Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts at the Brooklyln Campus of Long Island University manages to provide an intimate space despite its large scale. It has hosted a variety of productions and exhibitions from companies around the city and across the country. A calendar of upcoming events is available on its website.
The Gallery Players theater has been staging classic and contemporary plays and musicals since 1967. The 99-seat theater is located in a basement-level space in Park Slope. Patrons are advised to arrive at least 10 minutes before curtain. Tickets can be purchased in advance; any remaining tickets are available for purchase at the door with cash only.
The Brooklyn Academy of Music, founded in 1861, is Brooklyn's preeminent cultural institution. BAM features four movie theaters that show a mix of mainstream and independent films. The academy also houses the Howard Gilman Opera House, and hosts a wide variety of cultural events. BAM has earned a reputation as a high-profile venue for avant-garde performers.
The Irondale is a hub of avant-garde theater that often tackles social issues and other weighty topics through an experimental, research-oriented approach. A clear example of the Irondale's style could be seen in 2010's "In the Footprint," a play about the controversial Atlantic Yards development. The actors in the play interviewed many of the people involved in the real-life drama before bringing it to the stage.