GOODNIGHT, MRS. CALABASH Will Make World Premiere at Theater for the New City
Lisa Tracy and River Knight star in India Marin Stachyra's East Village dramedy about a former actress
Goodnight, Mrs. Calabash, a new play written and directed by India Marin Stachyra and stage managed by Gabrielle Rodríguez Rivera, will premiere at Theater for the New City in the East Village May 28 through June 7.
The cast features Lisa Tracy as Kitty and River Knight as Arnold, both appearing courtesy of Actors' Equity Association.
The dramedy centers on 73-year-old former actress Kitty Ralph, who has lived most of her life in the shadows of her long-gone Hollywood starlet mother and big-shot producer father. One night, Arnold, an NYU Graduate Film student and pupil of Kitty's famous director ex-husband, knocks on her door unannounced, forcing her to confront her true desires in what may be the last few months of her life.
"As a longtime actor and patron at Theater for the New City, I'm thrilled that this show is being produced at such a pillar of off-off-Broadway theatre in its 55th season," says director and playwright Stachyra. "This cast is truly incredible, and I can't wait for audiences to step into Kitty's Greenwich Village apartment for a night."
Performances will be 8:00pm Thursdays through Saturdays and 3:00pm Sundays from May 28 to June 7, 2026.
Biographies
India Marin Stachyra (Director, Writer, Producer) is an interdisciplinary theatre artist and arts administrator. In addition to being an actor, playwright, director, photographer, choreographer and sound designer, she employs her creative and organizational talents in her roles as Development Associate at La Mama Experimental Theatre Club, Social Media & Marketing Manager at Underground Skills Exchange (USE), and Marketing Assistant at Bated Breath Theatre Company. Her plays and directorial work have been seen at Theater for the New City, Label Theatre Company, HERE Arts Center, The Sheen Center, Balance Arts Center and The Players Theatre. Theater for the New City credits: The White Blacks (Rochelle), Rita is the GOAT (NeNe). @indiams7 www.indiamarin.com
Gabrielle Rodríguez Rivera (Stage Manager, Sound Board OP) is a multidisciplinary artist based in Yonkers, NY. She graduated from Iona University with a B.A. in Arts Leadership (Theatre). Thrilled to make her SM debut here at TNC, where she's also one of the Venue Coordinators! Proud member of the Stage Managers Association and Freelancers Union. Recent credits: Midnight Cowboy Radio (Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024), Then and Now (Chain Theatre One Act Festival), and Covidnado (The PlayGround Experiment). In loving memory of Nick S! IG: @serimaluna | Site: gabriellerodriguezrivera.com
Lisa Tracy (Kitty Ralph) can be seen playing various matriarchs lately: in the TV rom-com, MEET ME IN THE MARGINS, which airs in June (as the CEO of a publishing company) and in the short films SAGITTARIA (as an evil Empress) and ARTHUR'S BOX (as a snooty suburbanite). Some favorite stage roles include DeeDee in THE PROM (Main Street Theater, NY) and Princess in SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH (directed by Basil Rodericks). Lisa was featured in Maia Chao's performance piece, AMERICAN IDLE, for Times Square Arts, choreographed by Lena Engelstein. Love to Col, Nick, and Jamie, for whom she is an actual matriarch. AEA, SAG-AFTRA.
River Knight (Arnold Preston) is an actor, writer, and director. Recent theatrical highlights include Sebastian (Twelfth Night, General Production Studios), Saylor (Queer Bait, New York Theater Festival), Jasper (Witches, ALAB), Richard (In Our profession, Adult Film), and Chris (Gray Whale, Twenty Something Productions). Recent film credits include: The Ghost at Skeleton Rock (dir. Bobby Abate), Winners and Losers (dir. Cece Wheeler) and Sotto Voce (dir. David Stillman Meyer) which recently premiered at Soho International Film Festival where it won Best Ensemble Performance. They're incredibly grateful to Raina's cat for working so closely with them on their performance and also to their boyfriend Nick who promised a trip to Niagara Falls once this show has closed.
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