In a Midwest college town, two freshmen flirt, find themselves, and debate the intricacies of queer life. But when one of them connects with the town’s mayor on a dating app, their conceptual discourse leads to dire consequences. A new gay play about an old gay myth.

Basically Children was presented in the Iowa New Play Festival in May 2022, directed by Natalie Villamonte Zito; performed by Owen Brightman, David Díaz, Waroon Jalukar, and Arlo Schneider; and designed by R. Eric Stone (scenic), Jill Klinkefus (costumes), Victor Maldonado (lighting), and Dorothy Craven (props). The creative team also included Olivia Leslie (stage manager), Holland Larned (assistant stage manager), Rob Silverman Ascher (dramaturg), Alice Doherty (assistant dramaturg), and Erica Barnes (intimacy director).

The play was later given a reading as part of Pridefest at The Tank in June 2022, directed by John Michael DiResta and performed by Dan Domingues, Ozzy O'Mahoney, Julian Socha, and Levin Valayil.

2023 finalist for the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference.

Check out production photos here, or read the script on New Play Exchange.

Decades ago in Western Pennsylvania, a gay love triangle ended in a murder in the woods - or so it’s rumored. But when a white journalist brings his Latino partner home to investigate, the past and present start to look eerily similar. A ghost story about who can live safely in rural America.

Ridgway was originally developed through the Write. Play. Launch. playwriting lab with Crashbox Theater Company.

Ridgway received a reading in July 2019 at The Flea Theater, directed by Kate Moore Heaney; performed by Kaaron Briscoe, Hunter Canning, Sagan Chen, Fernando Gonzalez, and Sturgis Warner; and stage managed by Rachel Oshrin.

The play was later developed in a staged reading at Dartmouth College in October 2021, directed by Kareem Fahmy and performed by Serageldin Elagamy, Jamie Horton, Nicholas Gutierrez, Elda Kahssay, and David Katz. Design was by Laurie Churba (costumes), Michael Ganio (scenic), Dan Kotlowitz (lighting), and Fabian Obispo (sound), with assistant direction by Alisya Reza, assistant scenic design by Jemely Robles, and stage management by Emma Lavaune.

2022/23 finalist for the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition. 2019/20 finalist for the DVRF Playwrights Program.

Check out photos here, or read the script on New Play Exchange.

A college freshman plays kinky sex games with an older grad student. A radio journalist attempts to extract a story from a cagey gay escort. Flip a coin, heads or tails, but choose carefully: Loser gets humiliated.

Humiliation Play is the first play in Shame Cycle, a trilogy of plays concerning gay male sexuality and fetish practices during the early decades of the internet.

The first draft of Humiliation Play was written for The Brooklyn Generator and received a reading in March 2015, directed by Jenny Leon and performed by Daniel Burns, Frank De Julio, and Emily Louise Perkins.

Humiliation Play received additional development with The Brooklyn Generator as well as Crashbox Theater Company, culminating in readings in October and November 2016, directed by Tasha Gordon-Solmon and performed by Christopher R. Brown, Layla Khosh, Aaron Lynn, and Erin Wilhelmi. The play was further developed in a reading at the Artist Co-op in July 2019, directed by John Michael DiResta and performed by Shawn Jain, Alexander Settineri, and Nicole Vazquez.

In January 2021, Humiliation Play was recorded as a podcast reading for “The House is Open” (producer: Colin Mattox) in association with Dreamwell Theatre, directed by Ann Kreitman and performed by Claire Boston, Andrew Lund, and Brandon Treviño.

2018 finalist for the Seven Devils Playwrights Conference. 2016 semifinalist for the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference.

Listen to the audio drama on The House is Open or read the script on New Play Exchange.

In 2005, two high school freshmen explore the bounds of their friendship while one of them solicits explicit photos from an anonymous man online - with consequences that reverberate for decades. A play about what it means to know and be known in the digital age.

The Exposure Game is the third play in Shame Cycle, a trilogy of plays concerning gay male sexuality and fetish practices during the early decades of the internet.

The Exposure Game was conceived in the Fornés Playwriting Workshop in August 2016. The play received a reading with Project Y Theatre in September 2017, directed by Tasha Gordon-Solmon and featuring Miles G. Jackson, Anna Lentz, Lim Mui, Francisco Solorzano, and Sam Breslin Wright.

The Exposure Game was further developed in a private reading in March 2019, directed by John Michael DiResta and featuring Dan Domingues, Rachel Kenney, Alexander Pepperman, and Ned Riseley.

