Theatre 4the People to Present Solo Show Festival and One-Act Premiere at IRT Theater

Theatre 4the People will present a dynamic series of solo shows alongside a featured one-act, highlighting a diverse community of storytellers who challenge audiences with universal questions and create connections across experiences. The festival runs September 19–28 at IRT Theater, 154 Christopher Street, 3rd Floor.

The lineup includes Andrea Coleman’s 3 White Guys Named John (Sept. 25 & 27), an inspiring and nostalgic mix of comedy and storytelling in which John Hughes, John Mayer, and Jon Bon Jovi become unlikely guardian angels. The show, which recently won Best in Show at the Unicycle Festival and earned the Black Performer’s Award at the Edinburgh Fringe, explores how icons can shape one woman’s life journey.

Joshua Rose’s A Crack in Time, performed by Ellen David and directed by Isaac Byrne (Sept. 19 & 21), follows an older woman waiting on a bench as memories, mysteries, and fragments of romance swirl around her—raising questions of kindness, grace, and time. In Bad Egg (Sept. 21 & 22), Kirsten Kilburn and director Haley Rice present a sharp and funny examination of villainy, self-perception, and the stories we tell about our lives.

Madeline Jaye’s Dementia and Other Exit Strategies (Sept. 26 & 27), directed by Lori Jaroslow, confronts the complexities of family care with raw honesty and humor: “Sometimes you have to take care of the people who didn’t take care of you.” Bailey Swilley’s Gimme A Sign! (Sept. 21) blends grief, family, and comedy in a ghost-tour-inspired storytelling piece, complete with haunted tampons and magical spells, directed by Tim Dunn.

Ayla Xuan Chi’s Lockdown Cckdown* (Sept. 20 & 22) dives into the unsettling, true-to-life story of a 12-year-old attempting to lose their virginity during an active shooter situation. Christy Hall’s Some Love Songs (Sept. 20 & 21) combines music, absurdist humor, and radical honesty in a guitar-driven comedy concert that ultimately reveals self-love as the most important story of all.

The featured one-act, STAY by Chris London (Sept. 26 & 27), directed by Avery Banks, explores friendship, grief, and love in the aftermath of loss, balancing humor and heart with performances by London, Chelsea Marie Logan, and Tyler Ankenman. Moira McAuliffe’s To Whom Should I Complain (Sept. 19 & 20) is a fierce, funny feminist mash-up of Shakespeare and stand-up comedy, examining religious hypocrisy and moral identity with biting wit.

Finally, the New Works Series presents Will’s War by William Wayne Windle (Sept. 24), directed by Karen Arthur. This staged reading, accompanied by wine and a talkback, tells the true story of Will Bergfeld, a Texas labor activist tried for treason during WWI, as he fights to clear his name with the help of the women in his life and his defense attorney.