<![CDATA[MARK-EUGENE GARCIA - NEWS]]>Tue, 25 Aug 2026 20:36:46 -0400Weebly<![CDATA[Review: West Coast premiere of ‘Goat Blood’ at Theatre Rhinoceros- by Charlsie-Kern Kruger, Theatrestorm]]>Thu, 09 Jul 2026 14:40:26 GMThttps://www.markeugenegarcia.com/news/review-west-coast-premiere-of-goat-blood-at-theatre-rhinoceros-by-charlsie-kern-kruger-theatrestormPictureEric Esquivel-Gutierrez as “Pablo” in Theatre Rhinoceros/JT Presents production of Mark-Eugene Garcia’s Goat Blood, June 25-July 19 at 4229 18th St., in San Francisco’s Castro District. Photo: Scott Sidorsky
Pablo and Owen are work buddies and drinking buddies and on one perfectly normal night they set up a rendezvous with a couple of ladies from their local bar, but Pablo has other ideas and has arranged it so that the ladies are no-shows. Pablo, sexually assertive and assuredly gay, has registered the heterosexually married Owen on his gaydar, and, being of a somewhat predatory nature, he’s planning to go in for the kill. Simple enough.
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But in Mark-Eugene Garcia’s remarkable play, nothing is simple. Everything is complicated by histories: personal, cultural and queer. This pressing history in which the two young men move as if caught in quicksand is personified by a horror: the dreaded chupacabra – the goat sucker. This legendary creature has apparently haunted Pablo since a tragedy involving the death of his younger brother when Pablo was only a teenager. Pablo is burdened with the conviction that the mysterious  death was his fault, and could have been prevented.
The chupacabra works as a powerful metaphor for all that haunts Pablo: not just his brother’s death, not just his own fear of death, but the burden of queerness in a judgmental world, the history of colonialism, the headache of microagressions, along with all the personal demons that a man might carry in the pockets of his unconscious. It’s a busy fucking monster, this one.

Owen isn’t having any. He is, as he sees it, free, white and twenty-one. The burdens of history belong to others less fortunate. Good luck with that, Owen. The monster is strong.
As Pablo pursues his seduction, along with a secret agenda that is hard to fathom, his personal history is revealed. Owen gradually begins to suspect that something he doesn’t understand may be at work. Something scary, something  supernatural, something shamanic, something that hunts.
“Goat Blood,” you can surely gather, is quite an ambitious play, trying as it does to be simultaneously comedy, romance, horror, and rich with cultural implication. Does it succeed?

Yes, it does. Mark-Eugene Garcia has the skill to weave his threads into a tight basket that can hold it all. Once you see it, it won’t leave you alone.

I can’t say too much without spoilers but let this suffice: “Goat Blood” combines historical  commentary, horror movie intensity, comedic fun, and queer soul into one sexy stew that’ll make you sweat.

As Pablo and Owen, Eric Esquivel-Guiterrez and Casey Spiegel do not miss a trick. As the mysterious Mr. Sanchez, Adrian Nava made my skin crawl.

“Goat Blood” is wicked smart, full of delicious scares, and sexy enough to make you squirm. In a nice way. What more could you ask?

This one’s worth the trip. And no doubt, we have not heard the last of paywright Mark-Eugene Garcia. Expect more greatness to follow.
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Goat Blood” plays at Theatre Rhinoceros through July 19, 2026. For further information click here.
]]><![CDATA[‘Goat Blood’ director Alejandro Torres talks queerness, theater and El Chupacabra- by Charles Lewis III, Mission Local]]>Wed, 01 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.markeugenegarcia.com/news/goat-blood-director-alejandro-torres-talks-queerness-theater-and-el-chupacabra-by-charles-lewis-iii-mission-localPictureCasey Spiegel (left) as “Owen” and Eric Esquivel-Gutierrez as “Pablo” in the upcoming Theatre Rhinoceros/JT Presents production of Mark-Eugene Garcia’s Goat Blood, June 25-July 19 at 4229 18th St., in San Francisco’s Castro District. Photo: Scott Sidorsky
For San Francisco native Alejandro Torres, directing a queer horror-comedy was a no-brainer.
The sometime-actor-turned-theatre-director counts George Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” and David Cronenberg’s remake of “The Fly” as monster-flick favorites.

