Summer Shorts (2018)

Show Info

Applauded by The New York Times as "shamelessly clever and deeply satisfying!" this acclaimed festival of short plays returns to 59E59 Theaters for a twelfth consecutive season allowing audiences to get reacquainted with some of their favorite American playwrights and discover new talent. 

Featuring two separate series (A & B) of three plays each running in rotating repertory, Summer Shorts offers a diverse range of voices, styles, and subject matter. 

Series A 

Grounded
By Chris Bohjalian
Directed by Alexander Dinelaris

With Grace Experience and K.K. Glick

A young flight attendant with a fear of flying is about to work her first transatlantic trip. When a veteran co-worker tries to help her through the turbulent crossing, she discovers that a fear of flying is the least of the young woman's secrets. 

The Living Room
Written and directed by Robert O'Hara

With Joel Reuben Ganz and Kate Buddeke

A satire. About Frank and Judy. Who are White People in a Living Room. Doing what White People in Living Rooms do. But something is different. Today Frank and Judy have questions. About the entire nature of being White People in a Living Room. 

Kenny's Tavern
By Abby Rosebrock
Directed by Jess Chayes

With Francesca Fernandez McKenzie and Stephen Guarino

Kenny's Tavern is a dive bar and liberal oasis for a certain crowd of public-school teachers in the foothills of West Virginia. On the eve of the 2016 election, two colleagues hole up in the back of their regular haunt to hash out their relationship to each other and the community they love. 

Series B 

Sparring Partner
By Neil LaBute
Directed by J.J. Kandel

With Keilyn Durrel Jones, Joanna Christie, and Clea Alsip

The long time flirtation between two co-workers comes to a head over the course of a lunchtime game of "Hollywood Names." Will their "affair of the mind" blossom into something more or is it about to take an even darker and more dangerous turn? 

Ibis
By Eric Lane
Directed by Terry Berliner

With Lindsey Broad, Deandre Sevon, and Harold Surratt

Ty has been haunted by the disappearance of his father ever since Victor abandoned his family twenty years ago. But when he hires a no-nonsense female detective to solve the mystery and track Victor down, the answers she uncovers add up in ways that even Ty could never have predicted. 

The Plot
By Claire Zajdel
Directed by James Rees

With Molly Groome and Jake Robinson

Frankie and Tyler's mother has purchased a plot at the local cemetery, and today her children have been summoned to approve their mother's final resting place. As they wait for her to arrive, Frankie and Tyler's growing realization of their own mortality triggers an avalanche of emotions.