In a heartwarming display of community connection, New York City's newly elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani spent his ninth day in office doing something unexpected: standing on a Brooklyn street corner, shaking hands with residents and personally handing out free tickets to live theater performances.

The initiative brought 1,500 complimentary tickets to the annual Under the Radar festival, a celebration of experimental theater running through January 25th. For about 20 minutes, Mamdani stood behind a folding table on Hillel Place in Flatbush, greeting anyone willing to wait in line. Alongside the ticket vouchers came bonus festival beanies and plenty of selfies with an approachable mayor who even used his own tie to clean a woman's phone lens before taking her photo.

Among those waiting was Zain Morisset, a 35-year-old student who had never attended a theater performance before. "I always wanted to attend one, but they seem to be so expensive," Morisset shared, expressing gratitude for the unexpected opportunity. His story captures exactly what Mamdani hopes to change about access to the arts in New York City.

The mayor, who comes from an artistic family as the son of acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair and has his own background as a rapper and arts patron, sees culture as essential rather than optional. "The shared laughter in a crowded theater, the eager debrief after a musical, the heavy silence that hangs over all of us in a drama: these are moments that every New Yorker deserves," Mamdani explained at a news conference held at Brooklyn College's Tow Center for the Performing Arts.

The collaboration came together remarkably quickly. Festival founder Mark Russell received outreach from the mayor's office just one day after Mamdani attended a dinner where Under the Radar was mentioned. Russell enthusiastically brought the idea to the festival's producers and presenters, and twelve shows immediately agreed to participate. Some had extra capacity, while others added additional performances to accommodate more free attendees.

Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin, co-director of "Reconstructing," one of the festival's featured works, took to the streets herself to spread the word. She described "incredibly beautiful interactions with people who had never heard of the festival and were thrilled to have free tickets."

The Ripple Effect

This initiative represents more than just free entertainment. Mamdani is redefining what affordability means for a city, expanding it beyond housing and childcare to include cultural enrichment. He sees the arts as "a form of connection in a city that is both desperate for it and dependent on it."

The mayor made clear this is just the beginning. He committed to spending his time in office "doing everything we can to bring arts back to New Yorkers all across the five boroughs," ensuring that culture is no longer viewed as "a luxury for the wealthy or a treat for the tourists."

For Russell, having a mayor who acknowledges experimental and downtown performance feels revolutionary. The collaboration opens doors for future partnerships that could democratize access to the arts across New York City, creating opportunities for residents like Morisset to experience the transformative power of live performance for the very first time.