What’s more, the chance to helm a play with a Latine perspective was appealing. The really scary part was having to put on such a niche play in a city that seems to be losing its unique artistic identity.
“I’d be lying to you if I told you that I felt that San Francisco was a city friendly to the arts and was invested in cultivating them,” says Torres.

“With many venues [pricing out artists] in favor of wealthier tenants, I see fewer and fewer viable places for art to be created and shown in my hometown. San Franciscans are a resourceful bunch, but these days, I think that artists are definitely left to fend for themselves, even more than usual.”
Theatre Rhinoceros, the Castro-based company that claims to be “the world’s longest-running continuously producing professional queer theatre,” had worked with Torres before, so he was a natural choice to direct the West Coast premiere of Mark-Eugene Garcia’s “Goat Blood,” which opened June 27. (The play premiered off-off-Broadway in New York in 2024.) 
The story, set in a farm town, follows Owen (Casey Spiegel) and Pablo (Eric Esquivel-Gutierrez) after a failed double-date with two women.
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As the boys try to figure out where they went wrong, they suddenly become aware of all the mutilated goats in the vicinity. It’s only then that they realize they’ve wandered into the path of the mythical El Chupacabra. Not your typical first date.

Despite what the Internet may tell you, El Chupacabra — the “goat-sucker” of Latine folklore — is a fairly recent invention. [The term appears to have been coined by Silverio Pérez, a Puerto Rican radio personality, in 1995 —Ed.] 

The script is primarily in English, incorporating both Castilian Spanish and Mayan K’iche’. Torres says he appreciated the play’s depiction of an entity that was mythical yet grounded in reality.

“I was especially inspired by this theme of ‘nature biting back’ as a scientific explanation to the sudden loss of livestock attributed to the Chupacabra [as a result of] climate change,”  he says.
“The carnage and aggression found in [real attacks on Central American farms] were explained by the desperation of the predators, such as coyotes, after a good amount of time without food.”
Blood-soaked mythologies aside, the play also takes an irreverent look at the “horrors” of modern dating. Though Torres himself is in a relationship, his single friends tell him grim stories that the show plays for laughs.

Less funny was trying to fit all this rich story material onto Theatre Rhino’s living-room-sized 18th Street stage. Though the company has existed for 50 years, it hasn’t had a proper venue in nearly a decade. The pandemic set it back even further, financially.

“It sure helps having a smaller cast of four in maneuvering a smaller stage,” says Torres, who’d directed in the venue previously.

“I’ve worked on tinier stages before, so rather than allow myself to get frustrated with the lack of space, I considered how I could really highlight the more horrific, the dramatic, and sexier moments of the show with the added fact that the audience would be right up in the action. In other words, how can I use the characteristics of the venue to my advantage?”

.All things considered, Torres considers his production of “Goat Blood” a testament to his hometown’s artistic spirit, and defiance against anti-Latine and -queer bigotry.
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“In telling [our stories] in spite of the potential repercussions, we are refusing complacency, complicity, and are rejecting erasure. We’ve always been here and we’re here to stay.”
]]><![CDATA[Goat Blood Director's Note -Alejandro Emmanuel Torres]]>Thu, 25 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.markeugenegarcia.com/news/goat-blood-directors-note-alejandro-emmanuel-torresPictureEric Esquivel-Gutierrez as “Pablo” (left) and Casey Spiegel as “Owen” in the Theatre Rhinoceros/JT Presents production of Mark-Eugene Garcia’s Goat Blood, June 25-July 19 at 4229 18th St., in San Francisco’s Castro District. Photo: Scott Sidorsky
Borrowing from our writer, his words are a wonderful jumping-off point.

 “You decided the name was yours. You grabbed it like you grabbed the land, then decided everyone else was an outsider, a threat, contamination.”

