New York summer theater 2009

Nadia Bowers and Kevin O’Donnell in Summer Play Festival’s "Not Waving"
(Credit: Carol Rosegg )

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The sunniest season is just around the corner, despite the mellow spring we've had. With that comes two of the best words in show business: “summer festival.” Whether you prefer Shakespeare at sunset, touring thesps from all corners of the globe, local students at play on summer break or psychedelic experiments with mind-altering dramas, we'll help you find the right show for a midsummer evening.

Americas Off-Broadway and East to Edinburgh (May 8–July 3; July 14-26 )
They may be humble, but 59E59 is the one-stop shop of summer theater fests. Americas Off-Broadway is essential viewing, showcasing superb dramas that, for whatever lame reason, our local companies have passed on. Then in mid-July, they host East to Edinburgh, which gives Gothamites the chance to refine our shows before sending them to Scotland and the world's biggest Fringe Fest. We're seeing: “#9” by the hip Waterwell, who bring the latest in Web 2.0 technology to the stage through humor, hipness, and song.

The Theater of Tomorrow (May 17 – June 6)
Out at Queens' Obie-winning Chocolate Factory, the cutting-edge Target Margin Theater presents The Theater of Tomorrow, a three-week extravaganza that shows some of the wackier experiments in American drama before WW2.  We're seeing: “A Family of Perhaps Three”, a play about memory and storytelling (or maybe not) by Gertrude Stein, a.k.a. the Countess of Confusion.

Shakespeare in the Park (June 10-July 12; August 11-August 30)
The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park returns twith some star wattage, as Anne Hathaway reprises the role of Viola in Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.” If you can’t score tickets to that, try back in August as Euripides “The Bacchae” takes over Central Park’s Delacorte Theater. We're seeing: “Twelfth Night.” After all, it is the Oscar nominee's Public Theater debut.

The Anti-Depressant Festival (June 5–July 4)
Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, The Anti-Depressant Festival helps chase the summer blues away. Part of Williamsburg's DIY theater scene, this festival at the Brick Theater tends to favor madcap anarchy. We're seeing: “Samuel & Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War," because it combines robots, Soviet scientists, and rock'n'roll!

The Summer Play Festival (July 7–August 2)
Compared to the Summer Play Festival, the other fests on our list are fly-by-night affairs. What SPF lacks in spontaneity and looseness it makes up for with a glossy sheen and high standards of excellence. We're seeing: “Whore,” a trip into a funhouse mirror that begins with a one-night stand and ends by eviscerating our cherished ideals about sex and money.

Ice Factory '09 (July 8–August 15)
This may be your last summer to visit the season's perennial best fest, the Ice Factory. It's based at the Ohio Theater, which is fighting for its life. The Factory lives up to its name as the coolest place to see new work. We're seeing: “Reconstruction.” What's it about? We dunno, but the International WOW Company hits us hard whenever we catch their inventive work.

The Midtown International Theater Festival (July 13–August 2)
With 39 shows and half a dozen readings, the Midtown International Theater Festival offers punchy dramas and ribald comedies with a more informal set-up than the summer's later Fringe Festival. We're seeing: “A Night in the Kremlin” sees Harpo Marx assault Joseph Stalin in his lair at the Red Palace. We're suckers for political theater, but this show also tells a love story.

The NY International Fringe Festival (August 14–30)
The 10-ton elephant of summer theater, the NY International Fringe Festival, arrives in August to rule nearly every stage between Canal and 14th Street. We're seeing: We don't know yet–they haven't announced their shows. But check with Metromix later in the summer for a full rundown of what to see.