SOME of the WINNERS From 2023: Age is Just a Number, Isn’t It? – by Kia Barbee / Austin Brannan, Javier Soto; Rhapsody – by John Michael DiResta / Amanda Lederer, Sigrid Wise; A Marriage is a story we tell and keep telling – by Danielle Frimmer
the 2025 10-Minute Play Contest
“More Fun than a Barrel of LGBT Playwrights!” – Well, we agree with that press, but this is also about career-building, and showing the incredible range and diversity in the minds of current LGBTQ writers. The Contest is the main part of our “PLAY DEVELOPMENT WEEK” – Serving the Playwright!
Over 1 Week, 24 plays will compete for Awards and to be presented in the MAINSTAGE Fresh Fruit Festival. 8 Plays will compete each evening, March 26, 27, & 28 at 7pm. Two plays chosen each night by Audience vote for cash awards, plus a 3rd chosen by our technical jury, will compete for the grand prizes on Sunday March 30 at 3pm. (An ADA, accessible space)
Development Week Special Saturday Events, March 29: a Staged Reading (an LGBT Sci-Fi play!) at 4, and an evening of 5 short plays in development at 7. (details below). DOWNLOAD PROGRAM BOOK for ENTIRE WEEK. Click Button:
FULL PROGRAM BOOKTNC Community Space Theater, 155 1st Avenue, NYC. All tickets $15 cash–only at the door, or get Reserved seats at TICKETLEAP until Day Of. >>
TNC Community Space Theater, 155 1st Avenue, NYC. Tickets from FREE to $15. cash-only at the door. Reserved seats at TICKETLEAP until Friday 28 >>
On Wednesday, MARCH 26, 7pm > > > SOLD OUT!
Playlist
The Ball – by Emily Turner
A man impulsively adopts a shelter dog after a bad break-up and begins to identify with its lost state-of-mind.
The Ice Queen – by Jack Rushton
The AD of a small theater company faces a mutiny
A Carefully Planned Spontaneity – by Scott Sickles
The night before the final day of shooting, two male actors of a certain age rehearse their impending love scene.
Dad Acting 101? – by Gregory Marlow
Two dads bond at the back of a school auditorium. When their reminiscing continues into an empty classroom, this budding friendship takes an interesting turn.
The POEM – by Risa Lewak
Lifelong best friends discover a new dimension to their relationship.
Hot – by Noah T. Parnes
Two young gay men awkwardly sit in a sauna. They’re joined by an older gay man who wonders why they’re not having sex yet—turns out… they share a boyfriend.
Hanky Panky – by Mark Daponte
A straight guy meets his manly match in a gay bar; who explains the myth behind a “hanky’s color” to the “ex-straightie.”
Waiting for Gal Gadot – by Katharine McNair
Dark comedy about Birdie and Bear and their quest for freedom.
On Thursday, MARCH 27, 7pm > > 2/3 Sold. 15 Tix Left, at Box Office
Playlist
Comfort and Joy – by Dana Leslie Goldstein
Every few years, Christmas and the first night of Hannukah fall on the same day. This can be a problem for interfaith families.
Portugal – by Virgo
A queer couple is trying to make plans when they realize it’s nearly impossible due to how much they travel.
The Unexpected Fetish – by John Plausse
A recently married man struggles to accept his husband’s unexpected fetish.
Ask Me Anything – by Philip Middleton Williams
A young man is being interviewed for a job at a corporation, but the questions he is being forced to answer take on a highly personal and somewhat twisted tone.
Maricona – Riki Alberto Colon
The matriarch of the family loves her arrogant but innocent grandson. They sit for their weekly talk and hair braiding . Grandma is known for her cornrows and hair care.
Astronauts – by Evan Brodsky
The play explores the complexities of friendship and how some bonds, like stars, remain visible even across light-years of silence.
An Ex-Gay Act of God – by Bruce Deveau
A bizarre ex-gay organization is causing trouble in this neighborhood. An absurd comedy.
TBA
On Friday, MARCH 28, 7pm > > > SOLD OUT! 20 Tix Avail. at Box Office
Playlist
The Children’s After-Hour – by Louise Schwarz
What happened to Rosalie Wells after the events of Lillian Hellman’s 1935 drama The Children’s Hour?
