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THE RETURN OF THE FESTIVAL GIANT: Midtown International Theatre Festival Announces Triumphant NYC Comeback with a powerhouse 2026 Season
NEW YORK, NY — The lights are coming back up on one of independent theatre’s most vital institutions. After a nearly decade-long hiatus, the Midtown International Theatre Festival (MITF) officially announces its historic return to the New York stage in June/July 2026. In a landmark collaboration, MITF Founder and Executive Producer John Chatterton has partnered with indie theatre luminary Jay Michaels to relaunch the festival at the prestigious American Theatre of Actors (ATA). The revival coincides with the ATA’s 50th Anniversary, turning the entire three-theatre complex into a sprawling hub of creative innovation from June 15 through July 26, 2026.
OFFICIAL SHOW LISTINGS: 2026 SEASON (dates and tickets TBA)
Americaring By Kate Gill Directed by Frank Licato. The conflict of the play is set off by an injustice of the healthcare system. A family is left motherless with a father who turns to alcohol. The teen daughter and her brothers must find a way to survive on their own. Then the girl falls in love with a wealthy boy in her high school. But there is a secret barrier they face.
Beethoven’s Wrong Note By Jay Stephenson starring James Harkness (Broadway: Ain’t Too Proud; Beautiful; The Color Purple, Chicago). as Ludwig van Beethoven. This 2024 Perry Award winning original musical finds Beethoven caught in a Faustian deal with Mozart’s librettist over a potboiler script. The drama quickly pours outside the confines of the rehearsal stage in what could have been “The Greatest Opera Yet Written!”
Cool at Camp By Dani Tapper, Peter Weidman, Steven Blutig, Robin Raskin, and Emily Stumer Cool at Camp is an adult, meshuga musical comedy packed with humor, a slightly raunchy edge, and the kind of nostalgia that brings the audience right back to their teenage summers at camp.
Crabs in a Barrel By Reginald T. Jackson A dramatic tour de force centered on three people who find themselves in an existential “Hell.” Jackson, a PEN America Writers’ Fund grant recipient, presents a modern-day love triangle where secrets and unspeakable crimes are slowly revealed. Jackson just completed a world premiere of another play at the Fresh Fruit Festival.
How to Swallow a Volcano By Anne McDermott Directed by Padraic Lillis, this solo show explores love, therapy, and the art of making bad choices with enthusiasm. Anne navigates sessions with an unflappable therapist and the mess of real life, exploring what happens when being “nice” becomes a liability.
Leaving Kiev: Coming Full Circle By Mila Levine An autobiographical one-woman show featuring original music, poetry, and dance. It tells the story of a resilient Jewish girl from Ukraine immigrating to the United States. Addressing themes of antisemitism and immigration, the show marks a “full circle” moment for Levine, whose work first debuted here in 2015.
Monarch: The Mexican-American Musical By Alfonso Molina and Mayu Molina Lehmann A powerful new work exploring the lives of undocumented immigrants. The story follows Luis as he takes refuge in a church, pursued by an ICE officer in a narrative style reminiscent of Les Misérables. After a successful premiere at the Los Angeles Theater Center and a Helen Hayes Award recommendation, the production makes its Off-Broadway debut.
Mother Boswick: The Best Show You Never Knew You Needed By David Magidson Meet a 121-year-old advice-giving widow from the tiny hamlet of Squinch Hollow. Magidson, a former Ringling Bros. clown, brings his international experience to this character-driven comedy where Mother Boswick dispenses questionable wisdom and unique astrological advice.
Omeed’s Tapestries By Barry M. Putt, Jr. Directed by Robert Liebowitz, this play tells the story of an Iranian shopkeeper and his partner planning to flee their homeland to live openly. Inspired by over three dozen first-person accounts, the play navigates the danger they face when their secret is discovered. The Drama Book Shop will host a special event for this production in June.
One In A Million Cabaret By Kevin Davis Featuring a live band led by Davis, an internationally acclaimed musician, on saxophone, a group of friends humorously discovers the fragility of life, love, and faith when they win the lottery! The production arrives with five BroadwayWorld nominations, including Best Director.
