize any little believers… speaking of which, see Milo Kotis, almost all grown up and live in person as Jo Jo, the doomed elf. Watch him engage in spectral combat with his real life mother, Ayun Halliday, as Mrs. Claus)
Join me and Silverback Greg Kotis for a Free Holiday Party at the Drama Bookshop
Hey friends! The Drama Bookshop is falling victim to rising NYC rents, and while we’re rooting for them to rise again in another location, let’s take the opportunity to hobnob with other Off-Off-Broadway glitterati at a FREE HOLIDAY PARTY to kick off Theater of the Apes’ 10th anniversary co-production of The Truth About Santa, an apocalyptic holiday tale by Silverback Greg Kotis.
11/28/2018 – from 5pm-7pm
We have all sorts of jolly activities planned, like a COOKIE SWAP, free photo ops on Santa’s knee, and signings of Urinetown, Pig Farm, Eat the Taste, and of course, The Truth About Santa!
Don’t forget to get a babysitter and join us for THE TRUTH ABOUT SANTA, December 5-20 at The Tank NYC
A People’s Guide to Publishing Podcast Interview
“Well, I’m an only child and I was unathletic, so I think that’s probably what sent me on the way to the glamorous career I’m in now…”
In which several keys to my psyche are revealed at M Noodle Shop, right across the street from Quimby’s Bookstore NYC. Thanks to Microcosm Publishing‘s Joe Biel, Elly Blue, and everyone’s favorite service animal, Ruby, for inviting me to be a guest on A People’s Guide to Publishing podcast.
(Also, thanks to Joe for going with my suggestion that we should each kick one leg back while posing for this photo. Someone on Twitter asks when our sitcom is going to air. Wouldn’t THAT be something to see. Til then…
Give THIS a listen. If you can’t stand my Hoosier accent, there are plenty of other great episodes to put in your earballs. Subscribe!
I’ve got a short play in the one-night-only special edition of RULE OF created for The Tank’s 2018 LadyFest August 23 at 8pm! Virgin sacrifices! Democratic voting! Gruel! And that’s just my play!
My contribution is directed by Clara Elser, and features Mary Albert, India Kotis, and Chris Lindsay-Abaire.
Tickets
$12 plus one free drink!
at The Tank, 312 West 36th Street / First Floor / New York, NY 10018
New solo show in NYC: NURSE! June 12, 13 & 14
Coming soon
Long talked about…
Up ’til now unwritten…
NURSE!
A solo show by Ayun Halliday
Inspired in part by the life of Kate Claxton, ingenue turned entrepreneur-of-a-certain-age, who spent decades recounting the events of the Brooklyn Theater Fire to sold out crowds…
Advance tickets on sale soon…
More information compliments of Theater of the Apes
NURSE is presented by The Tank
Necromancers of the Public Domain – MAY 16, NYC
Join us at The Tank for the next Necromancers of the Public Domain, wherein a long forgotten book is plucked from the shelves of the New York Society Library and transformed into a low budget variety show!
This month: The Spinner Family by Alice Jean Patterson (1904)
All of Nature’s children are interesting, whether rock or stream, herb or tree, bird or insect or other animal, and the spiders are by no means the least interesting among them all. Nowhere will the student and lover of nature find a more profitable study or a keener joy than in delving into the secrets of the spinners, or watching them solve the problems which they meet in their struggle for existence.
Featuring:
Bryce Edwards (Gobbydafoo)
Iossy Freud (Theater of the Apes Sub-Adult Division)
Halley “Halogyn” Gerstel (NYC Dance Educator)
Katie Fricas (The Guardian / Spiralbound)
Quintin Harris (Theater of the Apes Sub-Adult Division)
Milo Kotis (Theater of the Apes Sub-Adult Division)
Alix Marello (Jazz Singer/Songwriter)
Michael Rubin (Blues Clues / Bubble Guppies)
Dejen Tesfagiorgis (Let’s Make a Mixtape / Solid Footing)
and more to be announced…
Hosted by Ayun Halliday (No Touch Monkey! / The East Village Inky)
Bring a blank shirt, pillowcase, or bag for preshow stencil fun. Grab some wine or beer and make a Necromancers souvenir!
Read The Spinner Family for free online
RSVP on Facebook.
Necromancers of the Public Domain – March 20!
It’s the second installment of my new performance series at the Tank! Each month, we pluck a long forgotten volume from the shelves of the New York Society Library and resurrect it as a low budget variety show.
Get some culture. Get some beer.
This month Campward Ho!
Tuesday, March 20, 2018, 7pm, at The Tank, NYC
Someone has said, “We camp to live with Nature.” If living is knowing, let us then while we camp, learn to know the great out-of-doors, and at the same time take advantage of being together, and learn to live as Scouts. The information given is the result of experience gained not only as a camp Director and a housekeeper, but as a co-worker with hundreds of Scouts whose needs are very real.
Featuring:
Nick Balaban (Blues Clues / Musician around town)
Ellia Bisker (Charming Disaster / Sweet Soubrette)
Debra Castellano (CitizenDeb.com / Waste Management: The Show)
Susan Hwang (The Bushwick Book Club / Lusterlit)
Charlie Nieland (Lusterlit)
Dejen Tesfagiorgis (Let’s Make a Mixtape / Solid Footing)
Hosted by Ayun Halliday (No Touch Monkey! / Queen of the Apes)
Doors open at 6:15 for a Campward Ho! craft project with Counselor Sandye Renz
$15
Read Campward Ho for free online
Want to perform at an upcoming Necromancers of the Public Domain? Holler.
The Everyday Adventuress
Hey friends, check out the first installment of Everyday Adventuress, my new monthly comic series for NextTribe.
Necromancers of the Public Domain – February
Seek refuge from cruel, dark winter with the Necromancers of the Public Domain. Each month, we pluck a long forgotten volume from the shelves of the New York Society Library and resurrect it as a low budget variety show.
Get some culture. Get some beer.
This month: Masterpieces in Colour: Bastien Lepage (1911)
“There are certain beings who bear the stamp of the divine seal and are preordained to receive the higest favours within the gift of glory; they are fated to pass through life like those brilliant meteors which are seen to flash across the heavens and disappear in the same instant. Bastien-Lepage was one of those meteors.”
Thursday, February 8, 8pm
at The Tank, 312 West 36th Street, New York, NY 10018
Featuring:
Nick Balaban (Pianist extraordinaire)
Raquel Cion ( Me & Mr. Jones: My Intimate Relationship with David Bowie)
Katie Fricas (The Guardian / Fashionique)
Greg Kotis (“Urinetown: The Musical”)
Susan Hwang (The Bushwick Book Club / Lusterlit)
Charlie Nieland (Lusterlit)
Reverend Jen Miller (Reverend Jen’s Anti-Slam)
Jason Wachtelhausen (Monologist extraordinaire & butcher-in-real-life)
Hosted by Ayun Halliday, Queen of the Apes
Bring a blank shirt, pillowcase, bag or what have you for a free DIY souvenir stencil.
$15! Cheap! Tickets available here.
Read it for free here.
Want to perform at an upcoming Necromancers of the Public Domain? Holler.