2026 One-Act Winter Festival
Block #1
Shit Kickers
Written and directed by Lyle Kessler
Bios
Lyle Kessler
Orphans, two Tony nominations, Bwy revival, Alec Baldwin, Ben Foster. Olivier Award, Albert Finney, London’s West End production. Al Pacino and Jesse Eisenberg appeared in other productions. Plays include, The Watering Place, Collision, Possession, First Born, House on Fire, Robbers, Perp, The German. Films include Orphans, The Saint of Fort Washington, Gladiator and Touched, written and co-starring Mr. Kessler. Mr. Kessler is the Director of the New York Actor Studio’s Playwright/Directors Unit and is a member of the Labyrinth Theater Company. Mr. Kessler served as Artistic Director of the Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab. He participated in the Sundance Screenwriters Conference in Hungary, working with writers from all over Eastern Europe. Mr. Kessler’s plays have been published by Random House, Grove Press, Samuel French and Dramatists Play Service.
Leslie Fleming-Mitchell
Leslie Fleming-Mitchell is an actor, coach, filmmaker, and intuitive. Credits include Curb Your Enthusiasm, Veep, House, Waco, and The Boroughs. She's particularly enjoyed co-founding three theatre companies, including Shakespeare in Santa Fe, teaching at Second City in L.A., modeling for Betsey Johnson, living with the Hamar Tribe in Ethiopia and writing the first Hamar dictionary, and introducing The Artist’s Way to hundreds of artists and performers in Paris and Rome. She is intrigued by the emotional and mystical truth underlying everything and is very happy to be working with one of her favorite playwrights.
*Margaret Ladd
Margaret Ladd is a versatile award-winning character actress whose career has spanned Broadway, film and television. Margaret made her professional stage debut at the famous Williamstown Summer Theater where she played Kathleen the Irish Maid in Eugene O’Neill’s “Long Day’s Journey into Night” with Olympia Dukakis. The New York Times said: “…Margaret Ladd’s exquisite performance … evoked in us Eugene O’Neill’s intimations of immortality.” She went on to her New York debut, starring in Mike Nichols Off-Broadway production of “The Knack,” followed by several other Broadway plays including “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.” Margaret is a proud Lifetime Member of the Actors Studio. Film credits include: Robert Altman’s “A Wedding;” Peter Yates’ “The Friends of Eddie Coyle,” with Robert Mitchum; and Lindsay Anderson’s “The Whales of August” starring Bette Davis and Lillian Gish. On television she is probably best known for a nine-year stint on Falcon Crest as Emma Channing, for which she won the Soap Opera Digest award for best Comedic Relief in a Dramatic Series. Margaret and her husband, Lyle Kessler, are co-creators of “The Imagination Workshop,” which helps heal mentally ill patients through the power of theater. Margaret and Lyle have twins, Katharine and Michael and consider themselves to be “bi-coastal.”
Sachi Parker
Sachi is thrilled to be returning to the Chain Theater’s Winter Festival with the award-winning playwright Lyle’s Kessler’s “Shit Kickers.” She has so many happy Chain memories of doing “This Goddamned House” by Matthew McLachlan and “By the Look of Her” by David Rabe and this year, “A Hatpin: A Vampire Farce” by Elizabeth Bays. TV credits include Santa Barbara, Alien Nation, and Star Trek: Next Generation, and on film you can see Sachi in Scrooged, Peggy Sue Got Married, and Back to the Future.
Mary Powelson
Mary Powelson made her NYC stage debut leading Doug DeVita’s Goddess of the Hunt as Diana. Favorite roles include God of Carnage (Veronica), Beyond Therapy (Charlotte), Hello from Bertha (Goldie), and The Sins and Secrets of Tabard Lake (Allyce). As an actor, director, educator, playwright, and producer, Mary is a passionate steward for the Theatre and its impactful place in all communities. B.A./M.A. San Francisco State. Member, New Ambassadors Theatre Company, NY. Board Member, Greenwood Lake Theater. NY. Member, SAG-AFTRA and Dramatists Guild.marypowelsonsf.com; newplayexchange.
Sweet Tart
Written by Jeryl Brunner
Directed by Jesse Eisenberg
Synopsis
In this comedy-drama, Justine forms an online connection with BakingTartManNYC, a pastry-obsessed man she meets on Match.com. Bonding over tart crusts, butter, and sweetness, the two create an intimate world. As their conversations pile up, insecurity and past heartbreak begin to surface, and the stakes turn out to be bigger than dessert. Sweet Tart explores how hard it is to be brave, take a risk, and let someone really see you. Imagine daring to see yourself as enough, exactly as you are.
Bios
Ralph Macchio* (BakingTartManNYC/Jeffrey)
Ralph Macchio made his Broadway debut in Joseph Papp’s production of Cuba and His Teddy Bear, where he starred alongside Robert DeNiro and Burt Young. He has also appeared Off-Broadway in the productions of Only Kidding, A Room of My Own,Magic Hands Freddy, and headlined the national tour of the Broadway musical-comedy revival, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Macchio’s film credits include The Outsiders, The Karate Kid film franchise, Teachers, Crossroads, Distant Thunder, Naked in New York, and My Cousin Vinny. He has also starred in TV movies such as The Last P.O.W.?, The Bobby Garwood Story, The Three Wishes of Billy Grier, Forever Together, as well as in the TV series Ugly Betty, The Deuce, How I Met Your Mother, and Netflix’s recent global hit, Cobra Kai.
