What's Happening!

YOU'RE INVITED TO THE CLUBBED THUMB GALA

On Monday, October 6th 2025 at the Etsy Headquarters in DUMBO, Clubbed Thumb will be honoring Crystal Finn, Susannah Flood and Miriam Silverman.

These three actresses are at the very heart of what we do — as individual artists and as exemplars of their craft. Where would Clubbed Thumb be without actresses like them — and without these actresses specifically?

Crystal, Susannah and Miriam have been integral to our work for the last 15 years, and we are thrilled to announce we’ll be celebrating them at our gala this fall. CLICK FOR MORE
THANK YOU FOR COMING TO SUMMERWORKS 2025

Whether it was your first Summerworks or your 28th, we are so pleased you could join us. CLICK HERE for some photos and essays from this season.

We’ll be spending the summer incubating and planning for the fall, but we have lot of news to share, so watch this space!

In the meantime, we’re pleased to announce that our outgoing board chair will match donations up to a total of $25,000 to support future remounts of Summerworks shows (like this season’s Deep Blue Sound). He wants us to keep it up – and so do we! CLICK HERE TO JOIN THAT EFFORT
ANNOUNCING SUMMERWORKS 2025

Due to overwhelming demand, we’re adding performances this year – but Summerworks shows always sell out, so lock in your seats with a pass!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO & TO BUY YOUR PASS NOW
THANK YOU FOR A GREAT RUN!

Spending the last two months with Deep Blue Sound has been a joy and a balm. We are deeply proud of the work, and humbled by the talent and dedication of this company of artists.

The show played for six sold-out weeks and we added as many shows as we could – but sadly, we closed this weekend. Thank you to the over 4,000 people who came to visit our island. And thank you to all the artists, staff, funders and friends who made it possible. This was a special one.

Click here for photos, essays and a link to buy the play!
APPLY TO CLUBBED THUMB'S 25/26 NEW PLAY DIRECTING FELLOWSHIP

New play directors who have worked at least three years outside of an educational setting, and who plan to be in NYC September 2025 through January 2026, are welcome to apply for the fellowship by completing the form HERE – applications due April 1st!
NOW PLAYING: DEEP BLUE SOUND

Our “devastatingly beautiful” production from Summerworks 2023 returns for a limited engagement, in residence at the Public Theater. Now playing! CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS
WINTERWORKS 2025 HAS COME TO A CLOSE

Thank you to the hundreds of people who joined as at Playwrights Downtown for the 10th annual Winterworks. We were so proud of the work these amazing artists made — and we managed to cram everyone in to share it. Congratulations especially to Directing Fellows Iris McCloughan, NJ Agwuna and Laura Dupper – read more HERE
NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 10TH BIENNIAL COMMISSION

This year we lost one of our great comic dramatists: Christopher Durang. We’ve been reflecting on how powerful and much-needed savage humor like his is in a world like ours today. So, for the 10th Biennial Commission, please consider his work, especially from the 1980’s. Applications are due March 20th, 2025. Read more and submit yours HERE
ANNOUNCING A RETURN ENGAGEMENT OF SUMMERWORKS 2023'S DEEP BLUE SOUND

We are thrilled to announce that Deep Blue Sound – which ran to sold-out houses at Summerworks 2023 – will return for five weeks this winter. After a wildly successful run of Grief Hotel earlier this season, we are excited to return to The Public Theater with another Summerworks hit. CLICK FOR TICKETS & INFO
THANK YOU FOR MAKING OUR GALA SUCH A SUCCESS!

Monday night’s Gala, celebrating our dear friends and collaborators dots, was beautiful, moving and very fun. Thank you to everyone who attended, performed, volunteered, donated and otherwise supported this very special night.

See photos from the event on our Instagram (and tag @clubbedthumb if you’re posting your own)!

At the event, we raised funds in honor of dots to help us better support the designers in our community – and we happily exceeded our goal. But there’s no such thing as a late donation! If you’d like to contribute to the fund, click HERE
OUR NEW ANTHOLOGY - ON SALE NOW

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

Clubbed Thumb’s

DEEP BLUE SOUND

By Abe Koogler
Directed by Arin Arbus

On an island in the Pacific Northwest, the community gathers to address the disappearance of the local orca pod. Friendships fray, tumors grow, new love blooms, wood is chopped, poems are written. The seasons change. Will the whales ever return?

with Arnie Burton, Crystal Finn, Jan Leslie Harding, Mia Katigbak, Ryan King, Maryann Plunkett, Armando Riesco, Miriam Silverman and Carmen Zilles

sets by dots
costumes by Emily Rebholz
lights by Isabella Byrd
sound by Mikaal Sulaiman
props by Lauren Page Russell
production stage manager Kristy Bodall

A return engagement of the Summerworks 2023 production, once again featuring Tony Award winner Maryann Plunkett, who won an Obie Award for “her transformative, fearless, empathetic turn” in this “devastatingly beautiful play” (2023 Obie Committee).

February 26 through April 5, 2025

in residence at The Public’s Shiva Theater
425 Lafayette Street, NY 10003
Run Time: 90 mins, no intermission

Deep Blue Sound was developed and originally produced by Clubbed Thumb at Summerworks 2023. This production was supported in part by The Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation, Miriam Weiner and The Tobin Arts Fund