CHIP ON HER SHOULDER Comes to the New York City Fringe Festival

Off With Their Heads Productions will present Chip on her Shoulder performed by Victoria Nieves and written and directed by Jen McAuliffe. The production will be presented as part of the 2026 New York City Fringe Festival with FRIGID New York at Chain Theatre (312 W 36th St. 4th floor, New York, NY 10018) with performances on Sun April 5 at 5:35pm, Mon April 6 at 6:15pm, Thu April 9 at 6:15pm, Fri April 10 at 6:15pm & Fri April 17 at 6:15pm. 

Fresh off a successful Melbourne Fringe Festival Australian run with rave reviews, Chip On Her Shoulder premieres in a new US reworking, making its New York and US debut this April at the Chain Theatre as part of the New York City Fringe Festival.

Written and directed by Jen McAuliffe, Chip On Her Shoulder is a fearless, funny, and painfully relatable one-woman play following Angela, a nurse who has uprooted her life and moved to New York City while chasing a Broadway dream. While everyone else is journaling their feelings and attending reformer pilates, Angela is just trying not to completely lose it… one salty snack at a time.

This US reiteration will star Victoria Nieves, a force in the Capital Region theatre scene, who brings her bold, emotionally grounded performance to Angela's story of audition rooms, trauma shifts, dating disappointments, and snack-fuelled self-reckonings. Angela isn't bitter… she's just a little bit salty.

Developed under the mentorship of Steve Leff (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Two and a Half Men), whom McAuliffe met while working in TV, the play struck a powerful chord with Australian audiences and critics alike. Australian Arts Review praised the production, writing:

“The show's brilliance lies in its balance. It isn't just a story about failure or frustration; it's a love letter to the mess of modern womanhood — the hunger, the heartbreak, and the hilariously unglamorous coping mechanisms that get us through.”

Critics also highlighted McAuliffe's sharp and empathetic writing, with It's On The House describing the work as:

“McAuliffe's script is compassionate and biting, exploring self-loathing, sex, and survival with humour and insight.”

Whether you're more Ruffles than Kettle or Pringles than Doritos, Chip On Her Shoulder takes audiences on a sharp and intimate journey through ambition, heartbreak, and the rituals we use to cope. It's a play for anyone who has cried in a work bathroom, eaten their feelings one chip at a time, or carried the emotional weight of a family-size bag on their shoulders.

“I wanted to write something for women who've held everything together while falling apart,” said McAuliffe. “Who cry in the car after a twelve-hour shift, fantasize about reinvention, and still believe in love. I wanted to make something funny and truthful and a little bit cathartic.”

“I'm really looking forward to tackling this one-woman show and telling this story through my perspective as a Latina,” said Victoria Nieves. “It has all the feels, it's raw, funny, exhausting, and deeply human. I can't wait to bring Angela's story to life on stage.”

If you've ever eaten your trauma like it's a bag of chips you can't stop digging into, if you've cried into crinkle cuts and found carbs far more comforting than people - welcome home.

Come for the laughs. Stay because you're not sure whether to cry… or just open another bag.

Jen McAuliffe (Playwright) is an award-winning writer for TV and film and an emerging playwright. Her multiple award-winning screenplay, Heartbreak Under a Neon Streetlight, a powerful exploration of gaslighting — has been featured in ELLE Canada and Film Daily. Jen's sharp storytelling extends to acclaimed comedy shorts like Lipsmacker and Last Active, alongside impactful drama scripts, showcasing her versatility across genres. With extensive experience working with production powerhouse FremantleMedia on high-profile TV dramas and reality shows, (Farmer Wants a Wife, The X Factor, Neighbours) Jen has honed her craft in writers' rooms, development and production across Australia and the US. In 2017, she expanded into theatre as a stage manager/assistant director for an Off-Off Broadway production Or Current Resident at Theater for the New City and produced Round Tables at the Cannes Film Festival. Now, she is fast becoming a fresh voice in theatre with rave reviews for her debut play Chip On Her Shoulder at the Melbourne Fringe Festival in Australia 2025 and now brings it to New York Fringe for its US debut. She blends emotional depth with irreverent wit and bridging screen and stage storytelling and is mentored by Steve Leff of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Two and a Half Men.