Spark Theatre Festival NYC to Present 67 New Works This October

Award-winning Emerging Artists Theatre (EAT) continues its commitment to developing and celebrating new voices with the return of Spark Theatre Festival NYC, running October 5-25 at The 28th Street Theatre (TADA). Over three weeks, the biannual festival will showcase a record-breaking 67 new works, offering audiences an eclectic mix of new plays, solo performances, storytelling, dance, and other original works by emerging and established artists.

For more than three decades, EAT has provided a platform for artists to develop new work and bring fresh voices to the stage. Spark Theatre Festival NYC continues that tradition, creating opportunities for writers, performers, directors, choreographers, and other theatre artists to experiment, take creative risks, and connect with audiences.

The momentum continues in November with the first annual Spark Musical Theatre Festival NYC, featuring presentations of 32 new short and full-length musicals. The inaugural festival will run November 2-22 at The 28th Street Theatre (TADA), giving audiences another opportunity to experience new musical theatre works in development.

SPARK THEATRE FESTIVAL NYC HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

Thirty-four short and full-length plays will be presented, including Lady Macbeth and Her Therapist, written by Leslie Bramm, in which a medieval therapist takes on a new client: Lady Macbeth; Conditioning, written by Kai Farr, about two trans men who meet through weightlifting; and Get Through, written by Hailey Irwin, set in a California skatepark where four queer teenage girls navigate life after an environmental apocalypse.

Nine solo shows will be showcased, including Mezzo Cuckoo: Diva Gone Dada, written by Max Sharam, about an out-of-work opera diva who wanders the streets alone at night, haunted by a single song; Distortion, created by Camryn Graves, following a young ballet dancer struggling with body dysmorphia, perfectionism, and crippling anxiety; and RED, written by Josie Whittlesey, in which a woman says goodbye to her father in a maximum-security prison while grappling with his mental illness and the ways it has shaped her own life.

Twenty-three dance pieces will be presented, including The Other Side of Hate, choreographed by Sharon Simmons-Wright, exploring the devastating impact of hatred, prejudice, and injustice; and Atomi, presented by contemporary dance company Kafra Collective, celebrating the beauty of human diversity.

To see the full lineup, please visit www.emergingartiststheatre.org.

SPARK THEATRE FESTIVAL NYC:

This year marks the festival's 25th anniversary. Originally launched as the New Works Series, the event has grown significantly since its inception-doubling in size and expanding to include genres such as dance, music, cabaret, drag, sketch comedy, and other boundary-pushing performances. Today, the Spark Theatre Festival NYC presents Spring and Fall festivals, showcasing over 100 new shows each year and giving more than 400 artists the opportunity to perform new work on stage.

During the festival, performances run nightly, with multiple performances on the weekends. Most productions receive one performance, with shorter shows grouped together to form a full evening of entertainment. Short talkbacks with the artists will follow some of the performances.

Tickets range from $20 to $40. Tickets and the full lineup are available here. All performances take place at The 28th Street Theatre (TADA), 15 West 28th Street, 2nd floor between Broadway & 5th Avenue).