SUMMER SHORTS: An LGBTQ+ Short Play Festival

In a bold effort to spotlight its nonprofit mission to empower and awaken LGBTQ+ voices onstage, OUT/PLAY is proud to announce their next endeavor, SUMMER SHORTS: Short Play Festival, from Thursday June 5 to Sunday June 8 at Theaterlab Atelier (357 W 36th St Fl 4, New York NY 10018). Tickets are on sale now!

OUT/PLAY’s SUMMER SHORTS: Short Play Festival, centering LGBTQ+ voices—written, directed, and performed by members of New York’s vibrant LGBTQ+ community—is not just a celebration of identity; it’s a powerful act of resistance and visibility. In a time when LGBTQ+ rights and artistic freedoms are increasingly under threat, creating a space where authentic queer stories can be told without compromise is vital. Theatre has always been a mirror to society, and we need mirrors that reflect the richness of humanity. OUT/PLAY’s SUMMER SHORTS: Short Play Festival offers a platform for underrepresented voices, fosters solidarity, and reminds audiences that queer stories are not only relevant—they are essential.

TICKETS ARE ONLY $25 AND ON SALE NOW!

In creating this short-play festival, OUT/PLAY received 50 play submissions from NYC playwrights, and had the pleasure of choosing these 10 pieces to present two times each during the four-day festival.

PROGRAM A, presented on Thursday June 5 at 7pm and Saturday June 7 at 7pm, will feature the following original short plays: 

• MY VERY FIRST, written by Ash, directed by Gavin Petersen, and featuring Zak Berger, Benjamin Leaf, Jacob Rechel, and Matt Storti
• RUBBISH, written by Earl Crittenden, directed by Jarika Johnson, and featuring Tish Brandt, CJ, and Ruth Rooney.
• HEADING NORTH, written by Roni Ragone, directed by Grace Cutler, and featuring Jackson Cline and Seth Retzlaff.
• HOT, written by Noah T. Parnes, directed by Christopher Basile, and featuring Cole Burden, Declan Collins, and Kaleb Purswell.
• HELLO, GORGEOUS, written by Brandon Arthur, directed by Deejay Gray, and featuring Benjamín Cardona, Meghann Garmany, and Janae SasQuoiand. 

PROGRAM B, presented on Friday June 6 at 7pm and Sunday June 8 at 3pm, will feature the following original short plays: 

• AN EXCLUSIVE AUDIENCE WITH THE INDOMITABLE PERCY WALLIS, written by Bo Enright, directed by Cecilia Bracey, and featuring David McDermott. 
• THE 26 GIRLFRIENDS OF MARIBEL LOPEZ, written by Sarita Alvarado, directed by Mayah Lourdes Burke, and featuring Kareem Browne and Marty Masetti. 
• DATE DEBATE, written by Richie Altmanshofer, directed by Elizabeth Slack, and featuring Shane Nielsen and Justin Pontier. 
• RAMADAN CREAM, written by Äsim Ali Naqvi, directed by Noah Eisenberg, and featuring Osh Ashruf, Devin Fuller, and Vaheed Talebian. 
• THREE STEPS DOWN, written by Ana Muñoz, directed by Brynne O’Rourke,  and featuring Jacke Colquitt and Carolyn Petit. 

OUT/PLAY’s SUMMER SHORTS is stage managed by ES Strauss and produced by JD Scalzo; with producing assistance and artistic consultation from David J. Baldwin, Michael Byrne, Eugene Lovendusky, and Brett Radek.

OUT/PLAY is a nonprofit performance group dedicated to shining a light on less-often performed theatrical works written by and about the LGBTQ+ experience; and strives to connect actors with audiences by breathing new life into infrequently produced material.