NYCPlaywrights May 30, 2026
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NYCPlaywrights
May 30, 2026, 5:40:01 PM (13 days ago) May 30
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Greetings NYCPlaywrights
*** FREE THEATER IN NYC ***
FITO
By Rudi Goblen
On the day of his naturalization ceremony, Fito goes on a journey through musical snapshots of his life—moments filled with longing, resilience, and joy that reflect the complexities of identity shaped by migration.
Rudi Goblen’s interactive concert play FITO combines live music, storytelling, dance, and spoken word to explore the immigrant experience of a Nicaraguan man living in the United States. Inviting audiences into a communal experience to foster connection and empathy, this production asks what it means to become an American while holding onto one’s roots.
At its heart, FITO is a love letter to immigrants who dream relentlessly despite the obstacles they face, as well as a call to recognize theater as a space for everyone.
Running time: approximately 50 minutes. This production includes loud music and strong language, as well as haze and strobe effects.
Tickets to all Open Call events are free with a reservation.
Performance seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis; reserving a ticket does not guarantee entry. Late seating and re-entry are not guaranteed.
JUL 24, 2026, 7:30 PM
JUL 25, 2026, 7:30 PM
THE BLOOMBERG BUILDING
545 West 30th Street
New York, NY 10001
https://www.theshed.org/program/527-fito
*** OPPORTUNITIES FOR PLAYWRIGHTS ***
Ingram New Works Festival 26/27
Back by popular demand, Nashville Repertory Theatre is proud to welcome back the Ingram New Works Festival! Since 2009, the Ingram New Works Project has supported the development of over 70 plays, many of which have gone on to productions in New York and theaters across the country. This year’s festival features four original scripts, presented as professionally staged readings.
***
With the rising popularity of science fiction in popular media and theatre, submissions are now open for Future Works: Ten-Minute Science Fiction Plays, a new anthology of short science fiction plays. The anthology is slated for publication by Bloomsbury Publishing in 2027.
Possible Themes and Subgenres:
• Artificial Intelligence / Robots
• Time Travel
• Alien Life / First Contact
• Space Exploration / Space Adventure
• Space Opera
• Climate Futures / Environmental Collapse
• Virtual Reality / Simulations
• Dystopian or Utopian Societies
• Cybernetics / Human Enhancement
• Genetic Engineering / Cloning
• Post-Apocalyptic Survival
• Futurism / Speculative Technologies
• Alternate Histories
***
Somerset Community College seeks short plays
Script CANNOT exceed ten pages
Plays can be any genre or setting, but must implement fairytale or medieval fantasy elements
*** FOR MORE INFORMATION about these and other opportunities see the web site at https://www.nycplaywrights.org ***
*** ACTORS VS AUDIENCE ***
The Atlantic, 1931
Finally, Miss Jane Cowl, an outspoken actress, said plainly and distinctly that the Rialto audiences were an ill-mannered lot, that their ‘fun’ spelt annoyance to their neighbors and embarrassment to the players, and that the example which they set had a bad effect upon New York theatres. It was her opinion that a ‘silently receptive’ house was the only one which made good acting possible.
If we turn back a page or two in the history of the American stage, we shall see no great cause to regret the polite apathy of the modern audience. It may not be ‘silently receptive,’ but it is — except under certain circumstances—silent. The Mirror of Taste and Dramatic Censor, a severe and short-lived Philadelphia monthly which was published a hundred and twenty years ago, gives us to understand that the theatregoers of that day were for the most part a race of ruffians. Men brawled and rioted if they were drunk, and threw apple cores and nutshells at their neighbors. Women of loose character talked loudly and lewdly to their escorts. Wise men who loved the drama well enough to seek it under these discouraging circumstances left their virtuous wives at home, and wore their hats throughout the performance to save their heads from the rubbish which was lightly flung about the house. There was plenty of fun to be had for the taking; but it was at the expense of the players and of the play. Not until the advent of Edwin Forrest and Junius Brutus Booth — robust men both of them, who tolerated no disturbance — were order and quiet permanently restored.