2019 semifinalist for the Seven Devils Playwrights Conference.

Read the script on New Play Exchange.

A gay playwright adapts the 2003 Jamie Lee Curtis star vehicle Freaky Friday into a solo show. Warning: contains graphic descriptions of sexual violence.

The Switch was performed by the playwright as part of the Dixon Place HOT! Festival (curator: Ashley Brockington) in July 2019, directed by Ivey Lowe, with lighting design by Aaron Bowersox.

In May 2021, The Switch was later developed in the Iowa New Play Festival and presented as an audio drama with the Fresh Fruit Festival (artistic director: Dennis Corsi), directed by Ivey Lowe and performed by the playwright, with dramaturgy by Meg Mechelke. Additional voices include David Díaz, Genevieve Eckelaert, Jivani Rodriguez, Wren Stone, and Brandon Treviño.

Listen to the audio drama on Fresh Fruit Radio or read the script on New Play Exchange.

Photo credit: Kevin Bianchi

Libby is locked in battle with her history teacher over her final paper topic, an ancient civilization that falls outside the curriculum. But as the lens of history shifts, it seems like everyone is missing something obvious. A high school comedy about how we look at the past.

The Last King received a private developmental reading at Samuel French in July 2018, directed by Kate Moore Heaney and featuring Zina Ellis, Natasha Hakata, Marcus Jones, Lim Mui, and Clara Ritger.

The Last King received a reading at The Flea Theater in September 2018, directed by Kate Moore Heaney and featuring Sagan Chen, Zina Ellis, Alice Gorelick, Natasha Hakata, and Marcus Jones.

Read the script on New Play Exchange.

Andy has traveled from Indiana to New York for the weekend to visit his friends from high school. Law school bro Kevin is happy to play host, but when Andy's long-buried feelings for Kevin begin to surface in disconcerting ways, everyone is forced to question how good of an ally - and a friend - they really are. A bro comedy of manners about identity politics, violent self-loathing, and our collective obsession with straight masculinity.

The Allies received a reading with Unabridged Productions/The Habitat in June 2016, directed by Ivey Lowe; performed by Sydney Blaxill, Andrew Manning, Lim Mui, Andrew Raia and Curry Whitmire; and stage managed by Meg Whitehurst.

The Allies was later developed in a series of private readings in December 2016 and April 2017. These readings were produced by Patti Anne Miller; directed by Ivey Lowe with assistant direction by Jenna Rossman; and featured Stephan Amenta, Josh Bonzie, Midori Francis, Erica Hernandez, Miles G. Jackson, Devin Nelson, Ronald Peet, Mike Turner, RJ Vaillancourt, and Michelle Veintimilla.

2019/20 finalist for the Woodward/Newman Drama Award. 2018 semifinalist for the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference.

Read the script on New Play Exchange.

Photo credit: Giovanna Grueiro
Pictured: Curry Whitmire, Andrew Manning, Andrew Raia, and Sydney Blaxill

The overworked, underpaid staff at a failing educational music publishing company strives to keep the business afloat, even as management seems to work against them. A workplace satire about the monsters that capitalism has made of millennials, Effective asks: how far can workers in this economy bend before they break?

The first draft of Effective was written for The Brooklyn Generator and received a reading in June 2018, directed by Logan Reed and performed by Alton Alburo, Kelley Rae O'Donnell, Isabelle Pierre, Brooke Reynolds, Gerardo Rodriguez, Ned Riseley, and Erin Wilhelmi.

Effective was presented by the University of Iowa in October 2020, in a virtual Zoom workshop production directed by Sarah Gazdowicz, stage managed by Dylan Nicole Martin, and performed by Gabriel Bautista, Keri Eastridge, Genevieve Eckelaert, Greg Jones, Amy Miller Martin, and Brandon Treviño. The design team included Chris Santiago (scenic/art direction), Kaelen Novak (costumes), and Huda Al-Aitham (sound), with video editing by Chelsea June and dramaturgy by Nate Ferguson.

Read the script on New Play Exchange.

Winnie and Jace have been getting close ever since their classmate jumped in front of a train – but we don’t need to talk about that. Actually, it’s sort of weird that you brought it up. Was anyone even friends with him anyway? A play about teenagers who hang out in basements.

Rail received a private developmental reading with Pipeline Theatre Company in January 2015, coordinated by Colby Day and featuring Daniel Johnsen, Sydney Matthews, Dan Tracy, and Edward Raube-Wilson.