Julia Macchio* (Young Justine)
Julia Macchio is thrilled to be making her Chain Theatre debut in Sweet Tart! She has previously starred as Alex Owens in the National Tour and Gateway Playhouse productions of Flashdance The Musical. Other theatre credits include: Skittles Commercial: The Broadway Musical, Celebrity Autobiography, and workshops of the Tony award winning Broadway musical The Outsiders and The Radio City Spring Spectacular. She has also appeared in three consecutive seasons of the Emmy nominated series Cobra Kai as Vanessa LaRusso. Other TV/Film credits include: City On A Hill, Girl Most Likely, Stella’s Last Weekend, Gravesend and Across Grace Alley.
Jeryl Brunner (Justine)
A performer and playwright, Jeryl most recently appeared in her play Lonesome Dove at the Chain Theatre’s One Act Festival, produced by Anna Strout and Jesse Eisenberg, and directed by Hannah Ryan. Her other Chain Theatre One Act Festival credits include Wipeout and Catch, directed by Sara Thigpen, and Dill, directed by Jesse Eisenberg. Jeryl has recorded voiceovers for audiobooks on Audible, appeared on Younger and Law & Order, and wrote for Anika Larsen for The 24 Hour Plays. A graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts acting program, Jeryl performs improv throughout New York City and is a member of the improv team Smooth Operators at Young Ethel’s. She is currently developing her full-length play, Love Justine, which was workshopped at The Hundredth Hill. Jeryl also hosts the podcast When Lightning Strikes! on the Broadway Podcast Network, produced by Anna Strout. Member of SAG-AFTRA.
Oceans of gratitude to the Chain Theatre, Christina Perry, Kirk Gostkowski, Rick Hamilton, Anna Strout, Jesse Eisenberg, Julia Macchio, Ralph Macchio, Barbara Toy, Banner Eisenberg, Ruth Cataldo, Hannah Ryan, Ben McHugh, Ellie Handel, Amy Ziff, Sara Thigpen, Paula Conway, Laura Vogel, Anna Peraino, Krista Detor, Dave Weber and The Hundredth Hill, Elizabeth Perkins, Julie Besonen, Paige Morrow Kimball, Jenica Bergere, Patrick Boll, Jason Kravits, Chris Harcum, Courtney Laine Self, Ilene Angel, Dina Zuckerberg, Barbara Zuckerberg, Sarah Elizabeth Greer, Zac Kline, Tina Reine, Andrea Kannapell, Denice Nortez, Eugene Pack, Dayle Reyfel, Karen Schaler, Betsy Israel, Suse Farley, Nicole Capatasto, Juliana Hannett, Katie Rosin, Bonnie Brodner, and Sherry Brodner.
Amy Ziff* (Mom)*
In addition to being a pop icon and touring the world with the band BETTY, Amy has appeared in movies and TV, including Showtime's The L-Word, and originating the roles of Mom and Ida on the ABC series Edith Ann. Amy has also written and performed her one-woman shows, Superlatives and Accident in several festivals and theaters across the United States and Canada. She has also co-written an opera about Typhoid Mary, called A Danger to Us All. Learn more at Hellobetty.com. P.S. Love to Kristi, Saylor and Slate.
Additional voices: Banner Eisenberg (Blake) and Ruth Cataldo (Miss. Judson)
Jesse Eisenberg (Director)
A writer, director, filmmaker and playwright, Jesse Eisenberg is an Academy Award–nominated actor and writer who has appeared in more than 40 films and TV shows. Additionally, he has written plays, essays for the New Yorker and McSweeney's and is a cast member with Theater of War, a performing arts non-profit that presents readings of Sophocles and Philoctetes to communities throughout the United States and Europe. Jesse made his directorial debut with the movie, When You Finish Saving the World, which he also wrote. His Oscar-nominated film, A Real Pain, which he wrote, directed and stars in, was listed as one of the ten best films of 2024 by The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The National Board of Review.
Anna Strout (Producer)
Anna Strout produces and casts programs, and also serves as an educator for Voices of a People's History and their many partner organizations from high schools to universities, unions to performing arts centers—and develops new programs, community collaborations, and artist engagement models. Over the years Anna has consulted on numerous socio-historical documentaries, multi-media DVDs and world music releases, animated and fiction film productions, and museum exhibits. Anna is also an advisor for The Hundredth Hill artist residency and a volunteer with Middle Way House, an organization that works to end domestic violence, sexual violence, and human trafficking through an empowerment model. Anna produces When Lightning Strikes! with host Jeryl Brunner on the Broadway Podcast Network.
Barbara Toy: Producer
Barbara Toy is the director of development for New York Stage and Film. She has extensive fundraising experience for both non-profit arts organizations/social service agencies and commercial enterprises, centering on fund raising for and management of the arts, culture and education. Barbara’s focus is on giving a voice to a new generation of artists: work that is reflective of the diversity of backgrounds and experiences in the New York community.
