CONNOLY Comes to Theatre For the New City in November

A young girl struggles to find a way forward in the World Premiere of Stefan Diethelm's powerful new play Connoly. The production runs November 6 – 23 with opening night slated for November 6 at Theatre for the New City. A one act version of the play was presented last June at the Audacious Owl Theatre Festival at The Chain Theater. Delaney “Lanes” May directs

Connoly tells the story of a teenage girl placed in an in-patient mental health facility after surviving a suicide attempt. With the support of her overwhelmed older sister Dingo, a strict yet caring nurse, Natalya, and Georgie—her Best Friend who may be imaginary or even spectral—she begins the difficult work of recovery while struggling to imagine a future.

A contemporary tragedy of youth, Connoly confronts themes of mental health, family, and the preciousness of life itself.

Content advisory: Connolly features sensitive topics including suicide, self harm and discussions of mental health.

Diethelm shared what inspired him to write the play, “Connoly started as a deeply personal endeavor. Both in my familial and social life there are various histories of mental illness, and a lot of the issues Connoly faces in our play have roots in the experiences of people close to me. The magical thing about this story however is how much it has grown beyond that, how every person who has engaged with this story has connected to different parts of it and in turn helped it grow from something somewhat isolated and personal to something so deeply, tragically and universally human.”

Producer Bradly Valenzuela shared why he wanted to help champion this piece, “I have been drawn to this play since Stefan told me the concept. I grew more inspired to produce this play upon seeing it, in particular the way it confronts the love of family and the struggle to overcome the demons that live in your head. There are a lot of ways to manage being alive in this world, and Connoly tackles that with truth, empathy and humanity”.

The cast of Connoly features Emily Kendall Cohen, Madi Daning, Abby Messina, Nikki Neuberger, and Alessia Seclì. 

Produced by Stefan Diethelm, Delaney “Lanes” May, and Bradly Valenzuela.