The Center at West Park to Present the CWP Launchpad Reading Series

The Center at West Park (CWP), located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, announces the new CWP Launchpad Reading Series. The CWP Launchpad Reading Series is a new initiative produced as part of The Center at West Park's Center for New Work Development. Through the Launchpad Reading Series, CWP uplifts artists at the start of their careers by creating accessible and inclusive presentation opportunities showcasing diverse talents, and provides the next generation of arts leaders with the support to put their ideas and communities on the stage. The January kick-off series will feature artists from Fresh Binder Productions. Fresh Binder Productions is a theatrical home for emerging transgender/gender non-conforming (TGNC) playwrights; aiming to uplift TGNC playwrights and their work into the theatrical pantheon at a time in history when trans voices are being actively criminalized and silenced.

"CWP walks the walk in their commitment to the arts and community; providing rehearsal and performance space, artistic stipends, and actively using their platform to promote artists in the beginning of their careers," said Fresh Binder Co-Founder and Artistic Director Bailey Jordan Garcia. "It's hard as any emerging artist to find a place that is willing to take a chance on you and welcome you into an environment where you are not only given the freedom to create, but are celebrated for it; this is doubly so for TGNC playwrights and artists such as those highlighted in this series. By sharing these stories with each other - we build solidarity, community, and a foundation for future excellence. It's thanks to The Center at West Park that we get to continue this important work and we are immensely grateful."

The CWP Launchpad Reading Series provides a platform for emerging theatre companies and early-career producers to curate a weekend of pay-what-you-can developmental readings of new work, with rehearsal and presentation space, marketing & promotional support, technical & administrative assistance, and a curatorial stipend provided by CWP. Additional curatorial partnerships will be announced throughout 2026.

ABOUT THE READINGS

Clownfishing

Written by Bailey Jordan Garcia

Directed by Em Hausmann

January 23, 2026, 7:00PM, (doors open 6:30),

The Chapel at St. Paul & St. Andrew (263 W 86th Street, New York, NY 10024)

After his Best Friend passes away, 17-year old Bryson discovers and then takes on a fake AOL account to catfish his and his Best Friend's school bully. Clownfishing turns into an exploration of gender and sexuality, ultimately asking, "What are the consequences of having to exist in a body?"

Featuring: Gabriel Ethridge, Jake Blakeslee, Willow Lautenberg, MoZelle, Jesse Hartley, and Jenny Taher.

Move-Bend-Fall

Written by Ash

Directed by Jackson Bradshaw

January 24, 2026, 7:00PM, (doors open 6:30),

The Parlor at St. Paul & St. Andrew (263 W 86th Street, New York, NY 10024)

MOVE - BEND - FALL is a trilogy of thematically-connected short plays. From first dates to fiery finales and the moments in between, friends and lovers (and sometimes their ghosts) weave in and out of the bedroom as they uncover what it means to be queer and in love. "Move Forward" is a sharp comedy centering around two couples: one on a first date and the other post-breakup. "Bending the Rules" is a non-linear, sexy, dramatic tale of a polyamorous relationship from beginning to end. "Falling" is a ghost story about the roles we've played in our own tragedies and the songs we sing about them.

Featuring: Leo James Osborn, Noah Hinton, Emile Sivero, Judy Peach, and Ries Lundstrom

Rhyme, Dime, Storytime

Written by Nay Harris

Directed by Em Hausmann

(Double Bill) January 25, 2026, 3:00PM, (doors open 2:30pm),

The Board Room at St. Paul & St. Andrew (263 W86th Street, New York, NY 10024)

Four kids: the Storyteller and unfortunate bystander, the superhero who'd kill in order to save, the baby-eating wolf who loves to gaslight, and the pretend parent who's a "bad friend" for wanting to save themselves. All they want is to tell a story, but whose story is it? Who gets to tell it and who determines which story is the right one? Crayon drawn skyscrapers, kiddie pools where small ones bound in jump rope float, and Blood-splattered sneakers that still light up with each step. War's never a game, friendship shouldn't be a death sentence, babies shouldn't be eaten, and "the rightstory" is always a matter of personal stakes, reputation, and guilt. A tale, neither tall nor a fable, as told by a Crow (who's also a hand puppet), who reminds us that wars, like fairytales, never have happy endings.

Featuring: Kayla Fontana, Sam Rodriguez, Aidan Curley, and Jamie Lowenstein

Company Drain

Written by Roni Ragone

Directed by Belle Flanegan

(Double Bill) January 25, 2026, 3:00PM, (doors open 2:30),

The Board Room at St. Paul & St. Andrew (263 W86th Street, New York, NY 10024)

Everybody hates their job. And sometimes their job hates them. When Josephina starts her new position, she realizes there may be a bit left unsaid in the office. Company Drain explores what we owe to the person in the cubicle next door.

Featuring: Riley Miller, Yvonne DiGirolamo, Chavon Patterson, and Rachel Brudner