Pandemia: Act of Gods by Jason S. Abrams follows the colliding lives of two households: a straight couple navigating the chaotic pressures of parenting a young child in a cramped apartment, and a pair of ex-boyfriends forced to navigate the awkward transition from former lovers to sequestered roommates. As the world outside grinds to a halt, these four New Yorkers are forced to confront their pasts, their futures, and each other during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Picking Up Stones By Sandra Laub An 80-minute one-woman theatrical piece that confronts the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the personal lens of an American Jewish woman processing the aftermath of October 7, 2023. Written and performed by Laub and produced by Jerry Fischer, the play uses stones as a central metaphor for memory and historical weight. Winner of the 2024 Providence Fringe Artists For Artists Award. “…a must see show” Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Shangri-La-La By Mike Meier and Peter Giambalvo A comedy musical about Siegfried & Roy that captures the moment Las Vegas reinvented itself as a family-friendly destination. The story follows a young German assistant named Joshua who sees behind the sequins and manufactured myths of the legendary magicians.
Stick to the Script! By Amy Losi Directed by Laurie Rae Waugh (both members of the American Theatre of Actors repertory), this is a comedic look at the chaos of independent theater. An amateur troupe has one week left to rehearse a new play, but they are hampered by dropped lines, a TikTok-distracted stage manager, and a sarcastic director with a short fuse.The one-act version won “The Spirit of the Hartford Fringe Festival Award.”
The Anxiety of Laughing by Andrew Justvig is a heartfelt tale of resilience and love that follows Joey, a stand-up comedian with cerebral palsy, and his fiancée, Leah, a talented ballerina. As they support each other in pursuing their dreams, a tragic car accident shatters their lives, leaving Leah paralyzed from the waist down and testing the depths of their commitment.
The Crossword Play (or Ezmeranda’s Gift) By Donna Hoke Directed by Janel Walton and featuring Xavior Love as a professional crossword constructor who creates a custom puzzle for his ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend live on stage. As he fills the grid in real-time, he unravels a deeply personal story of love and redemption. Nominated for a record 10 BroadwayWorld Anchorage Awards including Best New Play and Best Play, winning Best Director for Janel Walton
The Hallway written by Bill Keenan and directed by Jesse William Green. Trapped in a hotel hallway at 3:17 a.m., two strangers in bathrobes discover that the hardest door to knock on is always the one you most need to.
The Harm by Dennis Leroy Kangalee The Harm is a stripped-down, four-character play set in a college classroom, where a provocative lecture on media, race, and power unravels into a crisis of perception and accusation. The play investigates how language shapes reality in the present moment—how words, intention, and interpretation diverge, and how “harm” is constructed, claimed, and adjudicated.
Whatever By Scott Brooks Directed by Ashley Olive Teague, A billionaire’s private pilot is paid to NOT fly him anywhere in this suspenseful play about power, information and what it means to be human in this digital age.
THE 2026 ROSTER ALSO INCLUDES:
A Woman in Reverse (Andrea Mezvinsky); Across a Crowded Room (F.J. Hartland); Functions (Anton Spivack); Husbands (Matthew Ethan Davis); I Am (Brooklyn) (Vince Bandille); Kierkegaard’s Gun (Andy Treusch); Where I Come From (Jerry Metzker); Princess Peighs Sword Fighting Tea Party (Zach Alexander and Melissa Leigh); Samovar (Roger Hendricks Simon)
Absurdity, Activism, and the Authentic Self: Julie Lorson’s Vision for Five Lesbians Eating Quiche
The Modern Classics Theatre Company of Long Island (MCT), the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in residence at the BACCA Arts Center, is distinguished by its commitment to staging challenging, innovative, and socially relevant theatre.1 With a core mission to produce works “seldom seen on Long Island” and championing non-traditional casting, MCT ensures its repertoire actively engages with contemporary issues.2 Leading this effort is Director Julie Lorson, whose selection and staging of the comedy Five Lesbians Eating Quiche exemplifies the company’s purposeful artistry.