More...
https://cdn.theatlantic.com/media/archives/1931/09/148-3/132417240.pdf
***
“Before I start the show, I always look out at the audience, because I want to see who I’m playing to. I will look them in the eye,” says Broadway legend Patti LuPone. “I’m in a musical. It’s presentational theater. I deliver lines to people. I look in the corner of my eye and decide: Who am I gonna give the ‘Kiss off, Rodney!’ line to? I clock them, and that’s the person I give it to. And then, throughout the show, I’m looking at people—not to make them uncomfortable, but to include them in the story. You are telling a story to someone else. You can never lose sight of that.”
Read the room
Consider audience demographics and responsiveness as you perform. If you’re in a comedic performance and your humor simply isn’t hitting, you may want to switch up your approach. If possible, play around with your energy levels and the performance decisions you’ve been making so far.
Aim for authenticity
Let yourself be vulnerable as you inhabit your character; vulnerable authenticity allows you to better connect with the audience.
When and how to interact with the audience
Direct audience interaction is a boon to some performances and a poor fit in others. These tips can help you know when and how to interact with the audience.
Craft realistic characters: The performer-audience relationship isn’t always about breaking the fourth wall and interacting directly with the audience. Often, it means performing a character imbued with complex personhood. Realistic, relatable characters with clear emotions and motivations draw the audience into the story.
Timing is everything: Plan out your moments of direct audience interaction appropriately. It would probably feel strange to break the fourth wall during a solemn death scene in a drama, but it’s just fine to do so when Peter Pan asks the audience to clap their hands to save Tinker Bell. Consider what’s happening in the performance itself as well as how the audience is responding when deciding how to time your moments of interaction.
Consider the audience: The relationship should feel reciprocal. If you choose to interact with the audience, be sure to pay attention to their reactions and respond accordingly. Think about how your performance impacts viewers and adapt your behavior accordingly. “As an immersive actor, you’re not just thinking about your scene,” says COLAB Theatre artistic director Bertie Watkins. “You’re thinking about how your character is affecting your audience at that point in time.”
More...
https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/performer-audience-relationship-76151/
***
At the December 27 performance of Death of a Salesman, an audience member rushed to the front of the auditorium to yell at Wendell Pierce, currently starring in the seminal Arthur Miller play. To his credit, Pierce did his best to defuse the situation, reasoning with the patron while attempting to direct them to the lobby of the theatre, so the performance could continue. The patron and their theatregoing partner refused, and were eventually escorted out by law enforcement. Reasoning for the patron's outburst is unclear.
Videos of the incident immediately spread across various social media platforms, with numerous audience members expressing their shock.
Said Pierce to the audience member, seemingly channeling Willy Loman in speech and stance, "Hold on! Talk to me, talk to me. I'll make a deal with you. I'll make a deal with you. I'm going to ask them to let you stay. Hold on, hold on, I'll make a deal with you. Ma'am, I'll make a deal with you, alright? You can stay, but we have a show to do."
Later in the video, Pierce offers to personally give the patron their money back, but the patron appears to disregard him completely. Other audience members soon began to yell at the patron as the stage manager urged the cast to leave the stage.
In another video of the incident, Pierce can be seen cautioning the audience as they began to audibly admonish the disruptive patron, declaring, "Hold on! I've waited TOO LONG for this! You've waited too long for this!" He then turned back to the patron in question, saying, "If you would like your money back, I will guarantee your money back."
More...
https://playbill.com/article/wendell-pierce-talks-down-unruly-audience-member-at-death-of-a-salesman
***
As well as watching people handing out sandwiches during poignant moments of the show (“I heard someone shouting ‘Do you want tuna and mayo or cheese and ham?’”), Brunton has been heckled. “There was one venue where audience disruption occurred at practically every show and I just felt like I wanted the week to be over,” he says. “It’s so sad, to be in this position to play the lead in a brand new Disney production, I’ve had to jump through hoops to get here, and it’s just heartbreaking when you’ve got someone shouting at you inappropriately.”
***
The house lights came up suddenly, and the performer Ryann Redmond announced, “Tonight, the role of Scott Hunter will be played … by one of you.” A chorus of oohs and ahhs rippled through the audience at “Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody,” which opened on Tuesday at the Culture Club in Manhattan.
