Theater

The most exciting theater in NYC is way cheaper than Broadway

Music fans have the CMJ marathon. Theater lovers have January, when artistic directors from all over the country hit New York to hunt down hot new shows — and five festivals give them plenty to choose from.

Those events — Under the Radar, COIL, American Realness, Prototype and the Exponential Festival — all share a taste for the experimental. And with tickets averaging $20, you can afford to take chances.

Here are a handful of promising shows that together will cost you less than one Broadway production, with change left over for recovery drinks.

1. American Realness is especially hot this year, and a particularly mouthwatering entry is avant-choreographer Yvonne Meier’s latest “Durch Nacht und Nebel.” It’s said to rely heavily on props, and the only thing we can safely predict is that the show itself — which may or may not include nudity — won’t play it safe. $20; Jan. 11 to 16 at Abrons Arts Center, 466 Grand St.; americanrealness.com


 

2. PS 122’s COIL fest offers a few intriguing solos, including Chris Thorpe’s “Confirmation,” which examines how we question our beliefs — or not. $20; Jan. 13 to 17 at Invisible Dog Art Center, 51 Bergen St., Cobble Hill; ps122.org/coil-2016


 

3. Heidi Rodewald, Stew’s “Passing Strange” co-composer, returns as part of the music-based Prototype fest with “The Good Swimmer,” with Storm Lever, an ambitious Vietnam War–set piece that mixes Greek tragedy and lifeguards. $25; Through Jan. 17, HERE, 145 Sixth Ave.; prototypefestival.org


 

4. The Public Theater’s Under the Radar has a typically international lineup, but a big draw should be “Employee of the Year,” by the American company 600 Highwaymen. A woman’s life is told — by five tween actresses, and with original songs. $25; Through Jan. 17, the Public, 425 Lafayette St.; publictheater.org

Maria Baranova

 

5. New this year is Brooklyn’s Exponential Festival, which is presenting “LongYarn” from Banana Bag & Bodice. Per Banana’s usual MO, it’s hard to tell what the show’s about. Let’s just say it involves a main character who was raised by a family of cows. It also boasts new music from Dave Malloy, whose brilliant “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812” comes to Broadway this fall, starring Josh Groban. Unlike that show, “LongYarn” will set you back only $18. Through Jan. 30, the Bushwick Starr, 207 Starr St., Bushwick; thebushwickstarr.org

* Less than the cost of a Broadway ticket