Rail received a reading with Crashbox Theater Company in January 2016, directed by Ivey Lowe and featuring Adam Langdon, Max Reinhardsen, and Anna Stefanic, with stage management by Rebecca Vineyard.

2017 semifinalist for the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference. 2016 finalist for the Seven Devils Playwrights Conference.

Read the script on New Play Exchange.

Photo credit: Adrian Centoni
Pictured: Anna Stefanic

It's 6:00 AM on a Tuesday, and Emmy has enlisted her gay best friend John to get drunk with her at an underground blow dry bar. (What? It's her birthday.) But when a mysterious disaster takes place on the surface, these millennials are forced to reckon with the idea that maybe - just maybe - the rules really do apply to them after all.

The Shampoo Effect received a reading at Jersey City Theater Center in April 2017, directed by Kate Moore Heaney and featuring Txai Frota, Connor Johnston, Lucy Lavely, Leah Osterman, and Alli Trussell.

As a finalist for Sanguine Theatre Company's Project Playwright, The Shampoo Effect received an excerpt reading in January 2018, directed by Logan Reed and featuring Josh Bonzie, Connor Johnston, Kristina Mueller, and Alli Trussell.

Learn more on New Play Exchange.

A musical parody of 1980s slasher films, set on a Christmas tree farm and told from the perspective of the trees.

An Axemas Story features music by Anthony De Angelis and lyrics by Patrick Spencer.

An Axemas Story was presented as a concert reading at The PIT in December 2021. The reading was directed by Tasha Gordon-Solmon, music directed by Jesse Kissel, and performed by Kendall Cafaro, Zina Ellis, Sarah Hamaty, Matrika Hay, Cait Siobhan Kiley, Angelo McDonough, Michael Protacio, Rose Anne Rabut, Jim Stanek, Gil Torres, Michael Jayne Walker, Sturgis Warner, and Curry Whitmire. Line producing was by Karl Hinze, with stage management by Rachel Oshrin.

An Axemas Story was presented at the Players Theatre in December 2022. The workshop production was directed by Jake Beckhard, associate directed and choreographed by Mackenna Goodrich, and music directed by Sara Linger, with design by Lauren Barber (scenic/props), Meredith Juergens (puppets/associate props), Olivia Vaughn Hern (costumes), and Zach Dulny (lighting). The cast included Jessie Jo Aka, Charissa Bertels, RJ Christian, Richard Lafleur, Angelo McDonough, Mark Mendez Muñoz, Rose Anne Rabut, Lucy Rossi, Ben Schrager, Kelly Whitley, and Curry Whitmire. The production was stage managed by Zea Zurovitch, with associate stage management by Katherine Mostek.

An Axemas Story was presented by CAP21 in March 2023. The educational production was directed by Melissa Firlit, music directed by Sara Linger, and production managed by Ally Namishia and Arielle Legere, with choreography by Melissa Firlit, Gillian Griffis, Cameryn Laird, Avery Meier, and Gabrielle Villarreal. The cast included Riley Brennan, Jordyn Claire Cooper, Diego Enrico, Samantha Gibbs, Gillian Griffis, Taya Howard, Corey Jennings, Colin Kilfeather, Cameryn Laird, Hannah Lehrer, Rachel McMullen, Avery Meier, Emery G. Scott, Caitlin Trobridge, Vikas Venuthurupalli, and Gabrielle Villarreal.

Check out production photos here, learn more on New Play Exchange, or listen to a song from the show here (performed by Haley Bowery and Michael Jayne Walker).

For small-town punk rock band Two Star Motel, 2001 was the best. And the worst. Taking place over the course of a single concert (and an entire year), Two Star Motel explores what it meant to be a young and angry at the beginning of the millennium.

Two Star Motel features music and lyrics by Patrick Spencer.

The first draft of Two Star Motel was written for the Getaways Series, produced by Colby Day at the Tank in August 2015. The reading was directed by Joey Doyle and featured Chris Karl, Daniel Lee, Patrick Spencer, Anna Stefanic, and Brandon O’Sullivan. A second reading, presented at Bestbar in October 2015 and also directed by Joey Doyle, featured Max Nussbaum, Brandon O’Sullivan, Patrick Spencer, Anna Stefanic, and Michael Walker.

