I write a lot about Broadway for Cosmopolitan, but I’m here with a very important reminder: There is more to see in the Big Apple than just the multimillion-dollar productions with hefty PR budgets (and even heftier ticket prices!) behind them. I’m talking, of course, about the wild and wonderful world of Off-Broadway—the weird little sibling of New York’s vibrant theater scene.
If you are craving a night out at the theater but don’t want to decimate your bank account, try looking beyond the bright lights of the Great White Way. Off-Broadway shows usually come with more budget-friendly ticket prices. And because these productions aren’t shackled by the commercial expectations of big-time investors, they also come with more creative freedom. Free from that pressure, you better believe they get their freak on.
Ticket prices aside, there’s another surprising perk—intimate vibes. Smaller productions beget smaller spaces, so no matter where you’re sitting, it often feels like you’ve scored front-row seats. And with fewer people crowding the stage door, your chances of a post-show chat or selfie with someone from the cast go way up. Sold yet? Yeah, I thought so. Now, let me tell you about some must-see new plays that recently hit the stage.
This month, I was especially impressed by three shows that shared an unexpected connective thread: politics. For centuries, the stage has been a rebel with a cause—calling out injustice, challenging the status quo, and giving voice to the things we’re often too afraid to say out loud. Whether it’s a searing monologue on inequality or a bold takedown of democracy’s messiest moments, political theater doesn’t just reflect the world—it interrogates it. And the best part? It gets us talking.
The shows I’m about to highlight are doing just that: sparking important conversations and lighting fires under otherwise comfy seats. You can’t have a knee-jerk reaction in a live theater audience the way you can an online forum. You’re forced to ruminate until the final curtain. Theater has the unique power to transport us into someone else’s shoes; it turns abstract political concepts into deeply human stories, helping audiences feel rather than just think. It builds bridges between communities, fosters empathy, and reminds us that behind every headline is a real, complicated person. The performances I’m about to unpack don’t just reflect the world—they push back on it and dive headfirst into issues that matter.
Angry Alan
This might just be the perfect ticket for any New Yorker entertaining a conservative male relative in town this summer. Angry Alan, which first premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival back in 2018, has toured globally and racked up rave reviews—but 2025 marks its long-awaited New York debut. Playwright Penelope Skinner’s dark comedy stars John Krasinski of The Office and A Quiet Place fame and is directed by Tony Award winner Sam Gold (you might recognize his name from the recent Broadway revival of Romeo + Juliet starring Rachel Zegler and Kit Connor). The production also marks the grand opening of one of NYC’s most exciting new off-Broadway venues: the freshly renovated Studio Seaview. (And yes, it absolutely delivers.) John plays Roger, a divorced dad who’s feeling increasingly lost in a feminist era that no longer seems to make sense to him—until he stumbles upon a slick online grifter à la Andrew Tate, who offers him clarity, validation, and most importantly, a sense of community. What follows is a darkly funny, increasingly unsettling spiral into the manosphere. Peppered with levity, the play follows Roger as he gleefully tumbles down an online rabbit hole. John leans into Roger’s male grievances with terrifying precision.
A red-pilled Jim Halpert was definitely not on my 2025 bingo card, but John is absolutely brilliant in a role that peels back the layers of incel culture with chilling effect. His performance lays bare how easy it is for angry men and young boys to fall into these toxic ideologies. The show is tense and probing, and—surprisingly—left me with a sliver of sympathy for a generation of men turning blindly toward conservatism for comfort and camaraderie. It made me wonder how many of them are simply...misunderstood. (Spooky!) But it also left me asking, How do we fix this? The onus shouldn’t fall on women, queer folks, and people of color to smooth over patriarchal tension with empathy and understanding. Yet all too often, it does. We’re implicitly (and sometimes explicitly) expected to absorb discomfort, to educate from the margins, to soften truth into something more “palatable” for those in power. And yet…Penelope’s script does just that—with grace. Her words gently extend a hand to the men who need to see this play the most. She humanizes them. She makes it harder to look away. Fingers crossed they actually show up.
Get tickets for this strictly limited engagement now through August 3:
Duke & Roya
The Lucille Lortel Theatre isn’t just any Off-Broadway venue—it’s the launchpad. It’s the place where buzzy downtown plays become full-blown cultural moments. Oh, Mary! first got its start (and early sold-out status) here before its successful Broadway transfer. It recently played host to Andrew Scott (aka “Hot Priest” from Fleabag) in his solo adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s play revival of Vanya—yes, that revival, the one everyone couldn’t stop raving about. And before that, Adam Driver called this theater his home for a limited engagement of Hold On to Me Darling. Now, it’s Jay Ellis’s turn under the Lortel lights. If Jay’s name rings a bell—and let’s be real, it should—it’s probably for playing Lawrence on the groundbreaking HBO comedy Insecure, where he starred for five seasons opposite former Cosmopolitan cover queen Issa Rae. Currently, you can catch him on Netflix alongside Brenda Song (another Cosmo cover girl!) in the new Mindy Kaling series Running Point. And as if that’s not enough, later this year, he’s costarring opposite freshly minted Tony winner Sarah Snook in Peacock’s All Her Fault, adapted from the Andrea Mara novel. Jay is having a moment. But back to the play.
