Moxie Arts NY Reveals New Artistic Director and Participating Artists For 2025 Season

Moxie Arts NY has announced the appointment of Margaret Lee as its new Artistic Director, as part of a move to expand the company's creative capacity and deepen its commitment to serving the community. Former Artistic Director K. Hernandez-Friend transitions into a new role as Creative Producer.

Lee began collaborating with Moxie Arts NY in 2020 as the director of From A to Double D, and has since directed three commissioned world premieres with the company. As a Hawaii-grown, NYC-based director and movement director, her work has been seen at The New Victory Theater, Ma-Yi Theater Company, Target Margin, Atlantic Stage 2, The Tank, and IRT Theater. As an arts administrator, she has worked at Shakespeare Theater Company, Victory Gardens Theater, Hudson Scenic Studio, and has taught across the country with The Acting Company. Margaret is an alumna of the Drama League Directors Project and the Roundabout Directors Group.

Managing Producer Madelyn Paquette says of Lee: "In our work together, Maggie has always treated theatre with remarkable craftsmanship and curiosity about its possibilities. In fact, that approach sums up her work ethic - she is constantly innovating and elevating, putting her best work forward. We're honored to have her join the Moxie leadership team in this new role."

Moxie is also delighted to announce the selected artists and plays for the Moxie Incubator. The 2025 Season will feature the work of writers BT Hayes, Esmé Maria Ng, and Isabella Waldron; directors Rosie Glen-Lambert, Em Hausmann, and Bibianna Torres; and producers Emma Lai, Maia Safani, and Beth Slade.

The Moxie Incubator is an accelerated development program for new, unproduced works and aligns with Moxie's mission of engaging audiences with stories centering women, created by artists of historically excluded genders. These pieces were selected through an open submission process to Moxie Arts NY and will go through two rounds of development before culminating in a full, public production at the end of the summer.

500 Rats: A Love Story

By BT Hayes

Ibbi, an anxiety-ridden lesbian, has many problems. (1) Her French roommate has left her stranded in a shitty rat-infested apartment situation. (2) Her landlady doesn't believe there are rats in the apartment and keeps telling Ibbi to stop putting rat-sized holes into the wall. (3) She doesn't have enough money to cover rent herself and might have to leave without her security deposit (due to the repairs needed...for the rat-sized...holes in the wall.) It's okay because the stress of these problems leads to Ibbi having a breakdown in front of a hot they/them named Jo. And Jo... now might be Ibbi's new roommate? And help her figure out her rat problem? Along the way, they'll deal with mushroom tea, pawn shops, the heart of the rat empire and its leader, Mother, and of course, the New York City Housing Authority.

i know why iris chang died

By Esmé Marie Ng

At a certain point in this play, May is going to kill herself. But before May dies, they're going to create their magnum opus - a graphic novel that encapsulates their family's experience during the Rape of Nanking. Meanwhile, their twin sister, April, is trying to have a baby. Inspired by the life and death of Chinese-American journalist Iris Chang, this dark and deeply funny two-hander takes a look at legacy, mental health, and healing from generational trauma.

Half-Life

By Isabella Waldron

A conspiracy-prone woman relocates to a small town with her partner, hoping to escape the shadows of a past trauma. But her plan to start over is upended when her assertive new neighbor ropes her into a campaign to hold the EPA accountable for illegally buried nuclear waste leaching into their community. As their fight unfolds, both women must confront what justice truly means to them-and whether it's even a possibility.