In April 2017, Two Star Motel was given a workshop production by the Dare Tactic (artistic director: Vinny Eden Ortega). The production was directed and choreographed by Quentin Madia; music directed by Quinn Corcoran; stage managed by Caroline Duffin; designed by Ryan Goff (set), Caspin Jones (lights), and Weldon Steinke (costumes); and featured dramaturgy by Jack Trombacco. The cast featured Gavin Cranmer, Dylan Haas, Alex Knezevic, Alex Kornberg, and Lauren Pelaia, with an ensemble including Deanna Alexandra, Marlina Devery, Timothy Gage, Brianna Janozckin, Shaunyce Lee, Baxter Perkins, Rose Anne Rabut, Chrizney Roth, Trent Soyster, and Natalie Waits.

Two Star Motel was created in collaboration with Max Nussbaum, Brandon O’Sullivan, Anna Stefanic, and Michael Walker. This show is dedicated to them.

Check out production photos here, listen to the music here, or read the script on New Play Exchange.

Everybody loves a new play reading, and everybody loves a straight white man. With Artistic Director Martin Reinsen (Tisch ’16), you get both! A play about plays (and privilege), Exposed Bone asks: Guys, why are we doing this?

The Exposed Bone Workshop... features music by Karl Hinze.

The Exposed Bone Workshop... was originally developed from March to September 2016 in Serials@TheFlea (producers: Crystal Arnette, Cleo Gray, Rachel Lin, and Colin Waitt). Episodes 1-4 were directed by Kate Moore Heaney; episodes 5-6 were directed by Ivey Lowe. Cast members included Julia Anrather, Sydney Blaxill, Rachel Handler, Ethan Hardy, Connor Johnston, Artem Kreimer, Trevor Liu, Madeline Mahoney, Brendan Sokler, Matt Stango, Ryan Stinnett, and Catherine Woodard. Technical design was by Joel Soren.

The Exposed Bone Workshop... received further development with Loading Dock Theatre's Forklift Series (producer: Charles Quittner) in spring of 2017, first in an excerpt presentation, then in a staged reading, both co-directed by Kate Moore Heaney and Ivey Lowe, and featuring additional cast members Erica Hernandez, Alli Trussell, Stephanie Rocio, and Natalie Walker. The play received a workshop presentation in November 2017 at the PIT Loft, directed by the same team and featuring additional cast members Josh Bonzie, Max Reinhardsen, Natalie Rich, and Curry Whitmire.

The Exposed Bone Workshop... was produced at the PIT Loft (artistic director: Stephen Stout) from April to June 2018 in a 17-performance run. The production was co-directed by Kate Moore Heaney and Ivey Lowe and featured Sagan Chen, Connor Johnston, Bruce Jones, Max Reinhardsen, Natalie Rich, Kelly Robinson, Brittane Rowe, and Curry Whitmire. The stage manager was Rachel Oshrin; lighting design was by Nick Carlson; and the associate producer was Catherine Woodard, with Alyssa Simmons as the producing consultant.

Check out production photos here, listen to composer demos here, or read the script on New Play Exchange.

Photo credit: Michael Brown
Pictured: Curry Whitmire, Natalie Rich, Kelly Robinson, Sagan Chen, Bruce Jones, Brittane Rowe, Max Reinhardsen, and Connor Johnston
Graphic designer: Max Reinhardsen

On December 20th, 2012, a group of teenagers in Ohio plan a party to celebrate the end of the world. Meanwhile, a series of musical premonitions cast dark shadows overhead. What apocalypse will occur when present and future collide?

Other Apocalypses was presented as a reading at the University of Notre Dame in April 2013. The reading was directed by Lauren Palomino and featured Joey Doyle, Toni Marsteller, Chris Siemann, Nathan Williams, Zach Wendeln, Brigid Clary, and Emily Dauer. The team also included Emma Kusters (music director), Katherine Dudas (dramaturg), Erin Moffitt (stage manager), and Anna Bosler (pianist).

A demo recording of Other Apocalypses was recorded and mixed by Derek A. Graham at Hope Summer Repertory Theatre in July 2013. The songs were performed by Allison Morse, Nick Selting, Michael Williams, Grace Stockdale, Joshua Kumler, Matt Madden, and Katie Drinkard, with Stephen Schermitzler on the piano.

Rekidk

Rekidk was first performed as part of Project Y Theatre's TechnoPlays in January 2015. The play was directed by Jenny Leon and performed by Anderson Heinz, Danny Harris Kornfeld, and the playwright.

Rekidk was later developed into a multimedia solo show, which was a selection of the 46th Samuel French OOB Festival. Watch a performance on YouTube.

Stranger

Stranger was a finalist for Mixily Presents: New Plays for Zoom in May 2020.

