In this five-month new play directing intensive, fellows work on 30-minute commissioned pieces with writers from the Clubbed Thumb community. These plays are developed over the course of a semester with Playwrights Horizons Theater School student and alumni actors, in rehearsal rooms at Playwrights Downtown. In January, the same plays are rehearsed in the same rooms in quick processes with professional actors, and performed as part of Winterworks: a five-day industry showcase.
New play directors who have worked at least three years outside of an educational setting and plan to be in NYC September 2023 through January 2024 are welcome to apply for the fellowship by completing the form HERE by May 1st, 2023.
“DRAGON FRUIT! BLACK BELUGA LENTILS! PERFECTLY SOFT-BOILED EGGS!” Seven public defenders seek meaning, belonging, and some semblance of order via their frenzied quest for the perfect lunch – while battling ACS, inequality, burnout, and a big ole serving of existential dread.
It is with great delight that we share the news that, at long last, a big hit of both Winterworks AND Summerworks 2019, NYT’s Critic’s Pick Lunch Bunch is returning for a limited run, with The Play Company. CLICK FOR TICKETS
Clubbed Thumb is seeking production interns for our 26th Summerworks festival. Interns have hands-on roles throughout May and June, plus opportunities to meet and work with both peers and professional artists. Learn more and apply how HERE
Thank you to all who attended, and congratulations to the many artists who spent their Januarys with us! Soon we will open the application for our next fellowship cohort – stay tuned!
We’re back with the 8th iteration of Winterworks – a progressive performance of three short-ish plays, which culminates our New Play Directing Fellowship – featuring:
Kedian Keohan directing BUTTON LAKE BAND CAMP
by Elijah Guo; Nemuna Ceesay directing REPLY ALL
by Jahna Ferron-Smith; and Dara Malina directing COACH COACH by Bailey Williams.
There are only 7 showings, and capacity is extremely limited! Tickets are free, but an RSVP is required. CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT
We’re excited to join forces once again with Brown University’s MFA Playwriting Program in the Department of Theatre Arts & Performance Studies
to present readings of plays by two new graduates: Nkenna Akunna and Seayoung Yim, on Tue Nov 29th and Wed Nov 30th at Playwrights Horizons.
And thank you Etsy for hosting us, and the many people who volunteered to help make it a special night. It was such a pleasure to reconnect with old friends, and to meet some new ones as we celebrated Clubbed Thumb, and the many many artists and craftspeople who we’ve had the pleasure of working with these 25 years. Check out photos on Instagram!
Want to support our 25th Anniversary? There’s still time!
Donate $25 or more to our gala campaign and we’ll send you a limited-edition Clubbed Thumb coloring book and matching pencil set!
Thank you to the over 100 artists, production staff, crew, interns and other folks who came together this year to make our 25th Summerworks. It was a giant feat – and we were so thrilled by the work we all created together.
And thank you to the thousands of audience members who came to a show or a reading this year. We did not know what to expect, but you all really showed up for our work and we are humbled by that. We’ll have plenty of updates about the future coming soon – but for now: thank you!!
Tickets are on sale now for The 25th Summerworks – running May 20th through July 2nd at the Wild Project. We’re thrilled to announce initial casting and design teams for these three plays – READ MORE AND GET YOUR TICKETS HERE
Applications are now open for the 2022-2023 cohort of Clubbed Thumb’s New Play Directing Fellowship. Directors who have at least 3 years of experience outside of an academic environment, will not be in grad school in the coming year and plan to be in NYC September 2022 through January 2023 are welcome to apply now through May 1st. CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS
Oh Summerworks, how we’ve missed you! With your idiosyncratic, fast, funny plays. On a warm summer evening with the garage door rolled up and a cold drink in hand – what could be better? We’re thrilled to be back at the Wild Project, May 20 – July 2, with three new plays we love. Please join us – we miss you too! CLICK FOR INFO & TICKETS
We are delighted to support this new work from Agnes Borinsky (playwright of Summerworks 2017’s Of Government), and directed by Machel Ross (who interned for us many years ago)! A Song of Songs is produced by The Bushwick Starr and Jeremy O. Harris, in partnership with El Puente. Performances May 10 – 27: CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS AND INFO
We’ve been eager to put out a second anthology since Funny, Strange, Provocative was published in 2007, and the last year finally provided us with the time to take on this long-awaited project. We are thrilled to announce that Unusual Stories, Unusually Told, published by Bloomsbury/Methuen, is now available!
In it you’ll find seven Clubbed Thumb plays that span 18 years of our history, as well as essays and interviews about the work, and the often atypical processes that led to their productions.
Read more about the book and get your discounted copy (and our first anthology) HERE
Over the past few months we’ve been commissioning Clubbed Thumb artists to make short videos while we wait for theaters to re-open. We’re pleased to bring you the first installment of this initiative, a series created by Directing Fellowship alumnae Kate Hopkins, Kate Eminger and Caitlin Sullivan.
It began as a chance to check-in with various CT artists during the pandemic – but quickly became a much deeper investigation of our community, of how we rely on one another, and how we might rebuild and reimagine a better future. This first episode features actress, playwright and good friend Crystal Finn cooking with her daughter Delphina (follow along from home with the recipe on the left).
The series also features an organization which started in March to address food insecurity in New York – EV Loves NYC. Their work is crucial and ongoing, and we hope the videos inspire you to spread the word about what they do, volunteer and donate. They need our help.
Click here to learn more & donate to EV Loves NYC
And stay tuned for two more episodes, featuring Chinaza Uche & Caitlin Zoz and Mel Ng – as well as more commissioned work from a variety of Clubbed Thumb artists, coming soon to CT/TV!
by Rinne Groff
directed by Trip Cullman
With Derek Lucci, Meg MacCary, Ken Marks, Susan Pourfar
Sets by Robin Vest
Costumes by Alejo Vietti
Lights by Paul Whitaker
Composer Joe Popp
Sound/Additional Music by Fitz Patton
In which a woman becomes an architect and builds a dream house, but only in her dreams.
June 6 – 12, 2004
by Sheila Callaghan
directed by Katie Pearl
With David Brooks, Flora Diaz, Effie Johnson, Anne McNamara, Michael Stumm
Sets by Andrew Cavanaugh Holland
Costumes by Jessica Gaffney
Lights by Garin Marschall
Composer/Sound by Sxip Shirey
In which a young girl asks for seven Very Strange Objects for Christmas, and her perpetually perplexed mother complies.
June 13 – 19, 2004
by Brighde Mullins
directed by Maria Mileaf
With Brienin Bryant, Patricia Buckley, Pamela Gray, Irene McDonnell, Maria Striar
Sets by Timothy R. Mackabee
Costumes by Trillian
Lights by Josh Epstein
Sound by Jeremy J. Lee
In which an idealistic young woman embarks on a hilarious and sinister journey into the perils of the American education system.
June 20 – 26, 2004
by Erin Courtney
directed by Ken Rus Schmoll
With Glenn Fleshler, Gibson Frazier, Nina Hellman, Leo Kittay, Polly Lee, Patrick McNulty, Heidi Schreck, Mark Shanahan
Sets by David Evans Morris
Costumes by Kirche Leigh Zeile
Lights by Garin Marschall
Sound by Michael Newman
In Demon Baby, an American couple, Art and Wren, move to London for his work. While he’s away she is spurred to extreme and peculiar behavior by her Anxiety — which shows up, sits on her chest, and gives devilish advice.
January 9 – 31, 2004