Thomas Ellenson's THOMAS & ME Will Come to The Frank Shiner Theater
Mairéad O'Neill and Tyler Austin White join a cast featuring music and lyrics by Douglas J. Cohen.
Actor, writer and director Thomas Ellenson brings his deeply personal, funny and moving new play Thomas & Me to New York for a strictly limited engagement September 24–28, 2026 at The Frank Shiner Theater (18 Bleecker Street).
Ellenson, an actor with cerebral palsy who uses a power wheelchair and communicates through an iPad, will make history on September 24 as the first person using a speech-generating device to write and perform in a full-length play in New York City.
Written, directed by and starring Thomas Ellenson, Thomas & Me features music and lyrics by Drama Desk-nominated composer-lyricist Douglas J. Cohen. The show also features Mairéad O'Neill and Tyler Austin White. The production is co-directed by Stephen Santa, musical director is Sujin Kim-Ramsey, choreography is by Megan Loomis, associate-produced by Jason Styres, and casting by The Casting Collaborative.
Part reality, part theatrical storytelling, Thomas & Me follows a young man as he prepares to ask his girlfriend to marry him. Before he can take that leap, however, he decides he first needs to understand himself and honestly face his many challenges.
That means revisiting his childhood. His friendships. His choices. The people who shaped him. The things he wishes he had done differently. And the things he has never quite managed to say out loud.
At once intimate, surprising, romantic and sharply funny, Thomas & Me is a story about disability — but even more, it is a story about growing up, falling in love, figuring out who you are and finding the courage to say what matters most.
It just might break your heart — and then put it back together again.
“Thomas is an extraordinary force, his wheelchair never confining him, but rather acting as a foundation for his strength and bold flights of imagination. He affects everyone with whom he comes into contact,” said Tony Award winner Jefferson Mays.
Composer-lyricist Douglas J. Cohen added, “I'm excited to be working on such a unique, surprising and theatrical piece with such a wonderful team of artists. In Thomas & Me, so much resonates emotionally for me, and Thomas has a gift for finding humor and universality in his storytelling. That made my job as a songwriter especially rewarding.”
Co-director Stephen Santa said, “Thomas has created a truly heartwarming and moving story that invites both artists and audiences to reconsider how we tell stories about disability — and, in fact, about all our lives. It is a powerful, deeply human piece that has the potential to inspire meaningful change in how we all see ourselves.”
Thomas & Me marks the latest chapter in Ellenson's growing career as a performer and storyteller. His previous solo productions have twice taken top honors on the New York festival circuit: Well Life Sucks won Best Production at United Solo in 2025, while It Is What It Is received Best Production at The One Festival in 2017.
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