This cheerfully bare-bones, affectionately barbed parody of the hit TV show mainly skewers the secret romance between two professional hockey players, the Canadian Shane Hollander (Jimin Moon) and the Russian Ilya Rozanov (Jay Armstrong Johnson). The frisson of excitement pulsing through the theater a week ago halfway through the parody was in part an appreciation that the TV show’s popular secondary love story — between the hockey hunk Hunter and his smoothie-barista lover, Kip (Ryan Duncan) — would also feature in the musical.
When Redmond’s eyes fixed on me — “Yes, you. Come on up” — my initial response was puzzlement. Critics don’t tend to get picked. But I had no notebook-in-lap, and I discovered later, the actors didn’t know where reviewers were seated. As the audience whooped, Redmond guided me backstage.
More...
https://archive.ph/3RLHg
***
Briones is already a Broadway vet, having made her debut in 2024 as Eurydice in Hadestown. But her return to the stage comes after achieving massive acclaim for her role as second-year med student Trinity Santos on The Pitt.
Evidently, fans of the hit medical drama have not been able to restrain their excitement at seeing the actress in person. Two weeks into her run in the show, Briones penned an Instagram story calling out one particular attendee who couldn't keep their mouth shut while she was singing.
"Some people need to brush up on theatre etiquette, and just person in the world etiquette in general," the actress wrote in an April 12 post, per Hello Magazine. "Do not talk to the performers while they are performing on stage (unless you have been asked to)."
She added, "And don't talk to me on stage and call me Dr. Santos. I'm not Dr. Santos. I'm not even Connie Francis. I am Isa Briones, one of the actors in the show you have paid to enjoy. So watch it respectfully. You are not a kid at Disneyland. You are an adult man at a Broadway show. Act like it."
More...
https://ew.com/the-pitt-star-isa-briones-demands-fans-quit-yelling-out-during-broadway-show-11964896
***
If you’ve been to a screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” the 1975 cult film starring Tim Curry, chances are you’ve thrown toilet paper, shot a water gun or yelled crude epithets at the characters while singing along to the movie’s infectious rock numbers.
But you wouldn’t approach a theatrical version of the musical with the same lack of inhibition — or would you? That’s the question that Sam Pinkleton, the director of “The Rocky Horror Show” on Broadway at Studio 54, a revival of the original musical, has been navigating since previews began late last month.
Core to the fandom surrounding “Rocky Horror” is a series of “callbacks” or “call outs,” in which audience members shout along with or in response to dialogue — a tradition that originated with the film but bleeds over into theatrical productions. The audience participation at the start of the Broadway run, Pinkleton said, was so disruptive that the show has had to take steps to tame unruly crowds, including adding signage in the lobby reminding theatergoers they were not at a movie and a new section to its website urging fans to “choose your call outs carefully.”
It’s a delicate balance: reining in raunchy one liners tossed out by emboldened fans without sucking the fun out of the event.
More...
https://archive.ph/3kcmD
*** FREE THEATER IN NYC ***
FITO
By Rudi Goblen
On the day of his naturalization ceremony, Fito goes on a journey through musical snapshots of his life—moments filled with longing, resilience, and joy that reflect the complexities of identity shaped by migration.
Rudi Goblen’s interactive concert play FITO combines live music, storytelling, dance, and spoken word to explore the immigrant experience of a Nicaraguan man living in the United States. Inviting audiences into a communal experience to foster connection and empathy, this production asks what it means to become an American while holding onto one’s roots.
At its heart, FITO is a love letter to immigrants who dream relentlessly despite the obstacles they face, as well as a call to recognize theater as a space for everyone.
Running time: approximately 50 minutes. This production includes loud music and strong language, as well as haze and strobe effects.
Tickets to all Open Call events are free with a reservation.
Performance seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis; reserving a ticket does not guarantee entry. Late seating and re-entry are not guaranteed.
