TUMACHO RETURNS IN 2020

Our hit production from Summerworks 2016 returns for four week at the Connelly Theater – February 17 – March 14, 2020.

When we first produced this play, in the summer of 2016, the question of whether a hopeless citizenry could overcome their despair and band together to fight their oppressor felt like a metaphor, a general moral query about, you know, being a better person. After three long years, we have a very different understanding of the need for communities to come together to resist.

We have always loved Tumacho for its invitation to virtuosic comic performance, and for the slyness of its critique. Now it feels like a joyful way to gird our loins for the coming fight. We’ve wanted to revisit the show since our first short run, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to be doing that right now.

with original cast members: John Ellison Conlee, Randy Danson, Gibson Frazier & Bill Buell, joined by Phillipa Soo and Andy Grotelueschen – with additional casting to be announced.

Tickets on sale in January!

CELEBRATE ALL THE HOLIDAYS WITH US ON DECEMBER 17th

Join us as we celebrate all we’ve done in 2019! There’ll be a big pot of gløgg, dancing around the tree, our signature strange and unusual traditions — and who knows, YOU might be the Troll King this year. It’s free of charge – but do RSVP so we know how large of a marzipan pig to make!

Tue, Dec 17th, starting at 5:30pm // 440 Lafayette St. RSVP HERE

Hear Vivian Barnes's new play HEAP on Fri, Nov 22nd at 2pm

Vivian won our 2018 open-application commission with the proposal for this play – and we are excited to be working on and sharing it with you this week. RSVP to natalie@clubbedthumb.org to save a seat.

HEAP by Vivian J.O. Barnes
Directed by Colette Robert
with April Matthis, Will Dagger, Danielle Davenport, Marielle Young, Polly Lee, Mikumari Caiyhe, Layla Khoshnoudi and Brian Quijada

A kaleidoscopic imagining of the book of Job seen through the eyes of his nameless wife and the denizens of their suburban cul-de-sac.

This summer's hit LUNCH BUNCH returns in 2020!

We are very excited to let you know that our production from Summerworks 2019 will return in 2020, as a co-production with our friends at The Play Company.

Lunch Bunch was born of a long, rich collaboration with Sarah, Tara and its other artists. It is very close to our hearts–and one of the most popular shows ever featured in Summerworks. How excellent to partner with PlayCo, whose work we love: two small companies sharing their resources to continue a beloved show’s growth and reach. MORE INFO HERE

Join us for a workshop presentation of Paul Cameron Hardy's new play!

This play was a finalist for our 2017 Biennial Commission and we’re excited to be working on it this week with Paul and Tara. Join us!

Untitled Dentist Play by Paul Cameron Hardy
directed by Tara Ahmadinejad
featuring: Susanna Guzman, Ellen Maddow, Purva Bedi, Kristin Villanueva, Drita Kabashi, Ned Einsenberg and Agnes Borinsky.

Forced to attend the retirement party of the town’s most-celebrated orthodontist, Dr. Idalia Navas and her staff spin into a mild existential crisis.

Fri, Oct 25th, 3pm at 440 Lafayette St
RSVP to natalie @ clubbedthumb.org

Meet the 19/20 EARLY CAREER WRITER'S GROUP and PRODUCING FELLOWS.

We have a new team of playwrights and we are delighted to introduce you to them: Crystal Finn, Deneen Reynolds, Justice Hehir, Aaron Ricciardi, Julia Izumi, Kori Alston, May Treuhaft-Ali, and Ryan Szelong. 

Nominated and mentored by members of our mid-career alumni community, these eight writers will meet over the course of the year to develop their work, culminating in presentations during Summerworks.

Read more about the playwrights and the program HERE.

And say hello to this year’s Producing Fellows: Kathy Ng and Natalie Risk.

Each year, two early-career creative producers assist on all programming, as well as casting, script evaluation, management and marketing under the guidance/mentorship of Clubbed Thumb staff, culminating in hands-on roles in Summerworks.

ANNOUNCING THE 2019 / 2020 CLUBBED THUMB DIRECTING FELLOWS

We are excited to introduce you to the incoming cohort of Directing Fellows: ANDRÉS LÓPEZ-ALICEA, EMMA MILLER and CAITLIN SULLIVAN, working on plays written by MILO CRAMER, T. ADAMSON, and GRACIE GARDNER.

This fall they’ll develop new 30 to 40 minute plays by commissioned Clubbed Thumb playwrights over the course of a semester with Playwrights Horizons Theater School student and alumni performers, in barebones, classroom settings. Then, they build on this work with workshop productions of the same plays with professional actors, presented for industry audiences at Winterworks, running January 22 – 26, 2020 at Playwrights Downtown.

Read more about the directors and the program HERE – and apply to be a part of the 20/21 cohort HERE

THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF THE 24th ANNUAL SUMMERWORKS!

We are exceptionally proud of the work we put out over the last seven weeks. Thank you to the over 150 artists, staff and interns who made it happen, and to the over 3,500 people who came to see a show this summer. If you missed it (or if you want to reminisce) you can read some selected press on the right —->

We’re writing this note while on our annual writers’ retreat in Red Bank, New Jersey, hosted by Two River Theater (with our friends, playwrights Trish Harnetiaux, Vivian Barnes, Sarah Einspanier, Milo Cramer and Zhu Yi). We’re spending the week (in addition to a lot of grilling) beginning to plan for the coming season – our next Biennial Commission, a new writers group and directing fellowship cohort, Superlabs & other workshops – and maybe a few surprises we aren’t ready to talk about just yet. So stay tuned for that.

Until then: have a great summer, and thank you.

Maria, Michael and Quinn

OUR BELOVED PRODUCTION OF PLANO HAS COME TO A CLOSE

Congratulations to the incredible team of artists who worked tirelessly to re-mount our production of Plano. We are so proud of what we all accomplished together, and delighted to have hosted over 3,000 audience members throughout the run. We couldn’t be happier – so thank you. Check out our Instagram to see photos of many of the wonderful people who visited Plano

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ATTENDED AND SUPPORTED OUR 2019 GALA

We were delighted to celebrate Sarah DeLappe, Heidi Schreck and Jaclyn Backhaus at our gala last night–thank you to the many artists who made it a fantastic party, and thank you to everyone who attended and contributed–it was a huge success and we were touched and honored by the outpour of support.

And if you couldn’t be there, it’s ok – there’s still time to contribute HERE

HAPPY OPENING TO HEIDI SCHRECK AND THE WHOLE CONSTITUTION TEAM

We’re thrilled to be above-the-title on a Broadway show for the first time, and doubly thrilled it is with our much beloved production from Summerworks 2017, What The Constitution Means to Me. Running now for a limited time at the Helen Hayes Theater – tickets and info HERE

SUPERLAB: FEATURING ANGELA HANKS

This week we’re giving Angela Hanks’s 2017 Biennial Commission Bodies they Ritual the Superlab treatment. Join us on Friday, March 15 at 3pm to hear the play, directed by Jeremy Bloom

WINTERWORKS 2019 HAS COME TO AN END

Thank you to the 35 artists and nearly 400 audience members who supported the work of our18/19 Directing Fellows: Tara Ahmadinejad, Sarah Blush and Kate Eminger. It was a great six months with these directors, and we look forward to a long relationship with each of them. Read more about them, and the program, HERE