Arts Independent

NEW YORK, NY — This summer, the spirits of literary giants will haunt the New York stage as Laros Theatre presents a special, one-night-only showing of the new gothic musical, MY GHOSTS.

The production serves as a featured event of the ManiFestival, an inaugural new works festival produced by Diamond Mesh Inc. Theatrical Productions (led by Matt Bader and Faith Pasch). Scheduled for August 4 at 9:15 p.m., the performance acts as a “Grand Finale” for the festival’s special event series, intentionally timed to celebrate the birth of romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley—the radical thinker and husband to Frankenstein creator, Mary Shelley.

A Tunefully Dark Comedy of Literary ProportionsMY GHOSTS is a fantastical dark musical comedy that pulls back the curtain on the agony of creation. The story follows acclaimed author Cab Curio as he struggles to defeat his most relentless “inner critics” — the literal ghosts of Shakespeare, Marlowe, and Wilson. Racing against a ticking clock, Curio seeks the aid of Lenore, a mysterious clock tower ghost with a secret of her own, in a desperate bid to find his voice before his time runs out.
The musical is the brainchild of a powerhouse creative duo:Book by Erica Elsa Laros: A poet, artist, and New York Times-published obituary writer.Music & Lyrics by David Laros: An international piano entertainer and veteran musical theatre composer and director.

MY GHOSTS had two successful workshop production in New York prior to this off-Broadway showing. It is also featured on Channel Indie TV.

The ManiFestival Mission: Reclaiming ConnectionThe ManiFestival (running July 16th – August 9th) arrives at a time of deep digital isolation. Diamond Mesh Inc. created the festival as a response to the “why” behind modern loneliness, seeking to build a bridge between the artist and the audience.“You did not stumble upon these questions. You found them,” says the Diamond Mesh mission statement. 

“We have been looking for you too.”The Mainstage LineupIn addition to MY GHOSTS and a series of one & two night only special events, the ManiFestival features three anchor productions:

Club 27 (Written by Maeve Z. O’Connor; Starring Faith Pasch): A confessional cabaret grappling with the spirits of Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, and the infamous “27 Club.”

Piss.JPG (Working Title) (Written by/Starring Michael Gardiner & Justin Jager; Dir. Daniel Yaiullo): A “Gen Z Waiting for Godot“—an absurd romp through the American stage that is as life-affirming as it is impossible to explain.

The Silly William Gambit (Written by/Starring Matt Bader; Dir. Justin Jager): An eccentric chess prodigy plays seven real-time matches against a mysterious entity on a train bound for Hell (or Philadelphia).

TICKETS & SHOWTIME for MY GHOSTS – August 4 @ 9:15 p.m.Full ManiFestival schedule: July 16 – August 9, 2026

Contact info@jaymichaelsarts.com

Article by guest writer, Dr. Mira Solis

As the Fresh Fruit Festival prepares to raise the curtain on its 2026 season, all eyes are on the Mainstage at The Wild Project. Opening the festival is a visceral new work that promises to be as messy as its title suggests: The Sloppy Abandon of Excavated Love.

For Dennis Bush — a playwright whose work has resonated from London to Johannesburg — this production marks a poignant return to a creative “home.” In this in-depth look, we explore the origins of the play, the weight of queer history, and the delicate balance between the “editor brain” and the raw pulse of independent theatre.

The Catalyst: A Journal from the 1980s

At the heart of the play is Marcus, a man who, prior to the first scene, has already been “absorbed” by a found journal from the 1980s. While some might see a diary as a mere window into the past, for Marcus, it is an excavation site.

Selecting the 1980s as the focal point was no accidental choice. It was an era defined by a “sloppy” and negligent government response to the AIDS crisis—a time when an entire generation of gay men was treated with contempt by the Reagan administration. By digging up these stories, Marcus isn’t just reading history; he is inviting a ghost into his modern-day relationships.

“As we excavate the layers of history and the layers of our relationships, sometimes we encounter love and sometimes it’s just a sloppy, emotional mess.”

The Friction of the Present

The play finds Marcus in the aftermath of a breakup with his ex-boyfriend, Jason, and navigating a strained living situation with his roommate (and former roommate-with-benefits), Kelvin. The journal acts as a magnifying glass for fractures that were already there.

While Kelvin and Jason blame the physical object of the journal for Marcus’s detachment, the play suggests a more complex power: the past has a unique ability to disrupt the present when honesty is in short supply.

The Anatomy of “Sloppy” Love

The title, The Sloppy Abandon of Excavated Love, serves as a visceral descriptor for the human condition. In the world of this play:

• Sex is sloppy: It is often used as a substitute for the terrifying work of honest communication.
• Politics are sloppy: Reflecting on the systemic failures of the 80s and 90s.
• Emotions are sloppy: The mess that occurs when people try to hang onto a version of a relationship that no longer exists.

Despite the “damage” and “flaws” of these characters, the narrative is ultimately an audacious and inspiring one. It isn’t a story about a descent into obsession; rather, it is about the return—the difficult journey of facing the things that broke us apart in order to move forward.

A Creative Home at The Wild Project

Staging the work at The Wild Project provides an essential layer of intimacy. The proximity of the audience to the actors transforms the play into a shared journey. This setting is particularly vital for a cast that the playwright describes as a “dream company”:

Character	Actor	Defining Quality
Marcus	Chris Ikner	Set the bar from the first audition.
Kelvin	Mark-Eugene Garcia	A passionate supporter who threw himself into the role.
Aaron	John Trindl	A radiant mix of candor and curiosity.
Jason	Collin Hendley	Brought unexpected heart and good humor.
Sula	Grace Maddux	A force of nature who reimagined the character.

Led by award-winning director Lester Thomas Shane, this ensemble is tasked with balancing “savage wit” with “emotional bombshells.”

The Consultant’s Craft: Writing vs. Editing

For a writer who also serves as a high-level script and dialogue consultant, the creative process is a disciplined split. The “writing brain” takes over from 10:00 pm to 3:00 am—a time for raw creation. The “editor brain” is reserved for the late morning, sharpening the dialogue that has allowed these stories to be produced in all 50 U.S. states and nearly every Canadian province.

This international resonance stems from a simple philosophy: Specificity leads to universality. Whether a director is in Laos or an actor is in Singapore, the core struggle to find meaningful connection remains a universal human language.

The State of the Indie Scene in 2026

As the play sets the tone for the Fresh Fruit Festival, it also serves as a reminder of the challenges facing independent creators. In a landscape where funding is scarce and support is hard-won, the playwright argues that artists are the “mirrors” society needs to see itself clearly.

The Sloppy Abandon of Excavated Love is more than a play; it is a bridge between the queer history of the 80s and the lived reality of 2026. It reminds us that while the excavation of the past is messy, it is the only way to find the truth buried beneath the surface.

Tickets available at https://events.ticketleap.com/events/alloutarts