THE TEN PLAGUES, QUEEN OF HARTS, DARK ORCHID & More Set for Gene Frankel Theatre Festival

The Gene Frankel Theatre Festival has released the full lineup and performance schedule for its 2026 Summer Edition, which opened at the historic Gene Frankel Theatre in Manhattan.

Over three weeks, the venue will host 27 New York and World Premieres by emerging and established artists, selected from nearly 200 submissions by playwrights, producers, and theatre companies nationwide. The festival's opening block features THE TEN PLAGUES - NO SUBSTITUTIONS, written by Matt Sanders and Ariel Aliza Sanders and directed by John DeBenedetto; BURNT TOAST, written and co-directed by Matthew Gilleece alongside Jai Sada; and THREE'S A CROWD, written and directed by Anthony Welch. Later blocks include THE RIDDLE OF THE SPHINX, written by Amy Losi and directed by Amanda Cannon; GO TIME, written by Jeffrey B. Fuerst and directed by Renee Hewitt; and QUEEN OF HARTS, written by Tracey Zerwig Ford and directed by Alice Berry. Performances take place at the Gene Frankel Theatre at 24 Bond Street in Manhattan, with tickets available through the festival's website.

Building on the success of its inaugural Summer Festival in 2025 and its acclaimed Winter Festival later that year, GFTF has quickly become one of New York's most selective showcases for new theatre. This year's festival was curated from nearly 200 submissions by playwrights, producers, and theatre companies nationwide, with just 27 productions selected.

This year's Festival offers an eclectic lineup of stories and unforgettable characters. Audiences will meet gambler Dusty Hart, whose luck may finally be running out; Kat, a mystical, tattooed woman who claims to be a witch; two first-time parents sent spiraling into a purgatory after the birth of their abnormal newborn; five women in a cosmetology classroom inside a women's prison, where a routine hair-styling lesson reveals fragile human connections; and two food critics who find themselves at a mysterious new restaurant called The Ten Plague.

All performances take place at The Gene Frankel Theatre located at 24 Bond Street (Between Lafayette & Bowery), New York, NY 10012. Subways: 6 to Bleecker Street, B/D/F/M to Broadway/Lafayette. Tickets are now on sale at www.genefrankeltheatrefestival.com.

THE 2026 Gene Frankel SUMMER THEATRE FESTIVAL LINEUP & SCHEDULE

BLOCK ONE

THE TEN PLAGUES - NO SUBSTITUTIONS

Written by MATT SANDERS and ARIEL ALIZA SANDERS

Directed by John DeBenedetto

Featuring Jonathan Beebe, TRAVIS BERGMANN, NICHOLAS CHIOFALO

Two food critics visit a new restaurant called The Ten Plagues and learn about the menu and the chef's secret.

BURNT TOAST

Written by MATTHEW GILLEECE

Directed by MATTHEW GILLEECE and JAI SADA

Featuring MATTHEW GILLEECE and PARNASSUS FUNK

Theodore is late for his job interview, and we should all be thankful because when Theodore is on time, bad things happen.

THREE'S A CROWD

Written and directed by ANTHONY WELCH

Featuring NICA BUESCHER, MAURICIO BUSTAMANTE, ANTHONY WELCH and GINGER KIPPS

After their long-term marriages end, Frank and Miranda re-enter the dating world, navigating the emotional baggage that comes with starting hover.

Performances: Thursday, July 30 at 7:30pm, Tuesday, August 4 at 7:30pm and Sunday, August 9 at 7:30pm.

BLOCK TWO

THE RIDDLE OF THE SPHINX

Written by Amy Losi

Directed by Amanda Cannon

Featuring Mary Sheridan, JOSE LOPEZ

Kate, the curator of an art gallery, and Alex, a much younger art critic, strike up a casual conversation. They agree to meet for a date and end up at Kate's apartment. When their personal stories surface, an unsettling secret emerges and threatens to unravel both of their lives.