Menu design: Paula Conway
Stage manager: Carla Costabile
The Fusion Experiment
Written by John Arthur Long
Directed by Kirk Gostkowski
Bios
Kirk Gostkowski (Director)
Kirk Gostkowski is the Artistic Director and founding member of the Chain Theatre. Over the past fifteen years, Gostkowski has collaborated with theatre legends such as Tony-award winner David Rabe on multiple projects including a rare revival of In TheBoom Boom Room, the NYC Premiere of Humpty Dumpty by Eric Bogosian, and two premieres by Emmy-Nominated Keith Huff: Six Corners and Garbageman. Gostkowski adapted holocaust survivor Helena Weinrauch's memoir A WILL TO LIVE to the stage. He is the founder and Festival Director of the Chain NYC Film Festival. Kirk made his film directorial debut with the film Leave Me Behind, which was featured in ten film festivals across the world, won awards, and is distributed through Screen Media Ventures.
John Arthur Long (Playwright)
Literary Director of the Chain Theatre, John Arthur Long was very pleased to have the opportunity to explore the ever-evolving and often controversial world of robots and A1 through his fiction creation of “The Robot, The Spy, and The Love of AI” at the 2025 Chain One Act play festival, presenting the ground-breaking first robot performing as a major character in a live New York theatrical presentation. Long is excited to be back in the Chain’s 2026 festival with “The Fusion Experiment,” yet another avant-garde subject-mattered production in which a male and female couple live their entire lives in a “compression unification experiment” where every minute is a year’s time! Long has been active as an educator, a writer and a director in theater for his entire professional career. Along with Kirk Gostkowski, the Chain Theatre’s Artistic Director, Long received a Best Director nomination for the Chain Theatre’s Off-Broadway revival production of Wait Until Dark. It was also at the Chain Theatre that Long developed the original musical, “DRAGULA: A Transgender Tale,” through a series of critically acclaimed Chain theatre workshop productions that Long then transposed into a best-selling audiobook in which both his narration and singing performance won 1st prize for the SOVAS Best Voiceover Fiction Narration award out of some 35,000 audiobooks produced in 2020. Along with several fiction novels, Long is also the co-author of a children’s book, The Tooth Fairy Legend, a favorite of children which was based on his original family theatrical musical, and is a perennial top-selling audiobook winning nominations for Best Author/Narrator and Best Sound Design.
Christina Elise Perry (Woman)
Christina has been featured in Forbes Women for her work as an actor and producer. She has produced and performed in dozens of critically acclaimed productions Off-Broadway. Highlighted theatrical roles include: The NYC Premiere of Eric Bogosian's HUMPTY DUMPTY (Nicole) SIX CORNERS by Emmy Nominated Keith Huff (Amanda) and Sam Shepard's FOOL FOR LOVE (May) Critically acclaimed CHASING THE RIVER, and WAIT UNTIL DARK as Susan (NYIT Nominee for Best Actress in a Leading Role). Film: Award-winning feature HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION with In the Garage Productions, Award Winning short, IN THE DARK ROOM dir by Adrienne Acevedo Lovette. Training: New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts; School for Film and Television. Perry thanks her family and the 'Sisu' her grandparents instilled within her. @christinaperryperry
David Rey (Man)
David is an actor from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Student of the Circle In The Square Theater School, and a Chain Theatre company member since 2015. Recent credits include Leo (I’m Okay, Where Okay), and Oscar Guzman (GTA Online: Oscar Guzman Flies Again). Gracias a Kirk, Christina, por la oportunidad, y Marty por la tranquilidad. Instagram: @dahveedrey
Lilly Tobin (Assistant Director)
Lilly is thrilled to be collaborating with this team. Choreographer & Associate Director of Secret Garden: VMT, Choreographer & Associate Director School of Rock: VMT, Associate Choreographer How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Wagner College & London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art Graduate.
Rafaella Rossi (Stage Manager)
Rafaella is a Manhattan based stage manager and is thrilled to be a part of The Chain’s One-Act Festival and this production of Fusion Experiment. Proud Hofstra graduate; Chain Theatre credits include: Humpty Dumpty, Six Corners, Garbageman, In the Boom Boom Room, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Radio Play, Comedy Troupe The Usual Rejects, Wait Until Dark, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Additional Credits: Magdalen at United Solo Festival and Edinburgh Fringe Festival, RENT Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Much Ado About Nothing (The Brick), Old Names for Wildflowers, and Boxcar.
*Shows in this block include Equity Members appearing with permission of Actor’s Equity Association without benefit of an Equity contract in this off-off Broadway production.
Block #2
Look What Crashed Through the Portal and Ended Up in Brooklyn
Written by José Rivera
Directed by José Rivera and Sara Koviak
On a warm summer night, two refugees from another dimension end up in Brooklyn after passing through a portal created by a lunar eclipse. While on earth, as they keep a look-out for potential assassins, the Dimensionals (both named Charlie) observe the humans, dance, argue, philosophize, and reminisce about their lost world.
Rite of Passage
Written by Dacyl Acevedo
Directed by Gama Valle
A girl, first generation child of immigrants learns about her grandmother, Julia's childhood in rural Dominican Republic. At 15, Julia is being forced into an arranged marriage, so she runs away into the jungle with her pet monkey, Lolo. She finds a new home and a new family for one magical night before her father finds her and brings her home. She's fitted into her wedding dress and says goodbye to Lolo and her home.
