Asian-American Creative Studio 'Leviathan Lab' Teams Will Present WINTERFEST

Leviathan Lab, Second Generation Productions, TLAB SHARES, and Mixed Asian Media proudly present WinterFest, featuring a double-bill run of two new solo performances featuring Asian American theatre artists, including the National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere of FULL CONTACT, written and performed by Ariel Estrada (Off-B’way: DOUBLE FALSEHOOD, Letter of Marque; Fellow, The Orchard Project and BRIC Media Lab) and directed by Gaven D. Trinidad (Finalist, 2025 Bay Area Playwrights Festival; Finalist, 2025 O’Neill National Playwrights Conference); and a developmental workshop of X#*! YOU VERY MUCH, MOM by David Lee Huynh (Off-B’way: BUS STOP; NAATCO/Transport Group/Classic Stage Company; Project YZ Fellow, Yangtze Repertory Theatre), directed by Nana Dakin (B’way: Associate Director, MARY JANE, Manhattan Theatre Club). Twelve performances will be staged from November 20-December 7, 2025.

WinterFest will also feature a free, 90-minute staged reading of the new horror/satire BLOOD/SUCKER by Anamaria Guerzon (Scratchpad Series Playwright, The Playwrights Realm), directed by Nicholas Polonio (Assistant Director, B’way: SLAVE PLAY) on Monday, November 24 at 7:00 p.m.All WinterFest shows will be staged at Theaterlab, 357 West 36th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10018.

ABOUT FULL CONTACT: After a week alone in his apartment, Filipino American Ariel Estrada* unravels under the weight of his memories: a violent cult, a lost faith, and the echo of his late father's demands. Caught between guilt and survival, he fights to take the first step toward healing before his mind pulls him under.

FULL CONTACT is produced at Leviathan Lab as part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere. Other Partner Theaters are Perseverance Theatre (Juneau, Alaska) and Diversionary Theatre (San Diego, CA). For more information, please visit nnpn.org. This NNPN Rolling World Premiere is open for reviews by critics.

ABOUT X#*! YOU VERY MUCH, MOM: Stand-up comedy meets TED Talk meets dark family secrets. With whimsy, sardonic humor, and heart, David Lee Huynh* shares how the effects of French colonialism shaped Vietnam, rippled out, and made it so X#*!ing hard for his mom to say “I love you.” Presented by Second Generation Productions in association with Leviathan Lab. This developmental workshop is NOT open for reviews by critics.

ABOUT BLOOD/SUCKER: Ryan, a high school social studies teacher, is tired. He's been spending late nights grading homework, as well as fending off parental complaints about his Asian-American History class, who claim that he is using 'Critical Race Theory' to indoctrinate the students. Then Hillary, the Principal, begins to take an interest in his class. And the students are beginning to act very strange...BLOOD/SUCKER is a bloody political satire/horror play about the public school system, and those it feeds off of. Presented by Leviathan Lab.

Ariel Estrada, Leviathan Lab's Producing Artistic Director and the writer/performer of FULL CONTACT, says, “I'm thrilled to bring FULL CONTACT to New York after its NNPN premiere at Perseverance Theatre in Juneau, AK. I'm equally excited to support David Lee Huynh and Anamaria Guerzon as they continue developing their beautiful plays under the direction of Nana Dakin and Nicholas Polonio.” He continues, “Since 2009, Leviathan Lab has been committed to creating space for Asian American theatre and film artists to build new work. WinterFest is an exciting opportunity to experience these exceptional rising voices.”

On FULL CONTACT, Estrada adds, “This piece shares my experience as a survivor of a high-control group—an especially urgent story in this moment under the Trump regime. The play began with the question, ‘How did I, the ambitious son of Filipino immigrants, fall for such obvious manipulation?' That question led to a deep reckoning with my intersecting identities as a first-generation Filipino American and a Gen X gay man under the weight of ancestral history.”

He concludes, “I'm profoundly grateful to everyone who supported the development of this work, especially The Orchard Project and BRIC Media Arts—and most of all, to my longtime friend and collaborator, Gaven D. Trinidad.”

Gaven Trinidad, the director of FULL CONTACT, adds, “As an Asian American artist living with bipolar disorder, I am so drawn to FULL CONTACT for its unapologetic depiction of depression. It's the first instance as a director to honestly explore living with mental health issues as an Asian American. It brings tears to my eyes to collaborate on something that resonates with me. I am overwhelmed with so many feelings by the sheer openness of Ariel's play.”

The double bill runtime is approximately two hours plus one 15-minute intermission. The staged reading runtime is 90 minutes, no intermission.

Double-Bill performances (FULL CONTACT and X#*! YOU VERY MUCH, MOM) are Tuesdays through Saturdays at 7:00 p.m., with matinees on Saturdays at 2:00 p.m., and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. through December 7. No performances Tuesday, Nov. 25 through Sun., Nov 30. Preview Performances: Thursday, November 20, 2025 at 7:00 p.m.; Friday, November 21, 2025 at 7:00 p.m.; and Saturday, November 22, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. Opening Night is Saturday, November 22, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. An ASL-interpreted performance by Inclusive Communication Services is available on Saturday, December 6, 2025 at 7:00 p.m.