Mark-Eugene’s words hit so poignantly at a time of extreme division and animosity among the populace of our nation. At a time in which state-sponsored horror and violence are being enacted on the most vulnerable in our society, and no one, not even those with the most privilege, is safe. A time when our most marginalized: the undocumented, the asylum seekers, those pursuing immigration to our country via “the right way”, those profiled due to their name, their tongue, the color of their skin, our transgender siblings, those (especially women) seeking reproductive healthcare, and others are targets of this authoritarian regime and are being stripped of their dignity and humanity. For our protagonists, Pablo and Owen, their fear will last all night as they attempt to survive, and for our most marginalized, their fears are day-to-day. 
 Though it would be disingenuous of me to say this was the United States’ first rodeo with this behavior, it still feels disorienting experiencing what they described in the history books in real time.

   Pivoting from my ruminations on current events, the American tendency to other is so fascinating sociologically and psychologically speaking. Let’s take the concept of immigration and being an immigrant, an identity that virtually all of us who are U.S. citizens share in this country. In other words, if you’re reading this, you are either an immigrant yourself or are here because of an immigrant, full stop (with exceptions to our indigenous siblings, of course).

   With each new wave of immigration to this country comes a new scapegoat for society. A new group of people who are mocked for their tongue, criticized for their appearance, customs, foods, music, perceived as alien, and a threat to the so-called American way. In a desperate struggle for assimilation and acceptance, some new immigrants attempt to leave their old ways behind, change their names, and don’t pass on their language and traditions to their children in an attempt to keep them safe. While some of those who may be second, third generation, or more, were either spared the struggles faced by their parents/grandparents or have conveniently forgotten how their own predecessors were treated, and now engage in the same cycle of xenophobia. For some of those in the latter camp, they’re now “Real Americans” and are quick to slam and lock the door behind them. It’s happened for decades upon decades in this country, and there’s no sign of slowing down. I am shocked, for example, by the Latin Americans here for only a few years and who are now U.S. Citizens who voted for our current administration, those who would be profiled by simply how they look or how they speak, from these unchecked and cruel immigration policies, those who faced discrimination themselves but now feel superior due to their newfound citizenship.

   So, what causes people to do this? I don’t have a single answer because I think there are many. We all want to be liked, to be accepted, to belong; we all want safety, and no one wants to be the target of the ire of society. Some of us want to be extravagantly wealthy, or socially powerful, influential, or to get ahead, and so some ally with wherever they perceive the power to be in a hope they’ll either be spared or will get a slice of the pie for themselves.  This behavior isn’t unique to the U.S., of course, and it probably is something ingrained in our human animal instincts to survive in environments of real or perceived scarcity.

   Our protagonists, Pablo and Owen, have discourse over this very topic, “Who is American” and “What does America really mean?”. I love the mention of the names of the two continents (North and South America) having been hijacked by the U.S. and the term “American” repurposed to be exclusionary to anyone outside the country, when in reality everyone in the Americas is an American. Latin Americans make a point of this in Spanish by referring to a U.S. citizen not as “Americano” but as “Estado Unidense” (literally "United Stater”). The conversation becomes more interesting: Pablo, having been born outside the country though having lived here for years, muses on not being quite this or that, a conundrum faced by many Latin Americans in the U.S. While Owen reminds Pablo that he also has an immigrant heritage and isn’t devoid of roots and culture in spite of his initial “America-first bravado”.

In all these conversations, Mark-Eugene also explores queerness as another othered identity and how this community is pitted against each other via homophobia and transphobia. Queer people in many cases (and not unlike immigrants) are thrown into a hostile society from the day of birth. For Pablo and Owen, socialized in a homophobic and queerphobic culture and orbiting being “down-low”, they treat queerness as an accusation, as a witch hunt, but it is also as a beckoning siren, and a monster within. It’s fear and a perceived lack of safety that drives some closeted or confused queer people to this behavior. An attachment and a desire to be what is considered “normal” or homogenous cause many people like Pablo and Owen to push these truths down deeper and deeper (not unlike the immigrant or child of immigrants who wants to belong or wants to deny their same privileges to others). Let’s not also forget that some of those members of the LGBTQIA+ community, that have experienced more mainstream acceptance in society can be guilty of denying that same queer liberation to those either less accepted or currently under attack. It’s disturbing to hear someone say “I’m a normal gay, I’m not like them” in an attempt to put down let’s say our transgender and other queer communities. As if they’ve forgotten what it is like to be rejected, stripped of their dignity, or to simply be allowed to exist.

