STRANGERS I KNOW: Solo Show About a Funeral for Past Selves Comes to NYC

Fresh off a 2025 Edinburgh Fringe Festival debut, former journalist (CBS Orlando) and skimmer of theatre press releases Samantha Dunne is bringing her solo show about a Woman throwing a funeral for her past selves back to NYC for a limited run!

Strangers I Know blends storytelling with humor and heart as it follows Samantha (the character version), who's on the verge of a major transition that will change her future. To cope, the twentysomething revisits her past in the most unhinged way possible-inviting everyone she's ever known to a makeshift wake. But can a collection of those who knew-her-back-then, but haven't-seen-her-since (including an occupational therapist, childhood pen pal, European backpacking buddy, and more) help her move on? Or will she be stuck in purgatory forever?

"I wrote this as I was switching careers, mourning a breakup, and moving cross-country-the breakdown trifecta," creator Samantha Dunne says. "I found myself reflecting back on everyone I was leaving behind, and selfishly hoping that they wouldn't forget about me, that we'd stay in touch. I wanted to write something that spoke to that gnawing nostalgia we all feel when some phase of our lives comes to an end."

This comedic mediation on growing up and out of who we once were is a love letter to those who linger in our lives long after they're gone (but not in, like, a creepy way). If you're someone who often stays up until 2am, plagued with treasured and embarrassing memories alike, this is the show for you.

Samantha Dunne: Strangers I Know