JUL 24, 2026, 7:30 PM
JUL 25, 2026, 7:30 PM
THE BLOOMBERG BUILDING
545 West 30th Street
New York, NY 10001
https://www.theshed.org/program/527-fito
*** OPPORTUNITIES FOR PLAYWRIGHTS ***
Ingram New Works Festival 26/27
Back by popular demand, Nashville Repertory Theatre is proud to welcome back the Ingram New Works Festival! Since 2009, the Ingram New Works Project has supported the development of over 70 plays, many of which have gone on to productions in New York and theaters across the country. This year’s festival features four original scripts, presented as professionally staged readings.
***
With the rising popularity of science fiction in popular media and theatre, submissions are now open for Future Works: Ten-Minute Science Fiction Plays, a new anthology of short science fiction plays. The anthology is slated for publication by Bloomsbury Publishing in 2027.
Possible Themes and Subgenres:
• Artificial Intelligence / Robots
• Time Travel
• Alien Life / First Contact
• Space Exploration / Space Adventure
• Space Opera
• Climate Futures / Environmental Collapse
• Virtual Reality / Simulations
• Dystopian or Utopian Societies
• Cybernetics / Human Enhancement
• Genetic Engineering / Cloning
• Post-Apocalyptic Survival
• Futurism / Speculative Technologies
• Alternate Histories
***
Somerset Community College seeks short plays
Script CANNOT exceed ten pages
Plays can be any genre or setting, but must implement fairytale or medieval fantasy elements
*** FOR MORE INFORMATION about these and other opportunities see the web site at https://www.nycplaywrights.org ***
*** ACTORS VS AUDIENCE ***
The Atlantic, 1931
Finally, Miss Jane Cowl, an outspoken actress, said plainly and distinctly that the Rialto audiences were an ill-mannered lot, that their ‘fun’ spelt annoyance to their neighbors and embarrassment to the players, and that the example which they set had a bad effect upon New York theatres. It was her opinion that a ‘silently receptive’ house was the only one which made good acting possible.
If we turn back a page or two in the history of the American stage, we shall see no great cause to regret the polite apathy of the modern audience. It may not be ‘silently receptive,’ but it is — except under certain circumstances—silent. The Mirror of Taste and Dramatic Censor, a severe and short-lived Philadelphia monthly which was published a hundred and twenty years ago, gives us to understand that the theatregoers of that day were for the most part a race of ruffians. Men brawled and rioted if they were drunk, and threw apple cores and nutshells at their neighbors. Women of loose character talked loudly and lewdly to their escorts. Wise men who loved the drama well enough to seek it under these discouraging circumstances left their virtuous wives at home, and wore their hats throughout the performance to save their heads from the rubbish which was lightly flung about the house. There was plenty of fun to be had for the taking; but it was at the expense of the players and of the play. Not until the advent of Edwin Forrest and Junius Brutus Booth — robust men both of them, who tolerated no disturbance — were order and quiet permanently restored.
More...
https://cdn.theatlantic.com/media/archives/1931/09/148-3/132417240.pdf
***
“Before I start the show, I always look out at the audience, because I want to see who I’m playing to. I will look them in the eye,” says Broadway legend Patti LuPone. “I’m in a musical. It’s presentational theater. I deliver lines to people. I look in the corner of my eye and decide: Who am I gonna give the ‘Kiss off, Rodney!’ line to? I clock them, and that’s the person I give it to. And then, throughout the show, I’m looking at people—not to make them uncomfortable, but to include them in the story. You are telling a story to someone else. You can never lose sight of that.”
Read the room
Consider audience demographics and responsiveness as you perform. If you’re in a comedic performance and your humor simply isn’t hitting, you may want to switch up your approach. If possible, play around with your energy levels and the performance decisions you’ve been making so far.
Aim for authenticity
Let yourself be vulnerable as you inhabit your character; vulnerable authenticity allows you to better connect with the audience.
When and how to interact with the audience
Direct audience interaction is a boon to some performances and a poor fit in others. These tips can help you know when and how to interact with the audience.
Craft realistic characters: The performer-audience relationship isn’t always about breaking the fourth wall and interacting directly with the audience. Often, it means performing a character imbued with complex personhood. Realistic, relatable characters with clear emotions and motivations draw the audience into the story.