Article by guest writer, Anya Kai
The Production: Five Lesbians Eating Quiche (November 2025)
The production, running from November 8 to November 23, 2025, is a staging of the 2012 New York International Fringe Festival Winner, written by Evan Linder & Andrew Hobgood.3 Set in 1956, the play centers on the Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein, whose annual quiche breakfast is interrupted by the chilling reality of nuclear war.4
The Dual Message
Director Julie Lorson’s insightful Director’s Note reveals the play’s depth, moving beyond mere farce:
“Beneath the laughter lies a powerful story about five women who long for freedom in a world that tells them who they should be… In this play, our war widows gather to celebrate community, sisterhood, and courage.”
Lorson observes a troubling resonance with the present: “It is disheartening to see echoes of that same repression returning under the current administration. Rights once fought for are being questioned again.” She frames the production as an act of resistance, calling on the audience to “laugh loudly. Cheer boldly. And as you do, remember the bravery of those who came before us.”
Spotlight on the Director: Julie Lorson 🌟
Julie Lorson is a true “jack of all trades” in the Long Island theatre community. Beyond her directorial role, she is a producer, stage manager, and actor, and serves on the board of directors for both Modern Classics Theatre and Bellport Playcrafters.5
The Selection Process: Serendipity and Social Relevance
Lorson’s initial interest in the play was rooted in the need for a production that fit MCT’s criteria (5+ cast, one setting) and her personal inclination toward comedy. The choice of Five Lesbians Eating Quiche was serendipitous:
“I went on Concord Theatricals, put in the criteria and because it’s sorted by alphabetical order 5 Lesbians came up first. Obviously, intrigued by the title, I found the PDF of the script online and I FELL IN LOVE!“
This initial spark of intrigue quickly evolved into a realization of the play’s profound thematic fit within MCT’s mission.
The Obstacle: An Innovative Casting Challenge
A significant directorial choice that shaped this production was Lorson’s solution to working with a large ensemble while preserving the core dynamic of the five main characters:
- Non-Traditional Casting: Rather than a simple ‘A’ vs. ‘B’ cast structure, Lorson intentionally created “8 different casts” by mixing the performers.
- The Goal: This innovative approach was designed to make “each show… a unique experience and give the actors a challenge,” while also preventing competition and forcing the entire company to “work together to create a great show which feels in the spirit of the show.”
This intricate scheduling and creative mixing demonstrate Lorson’s commitment to prioritizing the actors’ collaborative development and the unique immediacy of live performance.
MCT’s Mandate: Theatre That Matters
Lorson is proud to align this production with MCT’s history of impactful storytelling, citing recent works that tackle pressing social topics:
| Theatrical Production | Social Theme Explored |
| POTUS | Political and gender dynamics |
| A View From The Bridge | Immigration and moral dilemmas |
| The Laramie Project | LGBTQ+ rights and hate crime |
| The Shadow Box, Curious Incident, Of Mice & Men | Powerful human, mental health, and social struggle stories |
MCT’s continued dedication to “diversity, equity, and inclusion” under Lorson’s influence cements its position as a vital, purposeful theatre company on Long Island.
What’s Next
Following the closing of Five Lesbians Eating Quiche, Julie Lorson will immediately dive into her own annual tradition:
- Acting Festival: She will be performing in the MCT’s annual one minute play festival, appearing in 13 out of the 46 plays submitted this year, showcasing her versatile talent across many short-form pieces.
Cleats, Chords, and Connections: Jim Catapano reviews 2 by Ken Couglin
Ken Coughlin’s New Plays Are Love Letters to Two Legendary Pastimes
The award-winning Ken Coughlin has turned his attention to two of the most cherished pursuits of modern times: Baseball and Music. Hang Up Your Cleats, directed by Laurie Rae Waugh, and The Next Audition, directed by Coughlin, are performed together at the American Theatre of Actors, and truly fit like a glove. They are an insightful look at two of the passions that define modern culture, and how they inspire and connect people from all walks of life. Both plays are realized by a cast that brings a fitting charm and warmth to Coughlin’s resonant words.
