Under the Radar Founder Mark Russell, the legendary Artistic Director of PS122 (now Performance Space New York), first conceived of UTR in 2003 as a platform to present New Yorkers with contemporary global performance in a renegade festival format. In 2006, UTR found a longtime home at the Public Theater, where it became a multi-show annual centerpiece of the NYC season and a must-see showcase for emerging and experimental creators. Over a nearly two decade run at The Public, Under the Radar gained renown as a consistent champion for innovative artistry. Tarrell Alvin McCraney, Rachel Chavkin, Taylor Mac, Guillermo Calderón, Gob Squad, the Nature Theater of Oklahoma, Reggie Watts, Lemon Anderson, Back to Back Theatre, Belarus Free Theatre, 600 HIGHWAYMEN, Choir! Choir! Choir!, Roger Guinevere Smith and Marc Bamuthi Joseph are just a handful of those whose earliest works were featured as part of Under the Radar.

In 2023, a cease in funding from The Public rendered UTR temporarily homeless. That moment catalyzed UTR’s reinvention as a citywide festival. Unprecedented offerings of support and partnership from dozens of venues, ranging from the large and prestigious to the small and community-based, inspired a 2024 reimagination of UTR as a self-driven nonprofit arts organization fueled by collaboration with the NYC-based theater community and a revolutionary, risk-taking curatorial vision. As of 2026, Under the Radar has self-produced three years of its signature festival, with over 650 performances of more than 80 productions across 40+ stages, serving more than 65,000 audience members.

Artists and creative voices featured in recent festivals include Alex Tatarsky, Nile Harris, Narcissister, Mario Banushi, Dahlak Brathwaite, Elevator Repair Service, Anne Gridley, Tina Satter, Kaneza Schaal, Tania El-Khoury, Joanne Akalitis and Mabou Mines, Elizabeth Marvel and Lee Sunday Evans with Waterwell, The Hawtplates, The TEAM, Lisa Fagan and Lena Engelstein, The Wooster Group and Eric Berryman, Roger Guenveur Smith, Sunny Jain, Modesto Flako Jimenez, Jenn Kidwell, Jaha Koo, Dan Daw, Wakka Wakka, Alaa Shehada, Ann Liv Young, David Herskovits with Target Margin Theater, Ronnie Burkett, Theater in Quarantine with Sinking Ship Productions, The Lazours with Taibi Magar, Joseph Keckler, Omar Offendum, Inua Ellams, Peter Mills Weiss and Julia Mounsey, John Jarboe and The Bearded Ladies Cabaret, Dynasty Handbag, MOTUS, Cliff Cardinal, Albert Ibokwe Khoza, Krymov Lab NYC, Luke Murphy, Sister Sylvester, Shayok Misha Chowdhury and many many more. Continuing its legacy as an artistic launching pad, recent UTR performers and shows have gone on to prominently feature at the Whitney Biennial, Free Republic of Vienna Festival, Melbourne’s Rising Festival and many others.

Under the Radar continues to grow. Our expanding production staff, a rotating Co-Creative Director cohort, a dedicated board of directors, and a dynamic group of Creative Ambassadors spread across the country speak to UTR’s capacity and constant evolution. Under the Radar’s planned work for 2027 promises to be the organization’s most ambitious year yet.

Under the Radar proudly welcomes the appointment of Janet Wong and Jenn Kidwell as the Festival’s Co-Creative Director team for our 2027 to 2029 seasons. Under the Radar’s innovative multi-year rotational cohort of creative partners allows for constant reassessment of our programming model and fresh perspectives on our mission. Wong and Kidwell step into the shoes of the position’s inaugural duo, Kaneza Schaal and Meropi Peponides, both of whom will continue their collaboration as members of our extended UTR family.