Timing is everything: Plan out your moments of direct audience interaction appropriately. It would probably feel strange to break the fourth wall during a solemn death scene in a drama, but it’s just fine to do so when Peter Pan asks the audience to clap their hands to save Tinker Bell. Consider what’s happening in the performance itself as well as how the audience is responding when deciding how to time your moments of interaction.
Consider the audience: The relationship should feel reciprocal. If you choose to interact with the audience, be sure to pay attention to their reactions and respond accordingly. Think about how your performance impacts viewers and adapt your behavior accordingly. “As an immersive actor, you’re not just thinking about your scene,” says COLAB Theatre artistic director Bertie Watkins. “You’re thinking about how your character is affecting your audience at that point in time.”
More...
https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/performer-audience-relationship-76151/
***
At the December 27 performance of Death of a Salesman, an audience member rushed to the front of the auditorium to yell at Wendell Pierce, currently starring in the seminal Arthur Miller play. To his credit, Pierce did his best to defuse the situation, reasoning with the patron while attempting to direct them to the lobby of the theatre, so the performance could continue. The patron and their theatregoing partner refused, and were eventually escorted out by law enforcement. Reasoning for the patron's outburst is unclear.
Videos of the incident immediately spread across various social media platforms, with numerous audience members expressing their shock.
Said Pierce to the audience member, seemingly channeling Willy Loman in speech and stance, "Hold on! Talk to me, talk to me. I'll make a deal with you. I'll make a deal with you. I'm going to ask them to let you stay. Hold on, hold on, I'll make a deal with you. Ma'am, I'll make a deal with you, alright? You can stay, but we have a show to do."
Later in the video, Pierce offers to personally give the patron their money back, but the patron appears to disregard him completely. Other audience members soon began to yell at the patron as the stage manager urged the cast to leave the stage.
In another video of the incident, Pierce can be seen cautioning the audience as they began to audibly admonish the disruptive patron, declaring, "Hold on! I've waited TOO LONG for this! You've waited too long for this!" He then turned back to the patron in question, saying, "If you would like your money back, I will guarantee your money back."
More...
https://playbill.com/article/wendell-pierce-talks-down-unruly-audience-member-at-death-of-a-salesman
***
As well as watching people handing out sandwiches during poignant moments of the show (“I heard someone shouting ‘Do you want tuna and mayo or cheese and ham?’”), Brunton has been heckled. “There was one venue where audience disruption occurred at practically every show and I just felt like I wanted the week to be over,” he says. “It’s so sad, to be in this position to play the lead in a brand new Disney production, I’ve had to jump through hoops to get here, and it’s just heartbreaking when you’ve got someone shouting at you inappropriately.”
He adds: “We are trying to tell you a story and if you start singing along, you’re going to be doing it probably in a different key, at a different tempo and every single beat of every song has so much direction built into it. So if you’re sat at the front singing as if you’re in the shower, it is going to be completely disruptive to what we’ve rehearsed for months.”
Actor Joaquin Pedro Valdes believes the root cause of audience disruption is drunkenness. “People are really empowered to sing along when they’re very drunk. There’s a level of intentional, almost malicious disruption that’s going on,” he says. “I think the main ingredient that separates, for example, a relaxed performance or kids singing along, from audiences that are disruptive, is alcohol. Audiences think it gives them licence to disrupt the show.”
Some productions known for attracting younger audiences, such as the musicals & Juliet (a jukebox show using producer Max Martin’s pop hits) and Heathers (based on the cult 1980s film), have held dedicated singalong performances during which fans were not just given permission but encouraged to join in. Erin Caldwell, who played Veronica Sawyer in Heathers, says the singalong left the cast “really overwhelmed”. “There’s a picture of me after the bows, head in hands, just crying because it was so emotional – I would do another one in a heartbeat … I wouldn’t be surprised if more shows do it in future.”
