ONCE UPON A TIME IN NYC Comes to Reverie Room
The event will take place June 13th at 7 PM.
Shared Manifest Entertainment will make its theatrical debut this summer with Once Upon a Time in NYC, a vibrant staged reading of six new 10-minute plays inspired by classic fairytales, reimagined for the heart and hustle of modern-day New York. The event will take place June 13th at 7 PM at Reverie Room (163 W 72nd Street). Tickets are $15 plus a $10 snack and drink cover at the bodega downstairs.
In celebration of New York City's 400th anniversary, Once Upon a Time in NYC shines a light on the humanity, humor, and resilience that define life in the city. Each story weaves a contemporary lens onto the familiar magic of childhood tales, creating something profoundly new: a mirror held up to the struggles and triumphs of New Yorkers today.
The evening features six short plays, developed over several months through private table reads and feedback with Shared Manifest Entertainment's creative team. Each piece finds unexpected emotional truth in the city's chaos:
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The Three Little Pigs: Stick begs Brick to cosign a lease, all while Straw couch-surfs.
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Bluebox: A modern retelling of Bluebeard - Harold warns Simone that if she opens his private box, their relationship will end.
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The Call: Inspired by Alice in Wonderland, a flickering subway light leads two kids into a surreal underground world run by street rats.
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Goldilocks: Fleeing ICE, Goldilocks finds sanctuary in the home of three gay bears.
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FAIRY GOT MOTHER: On New Year's Eve, Ember dreams of kissing a nightclub DJ at the stroke of midnight, guided by her fabulous drag queen fairy godmother.
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Reading Rat: In a fresh take on The Princess and the Frog, a woman discovers a talking rat in her apartment and she's definitely not going to kiss him.
The show is directed by Jessica Thompson and features performances by Tehilah Keturah, Sami Binder, Nick Gangone, Airen Guevara, Abigail Espinal, and Anthony Castellano, with each actor bringing multiple characters to life.
"Our company was built on the idea that stories are how we survive, connect, and thrive," says Jackie Jorgenson, founder of Shared Manifest Entertainment and producer of the show. "New York City itself feels like a living fairytale. It's a place where impossible dreams and everyday struggles coexist. We wanted to capture that magic, and that resilience, in these plays."
Director Jessica Thompson shares, "These aren't just retellings. They're stories about people doing whatever it takes to build a life here. About hope, risk, and love in one of the most chaotic cities in the world. I think audiences will find a lot of heart, a lot of laughter, and maybe a little bit of themselves in every play."
Once Upon a Time in NYC marks an exciting new chapter for Shared Manifest Entertainment, which relaunched earlier this year after producing two seasons of Tales from the Aether, a historical fantasy fiction podcast that earned nominations from the AudioVerse Awards and T.O. Webfest and a 4-star review from Podcast Magazine.
Tickets are now available on Reverie Room's website. Seating is limited for this one-night-only event, and early booking is encouraged.
For those seeking a night of heart, humor, and a bit of unexpected magic, Once Upon a Time in NYC promises to be an unforgettable celebration of New York and of the stories that keep us dreaming.
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