Bonefruit by Leah Plante-Wiener
LEAH PLANTE-WIENER (Playwright) (she/her). Originally from Montreal, Canada, Leah is a New York-based playwright currently pursuing her MFA in playwriting at Columbia University. Her work has been produced through Soho Playhouse, the Chain Theatre, the Road Theatre, Playwrights Horizons Theatre School, Columbia University, SUNY Purchase, the Broke People Play Festival, and Round the Bend. Leah is obsessed with mythmaking, the body and its shadowy realms, the dreamlike and the grotesque, and obsession itself. Proud recent graduate of the NYU Tisch BFA program in dramatic writing.
EULÀLIA COMAS (Director) is a steward of storytelling processes based in Brooklyn. She tells stories about people who create words and worlds for survival.
SARAH-MICHELE GUEI (Lark) is an actor from Los Angeles. She is a second-year MFA actor at Columbia. Recent work includes Fabulation and In the Blood.
INDIA SHEA (Anhedonia) is a second-year MFA candidate at Columbia. They are so pleased to be in this post-apocalyptic dreamscape with you.
TESS WALSH (Dramaturg) (they/them) is a dramaturg currently finishing degrees in Anthropology + Theatre and Performance at SUNY Purchase. This play is their niece.
Natalie Wood Was Not Puerto Rican by Matt Barbot
MATT BARBOT (Playwright/Director). Playwright from Brooklyn, MFA from Columbia University. Next: the beautiful land i seek (la linda tierra que busco yo) with Fault Line Theatre in November.
SAMANTHA GALARZA (Ana) is a SAG-AFTRA actress, writer, educator, podcaster, performance artist, and director whose work bridges the gap between mainstream media and progressive de-colonial art.
MICHAEL JOHN IMPROTA (Sam). A proud Boricua artist, and ensemble member of The New York Neo-Futurists. You can see his work in their weekly show, The Infinite Wrench.
OMAR PEREZ (Herbie). Stage credits include Randy Dandy’s Coaster Castle and Torched. TV credits include Younger (TV Land), Power, Ray Donovan (Starz), Russian Doll (Netflix) and Search Party (TBS).
JILLIAN K. WATERS (Stage Directions) is honored to be part of this reading. Lifetime Member of The Actors Studio. BFA: Emerson College; MFA: ASDS at Pace University.
What We Talk About When We Talk About The Homeless by Adi Eshman
ADI ESHMAN (Playwright) is a playwright, screenwriter and educator based in Los Angeles, CA. He holds an MFA in Dramatic Writing from the USC School for Dramatic Arts. His plays have been performed at Columbia University, USC, NYU, Los Angeles Theatre Center, Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre and the Tank. His short film ANNE has been accepted into over 30 film festivals throughout the US and Canada. It was also in consideration for the 2023 Academy Awards for Best Live Action Short Film. He was a 2018 Jewish Plays Contest finalist, a recipient of the NYU Jewish Studies Grant and is a former member of the Civilians’ Field Research Team. For more information, check out his website at adieshman.net. BA: NYU Gallatin.
ASH(ER) LLOYD EHRENBERG (Director) (they/them) is a trans/non-binary director based in Brooklyn. Recent collaborations include projects with the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, the Tank, Atlantic Theater Company, New York City Center, New York Philharmonic, Bang On a Can and NYU. asherlloyd.com
SOPHIE HOYT (Alice) (she/her). Theatre: What You Get, Ghosts, For the Culture. TV: Law & Order SVU, La Locura, Chicago Med. Film: East of Middle West, Come As You Are.
BEN SALUS (Dustin) (he/him). Creator of Frat Hamlet. @bensalus
SOPHIA CLAIRE SMITH (Margot) (she/her) is a New York-based actor and graduate of Boston University School of Theatre. Recent credits include I-330 in the world premiere of WE with River Rep Theatre. Thank you to this talented team! sophiaclairesmith.com
BLAKE WILLIAMS (Justin) (he/him). Theatre: Giant Killer Slugs! (Pipeline Theater Company), Sweat (Long Island Theatre Collective). TV: God Friended Me (CBS). Film: I Carry You with Me, Trolloween. actorblakewilliams.com
A Sprinkle of Grace by Eric Craft
ERIC CRAFT (Playwright) is a playwright, director and actor proudly based in New Jersey. He has written two full-length plays and a full-length musical, The Blank Page, for which he wrote the book and lyrics and self-produced out of college. His play And Every Creeping Thing was selected for a residency with the New Jersey Play Lab in 2022. He has multiple one-act plays and monologues for young actors, including his plays Finding the Root and The Struggle Bus. Other one-acts include The Edge of Infinity, which received a staged reading with the Chaotic Good Collective, and Whoa There, Grandma, which was a featured finalist of The Summit Playhouse’s 2020 Summer Bake-Off. He holds a BA in Theatre Studies from Montclair State University.