This Trip

This Trip was presented in March 2020 as a part of the inaugral 24 Hour Plays Viral Monologues and performed by Will Swenson. The monologue was later published in a collection by Methuen Drama.

This Trip was later performed in December 2021 by Kumakawa Ryuichi in a translation by Tsukisawa Rikako as part of “Theatre Born in Conflict Zones,” a project of the Japanese Centre of the International Theatre Institute. You can read more about the performance here.

The Goodbye Party

The Goodbye Party features music by David Carl, Nikolai Mishler, and the playwright.

The Goodbye Party was produced by Shuga Pie Supreme in July 2019. The production, directed by Charles Quittner with assistant direction by Jamie Lowenstein, featured Ae Andreas, Robert Dowling, Alex Emond, Chris Ignacio, and the playwright. Anne Ciarlone served as producer.

Cooking for Two

Cooking for Two features original music by Karl Hinze.

Cooking for Two was first presented as a staged reading in the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop in May 2014. The reading featured Christian Duhamel, Kate Anderson, and Jack Mitchell. Selected material was later performed in a November 2014 concert at the Duplex, produced by Charissa Bertels and directed by Thomas Caruso, with musical direction by Joseph Bates. The cast included KJ Hippensteel, Charissa Bertels, and Arlo Hill.

Cooking for Two premiered at the Irene Diamond Stage at the Pershing Square Signature Center for Theatre Now New York's Sound Bites 5.0 in May 2018. The production was directed by Tasha Gordon-Solmon and featured Robert Berliner, Bettina Bresnan, and Stephan Amenta.

Listen to demo recordings of the music here by scrolling to "Casting Info & Songs." These demos feature Charissa Bertels and Vishal Vaidya, with Karl Hinze on the piano.

Cooking for Two is represented and licensed by MTI and handled exclusively by Theater Now New York, Inc., licensing@tnny.org, (212) 845-9824, www.tnny.org/licensing-home

Precious Body

Precious Body was presented by Project Y Theatre at the Episcopal Actors Guild in February 2017 as part of the queer storytelling ritual Landmarks and Transformations, conceived and directed by Michole Biancosino and performed by the playwright.

Precious Body was awarded a New York Innovative Theatre Award for Oustanding Original Short Script in September 2017.

Kennedy Center Honors 2021

Kennedy Center Honors 2021 was co-written with Tyler Dwiggins.

Iterations of Kennedy Center Honors 2021 were performed by the playwrights as part of the Resistance Cabaret in March 2017 and September 2017, produced by Kat Funkhouser.

They Might Hear Us

They Might Hear Us was first performed in October 2016 under the title Untitled Walkie Talkie Play as part of Rule of 7x7: Halloween Edition, produced by Brett Epstein. The production was directed by Ivey Lowe and featured Stephan Amenta, Victor Cervantes Jr., and Miranda Stevens.

They Might Hear Us was performed in October 2021 as part of a Director's Showcase at The Tank. The production was directed by Dennis Corsi and featured Rosalind Brown, John McGowan, and Jesse Reid.

It made me happy and it also made me miss you

It made me happy and it also made me miss you was presented in June 2016 as part of Gay Brunch, produced by Middle Voice at Rattlestick Theatre. The staged reading was directed by Victor Cervantes Jr. and performed by Aaron Lynn and the playwright.

No go ahead you finish

No go ahead you finish was performed in May 2016 as part of Yes Noise, produced by Gracie Gardner on the High Line. The play was directed by Abby Barr and performed by Alli Trussell and Annie Winneg.

Orthodontist Monologue

Orthodontist Monologue was presented as part of Project Y Theatre's New York New Playwrights Festival in October 2015. It was performed by the playwright.

Do not fall in love with people like me

Do not fall in love with people like me was performed in September 2015 as part of Yes Noise, produced by Gracie Gardner on the High Line. The play was directed by Joey Doyle and featured Gabrielle Muzzarelli and Arshia Panicker.

Last Christmas

Last Christmas was performed in August 2015 as part of the 24 Hour Plays: Nationals. The play was directed by Ivey Lowe and featured Victor Cervantes Jr., Jedidiah Franklin, Andrew Raia, and Alli Trussell. Patti Anne Miller served as producer.

The Average Was Lousy

The Average Was Lousy was co-written with Ken Greller.

The Average Was Lousy was produced by Forever Dog Productions at the PIT in April 2015. The play was directed by Jenny Leon and featured Alex Bedder, Shani Bekt, Andrew Block, Tony Grayson, and Anderson Heinz.