PLAYS IN DEVELOPMENT
The Holding Room
Five seniors await their final audition at a small university in Ohio. In the holding room, they rehearse for their productions of Midsummer, wait for lunch, and ask some hard questions. The Holding Room looks at the pressure that students deal with as they audition for college - financially, mentally, and socially.
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DEVELOPMENTAL HISTORY
The Holding Room was featured as a part of the 2023 Waterworks New Reads Series at Live Arts in Charlottesville, VA on May 26, 2023. The reading was directed by Daniel Kunkel. The cast featured Katie Rogers, Sophia Christensen, Gavin Pugh, Eli Smith, and Ezra Steve Smith.
The Holding Room was featured as part of the summer programming at Buck’s Rock Camp in New Milford, CT on August 3, 2023. The staged reading was directed by Xander Cavanagh. The reading was stage managed by Paige Leinhard. The cast featured Sophie Cohen, Mia McCarthy, Maeve Taras, Jules Jacobson, Hayden Groner, and Laila Muhanna.
The Holding Room had a workshop reading at Lake Ridge Academy in North Ridgeville, OH on November 3, 2023. The reading was directed by Anjali Ajmani with producing from Kristy Rodriguez. The cast featured Annalise Bennett, Christian Gorny, Jacob Robertson, Katie Tillery, and Sabrina Wisniewski.
The Holding Room had a staged reading at New Albany High School in New Albany, OH on February 2 & 3, 2024. The reading was directed by Elliott Lemberg.
No Mercy
Maya, the only Latina in Trailblazer Championship Wrestling, has been dreaming of winning her first-ever TCW Championship for her entire life. Over the span of one night, Maya must face her white girlfriend, her white rival, her white boss, and the commercialization of acceptable racism in route to finally achieving her dream. No Mercy explores women's pro wrestling, legacy, family, queerness, being mixed-race, and cultural identity.
Read reviews of the 2022 Workshop Production here and here. .
No Mercy is currently being developed as a part of the American Theater Group’s 2023-2025 BIPOC PlayLab.
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DEVELOPMENTAL HISTORY
The first public virtual reading of No Mercy took place in January 2022. The reading was directed by Britt Berke, line produced by Kelsi Parsons and Rachel Andres, and produced by Moxie Arts NY. The reading featured Alyssa Brown, Natalie Myrick, Chloé Lexia Worthington, MaryKathryn Kopp, and Henri Sudy.
A 29 Hour Workshop Reading of No Mercy, produced by Moxie Arts NY, took place from April 1-3, 2022, in New York City. The reading was directed by Nicole Orabona, with stage management by Emily Bubeck, dramaturgy by Juju Nieto, and line producing by Camille Thomas & Mikki Marvel. The reading featured Kayla Zanakis, Natalie Myrick, Chloé Lexia Worthington, Allyson Boate, and Ollie Corchado.
No Mercy had a workshop performance run as part of the 2022 Moxie Arts Incubator from July 7-10, 2022, at the DR2 Theatre in NYC. The Moxie Arts NY production was directed by Miranda Cornell, Alex Might, & SMJ with intimacy & fight direction by Alex Might, line producing by Natalie Rine & Angelica McEwan, and dramaturgy by Juju Nieto. The cast featured Kayla Zanakis, Chloé Lexia Worthington, Charlotte Vaughn Raines, and Maya Musial. With lighting design by Elizabeth M. Stewart, set design by Kailey Hays-Lenihan, sound design by Sasha Hawkins, costume design by Aryn Geier, and stage management by Aryn Geier and Ashley Milling, the production was executive produced by K. Hernandez Friend and Madelyn Paquette of Moxie Arts NY.
THE COMMAND CENTER
Five apprentices at a high-profile regional theater known for its development of new plays are finally thrown a bone after working for a year. They get a coveted production slot in the summer season after one of the apprentices scores a commission from Hasbro to write a Power Rangers-based play. On the day of opening, the arrival of a Hasbro executive, a double-booked venue, cell phones that never stop ringing, and another awkward encounter with the Artistic Director Lindsay in their housing causes the day to head into a tailspin as emotional distress that has been repressed rises to the surface: dying parents, panic attacks, body issues, food scarcity, economic anxiety, and sexual tension. THE COMMAND CENTER explores how theater isolates people, how theater creates community, and how the theater industry… and Power Rangers exploit young people.