FAITH DOWGIN (Lyn) voices Zelda Anders in the Porch Room’s award-winning audio-drama Mission:Rejected. She is delighted to make her OOB Festival debut.
MEG FOLEY (Brooke) is thrilled to be joining friends, old and new, for this incredible festival. Keep up to date with all her projects over at @nutmeghope.
JOANN MERRIGAN (Irene)‘s stage experience includes NJPAC, the Forum Theatre and various off-Broadway venues. She is celebrating her 12th summer as Artistic Director of Sundance Theatre Camp.
ALANNA MONTE (Heather) is thrilled to be returning to NYC! Thank you, Eric — always honored to be part of your work! BA in Theatre: Montclair State. @monte.alanna
KIERSTEN MORGAN (Crys) is a Theatre graduate of Montclair State University. Notable in her performances of The Blank Page (Luna Stage) and with The Sirens of Circe. @kierstenmorg [/vc_column_text][vc_separator type=”normal” color=”#ffffff”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_separator type=”normal”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_separator type=”normal” color=”#ffffff”][vc_column_text]
2023 OOB Festival Credits
Festival Sponsor
Concord Theatricals
2023 Festival Judges
Jason Aguirre
Christina Anderson
Hilary Bettis
Eleanor Burgess
Steph Del Rosso
Jason Eagan
Skylar Fox
Gracie Gardner
Margaret Ledford
Jill Rafson
Jonathan Silverstein
Emmanuel Wilson
Honorary Playwright
James Ijames
Festival Artistic Director
Casey McLain
Literary Director/Opening Night Party Moderator
Garrett Anderson
Festival Host/Client Manager
Abbie Van Nostrand
House Manager
Tyler Mullen
Box Office Manager
Rosemary Bucher
Marketing Team
Meredith Foster
Jeremiah Hernandez
Courtney Kochuba
Imogen Lloyd Webber
Festival Production Coordinators
Cambria Martin
Clare Rankine
Alexandra Varitek
Festival Support Staff
Ella Andrew, Victoria Bond, Meredith Foster, Shaina Gilks, Jeremiah Hernandez, Ben Keiper, Rachel Levens, David McMaines, Gabriela Morales, Nate Netzley, Kristen Rea, Rachel Smith, Faith Williams
2023 Submissions Readers
Ella Andrew, Caroline Barnard, Caroline Bohnenberger, Jim Colleran, Charlie Coulthard, Sequoyah Douglas, Meredith Foster, Marquis Hardin, Rachel Levens, Amy Rose Marsh, Debbie McLean, David McMaines, Elizabeth Minski, Gabriela Morales, Tyler Mullen, Alexander Perez, Kristen Rea, Rachel Smith, Abbie Van Nostrand, Sarah Weber, Faith Williams
Special Thanks
Sean Flahaven, Bill Gaden, Concord, City Theatre Miami
About Concord Theatricals
Concord Theatricals is the world’s most significant theatrical company, comprising the catalogs of R&H Theatricals, Samuel French, Tams-Witmark and The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection, plus dozens of new signings each year. Our unparalleled roster includes the work of Irving Berlin, Agatha Christie, George & Ira Gershwin, Marvin Hamlisch, Lorraine Hansberry, Jeremy O. Harris, Kander & Ebb, Tom Kitt, Ken Ludwig, Marlow & Moss, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Anaïs Mitchell, Dominique Morisseau, Cole Porter, Theresa Rebeck, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Thornton Wilder and August Wilson. We are the only firm providing truly comprehensive services to the creators and producers of plays and musicals, including theatrical licensing, music publishing, script publishing, cast recording and first-class production.