FIREFLIES & FAULT LINES to Receive Free Readings at Spotlight New Works Festival

Following two New York City presentations this year, playwright Brian S. Brijbag's Fireflies & Fault Lines will receive two free staged readings as part of the inaugural Spotlight New Works Festival at The Chain Theatre.

The play made its New York City debut in April before receiving a second New York presentation earlier this month, continuing its development through audience feedback and artistic collaboration. Now, Fireflies & Fault Lines has been selected as one of just thirteen works from more than two hundred submissions to the Spotlight New Works Festival, where it will be presented on Tuesday, June 30 at 1:30 p.m. and Wednesday, July 1 at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.

Part relationship drama, part magical realism, Fireflies & Fault Lines follows two former partners who unexpectedly reunite at a surreal summer festival. As reality begins to fracture around them, they discover they are trapped in a recurring loop that refuses to end until they confront the truths they have spent years avoiding. The play explores memory, forgiveness, regret, and the extraordinary weight carried by the conversations people never have.

Rather than presenting nostalgia as something comforting, the play asks a more unsettling question: What if life refused to move forward until the past was finally acknowledged?

Returning to lead the production is director Noa Brenner, whose emotionally nuanced approach helped shape both previous New York presentations. She is again joined by Assistant Director and Stage Manager Brianna Golden, whose collaborative leadership and meticulous attention to the development process have been integral to the play's continued evolution. Together, Brenner and Golden have helped transform each reading into an opportunity for discovery, refinement, and deeper emotional resonance.

"Many of us carry conversations that never happened," said Brijbag. "Apologies never offered. Questions never answered. Fireflies & Fault Lines imagines a world where you don't get to outrun those moments forever. Eventually, you have to stop, look at another person honestly, and decide whether you're willing to let them...and yourself...go."

Known for blending humor with emotionally resonant storytelling, Brijbag has developed a growing body of new work exploring human connection through inventive theatrical structures. His recent productions include Love, Lysol, and Other Delusions, with the world premiere of Funeral of god scheduled for this summer as part of the Broadway Bound Theatre Festival.

The Spotlight New Works Festival showcases emerging plays and musicals from across the country, giving audiences an opportunity to experience new work during its creative development while allowing artists to continue refining their scripts through live performance and audience engagement.

For theatre lovers who appreciate emotionally rich contemporary drama with an inventive theatrical framework, Fireflies & Fault Lines offers a compelling meditation on love, regret, and the conversations that have the power to change our lives.

Fireflies & Fault Lines

Tuesday, June 30, 2026 • 1:30 p.m.

Wednesday, July 1, 2026 • 7:30 p.m.

The Chain Theatre

Need more Off-Broadway Theatre News in your life?
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...