Company member Erik Jensen is in Brooklyn, Minnesota, a feature film he co-wrote with his wife Jessica Blank and collaborator Han Shan. The film, directed by Erik and Jessica, stars their real-life daughter Sadie Jensen-Blank as headstrong 14-year-old Maisie, who leaves her Brooklyn bubble to go back to her dad’s childhood home. In Minnesota, channeling the Riot Grrrl spirit of her late mom, Maisie will upend family patterns, fall in love, and force her family to confront each other and themselves. Produced by company member Michael Cuomo, this family drama is a story of profound forgiveness and a reminder for all of us to love even harder than we think possible. The film is currently on the festival circuit winning multiple awards, and will have its New York City premiere on October 10 at Soho Film Fest.
Company member Kathy McCafferty is in Becky Nurse of Salem, written by Sarah Ruhl and directed by Margaret E. Hall, presented by Capitol Repertory Theater. Becky, a sassy blue-collar grandma in modern-day Massachusetts, gets fired from the Salem Witch Museum and suspects a curse from her ancestor, Rebecca Nurse. She embarks on a darkly comic journey through contemporary magic to save herself and her troubled granddaughter. Along the way, she confronts her small town’s opioid crisis and must navigate America’s past and present to forge a more hopeful future. Performances run through October 19 in Albany, NY.
Company member Lisa Arrindell is in a theatrical concert reading of Freedom Riders: A Journey With No End in Sight, directed by Indira Etwaroo and presented by Harlem Stage in association with The New Press. Marking the 10th anniversary of 12 Angry Men: True Stories of Being a Black Man in America Today, Freedom Riders has toured from Montgomery, AL to Atlanta, GA to Greensboro, NC and now culminates in Harlem, NY. Combining powerful first-person monologues with live music, the piece confronts racial profiling, systemic violence against Black Trans lives, police brutality, and the enduring history of racial injustice. Performances run October 7-18.
Company member Carey Cox is in the short film Where Did the Adults Go?, written & directed by Courtney Marsh. The short follows Cynthia, an impassioned disability activist. Struggling to stay afloat as her advocacy remains largely overlooked, Cynthia turns to her brothers with an uncomfortable proposition: to sell the family summer home, a relic of their departed parents. The film is partnering with The Ehlers Danlos Society to champion Carey’s performance with that community. Where Did The Adults Go? will be released for a limited 5-day run on YouTube, free and fully accessible with captions and audio description, on October 9. Watch the teaser here.
Company member Daniel K. Isaac is in the short film The Upper Room, directed by Joel Perez, premiering at NewFest, New York’s largest presenter of LGBTQ+ film and media. The Upper Room follows two Pentecostal youth pastors who have a crisis of faith when they meet up for an afternoon of forbidden love. The film premieres on October 18, and will be available to stream from October 9-21 on the NewFest website.
Company member Santino Fontana wrote, directed, and stars in the short film Death Wish, playing at the New York Shorts International Film Festival this month. After losing his grandfather and job to COVID-19, an enraged deliveryman decides to do the only logical thing: hunt down and kill every plague spreader who won’t wear a damn mask. The cast includes Reed Birney, Chris Sarandon, Mare Winningham, Ann Harada, and Sarah Stiles. The short film screens on October 13th. Watch the trailer.
Company member Jodie Lynne McClintock is in the short film Finding Comfort, written and directed by Sameer Butt. The short, which won Best Short Film at the Austin International Shorts Film Fest and was an official selection of Newark International Film Festival and Matera International Film Festival, follows Marty, an elderly, isolated diner owner. Marty finds a chance at connection with his customer Augie when a Venezuelan refugee and her son enter their lives. But will the pain of the past threaten their already fragile future? The film screens at the New York Shorts International Film Festival on October 12th.
Company member Mahira Kakkar is in the short film Elegy, written and directed by Maiya Jannah. The film had its New York premiere at the New York Indie Shorts Awards earlier this month, and is playing at the Tasveer Film Festival in Seattle on October 10. Wary Rukhsana skips school with her fearless best friend Nafisa, who plans to marry her boyfriend. Upon realizing she’s not ready for them to grow up, Rukhsana sways Nafisa to forsake marriage for adventure. Meanwhile, Rukhsana’s mother endures her own self-discovery journey after learning she is pregnant. Watch trailer here.
Company member Alexandra Neil is in the short film Bad Actors, written and directed by Harry Schleiff. The short follows a spirited group of activists who inadvertently glue themselves together while preparing for a protest. Bad Actors will have its New York City premiere at The Downtown Film Festival as part of the Visions At The Edge program at the Roxy Cinema on October 15.
Company member Geneva Carr is in the feature film Asian Persuasion from first-time director Jhett Tolentino, now available to stream on Amazon Prime, AppleTV, and Google Play. The films tells the outlandish story of a down-on-his-luck chef, who cooks up a crazy scheme to marry off his ex-wife by setting her up with a fake internet dating profile in an attempt to find her a suitor to re-marry in order to avoid his substantial alimony obligations. Watch the Trailer.