End-of-Year 2025: Time Flies
- Natalie Kane
- Dec 2
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 4
Now Playing: 8min20sec
If you are reading this shortly after it’s gone up, I’m delighted to share that I have a show going up this weekend from December 4-7! After collaborating with Forager Theatre Company on other types of projects throughout the year, it’s been a treat to join this intrepid team in rehearsal for the experimental new musical 8min20sec at Culture Lab LIC.
It takes approximately 8 minutes and 20 seconds for the sun’s light to reach our Earth. In 8min20sec, Eliana Rubin imagines a collection of musical reckonings – from the irreverently whimsical to the wistfully real – each beginning when the sun is announced to have burned out. How would you react; what would you do? How can we hold on when we have to let go?
I love the bold juxtaposition of different musical and storytelling styles brought together in this show, and have so enjoyed contributing to this development process as dramaturg and one half of the stage management team. Come join us this weekend in Long Island City for a one-of-a-kind storytelling experience from a powerhouse cast!
Coming Soon: December Calendar
Friday, December 5 - Radio Violence Finale Releases
As I’ve mentioned in past posts, I had lots of fun managing sound effects for this audio mystery miniseries when we recorded over the summer – as well as lending my voice to a few characters! We’ve loved hearing the buzz from listeners enjoying our episodes’ weekly releases so far, with the show recently reaching 1,000 downloads and topping some podcast charts. Have you been keeping up with superfan sleuth Lexi’s adventures investigating What Happened to Aster… ? You’ll certainly want to catch up and build your theories before Radio Violence’s Season 1 finale, dropping Friday 12/5 wherever you get your podcasts!
Through December 14 - Off the Wall Art Fair
Speaking of Culture Lab LIC… they also offer an exciting holiday gallery display each year (on view through Dec 14), focused on affordable fine art from local artists. I have an original watercolor in the show this year, and look forward to browsing the gallery during our 8min20sec run!
Through December 31 - Vote for the BroadwayWorld Awards
Back in April Ladies & Fools presented Conceal Me What I Am at NYC Fringe, and now our team is delighted to be nominated for some end-of-year awards in BroadwayWorld’s Off-Off-Broadway division. Loved the show? Help our production reach a wider audience by casting some votes our way, now through the end of December!
Thanks, Thanks, and Ever Thanks...
Somehow it’s almost the end of 2025, and I like to look back on here by giving a shout out to the fantastic selection of theatre companies and collectives I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with throughout the past year. Many of these are non-profits currently in the midst of annual appeals and other fundraisers – please give them a look if you are interested in supporting some arts organizations this giving season!
Expand the Canon uncovers and uplifts classic plays by women and underrepresented genders
– and is a call to action to produce them.
I worked extensively with ETC throughout the year including leading the Research Team, visiting archives, and organizing special events. Most recently I’ve been helping to track down re-publication rights for our upcoming monologue book and to coordinate a series of researcher chats for ETC’s This is a Classic podcast, both of which should be coming your way in early 2026.
Forager produces developmental readings, class sessions, and full productions stemming from the core value that “Art starts with what you have.”
Early in 2025 I joined Forager as a dance teacher for their pay-what-you-can Take Root classes. I have since loved choreographing for the summer Colors of Paradise dance concert, and most recently stage managing for 8min20sec.
FRIGID New York / NYC Fringe
FRIGID New York provides both emerging and established artists the opportunity to create and produce original work and to amplify their diverse voices through the operation of an off-off-Broadway venue in the East Village. FRIGID produces NYC Fringe as their flagship festival, taking the stage throughout the month of April at venues across the city.
I produced and directed Conceal Me What I Am at NYC Fringe this spring, and have previously participated in other FRIGID festivals.
My own small indie producing banner, Ladies & Fools develops and produces projects that center language, spark conversation with comedy, and bring new voices into the canon.
This year we brought Conceal Me What I Am to NYC Fringe and workshopped our upcoming Joan & Margaret project through a partnership with Circle Festival. What’s next? Follow Ladies & Fools on Patreon, and be the first to hear about our upcoming projects! (If you select to follow our page for free, you’ll receive periodic emails from us. If you are interested to set up a small monthly donation (including $2 and $5 levels), rather like a mini membership, you will gain access to fun perks such as behind-the-scenes blog posts and early ticket info.)
Permafrost supports and produces multidisciplinary artists seeking to push the boundaries of what theater and storytelling can do.
This spring I directed a staged reading of Philip Catherwood’s Zig-Zag as part of PTC’s Icebreaker Reading Series.
Through monthly evenings of short-play presentations, PlayGround supports the development of new local voices for the theatre.
I collaborated with PlayGround throughout their 2024-25 season, including directing a reading for March’s “Sci-Fi” evening.
Premiere the Play podcast (Dean Productions Theatre)
Premiere the Play presents audio performances of exciting new stage plays from contemporary playwrights.
I enjoyed returning to Premiere the Play to direct the inventive time-traveling piece Sing in Me, Muse for Season 5.
The Growing Stage – The Children’s Theatre of New Jersey nurtures the development of the performing arts through education and creates, produces and performs works that engage the entire family.
I continue to write and design student activity guides for each of TGS’s mainstage productions, as well as collaborating on special events and readings.
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