2023

On Tuesday, February 7, 2023, as announced via an exclusive in Playbill Breaking the Binary Theatre returned following our inaugural 2022 Festival bigger and better than ever, now operating as a year-round organization to support TNB2S+ artists via our newly launched New Works, Commissioning, Residency, Community Building, and Give Back programs, in addition to presenting the Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival on an annual basis.

That evening, we invited our artists, supporters, and community to gather and celebrate Breaking the Binary Theatre’s new chapter.

On **Thursday, March 9, 2023**, we partnered with Admin Ally **New York Theatre Workshop** once again to celebrate BTB Artist **Liliana Padilla**’s HOW TO DEFEND YOURSELF. After providing free tickets for over 30 BTB artists to see the production, Liliana (they/them) joined fellow BTB Artists b (they/them) and **Dominique Rider** for a post-performance talkback, moderated by **Leo Mock** (they/he).

On Sunday, March 12, 2023, we closed our first open submission window for the upcoming 2023 Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival. We received over 160 submissions of TNB2S+ artists across the globe interested in taking part in this year’s Festival.

With the help of BTB’s Literary Manager Bryar Barborka (they/them) and a stellar team of over 20 TNB2S+ readers, each script was read in-full twice from March - June in an effort to get multiple perspectives of each submitted play. Each reader was paid $43.54 per script (two hours at New York’s Living Wage of $21.77 an hour).

On **Friday, March 31, 2023**, Breaking the Binary Theatre celebrated International Transgender Day of Visibility by commissioning **ten** BTB artists to create an original piece of art inspired by the prompt CLOUD NINE.
Commissioned artists included **Futaba Shioda** (he/him), **Justin David Sullivan** (he/she/they), **Kedian Keohan** (they/he), **L Morgan Lee** (she/her), **Mara Vélez Meléndez** (she/her), **Noax** (they/them), **Nora Schell** (they/them), **Roger Q. Mason** (they/them), **Sam Hamashima** (they/them), and **Ty Defoe** (he/we/ty).
Check out our Instagram page **here** to see what they came up with!

THE PINK by Roger Q. Mason (they/them)

On **Monday, April 3, 2023**, as a part of our BTB New Works Program and in partnership with **Primary Stages**, we presented a public reading of **Roger Q. Mason’s THE PINK**, reuniting Roger with their HIDE AND HIDE collaborators é and Gaven from the 2022 Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival. All tickets were complimentary.
Directed by **é boylan** (they/them)
Dramaturgy by **Gaven Trinidad** (they/he/siya)
Stage Management by **Ara Tandon** (they/them)
featuring **Dominic Colón** (he/him), **Roger Q. Mason** (they/them), and **Sergio Mauritz Ang** (he/they/siya)

In **May 2023**, as a part of our Falco and Steinman BTB Residency Program, we sent **Azure D. Osborne-Lee** (he/they) and **Mara Vélez Meléndez** (she/her) up to Basil Kreimendahl and Jenna Worsham's **New Roots**, a Queer Artist Residency at Walhalla Farm for a week-long residency.

Following its reading presentation in the inaugural 2022 Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival, **reid tang’s WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY** had its world premiere production in May via Clubbed Thumb’s 26th annual Summerworks series. To celebrate, we purchased a group order of tickets to the first preview on **Thursday, May 18, 2023** and brought ten BTB artists to celebrate reid and their huge achievement.

MISS ATOMIC POWER by Molly Bicks (they/them)

On **Monday, June 5, 2023**, we partnered with our new friends over at **Rat Queen Theatre Co.** to co-produce a reading of **Molly Bicks’** **MISS ATOMIC POWER** as a part of our New Works Program.
Co-created and directed by **Carsen Joenk** (she/her)
Produced by **Reed Northrup** (he/they)
featuring **Anthony Holiday**, **Carolyn Kettig**, **Joe Tapper**, **Joslyn DeFreece**, and **Shaun Taylor-Corbett**