GO TIME

Written by JEFFREY B. FUERST

Directed by RENEE HEWITT

Featuring FRED CABRAL, KATHRYN LOGGINGS

On the day he is to move from his home, an elderly man confronts his fears and regrets, accepts his successes and failures, and finally agrees it is time to go to the next phase of his life.

QUEEN OF HARTS

Written by TRACEY ZERWIG FORD

Directed by ALICE BERRY

Featuring SHAKIERA SARAI, PATRICK POLSIN, ASHLEY CLINTON, David Couter, LAUREN LEDGER

Who wins in a family of losers? In a forgotten corner of South Memphis, gambler Dusty Hart's luck has finally run out. The rooks are gathering. The deck seems stacked against her adult children when the sins of their womanizing father come home to roost. Place your bets on who walks away with the money. Pro Tip: The house always wins.

Performances: Friday, July 31 at 6pm, Thursday, August 6 at 7:30pm, and Monday, August 10 at 7:30pm.

BLOCK THREE

COUNT 'EM

Written by BARBARA MATOVU

Directed by S. QUINCY BEARD

Featuring ELIZABETH BREWSTER, LEAH JULIET CLARK, NOAH FRIED

Abigail and Patrick are new in town. Though they are still getting the lay of the land, they still have some official business to take care of.

SCRAMBLED EGGS

Written by LARA BRINKMAN

Directed by AMALIA SANDINE

Featuring SPENCER MCPHEE and KELSEY PAINTER

When Charlie and Halle discover a fully formed baby chick in a carton of eggs, old and new relationship problems emerge. Trapped in their apartment by a blizzard, the two have no choice but to care for the chick themselves, and try to work together while doing so.

SKINNER'S ILLUSION

Written by MATTHEW GILLEECE

Directed by Amanda Rose BENJAMIN

Featuring ANNA SHEEHAN, ALEXANDRA GULLO, JOHN HANNAN, WILLIAM SIMANCAS

Deb, a marketing executive undergoing hypnosis to quit smoking, develops an attraction to her hypnotist, Dr. Lowe, and argues more than usual with her insecure boyfriend, Greg. Greg's sister and Deb's best friend, Shannon, feels responsible for fixing their relationship because she set them up. The situation reaches a tipping point when Deb walks out on Greg and Shannon and stays overnight at Dr. Lowe's office.

Performances: Friday, July 31 at 8:30pm, Wednesday, August 5 at 7:30pm, and Tuesday, August 11 at 7:30pm.

BLOCK FOUR

LOVE AND FORECLOSURE

Written by LAURA DEBAR

Directed by KHRYSTINA PRYANI

Featuring ALANA DALEY, DEAN KAPICA, ANGELO AMATO, CHAZ MCCORMACK

A couple who built everything from nothing hosts a Sunday dinner with the husband's wealthy, oblivious family while hiding that they're about to lose their home.

THE LAST STOP

Written and directed by Mike Backes

Featuring MALENA SADAKA, CHRIS JAYMES, JIM K. COLLINS, NICK LERANGIS, CHRIS ORAM

When a violent storm traps familiar faces and unexpected guests inside a roadside diner, buried truths begin to surface and the night takes on a life of its own. As tensions rise, one mysterious figure seems to know exactly why they're all there.

Performances: Saturday, August 1 at 2:30pm, Friday, August 7 at 6pm, and Wednesday, August 12 at 7:30pm.

BLOCK FIVE

SCANXIETY

Written by JONATHAN WILLIAMSON

An abnormal newborn screening sends two first-time parents spiraling into a purgatory of doomscrolling and sleepless nights as they spend two excruciating weeks awaiting test results.

BURIED IN BUTTERCREAM

Written by MARY SANTARELLI

Directed by NIKKI JUNKEL and JEFFREY BARWICK

Featuring SUSAN O'DOHERTY, Timothy Thomas, TELBA CAVERO, SUSAN GILMAN, DAVID CAGAN

In the visiting lounge of a nursing home, the Gallagher family gathers for one last birthday, complete with mismatched decorations, a box of questionable artisan cupcakes, and a lifetime of unspoken truths. As old resentments surface and carefully managed roles begin to crack, their sharp-tongued matriarch, Mavis, cuts through the chaos with biting humor and unexpected tenderness. With time running short, she urges her family to stop saving what matters for later and say the things they've left unsaid.

BLACK KAT IN BROOKLYN

Written by RICHARD R. BARBOUR & JOSEPH R. BARBOUR

Directed by Daniel Cohen

Featuring Randy Baruh, MARIA CLAIRE PASTRANA-BARR, ANDREW 'ASH' HEARST, MANUEL PEREZ, NAOMI NELSON

When Joe, a regular Brooklyn guy, dates Kat, a mystical, tattooed woman who claims to be a witch, love gets messy, magical, and hilariously unpredictable. Over one chaotic evening of quirky dates, eccentric friends, and unexpected curses, Joe discovers that romance can be as unpredictable as magic itself.

Performances: Saturday, August 1 at 5pm, Friday, August 7 at 8:30pm, and Thursday, August 13 at 7:30pm.

BLOCK SIX

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Written by CAROLINA BUHCK and VITORIA DE OLIVEIRA

Directed by SHAQUILLE HAWKINS

Featuring CAROLINA BUHCK, VITORIA DE OLIVEIRA, ANTHONY HILL

Two young women meet for the first time in a New York apartment after the death of their father, only to discover they are half-sisters who grew up on different continents. Forced to confront their father's double life while deciding the fate of their shared inheritance, they must navigate anger, grief, and the unexpected possibility of connection.

THROUGH GLASS

Written by BRYSON LIMA

Directed by ALIYAH CURRY and BROOKE YUNIS

Featuring JULIA KEESLER, Susan Neuffer, Colin Pieters

When 80-year-old Mary-Ann goes missing from her New York City apartment, her daughter Rose searches for clues while reflecting on their relationship and second-guessing recent decisions about her mother's health. With Mary-Ann's dementia casting a shadow over the situation, Rose races against the clock to find her before sundown.

RING AROUND THE PEONIES

Written by KAREN CAMPION

Directed by NICK LUIS and SABRINA ZARA

Featuring MELISSA DENIZE, Mary Sheridan, Linda S. Nelson, NANCY GOMEZ, Kristen Tarrago

In a cosmetology classroom inside a women's prison, five women navigate a routine hair styling lesson that becomes a rare space of truth, humor, and fragile connection, led by instructor Avery, who blurs the line between teacher and accomplice. As lockdowns, blackouts, and officer harassment close in, an unexpected letter arrives and the system responds in kind.

Performances: Saturday, August 1 at 7:30pm, Saturday, August 8 at 2:30pm, and Friday, August 14 at 6pm.

BLOCK SEVEN

FINDING THE RIGHT PASTRY

Written by MELANIE GARBER-LETTITIA

Directed by MELIA JOST

Featuring REBECCA JENSEN, SARAH KALAFOS, ALEX POLETTI

Melissa's subconscious is playing tricks on her. Or is it? What is reality, and what is a dream? Only she can decide.

COMMENCEMENT DAY

Written and directed by JOSEPH SEXTON

Featuring ALLYSSA SIMON, JEFFEREY THOMPSON

Former politician Stan prepares for a commencement speech with the help of Delores, a longtime colleague who has maintained his brand since his retirement in disgrace. Haunted by a past scandal and imprisonment, Stan reconnects with Delores as they reflect on their shared history, scars, and unspoken feelings.

HURT YOUR WIFE

Written by ANDREW SEARS CATONE

Directed by JACK UNDERWOOD

Featuring Jud Meyers, BREDA SMITH, RICH DEKORTE

During the night of November 9th, 1979, Zbigniew Brzezinski, then National Security Advisor to Jimmy Carter, received a phone call informing him the Soviets had launched a nuclear attack against the United States. As he sat in his bedroom awaiting confirmation of the targets, he chose not to wake his sleeping wife. In Hurt Your Wife, we wake her up.

