Tickets Available for FRESH FRUIT FESTIVAL MAINSTAGE 2026 in NYC
The Wild Project hosts the Fresh Fruit Festival Mainstage 2026 from April 20 to May 3, featuring a diverse lineup including 'The Sloppy Abandon of Excavated Love' and 'Mister Snickers...'
From Monday, April 20 through Sunday, May 3, the Fresh Fruit Festival Mainstage takes over The Wild Project (195 E 3rd St) for a dynamic showcase of LGBTQ+ brilliance. Hailed by Edge Media as "the most inclusive expression of LGBT arts ever held in the City of New York," this year's festival continues to redefine what it means to be "inclusive."
Through the generosity of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Fresh Fruit provides a global platform for artists from Australia to Israel, and right here in the five boroughs.
From award-winning documentaries to "Best of" recognized theater, the festival remains a "profoundly effective weapon against all forms of prejudice," as noted by former Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer.
THE 2026 MAINSTAGE LINEUP
This year's curated selection features a breathtaking array of genres, from sci-fi melodramas to biting social comedies:
FEATURED EVENTS
- The Sloppy Abandon of Excavated Love (Dennis Bush): When Marcus discovers a 1980s journal from a former tenant in his apartment, the past and present collide in a minefield of passion with his former lover.
- Mister Snickers... (Michael Raimondi): A musical, pop-up book style journey through NYC following a gay man's alcohol-soaked attempt to build a chosen family with his dog, Mister Snickers.
- Billy To His Friends (Cassandra Rose): A modern ensemble reclaims the history of Oliver "Billy" Sipple-the man who saved President Ford but was outed against his will by Harvey Milk.
- When We Practice to Deceive (Reginald T. Jackson): Hilarity ensues when a mother overhears her son's trans girlfriend in the bathroom of an expensive restaurant, leading to a comedic standoff.
- Little Bitches (Esme Roberts): A sharp, comedic coming-of-age play set at a sweltering California summer camp where a 15-year-old lesbian in denial faces a fracture in her social hierarchy.
- Igniting the Spark (Kathleen Potts): A night between a young police officer and a Native American artist transitions from a sexy encounter to something far more sinister.
FULL-LENGTH PLAYS, ONE-ACTS, READINGS
- A Perfect Map of Everything (Connor Geary): Hugo's obsession with cartography draws massive crowds to his home, while his roommate Hamlin struggles to maintain a connection as Hugo charts the world.
- Quantum Gravity (Jude Cramer): A sci-fi melodrama where two men race through iconic eras of queer history, facing the legacy of the past to save a chance at a romantic future.
- Late Blooming (Yueh-Yeh Li): A closeted Chinese American novelist in Queens confronts the tension between his hidden life and his parents' expectations when a childhood friend returns.
- Breach (DAN MANJOVI): In the spring of 2024, the professional relationship between a 64-year-old therapist and her 30-year-old gay patient is tested by a revelation that shatters objectivity.
- Three Paintings (Virgo): Artists Wyatt and Taylor must finally confront a conversation about race, privilege, and the ethics of creative commentary within their relationship.
- Hail Mary! (John Jamiel): A memory play inspired by The Glass Menagerie featuring a standoff between an 89-year-old mother and her 60-year-old son fighting for his identity.
- Wiley (Katherine McNair): A lighthearted comedy about a woman's search for a roommate that leads to an unexpected and life-changing friendship.
- Sunbeam (K. Stanger): A woman suspended in a liminal space encounters "GOD"-who may be divine or just another version of herself-to unpack faith and queerness.
- Staged Reading: The Last Sonic On Earth (Joshua Piper): After a rumored kiss between classmates, three teens at a roller-skating fast-food joint must navigate the pressures of toxic masculinity and boyhood.
- Staged Reading: Exit Smiling (Den Harrow): In a Manhattan hotel suite, Truman Capote and Babe Paley reunite for one final, barbed conversation as the illusions of their mythic friendship crack.
Videos
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Broadway Magic Hour Broadway Comedy Club (1/01-6/30) |
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"Present Laughter" by Noel Coward Stag & Lion Theatre (5/14-5/24) |
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Miss Robusta's Reel to Real: From Film to Footlights The Stonewall Inn (5/27-5/27) |
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Twelfth Night: 1941 El Barrio's Artspace (5/31-5/31) |
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AAPI:Playlist Volume 2 - Behind the Playlist The Green Room 42 (5/24-5/24) |
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Rock Never Dies Hard Rock Cafe (5/29-8/30) |
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Barbie Fest: The Unauthorized Unofficial Parodies of the Princess & the Pauper and the Three Musketeers The Chain (5/21-5/24) |
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Luke Bryan Constellation Brands Performing Arts Center (8/26-8/26) |
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Sylvia The Theatre at St. Jean's (6/06-6/07) |
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Breathe, Songs of Holding On and Letting Go Don't Tell Mama (5/21-5/29) |
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