To kick off Pride weekend, on **Saturday, June 24, 2023**, in partnership with **Playbill** and the **Times Square Alliance**, Breaking the Binary Theatre took over Times Square to produce **Spotlight On: TNB2S+ Songwriters**, showcasing the work of some of the brightest transgender, non-binary, and Two-Spirit+ (TNB2S+) composers writing in the theatre today.
Directed by **JJ Maley** (they/he/ze)
Hosted by **Marti Gould Cummings** (they/them)
Featuring the work of:
✨**Emerson Mae & Murphy Taylor Smith** (both she/her)
✨**Heath Saunders** (they/them)
✨**Jaime Jarrett** (they/he)
✨**Nora Schell** (they/them)
✨**Truth Future Bachman** (they/them)
Additional Performer: **Samy Nour Younes Figaredo** (he/him/they/them)

Speaking of Playbill…
a feature on **Breaking the Binary Theatre** and our Founding Artistic Director, **George Strus**, was included in *every* June 2023 Pride Playbill!
The piece, written by Playbill’s Leah Putnam, is also available to read online **here**.

On **Monday, June 26, 2023**, it was announced that reid tang (they/them) was named the inaugural recipient of our **$10,000 commissioning program**! All alumni from the 2022 Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival were able to submit for the opportunity.
After their involvement in the inaugural 2022 Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival, Breaking the Binary Theatre is now working with reid to create and develop a new, original full-length piece.

TWITCH by Liliana Padilla (they/them) at Williamstown Theatre Festival

On that same day (**Monday, June 26, 2023**), Breaking the Binary Theatre packed our bags and traveled to **Williamstown, MA** for an **eleven-day residency** at **Williamstown Theatre Festival** to further explore the world of **Liliana Padilla’s TWITCH** (a piece developed in the inaugural 2022 Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival).
Directed by **Jack Ferver** (they/them)
Dramaturg: **Desiree S. Mitton** (she/they)
Assistant Director/Stage Manager: **Jude Brandt** (they/them)
Production Assistant: **Meghan Piper Johnson** (they/them)
featuring **Alex Might** (her), **Jojo Brown** (she/her), **Joslyn DeFreece** (she/her/they/them), **Pauli Pontrelli** (they/them/ze/zir), and **TL Thompson** (they/them/T)

RACIAL BONUS by Dominique Rider at New York Stage and Film

Immediately thereafter on **Tuesday, July 11, 2023**, also as a part of our Falco and Steinman BTB Residency Program, we spent a week in-residence at **New York Stage and Film** in **Poughkeepsie, New York**, developing **Dominique Rider’s RACIAL BONUS**.
Directed by **Garrett Allen** (they/them)
Dramaturg: **Zach Ezer**
Stage Manager: **Kasson Marroquin** (they/he)
featuring **Futaba Shioda** (he/him/his), **Han Van Sciver** (they/them), **m. imani west** (m/they), **Mariyea** (she/they), **Nina Grollman** (all pronouns), **rohr driscoll** (they/them), and **Susannah Perkins** (they/them)

On Friday, July 21, 2023, Breaking the Binary Theatre took over **BroadwayCon** to present **UNLIMITED: An All-TNB2S+ Cabaret** on the **Main Stage**, followed by **POINT ME TOWARD TOMORROW: An All-TNB2S+ Panel** on the Soho Stage.
Performers and panelists included:
✨ **Adina Verson** (they/she)
✨ **Arewà Basit** (they/she)
✨ **Danny Marin** (they/them)
✨ **George Strus** (they/them)
✨ **Hennessy Winkler** (he/him)
✨ **Ianne Fields Stewart** (they/she)
✨ **Justin David Sullivan** (he/she/they)
✨ **Kolton Krouse** (they/them)
✨ **L Morgan Lee** (she/her)
✨ **Marla Louissaint** (she/they)
✨ **Max Crumm** (they/them)
✨ **Max Vernon** (they)
✨ **MJ Kaufman** (he/they)
✨ **Sushma Saha** (pronoun inclusive)

DEBT by reid tang (they/them) and Adrian Einspanier (they/them)

The week of Monday, July 24 - Friday, July 28, 2023, Breaking the Binary Theatre hosted a five-day writing workshop to support BTB artists reid tang (they/them) and Adrian Einspanier (they/them) as they co-write and co-create a new piece currently titled DEBT.

