What's Happening!

  • APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR THE 23/24 NEW PLAY DIRECTING FELLOWSHIP

    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. 

  • LUNCH BUNCH RETURNS!

    “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

  • APPLY FOR THE 2023 SUMMERWORKS INTERNSHIP

    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

  • WINTERWORKS IS NOW CLOSED

    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!

  • WINTERWORKS 2023

    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

  • Meet the soon-to-be graduates of Brown University's MFA Playwriting Program

    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.

  • Thank you to everyone who attended or donated to our 25th Anniversary Gala!

    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!

  • SUMMERWORKS 2022 HAS COME TO AN END!

    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!!

  • MEET THE CASTS AND DESIGN TEAMS FOR SUMMERWORKS 2022

    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

  • APPLY FOR CLUBBED THUMB'S NEW PLAY DIRECTING FELLOWSHIP

    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

  • THE 25th SUMMERWORKS

    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

  • A SONG OF SONGS

    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

  • 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

  • EAT YOUR FEELINGS - three short videos about taking care of ourselves and each other

    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!

SUMMERWORKS 2019
May 17 – June 28
at the Wild Project – 195 E. 3rd Street, between Avenue A and B

CRITIC’S PICK! If you know Clubbed Thumb — and you should, because the company has more than 20 years of gutsy new play development under its belt — you’ll recognize this as a very Clubbed Thumb show: idiosyncratic, nonrealistic, gently experimental with a
Downtown’s greatest hits compilation of a cast. -Alexis Soloski, New York Times

LUNCH BUNCH

written by Sarah Einspanier
directed by Tara Ahmadinejad

With Eliza Bent, Ugo Chukwu, Irene Sofia Lucio, Keilly McQuail, Nana Mensah, Jon Norman Schneider, Mike Shapiro and Julia Sirna-Frest

sets by Jean Kim
costumes by Alice Tavener
lights by Oona Curley
sound by Ben Vigus
props by Raphael Mishler
production stage manager Alex Williamson

Seven public defenders on a quest for crumbs of joy.

May 17 – May 28, 2019

This “witty, smart production brings out the absurdity, the poignancy, and the cruelty in Zhu Yi’s rich script . . . and also, there are sheep.” – Loren Noveck, Exeunt

YOU NEVER TOUCHED THE DIRT

written by Zhu Yi
directed by Ken Rus Schmoll

With Holly Chou, John D. Haggerty, Daniel K. Isaac, Kenneth Lee, Jennifer Lim, and Julyana Soelistyo

sets by Andrew Moerdyk
costumes by Heather McDevitt Barton
lights by Jiyoun Chang
sound by Brendan Aanes
props by Raphael Mishler
production stage manager Melanie Aponte

The Lis, the Zhaos, the ghosts and the animals engage in a land feud.

June 3 – June 13, 2019

CRITIC’S PICK! One of this season’s tastier diversions. As a distant mirror to contemporary stasis, it may be too familiar for comfort. Still, in this prickly summer of American discontent, there’s sweet relief in being allowed to giggle contentedly at a shrewd, silly evocation of the kind of legislative gridlock that usually has us biting our nails and fearing for our future.
– Ben Brantley, The New York Times

KING PHILIP’S HEAD IS STILL ON THAT PIKE JUST DOWN THE ROAD

written by Daniel Glenn
directed by Caitlin Ryan O’Connell

With Rachel Christopher, Crystal Finn, Jennifer Ikeda, Elizabeth Kenny, Mary Lou Rosato, Zuzanna Szadkowski, Kristin Villanueva and Sam Breslin Wright

sets by Carolyn Mraz
costumes by Melissa Ng
lights by Amith Chandrashaker
sound by Emily Auciello
props by Raphael Mishler
production stage manager Kristy Bodall

The councilmen of Plymouth Colony determine how to be Good in the New World.

June 19 – June 29, 2019

A return of Summerworks 2018’s hit production

PLANO

written by Will Arbery
directed by Taylor Reynolds

with Crystal Finn, Susannah Flood, Miriam Silverman, Cesar J. Rosado, Ryan King, Brendan Dalton and Mary Shultz

sets by Daniel Zimmerman
costumes by Stephanie Levin
lights by Isabella Byrd
sound by Tyler Kieffer
choreography by Kelly Bartnik
props by Raphael Mishler
production stage manager Corinn Moreno

Tonight, and later, and earlier, three sisters (no, not those ones) are stricken with a series of strange plagues. Let’s talk about family nightmares. I mean, uh, memories.

April 8 – May 11, 2019
at the Connelly Theater, 220 E 4th Street between A and B

Plus the Summerworks Reading Series: afternoon presentations of plays from our Early-Career Writers’ Group:
Emma Goidel, Lily Akerman, T. Adamson, Zhu Yi, Alexander Paris, Lizzie Stern, April Ranger and Sanaz Toossi.