Works & Process to Showcase New Plays by Craig Lucas and Jake Brasch in 2026

Works & Process will presentsa first look at new works from Terrence McNally Recovery Commission playwrights Craig Lucas and Jake Brasch, on Monday, April 20, 2026 at 7PM at the Peter B. Lewis Theater, 1071 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10128. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased now.

The Terrence McNally Recovery Commissions award two annual $10,000 new play commissions-one to an emerging playwright and one to an established playwright-each identifying as being in recovery from a substance use condition. Reflecting the spirit of sponsorship, the commissioned artists serve as resources for one another throughout a yearlong process, supported by the Recovery Arts Project, that includes a writing retreat and talk at Provincetown Theater March 17-21; a Works & Process residency at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut April 14-18, made possible by The Ziegfeld Club's 2026 Needlepoint Bob Grant; all culminating in a Works & Process showing on April 20, where audiences are invited to experience selected scenes from both new plays by Jake Brasch and Craig Lucas and a discussion moderated by Sean Daniels, Executive Director of Recovery Arts Project with the playwrights exploring their artistic processes, recovery journeys, and the role of storytelling in healing. To continue the conversation, all are invited to a reception in the museum rotunda.

The commissions are named in honor of Terrence McNally, whose own journey in recovery began with a life-changing moment at Stephen Sondheim's birthday party, where Angela Lansbury, with love and concern, encouraged him to face his struggles with alcohol. McNally later shared this story in the documentary Every Act of Life, believing in the power of being part of a supportive public community.

The inaugural recipients of the Terrence McNally Recovery Commissions are Jake Brasch, who makes their Off-Broadway debut this season with The Reservoir at the Atlantic Theater Company, and Craig Lucas, Obie Award winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist.

This project is underwritten by the Terrence McNally Foundation and supported by the Recovery Arts Project, who taps into the transformative power of art and artists to change the national conversation about addiction and recovery in order to save lives.

This project will receive a Works & Process Residency at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut , supported by the Ziegfeld Club's Needlepoint Bob Grant.

The Ziegfeld Club's 2026 Needlepoint Bob Grant is dedicated to the memory of Bob DiNapoli, a beloved member of the club community. DiNapoli was known affectionately as "Needlepoint Bob" in meeting spaces for members of addiction recovery programs in New York City, because he was never without a needlepoint project.