The River Crosses Rivers

October 8 - November 1, 2009

An evening of seven short plays by women playwrights of color: Naveen Bahar, Ruby Dee, J.e Franklin, P.J. Gibson, Lynn Nottage, Cori Thomas and Bridgette Wimberly.

Consistently drawing full houses and critical raves from the New York Times and New York Beacon during its successful Going To The River run at the Ensemble Studio Theatre, Woodie King Jr.'s NEW FEDERAL THEATRE in association with the CASTILLO THEATRE continue this highly praised hit!

October 23 - November 22, 2009

In Fred Newman's new play with music, Negro League baseball great Josh Gibson hits yet another towering home run, but as he rounds the bases, he meets genius Albert Einstein, aviator Amelia Earhart, and revolutionary poet Otto Rene Castillo - all on third base with no way home. Relativity theory meets baseball meets the Wizard of Oz in this whimsical theatrical fantasy.

Selected Saturdays throughout the year

Long before Castillo was performing the world it was performing the city, and the All Stars Talent Show Network is the name of that performance. For over two decades Director of Youth Programs Pam Lewis and her All Stars have been a source of young talent, and those vibrant performances continue this year—across the five boroughs and in cities around the country.

December 4, 2009 - January 17, 2010

An ensemble of young theatre artists is embarking on three months of discussions and workshops with social scientists, community activists, and workers of all kinds about work, in all its multiplicity—as a career, as a passion or as a paycheck. In the tradition of Youth Onstage!, the young performers are coached by skilled playwrights and theatre directors as they create a new performance piece that is both challenging and entertaining.

January 22 - March 7, 2010

The promise of revolution comes to Jamaica in 1799, as the timeless themes of love, loss and betrayal collide in a challenging play by acclaimed German avant-gardist Heiner Muller.

Castillo continues expanding the boundaries of political theatre as popular director Gabrielle L. Kurlander mounts the first-ever American production of Muller's The Task performed by an all-Black cast. With Fred Newman's avant-garde songs, Billy Taylor's gospel, R&B classics and rap, this is New York City experimental theatre at its best.

March 12 - 21, 2010

Frank Galati's skillful and stirring adaptation of John Steinbeck's classic story won a TONY award for Best Play in 1990. In this City Lights/Youth Onstage! co-production, the struggles of Tom Joad and his family are given voice by our young people: Maybe a fella ain't got a soul of his own, but only a piece of a big one.

An evening of plays featuring Che Guevara: physician, author, revolutionary leader and pop-cultural icon.

In Che, Mario Fratti imagines the final moments of the revolutionary leader. With his execution both certain and near, Che remains defiant to the authorities, and compassionate and loving to the people around him, including the guards who will soon be his firing squad.

In Fred Newman's magical love story, Che is the Risky Revolutionary, reappearing decades after his murder to urge his old comrade Fidel Castro to take the greatest risk of all.

Woodie King, Jr.'s New Federal Theatre presents a month-long series of playreadings in association with the Castillo Theatre and the National Black Theatre.

June 4 - 27, 2010

A groundbreaking theatrical event! Twenty-five plays by some of the greatest playwrights of all time -- pioneers of the Black Theatre Movement, as well as those who are carrying on the work of giving dramatic expression to the Black experience: Lynn Nottage, Suzan-Lori Parks, Alice Childress, Ed Bullins, James Baldwin, Amiri Baraka, Wesley Brown, Pearl Cleage, Philip Hayes Dean, Lonne Elder, J.e. Franklin, P.J. Gibson, Charles Gordone, James de Jongh, Adam Kennedy, Adrienne Kennedy, Bill Harris, Lawrence Holder, Mustafa Matura, Ron Milner, Alexander Simmons, Richard Wesley, Talvin Wilks and Ntozake Shange.

Musical Improv Comedy at Castillo (A work in progress)

August 14 - 28, 2010

Join us for a special preview show of our newest improv production.

Featuring: David Nackman, John B. Opdycke, Andy Parker, Marian Rich, Cathy Rose Salit.