THE AXION
Written by Kelley T. Johnson
Directed by Perryn Pomatto
The year is 2050. Cancer has ravaged an entire generation of women. Weaponizing the crisis, an authoritarian regime has driven medical research underground and deployed female conscripts–the Axions–to compel compliance with a “natural living” directive. As an illegal cure surfaces for infants, new parents are desperate to smuggle their daughters for treatment. When death is patriotic and medical intervention is treasonous, THE AXION imagines how quickly public health can become a tool of oppression.
Block #3
Maggie and George and The Target
Written by Zachary Louis Harris
Directed by Angel Katthi
When regular married couple Maggie and George lose their jobs to AI, they struggle with a new career: contract killing.
The Coming Out (Out) Play
Written and directed by Sheldon Shaw
A writer named William stages a play in a theatrical setting to reveal a deeply personal secret to their two childhood friends, James and Janice. The unexpected, metatheatrical environment immediately causes comedic chaos and panic, especially for James, an ex-athlete. As William and his friends reflect on their shared past and William's previous "coming out." The core conflict is resolved when William reveals a second, deeper truth about their gender identity. The play is a self-affirmation: William realizes they don't need to "come out" but can simply live their truth. The play is a comedy-drama centered on self-acceptance, identity, and the enduring nature of childhood friendships.
The Invisible Prank
Written and directed by Luis Reyes Cardenas
Xavi and Marc are a gay married couple who met on Tinder. On the eve of hosting a dinner party for their visiting college friends Lou and Pricilla, Marc decides to prank Xavi which backfires. As the evening progresses, this prank forces them to explore the truer internal conflicts as Xavi is navigating his own closeted identity as they both search for what is true and what is false.
The Oblique
Written and directed by Christopher Goutman
A mature married couple have reached the end of the line and have decided to take the final fatal leap into the unknown.
Block #4
57 Parkview
Written and directed by Jeff Dylan Garrett
When a young woman’s seemingly carefree life comes crashing down around her, she decides to - quite literally - take matters into her own hands!
Hell's Kitchen, 1948
Written by David Loughlin
Directed by Laura Varoscak
New York City. 1948. A self-made millionaire has fathered a child with a young girl. He wants the baby to come live with him and his wife.
Pay The Sitter
Written by Christopher Ming Ryan
Directed by Julian Shatkin
Ben and Mara return home from a date night to find their babysitter has made herself comfortable. Too comfortable.
Block #5
After the Execution
Written by Gwendolyn Phair
Directed by Molly McQuillan
Gwendolyn Phair’s one-act play, After the Execution, is an active engagement with Anne Boleyn’s legacy. It takes place a few short hours after Boleyn’s execution. Two servants and a lady reflect, ridicule, and defend the actions of the currently villainized Boleyn. They cross class barriers to discuss, revel in, and test the safety of sisterhood. This causes them to quietly question the rules and restrictions around which their world has revolved. They each find themselves staring into Boleyn’s legacy only to see their own, or lack thereof, reflected back.
MaryLou
Written by Sophia Cortes-Drapeau
Directed by Keara Benton
Two employees of a nursing home clean up the dining room together. What does it mean to miss someone you love? How do we talk to each other when we don’t know what to say? What does it look like to be close to someone for the first time? A play about grief, silence, crushes, grandmothers, and pudding.
Ray
Written and directed by Jennifer Pepperman
A stressed teen and a forlorn musician forge an unlikely connection on a park bench in Brooklyn.
You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone
Written and directed by Felicity Winter
Two childhood best friends have a falling out- and then meet for the first time in eleven years in a Planned Parenthood exam room.
Block #6
Expensive Lettuce
Written by Kayla Hense
A couple argues then makes up ad-infinitum over the course of a single car ride in an attempt to evade the relationship’s underlying insecurities that have been triggered by an expensive head of lettuce.
Maybe I'm Your Favorite
Written by Grace Cahill
Directed by Emily Rubinstein
The Last Date Is Here
Theo and Gemma have broken up. It’s been decided, they’re going to be radically single - there’s even a contract. A contract stipulating one last date, to be mature, and end things on a good note. Ideally.
As the date arrives, Theo relies on his long-distance friend Alma for support. Maybe I’m Your Favorite is a 15-minute play premiering at the Chain Theatre Winter One-Act Play Festival about relationships, about romanticism, about things not always going the way we want. And maybe that’s okay.
Nostalgia: The Dead of Night Kind
Written and directed by Philip Cioffari
A member of a 60s girl group imitation band meets her boyfriend in a late night diner in the Bronx, urging him to make a stronger commitment to their relationship.
The Woman on the Mountain
Written by Lauren Lindsey
On a stormy winter night, a woman gathers the audience around a fire to tell an old-fashioned ghost story about a woman who haunts the nearby mountain. As she tells the story of this poor ghost using practical effects and sound makers, she reveals more and more about the ghost's life as a young woman, the bullies she faced and how she ran to the mountain at first to escape but now never leaves. It soon becomes apparent that this woman is the same ghost.
Block #7
Brad Pitt and the Exploding Head
Written by John Corins
Directed by Barbara Parisi and John Sannuto
A S&Mer witnesses a mass murder and then tries to goad the investigating detective into an act of consensual violence. The play is a black comedy and a two hander.
Hat Pin: A Vampire Farce
Written by Elizabeth Bays
Directed by David Zayas Jr.
