Fresh Fruit Festival

(Above: a stage shot from “Parlor Tricks” – 2019 Fresh Fruit Festival)

The 2026 Fresh Fruit Festival MAINSTAGE!

Variety – Diversity – DIFFERENCE!

The 2026 Mainstage Festival is April 20 through May 3, 2026

At our home theater, the WILD PROJECT – the newest East Village Landmark space

All Tickets $23 unless stated, Series tickets available. Note: Online sales are not available on performance day. AND… Don’t miss our legendary OPENING and CLOSING Receptions, immediately following 1st & Final performances!

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Week – 1

The Sloppy Abandon of Excavated Love – by Dennis Bush

MONDAY 4/20 at 7:00 pm; WEDNESDAY 4/22 at 8:00 pm; SATURDAY 4/25 at 2:00 pm. – 105′

After finding a journal from the 1980s, Marcus becomes entangled in the past, upending his relationships with his
boyfriend Jason, and his roommate Kelvin. [Nudity; Explicit sexual discussions]

A Perfect Map of Everything – by Connor Geary

TUESDAY 4/21 at 6 pm; SATURDAY 4/25 at 4:30 pm; SUNDAY 4/26 at 8:00 pm – 65′

Hugo, obsessed with perfection, takes up cartography. As he maps the world, crowds gather to see his work, leaving
his roommate Hamlin home alone, waiting to pack his lunchbox.

Staged Reading Special Events: 2 New Plays in development – Suggested Donation at the Door $13

SUNDAY 4/26 12:30 pm. A multi-media Staged Reading of: THE LAST SONIC ON EARTH – by Joshua Piper – 80′

In this coming-of-age story, Hayes and Collin, employees at a roller-skating Sonic, face high school gossip and toxic masculinity after a kiss is exposed. Boyhood, soda, and colorful chaos whirl together in what may become the last Sonic on earth.

SUNDAY 5/3 at 11 am. A multi-media Staged Reading of: EXIT SMILING – by Den Harrow – 90′

A last reckoning between literary giants Truman Capote and Babe Paley is skillfully re-imagined with the barbed wit of Edward Albee and the emotional tremor of Tennessee Williams. After all,
“Goddesses don’t weep. They just smudge their mascara with dignity.”

Quantum Gravity – by Jude Cramer

THURSDAY 4/23 at 8:00 pm; SATURDAY 4/25 at 6:15 pm; SUNDAY 4/26 at 5:30 pm – 100′

Arthur is desperate to change the past. Reid is fighting to preserve it. Two queer time travelers confront the legacy of gay men’s sexuality in this epic, expansive, and romantic adventure across time.

Little Bitches – by Esme Roberts

WEDNESDAY 4/22 at 6:00 pm; FRIDAY 4/24 at 8:00 pm; SATURDAY 4/25 at 8:30 pm – 60′

In this sharp, comedic coming-of-age play set at a sweltering summer camp in California, a teen lesbian in denial has added problems when her best friend brings a new friend to camp.

When We Practice to Deceive – by Reginald T. Jackson

THURSDAY 4/23 at 6:00 pm; FRIDAY 4/24 at 6:00 pm; SATURDAY 4/25 at 12 pm – 90′

Kevin’s lunch with his mother at a fancy restaurant spirals into chaos when his trans girlfriend arrives. In this love letter to Trans women, confusion and comedy erupt as misunderstandings pile up after a hilariously awkward introduction.

Acceptance, Real and Imagined – a collection of three one-act plays

TUESDAY 4/21, 8:00 pm; SUNDAY 4/26, 3:00pm – 105′

• Hail Mary! – by John Jamiel
• Wiley – by Katherine McNair
• Sunbeam – by K Stranger

Details:

Hail Mary! – In this funny and deeply bruising memory play, a middle-aged son finally reclaims his life as he confronts the iron grip of an aged mother who still loves him fiercely – but only on her terms.
Wiley – A one-act comedy about Alden and her search for a roommate— along the way, she finds an unlikely friend.
Sunbeam – K comes face to face with God in a liminal in-between, singing and arguing her way through faith, shame, and the holy ache of wanting to be good..

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Week – 2

Late Blooming – by Yueh-Yeh Li – 90′

MONDAY 4/27 at 6:30 pm, TUESDAY 4/28 at 8 pm, SATURDAY 5/2 at 4 pm

Closeted novelist Libao struggles between his sexuality and his parents’ expectations when his childhood friend Shan returns to a gentrifying Elmhurst, Queens, forcing buried desires and family tensions to the surface.

Mr. Snickers of New York City – by Michael Raimondi

MONDAY 4/27 at 8:30 pm; SATURDAY 5/2 at 2 pm; SUNDAY 5/3 at 4 pm; [Extended Run, TBA!]

Infused with music, Mister Snickers is a classic story of a boy and his dog as a queer, spiritual journey from selfish addict to generous friend – not easy when your best friend is your dog.

Billy to His Friends – by Cassandra Rose – 90‘

TUESDAY 4/28 at 6 pm; WEDNESDAY 4/29 at 8 pm; SATURDAY 5/2 at 12 pm;

Oliver “Billy” Sipple saved President Ford’s life in San Francisco on September 22nd, 1975. Two days later, Harvey Milk outed him as gay to the entire world. A diverse ensemble of folks visiting the GLBT Historical Society in modern-day San Francisco become Billy’s friends and reclaim history through humor, heart, and heroism.

BREACH – by Dan Manjovi – 80′

WEDNESDAY 4/29 at 6 pm; THURSDAY 4/30 at 8 pm; SATURDAY 5/2 at 8:30 pm

Set in New York City in spring 2024, the play follows 64-year-old therapist Fern Laiken and her 30-year-old gay patient, Tim. When Tim reveals something that shakes Fern’s professional objectivity, their already fragile lives begin to unravel.

Messin’ With the Kid – by Duncan Pflaster – 90′

THURSDAY 4/30 at 6 pm; FRIDAY 5/1 at 8:30 pm; SUNDAY 5/3 at 1:30 pm

Jeff is a gay-for-pay stripper and part-time sex worker, supporting his younger brother Jason after their parents die. When a rich sadist offers him a life-changing payday, Jeff’s double life threatens his brother’s well-being. [Strong Sexual & Violent Situations]

Relationships on the Edge: two short Plays – 115′

FRIDAY 5/1 at 6 pm; SATURDAY 5/2 at 6 pm.

• Igniting the Spark – by Kathleen Potts
• Three Paintings – by Virgo

Details:

1. Igniting the Spark – by Kathleen Potts: Young rookie cop Caliay Alatriste meets through her roommate, the artist Crystal Star Dancer, Crystal’s newest patron Dr. Marissa Giancarlo, a young doctor who is also a museum board member. Over one charged night, attraction turns dark as desire shifts from sexy to sinister.
2. Three Paintings – by Virgo: Artists Wyatt and Taylor seem secure—until Wyatt, a white man, lands a major project on race, forcing them to confront tensions about his comfort commenting on race as the partner of a Black man.