In **July and August**, Breaking the Binary Theatre hosted our **first-ever educational program**: a **Summer Intensive** led by **L Morgan Lee** (she/her) for emerging TNB2S+ musical theater performers.
Supported by accompanist **James Rushin** (he/she), our dazzling participants (chosen out of numerous TNB2S+ performers who submitted via an open call) were:
**Flower Estefana Rios** (she/they)
**Grayson James** (he/him)
**Luz Ballestér** (they/he)
**Sam Hamashima** (they/them)
**Spencer Petro** (they/them)
**Vi Dang** (they/she)
The group gathered for three sessions to gain confidence with audition materials, forge new industry connections, and hone in on their craft, culminating in work sessions with Broadway casting directors **Charlie Hano**, CSA (he/him), **Jason Thinger**, CSA (he/him), and **Tara Rubin**, CSA (she/her).
The program was **free** for the six participants, who also received **travel reimbursements** to ensure they got home safely after the sessions ended at 9pm.

Each participant also received new headshots, courtesy of L Morgan Lee.
We asked them each to sum up their experiences in three words... here’s what they had to say!

TANAKA TREE FARM by Kaela Mei-Shing Garvin (they/she)

On Saturday, August 5, 2023, Breaking the Binary Theatre produced a closed, one-day reading of Kaela Mei-Shing Garvin’s TANAKA TREE FARM as a part of our New Works program.

Directed by cara hinh (they/she)

Stage Management by Mars Neri (they/them)

featuring Ako, Angel Desai, Ashil Lee, Diana Oh, Futaba Shioda, and Shannon Tyo

THE QUEEN OF TIME by Ashley Lauren Rogers (she/they)

On **Saturday, September 9, 2023**, Breaking the Binary Theatre produced a closed, one-day reading of **Ashley Lauren Rogers’ THE QUEEN OF TIME** as a part of our New Works Program.
Directed by **Maxwell Friedman** (they/them)
featuring **Futaba Shioda, Kara Overlien, Maya Murphy, Maybe Burke, Sylas Barrett,** and Teresa Attridge

On Monday, September 11, 2023, Breaking the Binary Theatre invited our community to gather and celebrate as we announced the line-up for the 2023 Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival!

All photos by Abigail Grubb (she/they).

POOL by Temidayo Amay (they/he)

From **Wednesday, September 20 - Friday, September 22, 2023**, Breaking the Binary Theatre hosted a closed, three-day workshop of **Temidayo Amay’s POOL** as a part of our New Works Program.
Dramaturg: **Sam Morreale** (they/them)
Stage Manager: **Angie Salazar**
featuring **Garnet Williams**, **Jayae Riley Jr.**, **Marquise Vilson**, and **Qween Jean**

On Friday, October 6, 2023, **OVERHEARD: Fourteen Monologues Written By TNB2S+ Artists For TNB2S+ Artists**, the culminating project of the inaugural 2022 Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival, became available to **purchase and license** via **Broadway Licensing**.

BLANCHE AND STELLA by A.A. Brenner (they/them/he)

From **Saturday, October 14 - Monday, October 16, 2023**, Breaking the Binary Theatre hosted a three-day workshop of **A.A. Brenner’s BLANCHE AND STELLA**, culminating in an invited presentation for the BTB community, as a part of our New Works Program.
Directed by **Colm Summers** (he/him)
Dramaturg: **Anisa Threlkeld**
Stage Manager: **Jude Brandt**
featuring **McLean Peterson**, **Rachel Sachnoff**, **Jamen Nanthakumar**, and **Reed Northrup**

2023 Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival

From Monday, October 23 - Sunday, October 29, 2023, Breaking the Binary Theatre produced the
second annual Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival.

Over 800 audience members attended eight sold-out performances.

Over $75,000 was paid out to over 105 TNB2S+ artists.

All creative decisions were made by TNB2S+ artists.

For a full line-up and more information on the 2023 Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival, click here:

2023 BReaking the BInary theatre festival