More...
https://archive.ph/paTAH#selection-1587.0-1607.455
Actor Joaquin Pedro Valdes believes the root cause of audience disruption is drunkenness. “People are really empowered to sing along when they’re very drunk. There’s a level of intentional, almost malicious disruption that’s going on,” he says. “I think the main ingredient that separates, for example, a relaxed performance or kids singing along, from audiences that are disruptive, is alcohol. Audiences think it gives them licence to disrupt the show.”
Some productions known for attracting younger audiences, such as the musicals & Juliet (a jukebox show using producer Max Martin’s pop hits) and Heathers (based on the cult 1980s film), have held dedicated singalong performances during which fans were not just given permission but encouraged to join in. Erin Caldwell, who played Veronica Sawyer in Heathers, says the singalong left the cast “really overwhelmed”. “There’s a picture of me after the bows, head in hands, just crying because it was so emotional – I would do another one in a heartbeat … I wouldn’t be surprised if more shows do it in future.”
More...
https://archive.ph/paTAH#selection-1587.0-1607.455
***
The house lights came up suddenly, and the performer Ryann Redmond announced, “Tonight, the role of Scott Hunter will be played … by one of you.” A chorus of oohs and ahhs rippled through the audience at “Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody,” which opened on Tuesday at the Culture Club in Manhattan.
This cheerfully bare-bones, affectionately barbed parody of the hit TV show mainly skewers the secret romance between two professional hockey players, the Canadian Shane Hollander (Jimin Moon) and the Russian Ilya Rozanov (Jay Armstrong Johnson). The frisson of excitement pulsing through the theater a week ago halfway through the parody was in part an appreciation that the TV show’s popular secondary love story — between the hockey hunk Hunter and his smoothie-barista lover, Kip (Ryan Duncan) — would also feature in the musical.
When Redmond’s eyes fixed on me — “Yes, you. Come on up” — my initial response was puzzlement. Critics don’t tend to get picked. But I had no notebook-in-lap, and I discovered later, the actors didn’t know where reviewers were seated. As the audience whooped, Redmond guided me backstage.
More...
https://archive.ph/3RLHg
***
Briones is already a Broadway vet, having made her debut in 2024 as Eurydice in Hadestown. But her return to the stage comes after achieving massive acclaim for her role as second-year med student Trinity Santos on The Pitt.
Evidently, fans of the hit medical drama have not been able to restrain their excitement at seeing the actress in person. Two weeks into her run in the show, Briones penned an Instagram story calling out one particular attendee who couldn't keep their mouth shut while she was singing.
"Some people need to brush up on theatre etiquette, and just person in the world etiquette in general," the actress wrote in an April 12 post, per Hello Magazine. "Do not talk to the performers while they are performing on stage (unless you have been asked to)."
She added, "And don't talk to me on stage and call me Dr. Santos. I'm not Dr. Santos. I'm not even Connie Francis. I am Isa Briones, one of the actors in the show you have paid to enjoy. So watch it respectfully. You are not a kid at Disneyland. You are an adult man at a Broadway show. Act like it."
More...
https://ew.com/the-pitt-star-isa-briones-demands-fans-quit-yelling-out-during-broadway-show-11964896
***
If you’ve been to a screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” the 1975 cult film starring Tim Curry, chances are you’ve thrown toilet paper, shot a water gun or yelled crude epithets at the characters while singing along to the movie’s infectious rock numbers.
But you wouldn’t approach a theatrical version of the musical with the same lack of inhibition — or would you? That’s the question that Sam Pinkleton, the director of “The Rocky Horror Show” on Broadway at Studio 54, a revival of the original musical, has been navigating since previews began late last month.
Core to the fandom surrounding “Rocky Horror” is a series of “callbacks” or “call outs,” in which audience members shout along with or in response to dialogue — a tradition that originated with the film but bleeds over into theatrical productions. The audience participation at the start of the Broadway run, Pinkleton said, was so disruptive that the show has had to take steps to tame unruly crowds, including adding signage in the lobby reminding theatergoers they were not at a movie and a new section to its website urging fans to “choose your call outs carefully.”
It’s a delicate balance: reining in raunchy one liners tossed out by emboldened fans without sucking the fun out of the event.
More...
https://archive.ph/3kcmD
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