A hypnotized sailor is dragged into the undead domestic chaos of three vampire sisters. What begins as a surprise, turns into a battle of grief, guilt, sisterhood, and hunger! A campy farce about immortality and the ache of love that outlives the living.
Last Dance
Written by Kevin Brofsky
Directed by Greg Roderick
When Boxer and his friend Henry visit an old gay bar from their past, Boxer is confronted with a memory which changes the course of his life.
Plucked Eyes On A Plate
Written by Pete Mattaliano
Directed by Quilty
A one-man monologue/performance piece about his misadventures in advertising.
Block #8
Country Bar Confession
Written by Tom Rankin
Directed by Sydney Dubitsky
A young man hires his fiancé’s favorite country singer, The Barefoot Bandit, to serenade them over dinner. Things do not go as he planned, though. In fact, they go horribly, terribly, astonishingly wrong.
Stalin: The Musical
Written and directed by Austin Olson
What do gulags, jazz clubs, soap carving, and awkward first dates have in common? Just one thing: Joseph Stalin. In this bombastic, historically-questionable, and unapologetically camp musical, history gets hijacked by glitter, groove, and revolution.
Block #9
Are You Ready to Die? Just Kidding!
Written by Reese Villella
A hitman's latest assignment takes a twisted turn when the target, a controversial public figure, proves to be anything but an easy mark.
Waiting For Gadot
Written by Annabel McConnachie
Three neighboring worlds — a café, a film set, and a park bench — all consumed by one absurdly specific hope: that Gal Gadot is coming. Mara, a baker, obsessively prepares; a director scrambles to capture every possible moment; and two fans measure speed, strategize stamina, and speculate wildly about superhero training.
Block #10
Bugzy
Written by Addie Atkins
Directed by Yeshi Berry & Han Bumanlag
BUGZY is about three TV show writers plotting an episode of a children’s TV show the day after their head writer is put on a leave of absence. It’s also about Bugzy, the anthropomorphic kid-bug who is the titular character of said TV show.
Going Up?
Written and directed by Pamela Joy
This dark comedy follows Morgan, a driven IRS claims worker who steps into her office elevator thinking she’s late—only to find herself suspended between Heaven and Hell, where a burnt-out elevator operator becomes her reluctant guide and helps her confront her life’s loose ends and accept the afterlife.
In Bacchus We Trust
Written and directed by Guil Parreiras
When their night of wine is disrupted by strange messages and unexpected visitors, a politically charged couple spirals into paranoia, convinced they’re targets in a crumbling democracy, unaware the real collapse may be their relationship.
True Crime
Written by Sarah Swift
Directed by Stephanie Israelson
Two hosts of a murder podcast concoct a deadly plan to save their show.
Block #11
555
Written by Kellen Blair
Directed by Liza Gross
555 is a play about starting relationships on equal footing and overlooking the small quirks we all possess… even the most abstract quirks, like the inability to successfully follow some basic rules of being a fictional character in a play.
I Got the Role
Written by Jessica W Bonds
Directed by Adrienne LaValley
I Got the Role follows Martha as a woman who finally comes into her own—claiming her voice, her worth, and her power after a lifetime of shrinking to fit everyone else’s expectations.
No Roses
Written and directed by Annikka Faye Mocciola
When a talented young man comes to the Theatré de Lumière, he catches the loving eye of a ghost who inhabits it— and a few others, who are not quite so friendly.
The Actor
Written and directed by MJ Farrell
Two women vie for the same role in an audition as they attempt to outdo one another through warmups, monologues, and theatre games. Who will get the part and who will get cut? THE ACTOR is a surreal, darkly comedic exploration of performance and the absurdity of the audition process.
Block #12
Birth of a Witch: A response to "The Taming of the Shrew" by William Shakespeare
Written by Emma Rey Dias
Directed by Kayla Platania
1850. Shortly after Alice is married to Sir Peter, she attacks him with inhuman abilities that the townspeople are calling witchcraft. Alice’s brother, William, arrives days later, determined to smooth things over. Instead, Alice teaches him about the horrors of womanhood and he orchestrates her escape.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow
Written by Henrietta Steventon
Directed by Andy Ingalls
A few glasses of wassail deep, The Macbeths clash over what their next step as a couple should be: killing the king or having a threesome.
Where We Lay Our Scene
Written by Halley Platz
Directed by Saturday Lawson
Luke-- a theatre student who would definitely be cast as Romeo-- and Layla-- a young theatre student who would definitely NOT be cast as Juliet-- are cast together as the star-crossed lovers in their religious university's production of the classic romance, directed by none other than their problematic, passionate, imposing Dean of their Theater Department. Initially enthusiastic and excited to work together, they descend into star-crossed hatred throughout an arresting, overstimulating, and highly intimate rehearsal process that may make them better actors AND worse artists. An exploration of educational impressionability, workplace toxicity, and the consequences and intensity of forced creative intimacy.
Block #13
A Very Merry Breakdown
Written by Kelly F. Burr
Directed by Michael Bradley
Dinah is tired of reality. Why should crazy people get to check out while sane ones are left to deal with it? She decides to try to invent a new form of insanity and drive herself crazy by watching 25 Days of Christmas Hallmark movies. In February. Her friend Michael finds her in quite a state, and in the end, she finds the comfort she needed in her friend.
