Emerging Artists Theatre’s (EAT) bi-annual Spark Theatre Festival NYC, running from Monday, September 9 to Sunday, September 29 at The Chain Theatre will present over 60 workshop presentations during the 3-week run, including new musicals, dance, solo shows, sketch comedy, drag/burlesque,and plays.
Award-winning EAT, now in its 32nd year of presenting diverse new work offers shows run nightly, with multiple shows on the weekend. Most productions receive one performance, with shorter shows grouped together to form a full evening of entertainment. Short talk-backs with the artists will follow some of the performances.
Headlining the festival is the full-length play Observant, written by Pamela Weiler Grayson. Observant will receive 9 performances over the course of the festival and is directed by Shellen Lubin. In Observant, three generations of women confront their relationships to their Jewish identities—and to each other. Comedy and tragedy entwine, like a braided challah, when a mass shooting in their community tests the bonds of faith and family.
Eight new musicals will be presented including In Justice about an ambitious prosecutor pursuing a case against a female tech icon. In Vincent the Musical, a middle schooler recently diagnosed with ADHD finds his own voice with the help of Vincent Van Gogh’s ghost. The timely musical Olivia O follows a young girl as she tries to maintain hope and strength after she is separated from her mother at the US/Mexican border.
Thirty seven dance pieces will be presented, including Subway Windows, choreographed by Beth Jucovy in collaboration with the dancers, which showcases a diverse group of subway riders. Other pieces include The Regret, choreographed by Abby Zeng, where the ancient art of Chinese classical dance meets modern techno; A Lamp in a Dark Room, choreographed by Laura Ardner, an interpretation of the 79 AD eruption of Mt. Vesuvius; and Pray, where the scarcity of water and the danger it poses to the future of Iran is explored, choreographed by Tina Bararian.
Tickets prices range from $20 to $40. For tickets and the full schedule of performances, visit www.emergingartiststheatre.org
The Chain Theatre is located at 312 W 36th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY
