The Fire Weeds Launches Inaugural Play Festival in New York City

The Fire Weeds, an experimental, female-driven theater company, has announced its first-ever play festival, taking place June 1 and 2 at Houghton Hall, located at 22 E. 30th Street in Manhattan. The event follows the company’s current production Outraged Hearts, which concludes its New York run on May 30.

The festival marks a new chapter in The Fire Weeds’ ongoing exploration of Southern Gothic aesthetics, gender, motherhood, and the complexity of growing up. Curated to spotlight both new and established playwrights, the lineup includes a benefit reading of Beth Henley’s The Jacksonian, alongside developmental readings of new works by Grace Curley, Emma Schillage, and Surrey Houlker. Taken together, the selection spans sixty years of American theatrical voices—all rooted in the feminine psyche and regional storytelling traditions.

In a statement from the company, The Fire Weeds called the festival “a natural segue” from their work on Tennessee Williams' early writings, describing the process as “a rich experience into a master playwright’s early experiments and a fitting lead-in to platforming new voices.” The company emphasized its goal to foster conversation and community around contemporary and historical work alike.

Tickets are available on a donation-based, pay-what-you-can model, with a suggested contribution of $25. Tickets can be booked online in advance; donations will also be accepted at the box office 30 minutes before each event. Festival organizers note that multiple ticket purchases must be processed in separate transactions.

June 1 Festival Lineup

At 6:30 PM, the festival opens with a benefit reading of Beth Henley’s The Jacksonian, directed by Jaclyn Bethany with casting by Nick Peciaro, C.S.A. Set in a decaying motel in Jackson, Mississippi in 1964, the play unfolds through the eyes of teenager Rosy Perch as she observes a cast of fractured adults—including her dentist father—spiraling toward violence and tragedy. This reading features a higher suggested donation of $25–$40.

At 8:30 PM, Laurel Canyon 1979 by Grace Curley receives a developmental reading directed by Sarah Keyes. The play follows a fading group of Laurel Canyon residents, led by aging hippie matriarch Marigold, as they confront a rapidly changing world when a new neighbor moves in. The cast includes Doug Chapman, Lin Gathright, Jaclyn Bethany, Mia Cusianovic, and Joey D'Amore.

June 2 Festival Lineup

The second evening begins at 5:00 PM with GROSS! by Emma Schillage, directed by Hanna Hall. Set in a Louisiana trailer park, the play follows childhood best friends Wren and Lylah as their bond is disrupted by adolescence, sexuality, and the arrival of an interstellar visitor searching for a lost love. The cast includes Sarah Schuler, Megan Metrikin, Corrine Prudente, and Chloé Bell.

Closing the festival at 7:00 PM is REST, STOP by Surrey Houlker, directed by C.C. Kellogg. This surreal road trip drama centers on Sandy, a long-haul trucker navigating love, grief, and mysticism across the American heartland. The cast includes Kristin Winters, Izabel Mar, Niccolo Walsh, Mo Kaplan, and Felix Teich.

About the Playwrights

Beth Henley is a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright best known for Crimes of the Heart and The Miss Firecracker Contest. The Jacksonian, her contribution to the festival, premiered at the Geffen Theatre and was later staged Off-Broadway by The New Group.

Grace Curley is a playwright and stage manager based in New Orleans. Her work has appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the Mid-America Theatre Conference, among others. She is currently pursuing an MFA in Playwriting at the University of New Orleans.

Emma Schillage is an award-winning Southern Gothic playwright based in Louisiana and New York. Their work explores adolescence, queerness, and Southern identity, and has been recognized by the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center and the Del Shores Foundation.

Surrey Houlker is a New Haven-based playwright currently pursuing their MFA at Yale School of Drama. Their work, rooted in rural queer narratives, has been developed at Moonbox Productions, the cell theatre, and the Great Plains Theatre Commons.

About The Fire Weeds

Founded by Jaclyn Bethany and Lin Gathright, The Fire Weeds is a theater company committed to immersive, female-centered storytelling. The group’s past productions include Outraged Hearts (originally staged for the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival) and an extended New Orleans run of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. Outraged Hearts is currently playing at Houghton Hall through May 30.