Performances: Sunday, August 2 at 2:30pm, Saturday, August 8 at 5pm, and Friday, August 14 at 8:30pm.

BLOCK EIGHT

THE CRAIGSLIST TANGO

Written by MATT SANDERS and ARIEL ALIZA SANDERS

Directed by John DeBenedetto

Featuring TRAVIS BERGMANN, Natasha Sahs

A man and woman meet through a Craigslist posting, hoping to exchange skills.

DARK ORCHID

Written by HEATHER VIOLANTI

Directed by Jennifer Sandella

Stage managed by HANNAH B. LOFTUS and ELENA GENAO

Featuring N. MARIE TEAGNO, David Michael Kirby, DAVID DOWLETT, MONA BRUNO

In 1940s Hollywood, dead dreams are a dime a dozen, but after a famous novelist tries to steal one of her ideas, failed screenwriter Myrtle finds the courage to make her dream a reality on her own terms.

SKINNER'S ILLUSION (AUGUST 2 @5:00 PM ONLY)

Written by MATTHEW GILLEECE

Directed by Amanda Rose BENJAMIN

Featuring ANNA SHEEHAN, ALEXANDRA GULLO, JOHN HANNAN, WILLIAM SIMANCAS

Deb, a marketing executive undergoing hypnosis to quit smoking, develops an attraction to her hypnotist, Dr. Lowe, and argues more than usual with her insecure boyfriend, Greg. Greg's sister and Deb's best friend, Shannon, feels responsible for fixing their relationship because she set them up. The situation reaches a tipping point when Deb walks out on Greg and Shannon and stays overnight at Dr. Lowe's office.

THE LAST STOP (AUGUST 8 @7:30 PM ONLY)

Written & directed by Mike Backes

Featuring MALENA SADAKA, MARK MONTALBANO, JIM K. COLLINS, NICK LERANGIS, CHRIS ORAM

When a violent storm traps familiar faces and unexpected guests inside a roadside diner, buried truths begin to surface and the night takes on a life of its own. As tensions rise, one mysterious figure seems to know exactly why they're all there.

COMMENCEMENT DAY (AUGUST 15 @2:30 PM ONLY)

Written & directed by JOSEPH SEXTON

Featuring ALLYSSA SIMON, JEFFEREY THOMPSON

Former politician Stan prepares for a commencement speech with the help of Delores, a longtime colleague who has maintained his brand since his retirement in disgrace. Haunted by a past scandal and imprisonment, Stan reconnects with Delores as they reflect on their shared history, scars, and unspoken feelings.

SCRAMBLED EGGS (AUGUST 15 @2:30 PM ONLY)

Written by LARA BRINKMAN

Directed by AMALIA SANDINE

Featuring SPENCER MCPHEE and KELSEY PAINTER

When Charlie and Halle discover a fully formed baby chick in a carton of eggs, old and new relationship problems emerge. Trapped in their apartment by a blizzard, the two have no choice but to care for the chick themselves, and try to work together while doing so.

Performances: Sunday, August 2 at 5pm, Saturday, August 8 at 7:30pm, and Saturday, August 15 at 2:30pm.

BLOCK NINE

BREAKFAST WITH TIFFANY

Written by BRUCE SISLER and ALEXA TEEBO

Directed by ALEXA TEEBO

Featuring MEG FOLEY

An actress tackles her struggles with age-blind executives, the industry's predatory culture and the beautiful mess of conflicting sexual relationships in three virtual therapy sessions.

IMAGINE.EDU

Written and directed by CHLOE EGAN

Featuring Cassandra Giovine and COLEMAN SHU-TUNG

Music by CHLOE EGAN and Arrangement by YONGJOON KIM

A frustrated writer attends an info session for a mysterious company that promises to find her a job if she enrolls in their three-month program. She finds herself intrigued by the company's charming spokesman as she grapples with how to build a creative life and whether she even wants to be an artist.