Beltway 8
Written by Joshua Taylor Piper
Directed by Mary Morgan Collier
Caleb wants to fly, and by fly he means get drunk. His father passed away recently, and Caleb has been drunk driving tonight. His girlfriend, Abigail has just found him. What follows is Abigail's attempt to keep Caleb from flying again. When it's all over we're left wondering if Caleb is flying over Houston's Beltway 8.
Cecile
Written and directed by Emile Aslan Lacheny
Jo and Dessi are coming home to study together. Jo's aunt Cecile is there and as they interract, Dessi realizes that sadly Cecile's mind is not as sharp as it used to be.
Getting to Go
Written by Jenifer Margaret Kelly
Directed by David Adam Gill
Getting to Go captures a single morning where love, longing, and timing collide, revealing how the smallest moments can change whether we stay, leave, or move forward in a different direction.
Block #14
David's New Year
Written by Youlim Nam
Directed by Lisa Milinazzo
Set on New Year’s Day 2006 in New York City, David’s New Year follows the Korean immigrant Park family as they gather for a holiday dinner—more festive than ever after Hannah, the family’s “good girl,” is accepted into a prestigious college, fulfilling both her dream and her family’s long-held hopes—until, just before the celebration begins, she shares unexpected and disruptive news with her older brother, David.
Next Stop
Written by Sarah Hoogenraad
Directed by Rebecca Wilson
Block #15
Evening Out
Written by Karen Campion
Directed by Sabrina Zara
Every four years, like leap year, a covert government initiative allows selected women to even the scales of justice. In parallel stories that unfold simultaneously on a split stage, sisters Baker and Brynn debate confronting their grandfather about childhood abuse, while across town, Susan prepares to confront her emotionally abusive husband. When their stories intersect through an act of violence, each woman must decide how to balance her own scales.
Now Auditioning: Mom & Dad
Written by Darline Corchado
Directed by Christine Chen
When Kara auditions replacements for their dead parents, grief collides with absurdity in a dark comedy about family, identity, and self.
After losing their parents, Kara holds auditions to cast replacements, interviewing a parade of absurd "mom and dad" candidates. This biting dark comedy explores grief, identity, and the roles we inherit, blending satire and heart as Kara discovers they may be auditioning for more than parental roles.
On Burnside Mountain
Written by Kendra Jones
Directed by Derek Dahmann
It's the mid 1980's, a decade since the disappearance of three girls: the first mass murder in a small Pennsylvania mining town. The love for basketball reunites two former high school stars, and what transpires is something no one ever expected.
Block #16
Down There
Written by Al Groppi
Directed by Bela Pascale
Kyle lost his necklace walking under the pier at low tide, and he needs it back before morning - don’t ask why. He can’t swim, but his best friend Bradley’s a natural, and underdog Ed can be their lookout. But when the three football teammates break onto the boardwalk after dark and find an eerily familiar girl claiming to be a mermaid, only one will make it back to campus alive. A crass, campy horror-comedy about fraternity culture, peacocking, and supernatural revenge.
Girls in the Bathroom
Written by Saturday Lawson
Directed by Mary Morgan Collier
Three girls who happen to all be in the bathroom of a bar together realize one of them has had more to drink than she can handle. What starts as an awkward assisting of a fellow woman in need turns into a deep and heartfelt bonding session about what it means to be a woman and the importance of female friendship. They all learn more about themselves by learning about each other and these three unlikely strangers develop a real friendship.
Putt-Putt Party
Written by Riley Barriger
Directed by Katie Brown
Two friends find themselves in a party room for an interesting ten year old. As they discover more about this CEO obsessed ten year old, they reveal stuff about their past birthdays and parents. Putt-Putt Partyis truly about these two best friends who are dealing with some really unfortunate circumstances from parents who never really understood them.
Scenes of [dis]Connection
Written and Directed by Kevin T. Durfee
The show begins with 3 friends coming together for a night of poker – the night quickly polarizes as the conversation unintentionally seems to pull the friends further apart. The scene is then reenacted by each friend… this time alone at the table – where we get a chance to discover how much each longs to be understood.
Block #17
Jack in Time
Written by Michael Veasey
An old man travels back through time to instruct his younger self on how to live a better life.
Marco Polo at the Everything Store
Written by Rachel Hunt
Directed by Corey Reiter
Near closing time in an off-price department store, a self-involved customer begins a game of Marco Polo in hopes of tracking down her boyfriend. She is horrified when, instead, she summons her future self and must confront her life choices, while the employees just want to go home.
Nickelback To The Future
Written and directed by Andrew Ugh
In another timeline, John Crumb is the lead singer of Nickelback. But that is not our timeline. This is the tragic and true story of John Crumb.
The Makeout Session
Written by Meghan Covington
Directed by Traci Redmond
Two high school seniors—one bold, one seemingly shy—sneak away for what appears to be a secret makeout session on a cliffside overlook. But as the girl pushes for connection, the boy's awkwardness takes a strange turn. What starts as teenage flirtation unravels into a chilling revelation. How does one find connection when we are designed to follow the rules? Find out in this dark comedy that explores love, technology, and our desire to dive head first into the great beyond.
Yet Another Visit From the Farmhand
Written by Sebastian Hagelstein
Ruby and Jesse are visited by a mysterious being known as 'The Farmhand' that tells them the truth about the world we live in, providing them an ultimatum that can lead to blissful ignorance or excruciating wisdom.
