MOONSTEAK! at The Chain Theatre

NEW YORK, NY — Filmmaker, actor, and writer Adam Elliott will premiere his new one-act comedy MOONSTEAK! as part of the 2026 Chain Theatre Summer One-Act Festival this July in New York City.

Set on the eve of a comedian's most important performance, MOONSTEAK! follows two brothers debating a single line of material. What begins as a disagreement over wording soon expands into a battle over family, fame, legacy, and mankind itself.

Directed and written by Elliott, the production stars Danny Keenan and Reuben Barsky, and is produced by Rena Carter.

"When I was a college theatre student, I spent a lot of time smoking weed and staring at the moon, and not nearly enough time learning my lines," says Elliott. "Twenty years later, I wrote a play about the moon so it finally paid off."

Elliott is an award-winning filmmaker whose documentary work has screened throughout the United States and internationally. His short documentary and directorial debut, David Again, premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Festival and later screened at Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, where it received a Special Jury Mention. His latest short documentary, A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching, premieres this summer as part of Rooftop Films' New York Non-Fiction program. MOONSTEAK! marks his return to theatre after earning a BFA in Acting from Marymount Manhattan College in 2008. The diploma is framed on his wall next to his equally valuable rent-stabilized apartment lease.

Danny Keenan has appeared in the films Deadbeat, Walkby, and Swimming Naked. His theatre credits include Night of the Living Dead: The Musical at Lincoln Center. He is also the Co-Founder and Lead Personal Trainer of Method Fitness NYC and is a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Reuben Barsky is an actor, writer, musician, and jeweler. A Studio Finalist at The Actors Studio and member of its Playwrights/Directors Workshop, Barsky's recent television credits include Blue Bloods and FBI: Most Wanted. His theatre work includes Twelfth Night and Escalation Time, and his feature film The Life of Peter Gottlieb is currently available on Tubi and Apple TV.

Producer Rena Carter wrote, produced, and starred in the independent pilot Paramour No More, which screened at SeriesFest and received the Content Creator Award from Women in Film & Television. Most recently, she line produced the short film #StopAsianKate, which will have its world premiere at Sony Pictures Studios this July. As an actor, she has appeared in television, including The Rookie, as well as independent films and regional theatre.

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Ticket Link: https://www.chaintheatre.org/2026-summer-oneact-festival/block-4

Ticket Code: MOON26

Saturday, July 18, 2026 at 2:00 PM

Friday, July 24, 2026 at 8:30 PM

Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at 6:30 PM

2026 Chain Theatre Summer One-Act Festival - Program #4 Chain Theatre, 4th Floor Mainstage 312 W 36th St, New York, NY 10018