THE RIDDLE OF THE SPHINX (AUGUST 2 @ 7:30 PM ONLY)

Written by Amy Losi

Directed by Amanda Cannon

Featuring Mary Sheridan, JOSE LOPEZ

Kate, the curator of an art gallery, and Alex, a much younger art critic, strike up a casual conversation. They agree to meet for a date and end up at Kate's apartment. When their personal stories surface, an unsettling secret emerges and threatens to unravel both of their lives.

BURNT TOAST (AUGUST 2 @ 7:30 PM ONLY)

Written by MATTHEW GILLEECE

Directed by MATTHEW GILLEECE and JAI SADA

Featuring JMATTHEW GILLEECE and PARNASSUS FUNK

Theodore is late for his job interview, and we should all be thankful because when Theodore is on time, bad things happen.

GO TIME (AUGUST 9 @ 2:30 PM ONLY)

Written by JEFFREY B. FUERST

Directed by RENEE HEWITT

Featuring FRED CABRAL, KATHRYN LOGGINGS

On the day he is to move from his home, an elderly man confronts his fears and regrets, accepts his successes and failures, and finally agrees it is time to go to the next phase of his life.

OUR STAINED HANDS (AUGUST 15 @ 5:00 PM ONLY)

Written by KAY HYMAN

Directed by TOMMY KELLY

Featuring JESSE HARTLEY, ABIGAIL MANNERS, RIYA RAMASWAMY

Kai, a werewolf, and their girlfriend Anastasia regroup in the woods the morning after a full moon, where a brief argument leads Kai to a nearby stream and a confrontation with a terrified hunter.

Performances: Sunday, August 2 at 7:30pm, Sunday, August 9 at 2:30pm, and Saturday, August 15 at 5pm.

BLOCK TEN

A NEW ADVENTURE AWAITS

Written by MELANIE GARBER-LETITIA

Directed by LIZ WEINER

Featuring SAMANTHA EVERETT, SYDNEY EPSTEIN, Anna Spencer

Ophelia (from Shakespeare's Hamlet) doesn't understand why her boyfriend says he's fallen out of love with her. She meets her friend Medea (from Euripides' Medea) at a local café, where Medea doesn't mince words; it's time to move on.

OUR STAINED HANDS

Written by KAY HYMAN

Directed by TOMMY KELLY

Featuring JESSE HARTLEY, ABIGAIL MANNERS, RIYA RAMASWAMY

Kai, a werewolf, and their girlfriend Anastasia regroup in the woods the morning after a full moon, where a brief argument leads Kai to a nearby stream and a confrontation with a terrified hunter.

MORE

Written by MATTHEW MOORE

Directed by BENJAMIN BURKE

Featuring LYDIA NEWMAN, IAN DUFFY

Two cleaners working at a church in the early morning hours find that they can't say more than a few words to each other at a time. As they attempt to figure out why they're unable to communicate at length, they grow closer than words could ever allow.

Performances: Monday, August 3 at 7:30pm, Sunday, August 9 at 7:30pm, and Saturday, August 15 at 7:30pm.

About The Gene Frankel Theatre Festival

Under the artistic direction of Thomas R. Gordon-owner and Artistic Director of the iconic Gene Frankel Theatre-the Festival continues to build its reputation for artistic excellence, thoughtful curation, and an exceptionally rigorous selection process. Gordon and internationally award-winning actress Francesca Ravera, whose collaborative leadership has guided the Festival's Selection Committee since its inaugural edition, reviewed nearly 200 submissions to curate this year's program of over 25 productions.

The Festival's Awards Jury once again consists of Thomas R. Gordon, Francesca Ravera, and acclaimed actor, playwright, director, and educator Thomas G. Waites.

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