Past Shows
AI Vs. Humanity-Immersive Devised Theatre
An electrifying immersive dance experience where technology and humanity take center stage. Is this ChatGPT speaking, or Deep-Seek? Did you know A.I. could replace 300 million jobs? Did you know 44% of companies planning to use A.I. will end up issuing layoffs? Journey through the evolution of information overload with a nod to The Adding Machine and a pulsating soundtrack of Daft Punk! Witness the battle between human intuition and artificial intelligence—who’s really in control?
Impact: Over 10 audience members requested to volunteer with “ForHumanity”
Audience: 200+
Benefiting: For Humanity
Radiant Vermin
by Philip Ridley
A provocative satire about the housing market. A young couple is offered an ideal house by a mysterious stranger. And yet, there is a cost. How far would any of us go to get our dream home?
Impact: Several Audience Members signed up to volunteer at The Bowery Mission and several audience member asked how they can take care of their Homeless neighbors.
Audience: 250+
Benefiting: The Bowery Mission
Fruit Trilogy
by Eve Ensler
Three short plays that give a voice to defiant, ordinary women: Pomegranate — two women for sale, another morning on the shelf; Avocado — a young woman on her chaotic, shocking journey toward freedom; and Coconut — from the bliss of her bathroom, a woman connects with the one thing she has never fully owned … her body.
Impact: Audience Member: “I feel seen and heard. I will definitely look up the organization.”
Audience: 100+
Benefiting: Abortion Conversations Project
Cougar The Musical
by Donna Moore
A musical that showcases the power, rights, and empowerment of women at any age. With themes of self-empowerment, saying “yes”, and female-autonomy, this brings laughter, tears. and purrs.
Impact: Audiences member “I laughed more than I have laughed in years.”
Audience: 400+
Benefiting: Abortion Conversation Project
Gidion’s Knot
Over the course of a parent/teacher conference, a grieving mother and an emotionally overwhelmed primary school teacher have a fraught conversation about the tragic suicide of the mother’s son, Gidion. Gidion may have been bullied severely—or he may have been an abuser.
Impact: Audience member brought Drawing and Talking Program to their school
Audience: 500+
Benefiting: Drawing and Talking
2071: The World We’ll Leave Our Grandchildren
by Duncan MacMillan & Chris Rapley
The play is in Rapley’s voice and was first performed by him in 2014 at the Royal Court Theatre, London. The piece is partially a memoir of Rapley’s life and career and partially an explanation of climate change and of the controversies surrounding it. The title, 2071, is the year in which Rapley’s oldest grandchild will be 67 years old, which was Rapley’s age when he first performed it in 2014.
Impact: Audiences asked about how to write to political leaders about climate change policies.
Audience: 300+
Benefiting: 350.org
Here Comes Frieda
by David Lavine and Victor Gallo
Through HERE COMES FRIEDA we aim to help bring a more diverse array of voices to the world of filmmaking. Alongside the production of the film, we launched an apprenticeship program. Five teenagers, all young people of color, will have the opportunity to learn the craft of filmmaking first hand.
Number of Apprentices: 5
Audience: 100,000
She has a Name
by Andrew Kooman
The two main characters are a young lawyer; and Number 18, a young female prostitute who claims to be fifteen years old and has been a prostitute for six years. The lawyer comes to believe that Number 18 could be a key witness to a human trafficking incident and tries to gain her trust and persuade her to testify against the ring. The victimized child in the play is known only by the number 18 to reflect that traffickers often dehumanize their victims by giving them a new name or simply a number.
Impact: Audiences requesting information about GEMS
Audience: 500+
Benefiting: GEMS
The Adding Machine
by Elmer Rice
The story focuses on Mr. Zero, an accountant at a large, faceless company. After 25 years at his job, he discovers that he will be replaced by an adding machine. In anger and pain, he snaps and kills his boss. Mr. Zero is then tried for murder, is found guilty and hanged. He wakes up in a heaven-like setting known as the “Elysian Fields.” Mr. Zero meets a man named Shrdlu, then begins to operate an adding machine until Lieutenant Charles, the boss of the Elysian Fields, comes to tell Zero that he is a waste of space and his soul is going to be sent back to the earth to be reused.
Impact: Nine actors were paid salaries. This began our production of Actors Equity Productions.
Audience: 500+
Benefiting: Safe-Horizon
Deathbed
by Mark Schultz
The plight of nine characters dealing with or preparing for the end. All immersed in the guilt of choosing their own suffering above others.
Impact: Members of the audience chose to volunteer at Gilda’s Club
Audience: 350+
Benefiting: Gilda’s Club NYC
Twelfth Night
by William Shakespeare
The play centres on the twins Viola and Sebastian, who are separated in a shipwreck. Viola (who is disguised as Cesario) falls in love with Duke Orsino, who in turn is in love with the Countess Olivia. Upon meeting Viola, Countess Olivia falls in love with her thinking she is a man.
Impact Story: First major review. “Ripple Effect is a company to keep watching.”
Audience: 200+
Benefiting: Freedom to Marry
Waiting For Lefty
by Clifford Odets
The play is composed of seven related vignettes. The entire play is framed by the meeting of cab drivers who are planning a labor strike. The framing uses the audience as part of the meeting.
Benefiting: League of Women Voters.
Impact: Audience member said “You are doing such an important thing and we will support your cause.”
Audience: 200+
Tea and Sympathy
by Robert Anderson
A 1953 stage play in three acts about a male private school student, Tom Lee, who faces accusations of homosexuality. A woman, Laura, who is married to an instructor, opposes the students’ shaming of Lee and romantically pursues him so he can prove that he has a masculine character.
Impact: Audience directly asked about making a large contribution to the Trevor Project.
Benefiting: The Trevor Project.
Audience: 200+
Taming of the Shrew
by William Shakespeare
The story of the courtship of Petruchio and Katherina, the headstrong, obdurate shrew. Initially, Katherina is an unwilling participant in the relationship; however, Petruchio “tames” her with various psychological torments, such as keeping her from eating and drinking, until she becomes a desirable, compliant, and obedient bride.
Impact: Audience members asked pertinent questions about feminism during our talk-back
Audience: 300+
Benefiting: Paradigm Shift NYC