We’ll be back at the Wild Project May 16th through June 29th with the 27th iteration of SUMMERWORKS, featuring: Usus by T. Adamson, directed by Emma Miller; Coach Coach by Bailey Williams, directed by Sarah Blush; and Find Me Here by Crystal Finn, directed by Caitlin Sullivan. Tickets on sale now! Learn more & get yours here
Join us during Summerworks for free afternoon readings of plays by 10 exceptional playwrights. First, we’re teaming back up with Brown University’s MFA Playwriting Program in the Department of Theatre Arts & Performance Studies to present readings of plays by two graduating playwrights. CLICK FOR MORE
Then we’ll present eight readings of work-in-progress by the 23/24 Early-Career Writers’ Group. CLICK HERE TO RSVP
We were thrilled to bring Summerworks 2023’s Obie-winning hit production Grief Hotel back for a six-week run at The Public Theater, in partnership with our friends New Georges. It was very special to dig back into the play and production with the exceptional group of artists who made it, and such a joy to share it with so many more people. We had a tremendous run – sold out, extended and beloved by critics and audiences – thank you to all who attended and to all who made it possible. CLICK HERE TO READ ESSAYS AND MORE ABOUT THE SHOW
We received a record number of applications for the 24/25 New Play Directing Fellowship – thank you to everyone who submitted. We’ll be back in touch by July and applications will open for the next cohort in Feburary 2025. CLICK HERE TO LEARN ABOUT THIS PROGRAM
This weekend, we were delighted by the news that Maryann Plunkett, dots, Liza Birkenmeier and Tara Ahmadinejad had all received Obie Awards for their work on Summerworks. Richly Deserved!
Maybe you are one of the many many people who heard how amazing Liza, Tara and dots’ work on Grief Hotel was, and were sorry to have missed it??
WELL GUESS WHAT! It’s coming baaaack…. this spring! Location to be announced when ticket sales open — but SAVE THE DATE!
Thank you to the hundreds of people who joined as at Houghton Hall for the 9th annual Winterworks. We were so proud of the work these amazing artists made — and we managed to cram everyone in to share it.
Happy new year! We’re back with our 9th Annual Winterworks – a progressive performance of three short-ish plays, which culminates our New Play Directing Fellowship – featuring:
Lauren Zeftel directing MY SIX THERAPISTS by Julia Izumi
Carsen Joenk directing WATCH ME by Justice Hehir
Miranda Cornell directing CHAIRS by Hayley Stahl
with an incredible ensemble of actors. There are only 7 showings, and capacity is extremely limited! Tickets are free, but an RSVP is required.
We’re back in action with two new groups to introduce you to! Meet the Early-Career Writers – with whom we’ll convene for play reading and dinner eating, often joined by one of their estimable mentor writers – by CLICKING HERE. During Summerworks we’ll present readings of their plays-in-progress, so join us then to get to know their work.
And get to know the directors and writers in this season’s New Play Directing Fellowship by CLICKING HERE. Program mentors Anne Kauffman and Daniel Aukin, along with Clubbed Thumb staff, will support these new play processes in two phases: first with Playwrights Horizons Theater School students this fall, then in quick and scrappy workshop productions at Winterworks in January. Stay tuned for more info on that and more!
This fall’s Gala, celebrating our dear friend and collaborator Anne Kauffman, was beautiful, moving and very fun. Thank you to everyone who attended, contributed a song or a bit of writing, volunteered, donated and otherwise supported this very special night.
See more photos from the event on our Instagram (and tag @clubbedthumb if you’re posting your own) — we’ll have more in the coming days!
At the event, we raised funds in honor of Anne to help us better support the directors 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
Thank you to the artists, craftspeople, technicians, production staff, interns and everyone else who made this year’s Summerworks possible. We are immensely proud of the work we put out into the world, and delighted by how it was received.
And thank you to thousands of audience members who came out to see a show – our largest attendance ever! It is moving to see so many old friends and so many new faces gathered together in the Wild Project. With each iteration, our community expands. Thanks for being a part of it.
We’ll be spending the next two months wrapping things up and making plans for the future. You’ll hear from us in a few weeks, as we announce the cohorts of next year’s programs, and a few other projects we have cooking.
Until then: have a great summer!
Maria, Michael & Rachel
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
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