Hang Up Your Cleats follows its characters over the course of over 20 years, beginning in 1931 during the prohibition era. The setting is a Speakeasy in a town with a popular baseball team at its center. The team’s star hitter, Otto Grafton (Kevin Ford), is in a 27-week slump, which he responds to by slumping into the bar to nurse his wounds. He tells the bar’s owner, Bart (Phil Oetiker), a devoted fan, that he is going to quit. The kindly Bart talks him into giving it one more go, promising that he will hang up Otto’s cleats behind the bar as a tribute when he eventually does retire (and giving the play’s title a second, more positive meaning).
This leads to a series of emotional vignettes over the course of the next two decades, segueing to the sounds of many different renditions of “Take Me Out to The Ballgame.” Bart’s son, Bart Jr. (Brian Michael O’ Neill) takes over the bar, Prohibition ends, and soon, the cleats above the bar multiply—a makeshift Wall of Fame for the town’s ballplayers, both famous and under-the-radar. We meet Cliff Samson (Dennis Mullikin), a kid who has just been cut from the local team. Soon we see that Bart Jr. has not only inherited his dad’s bar, but his compassion and love of the game as well—he urges Cliff not to give up.
In the spring of 1943, the bar is host to ballplayers Luke (Daniel Dennehy), Jim (Jacob Ward), and Benny (Luc Mitchell). The trio announce to Bart that they are not reporting to spring training, and due to the year, we immediately know why. Moved by their sacrifice, Bart hangs up their cleats in honor of the men. After the war ends, Women’s Baseball players Shirley (Julianne Lorndale) and Nadine (Sonia Halle) come into Bart’s to lament the end of their league, considered superfluous when all the male stars returned from overseas. Bart gives them both a place on the cleat wall, and starts a relationship with Shirley. Now partners in life and in business, the two meet Calvin Briggs (Will Allen). Calvin is a ballplayer from the Negro Leagues whose team has disbanded. Bart and Shirley welcome and honor him, rebuking former ballplayer Sam (also played by Oetiker) for his bigotry when he encounters Calvin.
The kind heart and compassion of Bart Jr., beautifully portrayed by O’Neill, is at the center of the play, coupled with the magical ability of baseball to bring people together. Bart’s bar becomes the “Cheers” of the town, and as the story progresses into the 1950s, all the characters come together as a kind of family—including Eloise (Aileen Bergin) and Martha (Valerie O’ Hara), sister and mom of one of the ballplayers. The group is united by their support of each other in hard times, shared history, and their devotion to the National Pastime. It all comes together to make Hang Up Your Cleats a moving tribute to human resilience and connection.
The topic shifts to music with The Next Audition. It’s the story of gigging lifelong guitarist Ken (Coughlin), as relayed and debated by Tom (Thomas J. Kane) and Val (Valerie O’Hara). The play is cleverly staged In Ken’s workshop, where he wordlessly tinkers with five guitars in the background while Tom and Val regale us with stories of his misadventures on the local concert circuit over the years—the gig on the boardwalk that lasted one night; the residency at the Italian restaurant that made it to a miraculous three weeks.
“Who wants to hear a bad, loud version of ‘Good Golly Miss Molly’ while they’re trying to enjoy their Risotto alle coste?” scoffs Tom.
Ken is seemingly oblivious to their conversation as he meditatively works on his collection. As opposed to the cynical Tom, Val is generally encouraging of Ken’s goals.
“You never get more unless you demand it,” she proclaims, suggesting that Tom is a dream-destroyer.
“Well maybe he should have spent more time getting the gigs that paid more,” he snarks back, suggesting that each failed endeavor only causes Ken to slide into despair. “He’s just going to get hurt again.”
Tom and Val are our guides to Ken’s journey from one project to the next, including a chaotic turn in one of the infamous Beatles Tribute bands. We hear the stories of Ken battling egos, creative differences, and frequent rejections, and ending up with little money or recognition to show for it. Though Ken never says a word, he’s clearly wondering if he’s wasting his time too by trying again and again. The dénouement, with Ken alone, is poignant, but fittingly, he performs a beautiful song, signaling that the show must go on. The funny and poignant play is a moving and familiar story for all of us in the entertainment business who have been constantly knocked down and always gotten up again.
Hang Up Your Cleats and The Next Audition are performed together at the Sargent Theatre at the American Theatre of Actors through November 3, 2024.
Arts Independent 