In Duke & Roya, written by Charles Randolph-Wright and directed by Tony Award winner Warren Adams, Jay stars as Duke, an American hip-hop megastar. Duke finds himself in war-torn Kabul, where he meets Roya (Stephanie Nur), a fiercely resilient Afghan interpreter. The two connect in a world where connection feels impossible—and what unfolds is a high-stakes romance that navigates fame, survival, culture, and sacrifice. Think less “star-crossed” and more “battle-tested,” as their relationship redefines what it really means to fight for love. The cast is stacked: Olivier Award winner and Tony nominee Noma Dumezweni (of Only Murders in the Building, The Little Mermaid, and Murderbot fame) and Dariush Kashani add serious theatrical gravitas. Oh, and did I mention EGOT winner John Legend and actress Kerry Washington (we will always love you Olivia Pope!) are on the producing team? With that knowledge, you can safely expect a front row packed with bold-faced names. In short? The Lortel’s done it again—and this time, the stakes are global, the cast is elite, and the love story just might leave you breathless.
Get tickets for this strictly limited 11-week engagement, opening June 24:
BUY ‘DUKE & ROYA’ TICKETS HERE
Prince Faggot
If you’re on the prowl for a horny, thought-provoking play that’s as academic as it is avant-garde, Jordan Tannahill has written just the script for you! You can catch it at Playwrights Horizons where it's currently playing as a co-production with Soho Rep. Prince Faggot is sharp, emotional, and perfectly timed for Pride Month. With a powerhouse cast made up entirely of queer and trans performers, it doesn’t just tell a story—it lives it. Set in a not-so-distant future, the play—directed by OBIE Award winner Shayok Misha Chowdhury—imagines Prince George (John McCrea) all grown up, back from university and very casually coming out to his parents, Prince William (K. Todd Freeman) and Princess Kate (Rachel Crowl). His sister Charlotte, Princess of Wales (N’yomi Allure Stewart), already knew, of course. He introduces them to his boyfriend, Dev Chatterjee (Mihir Kumar, who appears in the latest season of And Just Like That...)—a slightly older Indian classmate who grew up an outsider but is now stuck somewhere between royal and subject. What follows is a layered look at what it means to be in the public eye while navigating love, identity, and tradition. Royal drama? Sure. But there’s more than just headlines—which royal communications director Jacqueline (David Greenspan) hilariously conjectures—and palace intrigue here.
The narrative takes some bold leaps through time (spoiler: the final act lands us in the year 2045), ending with what can only be described as a very 21st-century fairy tale: a royal same-sex wedding. But the real magic of the show lies in its depth. It tackles a whole spectrum of complex themes—privilege, kink (specifically shibari and fisting for anyone curious), chemsex, queerness in childhood, trans identity, power in relationships, the weight of the monarchy, and yes, colonization. It’s a lot, but it’s handled with clarity, sensitivity, and the kind of sharp writing that never talks down to its audience. There are moments that make you laugh out loud, and others that hit like a punch to the gut. It’s emotional, fearless, and—somehow—still manages to feel hopeful. Honestly? I was completely hooked from start to finish. Described in press notes as a “meta-theatrical tragicomedy,” these performances don’t just entertain—they educate, provoke, and spark real conversations. Bring a friend! It’s worth noting that the ushers make you turn your phone off and place it in a Yondr pouch before you’re able to take your seat. AND IT’S A DIVINE TOUCH! Meant to protect the cast’s privacy (there’s a lot of nudity they don’t want people to sneakily record), it also inadvertently creates the perfect viewing experience as an audience member. I caught the first and second previews of this production, and as an avid theatergoer, I can safely attest it was the first and second time I’ve attended a show over the past decade where not a single phone went off. The way God intended. I’m low-key hoping more theaters adopt this practice.
Get tickets for this limited engagement, now extended through July 27:
BUY ‘PRINCE FAGGOT’ TICKETS HERE
Final pro tip for the most budget-friendly among us: 99¢ Sundays—Soho Rep’s longstanding and beloved tradition—will take place on the evening of June 29. All seats in the house will be sold for 99¢ and will only be available at the door on the day of the performance.