The Squirrel watchers – by Katie Kirk
Alex got dumped by her long-term girlfriend. Brook’s being ignored by the person she hooked up with. Chloe just wants to watch squirrels, you guys. The Squirrel Watchers Club is now in session.
On Delivery – by Timothy Bryant
As a retired gay couple in West Hollywood packs up their recently sold home and prepares to move to Palm Springs, something unexpected arrives with their dinner delivery.
Swish Sesh – by Solomon LeBlanc
On a basketball court in small-town Michigan, Nessy, a nonbinary teen, and See, a cocky but well-meaning player, face off in a playful yet charged encounter.
Number Up? – by Katherine Vellis
In this speculative play, four minority inhabitants of Planet Earth embark on a journey to Planet Diversity where they hope to be free.
The Cocktail Bench – by John Harney
An elderly man confronts a young college professor who has taken lithographs from the trash outside his house in Washington, D.C. The lithographs belonged to his husband, who’s been institutionalized with dementia.
Is He Gay? – by Lauren Silverstein
This play is about two teenage girls talking about the boys they like. While trying to find someone available to crush on, they speculate that a lot of guys they know are gay.
Dress Still Fits – by Peter Pasco
Ruby and Tanya are celebrating Tanya’s birthday away from their families and city. The good times and jokes come to a halt when a nerve gets hit.
On Sunday, MARCH 30, 3pm
THE CONTEST FINALS! – Featuring the 9 Finalists
THE SATURDAY SPECIALS, March 29:
4 pm: “Quantum Gravity” by Jude Cramer – A Staged Reading. FREE, Donations Only
Arthur has a miraculous ability to travel through time. Unfortunately for him, so does Reid, a stranger from the present desperate to keep the timeline intact. As they race through iconic eras in queer history, the two find connection where they least expect it, and wonder if it’s worth losing your future for a chance to change your past. In this sci-fi melodrama, the legacy of gay men’s sexuality comes face to face with its ugly present in an epic, expansive, and romantic adventure across time.
7 pm: “All That Glitters is . . . “ – An evening of 5 Short Plays. $15 – 90 minutes
Playlist
“Satin Doll” by Bryan-Keyth Wilson:
Step into the glittering world of drag legend Dorian Corey in this electrifying ten-minute play! From starry-eyed dreams at Parsons to commanding the stage in New York’s drag scene, SATIN DOLL is a dazzling journey of ambition, resilience, and unapologetic glamor. With sharp wit, stunning performances, and a glimpse behind the curtain of a drag icon’s life, this play is a fierce celebration of survival, style, and the spotlight.
“Star-Crossed Rebound” – by Maeve Chapman:
Juliet has taken the poison, Romeo is ready to take his life, all is going to the Bard’s plan. Rosaline, however, has something to say about all that. Walking through the audience, stopping the play, Rosaline awakens Juliet who realizes she has a decision to make. To Romeo or not to Romeo… Or, to Rosaline? That is Juliet’s question.
“Pride & Prejudice: Or a Queer Person’s Guide to Surviving” – by William Meurer:
Anna is a hardcore Austenite. So much so that she attends an immersive regency ball every year in the heart of NYC…or she did until she transitioned. For her first year back as an eligible young lady, she ropes in her best friend Kate to come as moral support.
“Robert Pattinson is A Faggot” – by Elizabeth Salmon & Mads Weiss:
A shitty corporate attempt at a DEI-inspired healing circle, this show satirizes office politics and performative allyship. After a homophobic workplace incident, the office gays are stuffed into a conference room and forced to share their ‘LGBT experiences’ and engage in absurd conflict resolution. “Robert Pattinson is a Faggot” examines the role of accountability in an environment where optics trump action.
“Living The Dream” – by Dylan Horowitz:
Lem is a trans man married to Damien, a cis man. Their life, while imperfect, seems fairly stable and – from an external perspective – happy. This all changes when Bina, a stranger who has looked into Damien, visits Lem at their home. Bina reveals that Damien is not just a loving husband – he’s also a monster. Lem has to make a decision – is he going to confront the truth? Can he stop living the dream?