Block #18
Elefantes in Flagrante
Written by Brooke Dramer
Directed by Priya Karki
Carol had a whirlwind romance with Eliot for five months—but then he left New York for a month-long business trip in Florida. Carol flies down to Florida to be with the man she loves and misses so much. Over drinks in a restaurant in Busch Gardens, Carol is shocked and saddened as Eliot reveals his true colors: He is a self-entitled, money-obsessed, wannabe real estate mogul. Eliot begins dictating to Carol the things about herself that she must change to be worthy of becoming his wife. But it’s the awesome spectacle that Carol witnesses going on outside the window—behind Eliot’s back—that causes her to finally realize that the man she’d been in love with is not really worthy of her.
Start to Finish
By Mark Melton
Directed by Richard Omar
We witness the beginning, middle, and end of a young couple’s relationship, experiencing years of them at their best and worst through snapshots in time.
Too Much Fondant
Written and directed by Melanie Acampora
Too Much Fondant focuses on an engaged couple coming to terms with the fact that their relationship no longer exists. One is unaccepting of change and the other is simply terrified of being alone. Together they face the truth, to ultimately move on.
What We Didn’t Say
Written and directed by Hee-Young Shin
Directed by Ashendri Picon
What We Didn’t Say follows River and Forrest, whose connection unfolds over one winter and lingers across time. Moving through shifting moments, the play traces the quiet evolution of a relationship shaped by the weight of what remains unspoken.
Block #19
Drip
Written and directed by Julianne Mason
After JADE gets a promotion and moves into her first solo apartment, she becomes consumed by an unexplained dripping sound that slowly erodes her confidence, sanity, and sense of reality.
it's my sister's
Written and directed by Talya Braverman
When Ya Ya and Elle get separated at a college party, they must battle sticky floors, drunk party goers, and an ever overflowing crowd to reunite. An absurd comedic one-act, it’s my sister’s is a love letter to sisterhood, screwing up, and getting older.
Lovers of Pompeii
Written and directed by Ashley Parker
When college interns Janice and Nadia are trapped in a museum after-hours, they must grapple with the past through the famed “Maidens of Pompeii”, and how ancient history might not be as distant as it seems.
Warm Re*ards
Written and directed by Alexander Perez
Mia used the wrong word in an email; time to have a meeting about it!
Block #20
Art
Written by Kamau Nosakhere
Directed by Zoé Zifer and Emily Matos
Faced with an audience that is hard to satisfy, The Painter finds himself in a cycle with ART and The Cleaner as they strive to create something they can all be proud of.
I'll Remember For You
Written by Matthew Daley
Directed by Hunter Fenstermaker and Jordan Blue
A former stand-up comedian turned stay-at-home dad goes missing for 48-hours. When he is found, he discovers that the life he led is no longer his life.
The Painter
Written by Richard Vetere
Directed by Maja Wampuszyc
In the year 1600 in Rome a painter brings a young prostitute from the Tavern of the Hawk. As they wait for dawn, his desire for her becomes a revelation.
Block #21
(This Sea Great and Wide) Therein Are Creeping Things Innumerable
Written by Claire Abramovitz
Directed by Anya Josephs
Dalia is turning into a sea creature. What's a miracle to Dalia is major cause for concern for her sister Miriam. If she really is turning into a fish person, where will she go? If she's really not, should she stay?
It's Not My Christmas
Written and directed by Stephen Joseph Olson
A man whose life has been one tragedy after another is reminded of the joy of the Christmas season and is given the opportunity to find happiness in a memory from his past.
The Dol-Men
Written and directed by Sebastian Bader
The Dol-Men is a comedic fable about three sprites in Ireland and their quest to escape the tomb of their fairy king. It's a fairy tradition for the servants to attend to their fallen masters even in death, so Ordach, Cael and Laslo are stuck. Not to worry, as they have a plan to get out: a miracle.
Block #22
I Did a Bad Thing
Written and directed by Phil Way
The play concerns Eddie, a middle-aged man in complete denial that his wife, Ellie, has passed away. He goes about the business of tending her prized garden believing that she is only too ill. In reality, her corpse has been reposing on the couch for a week. After a bloody encounter with a woman whose Pomeranian soiled the garden, Ellie’s spirit attempts to snap Eddie out of his delusion and bring him back to reality to face the consequences of his “bad thing.”
Stalled
Written by Diego Aguirre
Directed by David Zayas Jr.
Three brothers reunite in their childhood home, after their father's funeral. They hole up in the bathroom, where old wounds, buried violence, and long-held guilt finally surface. Between cocaine, confessions, and clumsy love, they confront the past—and discover the fragile possibility of forgiveness.
The King of Cats, the Death of Tybalt
Written and directed by Gustavo Montano-Paredes
Alejandro (Alex) had a fight with his dad three weeks ago, a week later, his dad passed away. He's been stuck in his room ever since. Long enough for his cousin Maria to come and perform a "wellness check" to get him to take a shower, talk about his feelings, and get him to eat anything that is not in noodle form.
Block #23
Did It Follow You In?
Written and Co-Produced by Aladen Gulmohamad
Directed and Co-Produced by Noah Kotzin
Did It Follow You In is a short horror play about the superstitions we use to distract us from the real terrors. A couple looking for their missing son are terrorized by a shapeshifting monster.
