April: Old Plays, New Plays

April flew by in a NYC Fringe blur, and it was wonderful to catch up with so many friends and meet some new collaborators around the festival! Here’s a look back, as well as a look forward – with an exciting play reading coming up on May 14 (more info below):

Ladies & Fools at Fringe

We loved getting to share Conceal Me What I Am with a wider audience this spring, including the chance to offer a livestream option to audiences beyond New York. The larger Fringe experience also provided some wildly cool opportunities – such as seeing our show artwork on a Times Square billboard, and guesting on a few podcast and Instagram live features! Here’s a quick sampling of what audiences and critics had to say:

"Kane went so much farther than just kicking ass and citing her sources…

This performance was a study in perfect rhythm."     - Young-Howze Theatre Journal

“A charming tour of theater history … A pleasant hour in the theater

can only intimate the bigger issues that underlie a production,

but the questions raised there can reverberate long after.” - Thinking Theater NYC

“What a great showcase of these wonderful actresses… The pace was excellent, the style was kept impeccably, and the action was swift and exciting!”     - Audience Response

…plus a shoutout to our new Fringe friends!

Participating in such an expansive festival (63 shows in all!) also connected us with some favorite projects from exciting creators, and we can’t wait to follow what they do next:

Interactive Classics We loved getting to know our kindred spirits at Needs More Work Productions and checking out Anti-Gone, their choose-your-ending approach to Greek tragedy. (With Emily Ann Banks' impressively tight adaptation of Uncle Vanya also taking part in the festival, it was a treat to have such variety within the “adapted classics” niche!)

Fringe Innovation Devil’s Dice Productions’ The Death of the Swan presented a beautiful blending of narrative and dance, and I’d love to see future works from these creators. 

Solo Standout Fringe festivals tend to generate a wealth of autobiographical solo shows and there were many strong contributions to that genre here, but Michael Landes' The Phantom of the Opera’s Friend stood out with a fresh and comedic one-man take on a classic.

Dance Showcase How lovely to have Stay from Ara Dance Project as part of this festival! The New York-based ensemble put together a gorgeous showcase of different dance styles and choreographers, and I will definitely seek out their upcoming performances. 

What’s Next?

We’re dreaming and scheming about lots of potential next projects for Ladies & Fools… Could Conceal Me What I Am be headed out into the world? Might we be back with a new summer production or festival? Stay tuned for the latest updates! 

In Other News

With the announcement of the Drama Desk nominations earlier this week, it was a delightful surprise to find out that Gingold Theatrical Group’s production of The Devil’s Disciple has been nominated for Outstanding Adaptation. I had a great time assisting director and adaptor David Staller on this play last fall, and it’s wonderful to see such a dedicated team get this kind of recognition!

Upcoming May Happenings

Zig-Zag Reading - 5/14 @ 6pm

In collaboration with Permafrost Theatre Collective, I'm excited to return to some new work development – and a play whose unique perspective and enthralling worldbuilding I’ve been eager to bring to a live audience for years! I first collaborated with playwright Philip Catherwood on an audio drama project back in 2021, and am thrilled to direct his New York debut with a staged reading of Zig-Zag. Part of PTC's ongoing Icebreaker Series, the reading will take place at 6pm on Wednesday, May 14 at Pearl Studios, with tickets available at the link above.

A dystopian Irish play that speaks to a world in ever-increasing conflict, Zig-Zag explores a near future in which the Irish border has been locked off. In search of her missing boyfriend, Keeva smuggles herself across the border and hides out in local Rowan’s pub cellar. Will one act of friendship be enough to inspire change, or will Ireland be forever divided?

Take Root Dance Class - 5/26 @ 8pm

Take Root is a welcoming and accessible weekly class run by Forager Theatre, held Mondays 8-9:30pm for dancers of all backgrounds, offering a rotation of styles from different teachers in a pay-what-you-can, “come to one class or many” format. Continuing my series of all-level ballroom and social dance offerings, I will be teaching a new class to wrap up the spring session on 5/26. This class will be less technique and more dance party, as we celebrate the season with a Hustle social dancing lesson. Please RSVP (at the link above) to receive our class location and full details!

April Highlights & Recommendations

Some favorite performances, media, and adventures from the past month:

Watching So many strong TV shows have returned this spring (and I have yet to catch up on everything), but I quite loved the third season of Wheel of Time!

On Stage I spent most of my theatregoing time this month at NYC Fringe, but also enjoyed working the end of the run for the extremely fun Drag: The Musical in my front-of-house duties at New World Stages. (This production may be over, but their live cast recording is now available on all the streaming platforms!)

In Community Spent a delightful weekend afternoon connecting with other creatives at Good Apples Collective’s latest installment of Director-Playwright Speed Dating. 

Around Town Spring is springing, and that means daffodils around Gramercy Park, tulips along Park Avenue, and the greenest primavera trees in Central Park. Enjoy some of the most spectacular seasonal New York views while they last!