Season 2, Episode 5: Behind every summer is a community that keeps Fire Island alive. This episode explores the history of the beloved Pines Pantry through the eyes of its iconic Pantry Girls, alongside the volunteer firefighters of The Pines and Cherry Grove who protect the island from fires, hurricanes, beach erosion, and an uncertain future.
PUNISH ME Will Come to Hollywood Fringe Festival This Summer
Michael Dukakis's cinematic play will run at Hudson Backstage Theatre, directed by Monique Sorgen.
By: Stephi Wild
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Punish Me, a cinematic play by Michael Dukakis, will play three performances only in the 2026 Hollywood Fringe at the Hudson Backstage Theatre in Hollywood on Sundays, June 7, 14, and 21 at 7:30pm. Directed by Monique Sorgen, the cast features (in alphabetical order) Brianna Bell, Jaiden Blessing, Tina D'Marco, Michael Dukakis, Jose Eduardo Moreno, and Anuradha Senevi.
Punish Me is a cinematic play inspired by true events. After falling for a seductive photographer, a screenwriter must outsmart his partner's escalating narcissism before a web of manipulation costs him his career and his right to stay in the USA. The play explores the complexity of toxic relationships, narcissists, pathological liars, and con artists. Adult themes and simulated sex. Parental discretion advised. Running time is 85 minutes with no intermission.
Lighting design is by Steve Pope, sound design and original music is by Paul Yorke, intimacy coordinator is Annie Reznik, and visual artist is Nick Lambrou. Stage manager and assistant director is Diego Salazar Lira. Punish Me is produced by Michael Dukakis with associate producers Yiota Pampalou and Katerina Dimakopoulou.
Monique Sorgen is a French American writer-director with a degree in theater from UCLA. She is a fellow in the Sony Directors Program, BlackMagic Collective, and in the Alliance of Women Directors' Directing the Actor Lab. She directed award-winning comedy films Sorry, Not Sorry; Rock A Bye Baby; and Lying is Complicated, as well as the award-winning drama Random Check and the award-winning web-series Codependent Socks! — most of which she also wrote. She has worked as a screenwriter on both studio and independent projects and is currently in post-production on the feature film One Day in Sedona, and on her Vertical Microdrama debut My Hot Ex-Boyfriend Moved Next Door.
Michael Dukakis is a highly trained and versatile actor-writer with 15 years of experience across film, television, and theatre. A graduate of the Greek Art Theatre with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, he further honed his craft at the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, where he was admitted on scholarship. He later expanded his creative skills by earning a writing certificate from UCLA. As a writer he has developed a distinctive voice, crafting plays and screenplays that confront significant societal issues. His work has earned notable acclaim, garnering 27 nominations and 15 wins at various annual writing competitions.
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