Molly Goes Dancing
Written by Chloe Selavka
Directed by Natalie Weinberg
Molly is in the tenth circle of hell (in her mid-20s on dating apps), so in an effort to feel less lonely, she has summoned the imaginary figures of Fitzwilliam Darcy and George Wickham of Pride and Prejudice fame. Molly Goes Dancing is a silly, heartfelt, whimsical play about finding love in the modern world, and finding meaning when faced with the fact that all we really have at the end of the day is ourselves.
Telemachy
Written by Michelle Cage
Directed by Ria T. DiLullo
Telemachy is a comedic fast-paced short play featuring Telemachus, the son of Odysseus - a boy who wants to wear skirts in a land where men only wear pants. When his father finally returns from "War," Telemachus chooses to be himself even in the face of Puppet Bullies, his drunkard mother, and his "War hero" father.
Block #24
Don't Worry Your Pretty Little Head
Written by Jaimee Lee Gaston
Directed by Peyton Strong
What if getting married and ‘settling down’ by thirty wasn’t a popular self-imposed rule amongst western women, but rather a recent law created by the Government? Young adults Mara, Florence, Jade and Cruz navigate sexuality, gender, and hookup culture in a world where being married to men by the age of thirty is compulsory. Morals, relationships, and judgement are put to the test on a New York City fire escape - friendship can only run so deep in a society Hell-bent on stealing your freedom.
Estonian Wedding
Written by Chris Gacinski
Directed by Luis Feliciano
Two friends fly to a wedding they weren't invited to, with a plan to ruin the wedding over jealousy. Will everything go according to Danny's plan, or will it blow up in his face?
Pity Party
Written by Gabriella Arianna
Directed by Mattie Parker
Isabella is ready for her sister’s wedding to be over. But when a charismatic stranger takes a seat next to her at the reception, family drama begins to unfold.
Block #25
Self-Editing
Written and directed by Jordan Richards
This is an abstract analysis of the little moments in life where we choose to not be ourselves. Whether it's for private embarrassment, or public gain, we all have a self-editor inside and this play attempts to confront our reasons for keeping them around.
The Upright Truth
Written and directed by Emma Sarah Davis
When Nono and Tay are transferred to a new environment, they are confronted with the choice to continue the controversial work that got them transferred in the first place. This comedic one act asks: What if happiness to some comes at the cost of evolution- I mean -revolution to others?
Block #26
A Trouble In Tunis
Written and Directed by Spencer Giles
When her mentor, famed detective Alfred Remmington, suspiciously dies after a high-profile case, assistant detective Emily Porter must dig into their last moments together to solve the mystery of his death. But is she ready to fill the shoes of the man whose murder she’s trying to solve? And can she put aside her grief long enough to get justice?
Good Men
Written by Timothy Nolan
Directed by Catherine Gold
The play is an imagined dialogue between an father and a son, each wanting to reconnect with the other, but bemoans that neither can keep their politics to themselves long enough. When a grandson is introduced, the stakes get higher. Can they put their stuff away long enough to build a relationship with an innocent?
How to Boil Water
Written and directed by Kacie Koen
Directed by Nathan Rakolta
There’s a world beyond this one. One beyond the hum of the TV screens– beyond the cinching aprons and the expired 80s bob. A home cooking cultural icon revolts against her last episode. There’s sewing lessons and bloodied bodies. There’s bruises and blue-screened studios. Was this show ever hers?
Block #27
Platonic Romance Dance
Written and Directed by B.Michael Peterson
“Platonic Romance Dance” is a one-act play about Papa Bear and Wolfie who are new gay best friends who both secretly have developed feelings for one another but never talk about it. Both have boyfriends. One day while in Central Park, they have a conversation about said feelings, how to navigate their friendship with such knowledge and talk about what most gay men don’t talk about: platonic gay friendships and their complexities that can arise. Ending with a dance that represents respect, boundaries and a different kind of companionship that is unbreakable. Follow and tag posts on Instagram @platonicromancedanceplay
Scenes of [dis]Connection
Written and Directed by Kevin T. Durfee
The show begins with 3 friends coming together for a night of poker – the night quickly polarizes as the conversation unintentionally seems to pull the friends further apart. The scene is then reenacted by each friend… this time alone at the table – where we get a chance to discover how much each longs to be understood.
Block #28
Nigeri
an Son
Written and Directed by Taiwo Aloba
Set during the Nigerian Civil-War, Nigerian Son explores the intergenerational tensions within a family grappling with a changing nation and legacy.
The Sound of Being Found
Written and Directed by Bram Hartman
After a one-night stand in a Manhattan apartment, Kevin and Hugo’s flirtation turns volatile as politics, privilege, and undocumented survival collide. When an ICE checkpoint appears outside, the morning after becomes a test of complicity.
The Yard
Written and Directed by Ojan Assadollahi
A graveyard set, Persian sitcom. Jazmin and Mehran used to be married. They also used to be alive. They share a son, Jay. Adrian is also here, he’s dead too, and is Jay’s childhood friend. The three of them hang around the yard, reflect on their lives, and probably ask themselves questions like, “how are we able to cook stew here?”
Touch Grass
Written by Jason Wang
Directed by Caroline Castellano
With an upcoming match against four Korean dudes, a dysfunctional esports team of Asian-Americans hires a Korean “esports coach” of their own.