Downtown Theaters Are Still Dark

The fallout from Sandy continued to punch holes in the Off-Broadway theater landscape, even as the lights came on for all Broadway shows by Thursday night. Heading into the weekend, the popular “Blue Man Group” and “Sleep No More” were halted, the Flea Theater wasn't sure it could mount the scheduled final performances of the hit plays “Job” and “Heresy,” and previews for the Public Theater's highly anticipated “Giant” and “Sorry” were delayed.

Meanwhile, the Vineyard Theater had yet to schedule a new opening night for “Checkers,” Douglas McGrath's play about Richard and Pat Nixon. Nearby in Union Square previews for the Classic Stage Company's production of “Ivanov,” starring Ethan Hawke, were on hold as well.

Power outages in lower Manhattan were largely the culprit, though in some cases damage from flooding caused even bigger problems. Coney Island USA, the resident non-profit arts organization on Coney Island, sustained majo r damage when its entire theater was submerged under five feet of water for hours.

Flashes of creativity flared amid the gloom. The Assembly Theater Project on the Lower East Side, for instance, decided to hold a “pay-what-you wish” performance of “Home/sick” Thursday night - conducted by flashlight - with proceeds going to benefit storm victims.

“The challenge for anyone below 34th Street is they're not going to be able to open to the public,” Virginia Louloudes, executive director of the Alliance of Resident Theaters/New York, said Thursday. “Before the MTA started running they were not even sure they'd be able to get audience. The spaces in Lower Manhattan and the outer boroughs had the biggest struggles.”

The Abingdon Theater Company, on West 36th St., was far from the heart of flood-ridden Manhattan. But the weather led to the cancellation of its 20th anniversary gala, scheduled for Monday at Espace on 42nd St. Over $102,000 in tickets were sold for the gala, said Jan Buttram, the artistic director, with the event set to gross $160,000.

“It's a big, big deal for a little theater company like us,” Ms. Buttram said, noting that the non-profit theater has an annual budget of $800,000. “People could begin asking for their money back for the gala and that would be a substantial loss.”

The news was better for Off Broadway theaters in midtown and uptown. The York Theater Company resumed performances of “Closer Than Ever” Thursday night, offering free tickets to any performance to ticket-holders for any cancelled Off-Broadway show. Previews for the Signature Theater's “Golden Child” and “The Piano Lesson” were ongoing as well.

While many shows have flexible opening dates, ”Sorry,” by Richard Nelson, is on a tighter schedule. The Public production, which looks at the American political landscape through the eyes of a Hudson Valley family, is set to open Nov. 6, Election D ay, which is when the play is set. Public officials said the opening date had not changed, though several preview performances have been cancelled.

Mr. Nelson said in an interview on Thursday that he was determined to open the play on Election Day, even if the Public has not re-opened by then. “We'll find somewhere in the city to do it if we have to,” Mr. Nelson said, “because we all very much want to perform the play on the big day it's set.”