New York Through the Eyes of ‘Girls, Chance, Music!’ Star Eisa Davis

It may be one of the most compelling shows of the season: Girls, Chance, Music tells the profound story of four teenage girls who are gifted in music and navigate their friendships, sense of self, and mental health over the course of a summer program in Berkeley, California. The production is playing at the Vineyard Theater in Downtown Manhattan through June 21st.

The talent behind the show is playwright and actress Eisa Davis, whose career has spanned theater, television, and film. She was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama for Bulrusher, which premiered at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and also wrote and starred in the stage memoir Angela’s Mixtape.

I caught up with the multihyphenate to talk about Girls, Chance, Music and her New York loves.

Where do you live in the city?

Brooklyn.

What is your favorite neighborhood in NYC and why?

First Greene! It’s got a great vibe, wonderful people, beautiful trees, tasty food; it’s connected to everything and everywhere; it can be both quiet and buzzy. It’s gorgeous. I feel at home.

Can you share some of your favorite spots in Union Square and what makes them so great?

Staples. Because I’m an old school writer who uses longhand, I write on paper. So I always have to get office supplies.

Peacefood! It’s an incredible plant-based restaurant that is trying to survive–go get their tasty food!

The Strand Bookstore. Nuff said.

Metropolis and 2nd Street for vintage shopping.

Union Square Park itself. It’s perfect for relaxing, or working under the sky, and rallying people together to fight for our freedoms.

What’s the best place for a pre- or post-theater meal, and what should people order?

Gupshup! Just got introduced to their incredible Indian food on 18th Street. The cast also went to Barn Joo when performer Yeena Sung’s parents had flown in from Korea. And I love Laut for Malaysian Singaporean Thai.

Best watering hole near your theater — and what should people drink?

Beltane is a lovely spot the cast and theatre donors go to. …And Another Thing! is the drink I’ve gotten. That’s the actual name of the drink. And it has an ingredient called Italics. Which of course as a writer I am enticed by.

Any insider tips for enjoying a show like yours?

If you want to be part of the performance, get there early enough and you can choose a note in the unique melody the actors sing and play in the show.

But really, there’s nothing to do besides coming with an open heart–the piece is written and performed to be enjoyed.

What New York City theater do you love and why?

Obviously I love the theatres that are producing my work–HERE Arts Center, Signature Theatre, BAM and the Vineyard–and I really love all the theatres like National Black Theatre Company and the Movement Theatre Company and New Georges that continue to push our art form forward. I love the theatre of the streets of New York–so much happens on the subway or in line for a coffee or on a corner after kids get out of school. And the theatre of the Knicks? That is joy and suspense right there!

What other shows are on your radar right now?

The Peculiar Patriot by the superlative poet Liza Jessie Peterson at NYTW. The Maids, Jerome, Well, I’ll Let You Go are also things I’m hoping to catch.

What’s the best part about having Girls Chance Music running in NYC?

Sharing my heart and soul through a play with the people I love, and seeing the profound impact that it is having on audience members and on the cast.

The biggest challenge?

That this run is going to be over in just two weeks! It’s also tough to sell out the houses each show in the way we wish to. It’s a tough time of year, but we’re doing all we can to get people in to see it. It’s a really special piece and it’s something we urgently want to share with the world. So come and see it.

Share your insider New York gems.

The DMV at Atlantic Center is really very organized and easy to navigate. Who knew?

Can you share your favorite theaters around the world and why?

There are so many beautiful theatres in the world. Any theatre is a beautiful theatre! Go to the theatre! One of my favorite theatres is actually an empty one–an amphitheatre in Pompeii, Italy designed in that classic way where you can stand at one spot in the center of the stage and whisper and someone in the back row can hear you perfectly. And I love impromptu theatres in museums for performance art, or where circuses or hip hop shows will throw up a tent in a parking lot–these can lead to very exciting experiences.