New Comedies Festival Semifinalist (Again!)

I just received word that my new play After an Earlier Incident has been named a semifinalist in the B Street Theatre's 2026 New Comedies Festival in Sacramento.

The theatre is scheduled to select four finalists by June 2nd. Chosen plays will receive readings July 12th through 19th, and at least one of those plays will be fully produced for the theatre's upcoming season.

In March, I previously announced that After an Earlier Incident had advanced to Round 2 of B Street Theatre's process. Last year, my play The Love Songs of Brooklynites made it to the semifinals, but unfortunately was not invited out for the New Comedies Festival.

The first scene of After an Earlier Incident had a workshop at Theatre of Western Springs outside of Chicago. I continued to develop the piece with Caryn Osofsky and Nick Walthers, two actors I met through the American Renaissance Theater Company (ARTC), and they performed a public reading of the full play in December at Theater for the New City.

In the play, a recently widowed woman meets a perpetually awkward man for their first date, only to discover that they both have more baggage than they are willing to admit. The play asks how two people can relate to one another when the technology we use to communicate keeps getting in the way, and how we can move forward with life even when a recent death remains ever present. It's a comedy about trying to live and love when tragedy lies just below the surface.

Perhaps this July the people of Sacramento will get a chance to hear this piece, which is very near and dear to my heart.

A Later Incident

As I previously wrote, my play After an Earlier Incident has been getting a lot of attention lately. It was supposed to have a reading this Saturday in Brooklyn and then another reading on Monday at Theatre for the New City. Well, the Brooklyn reading has been postponed until sometime in the new year, but the Monday reading is still on -- so please come!

The piece stars Caryn Osofsky and Nick Walther as two New Yorkers trying to connect after both having undergone some horrific experiences. It's a comedy about terrible things and second chances. The opening scene previously had a workshop outside of Chicago at the Theatre of Western Springs, but this will be the first public reading of the full script, which runs about 90 minutes.

Caryn Osofsky previously appeared off-Broadway in Highest Standard of Living and The Fantasticks, in which she played Luisa. She also is a long-time member of the American Renaissance Theater Company. She performed in the site-specific production of Fast Food Voices for ARTC, and has appeared on film in Song Sung Blue, Definitely Maybe, and Rolling. She also wrote and directed the short film Pric-ture This!

Nick Walther has performed off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway, and beyond, at venues including Theatre Row, MoMA PS1, Chain Theatre, Brick Theater, and Brooklyn Center for Theatre Research, among others. He is a member of American Renaissance Theater Company and Theatre Breaking Through Barriers. His audiobook narration work can be found on Audible and wherever audiobooks are sold. 

Both are wonderful, which you can see for yourself on Monday, December 15th, at 7pm at Theatre for the New City. Full information on the reading is available here:

Theatre for the New City - After an Earlier Incident

Reservations can be made by email at tncdreamup@gmail.com.

After an Earlier Incident

This summer, I had a workshop of the first scene of my play After an Earlier Incident at Theatre of Western Springs. Next, month, the full play will be having two readings with Caryn Osofsky and Nick Walther, with whom I've been developing the piece at American Renaissance Theater Company. 

After an Earlier Incident tells the story of recently widowed Jen who meets the perpetually awkward Elliot at a restaurant for their first date. Things do not go well. The play asks how two people can relate to one another when the technology we use to communicate keeps getting in the way. It's a comedy about trying to live and love when tragedy lies just below the surface.

Brooklyn Center for Theatre Research will be hosting the first reading on Saturday, December 13th at 2:30pm. They're located on the second floor of 251 Huron Street in Brooklyn near the Greenpoint Avenue stop on the G train. Proceeds from tickets and the bar (yes, there will be a bar) will all go to support Brooklyn Center for Theatre Research.

Then on Monday, December 15th, we'll be reading the play at Theater for the New City at 7:00pm. Readings there are free, but there's a $5 suggested donation, again going to support the theatre, which is located at 155 1st Avenue, between between 9th and 10th Street in Manhattan.

Samara Graham will be reading stage directions for both readings. I hope you can join us!