Staged Reading of T.O.Y. Set for April at Reverie Room NYC
Directed by Chris Cavazza, the cast includes former students of playwright Peter Nason, with performances on April 4th and 5th at 7:00PM
T.O.Y. stands for "Teacher of The Year". Directed by Chris Cavazza, T.O.Y. confronts the harsh realities facing educators in Florida, where teachers navigate mounting hardships and political manipulation over what they are allowed to teach.
The playwright, Peter Nason, has been working in public schools for nearly 40 years all around the country. After witnessing the brutal pressure from school districts to change curriculums to fit the personal preferences of parents and local government, Nason decided to write T.O.Y. as a revealing love letter to the educators in Florida.
Based on true events, the cast will be made up of former students of Nason's including the show's director Cavazza who, following his high school graduation, studied under Nason for years as an assistant teacher and director.
The staged reading will take place at Reverie Room NYC on April 4th and 5th at 7:00PM. The April 4th performance will include a talk back with the writer, director, and cast.
The cast currently includes Chris Jaymes, Hannah Lawson, Zach Mailhot, Dana Mauro, Anika Meeusen, Shaun Memmel, Jonathan Timpanelli, Jo Villafane, and Alysia Wargo Rodriguez.
The new play is set to run at the Tampa Fringe Festival this upcoming June and will return to NYC in August 2026 for a fully staged Off-Broadway run.
T.O.Y. is co-produced by Cavazza and Meeusen.
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