Read this play on New Play Exchange
DEVELOPMENTAL HISTORY
THE COMMAND CENTER received a Works-in-Progress Workshop and Reading with ANDTheatre Company in New York, NY on October 29 & 30, 2018. The workshop was directed by Esther M. Cohen and produced by Kevin Thiel & Rebecca Schafer. The reading featured EmJ Nelson, Dana Cullinane, Nina Roy, Alizae Powell, Kate Berg, Katie Langham, Kayla Ryan Walsh, and Evan Moore-Coll.
THE COMMAND CENTER had an Artistic Residency with the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in December 2018.
THE COMMAND CENTER was named a semi-finalist for the 2019 Normal Ave NAPSeries.
THE COMMAND CENTER had a reading with the Eleventh Hour Theater Company at Otterbein University on April 14, 2019. The reading was produced by Daniel Kunkel, directed by Payton Tevis, and featured Savannah Schakett, Olivia Crago, Abby Messina, Maggie Ek, Sarah Simmons, and Madeline Norton with Ava Arkin, Lindsay Cernek, Greta Kremer, Emma Kate Lampe, & Logan Reeder.
THE COMMAND CENTER had a Virtual Workshop presentation on May 30, 2020, that hosted over 200 people live through Zoom & YouTube. The workshop was directed by Esther M. Cohen. The workshop featured Annie Fang, Amara Leonard, Nina Roy, Alizae Powell, Helen Fox, and Katie Langham with Danielle Truss, Talia Frank-Stempel, Ema Zivkovic, & Alyssa Fantel.
THE COMMAND CENTER was read virtually by Who What Where Theater Collective on April 17, 2022. The reading was directed by Rebecca Wahls. The reading featured Brittany Martz, Stephanie Fongheiser, Alizae Powell, Joan Milburn, Kate Berg, Madison McVeigh, Kayla Zanakis, and Henri Sudy.
THE COMMAND CENTER had a reading with the Cold Read Series on June 24, 2023, at the Dramatists Guild Foundation. The reading featured Giuliana Augello, Penelope Deen, Hope Johansen, Mackenzie Moyer, Megan Lomax, Jessica Toltzis, Vanessa Vivas, and Steph Miller.
THE COMMAND CENTER was read at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center as part of the 2024 Rough Draft Festival on March 16, 2024. The reading was directed by Andie Lerner. The cast featured Hope Johansen, Mahayla Laurence, Penelope Deen, Lida Darmian, Grace Guichard, and Emily Dayton Evans.
THE COMMAND CENTER was read at Radio Bean (Burlington, VT) produced by Historically Close Friends on July 6, 2024. Caitlin Durkin directed an ensemble of Leila Teitelman, Charlotte Looby, Athena Chi Mosenthal, Stacia Richard, Harley Winzenried, & Töve Wood.
OUR CHILDHOOD SUCKED
Five former teen stars are invited back for a Disney+ reunion special and the pilot for the reboot of the show they made famous, Dating Academy. However, through s’mores, script readings, identical twins, and an ominous church set, they discover that something more sinister (and exploitative) may be awaiting them.
Check out our feature in HowlRound: https://howlround.com/podcasts-and-zooms-and-plays-oh-my
Read this play on New Play Exchange
DEVELOPMENTAL HISTORY
OUR CHILDHOOD SUCKED was selected to be a part of the Art House Productions’ INKubator 2020-21 Cohort from October 2020 to May 2021. The residency with Art House culminated in a virtually staged reading on May 6, 2021. The reading featured Danielle Truss (Manny), Alizae Powell (Riley), Talia Frank-Stempel (Jade), Daniel Kunkel (Chase), Stephanie Fongheiser (London & Chris), and Nicky Khor (Josh) in their originated roles. The reading was directed by Ludmila Brito, dramaturged by Enid Brain and produced by Alex Tobey.
An in-person reading was held at The Tank on October 16, 2021, after receiving funding from the City Artists Corps Grant from the New York Foundation for the Arts. The reading featured Danielle Truss (Manny), Alizae Powell (Riley), Talia Frank-Stempel (Jade), Evan Moore-Coll (Chase), Annie Fang (London & Chris), and Nicky Khor (Josh). The reading was directed by Ludmila Brito, production stage-managed by Alyssa Samuelson, dramaturged by Enid Brain, and assisted directed by Callan Whitley.
OUR CHILDHOOD SUCKED was developed as a part of the Spring 2023 Multi-Gen Lab with the Entertainment Community Fund & Moxie Arts NY. The Lab was facilitated by Jac Ford.