   Examples of people turning on each other are not new to our history, again, I think it may be an animal instinct that has been warped and exacerbated as we’ve developed complex and sophisticated societies through millennia. We can only hope to eventually end this traumatic cycle of othering and abusing each other, much like the victims of the monster in this play hope to be eventually free of their curse.

   I think I’ve written enough to whet your appetite for the drama, the comedy, the lust, and the horror that Mark-Eugene’s powerful text will bring to you.

   My final thought: How wonderful to unapologetically bring another play with both queer people and Latin Americans and their stories front and center at a time when our government wants to erase them. Because the stakes are so high, this work is urgent and necessary. Thank you for being part of this history and being present for our show. We hope to move you.
]]><![CDATA[‘Goat Blood’ – Mark-Eugene Garcia’s stage fright at Theatre Rhinoceros- Jim Gladstone, Bay Area Reporter]]>Mon, 22 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.markeugenegarcia.com/news/goat-blood-mark-eugene-garcias-stage-fright-at-theatre-rhinoceros-jim-gladstone-bay-area-reporterPictureAdrian Nava (left) as “Mr. Sanchez”, and Eric Esquivel-Gutierrez as “Pablo” in Theatre Rhinoceros/JT Presents production of Mark-Eugene Garcia’s Goat Blood, June 25-July 19 at 4229 18th St., in San Francisco’s Castro District. Photo: Scott Sidorsky
Horror is having a moment on stage. Earlier this year, a theater spin-off of the “Paranormal Activity” movie series shattered San Francisco box office records. It skulked onward toward Broadway, where it arrives next month, joining “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” and the musicalization of ’90s vampire flick “The Lost Boys.”

Here in San Francisco, at Theater Rhinoceros, another fearsome tale lurks in the wings: Playwright Mark-Eugene Garcia’s scary, sexy “Goat Blood,” a co-production of the Rhino and JT Presents, begins performances June 25.

But unlike the brand name fright franchises that have jumped from screens to stages (arguably jumping the shark en route), “Goat Blood” is an original, written specifically for the theater.

Particularly well-suited to the close confines of the Rhino, it’s intimate, shivery, and not at all dependent on big-budget effects.

“A lot of my inspiration came from old radio programs and “Twilight Zone” episodes,” said queer playwright Garcia in a recent interview with the Bay Area Reporter. “I wanted to focus on what works best on stage rather than in a movie. It’s a lot about what you can’t see. What’s scary is what’s unknown.”

“Goat Blood” seeps into you.

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 Horror and hormones
“I want the audience to experience the same suspense as the two main characters,” said the California-raised, New York-based Garcia.

Those characters are co-workers Pablo (Eric Esquivel-Gutierrez) and Owen (Casey Spiegel), both in their thirties but immature. They spend much of the play getting under each other’s skin as they shoot the shit in the bed of a pickup truck.

They’re waiting for two women they met in a bar earlier, but becoming ever more flirtatious with each other. When Pablo reminisces about his troubled past, some of his more disturbing anecdotes are staged as flashbacks, including harrowing near-encounters with El Chupacabra, the bloodsucking livestock-stalking beast of Latine lore.

Is this unseen creature fantasy or reality? Is there a monster to fear, or are the men’s fears themselves the monstrosity, holding them back and destroying their dreams?

“A man seals himself off to survive,” suggests a slippery third character. “All becomes defense. If fear, or any emotion, surfaces, crush it. True manhood is unwavering. Vulnerability is for cowards.”

Garcia toys with the tropes of machismo as well as those of the horror genre.

 Scary smart
Garcia confesses that, as a kid growing up in suburban San Gabriel, he steered away from even a mention of the word “horror.”

“Forget about it,” he said. “I was terrified. I was afraid to watch ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ and ‘Little Shop of Horrors.’”

By his teen years, though, Garcia was emboldened and developed a particular fancy for films featuring cryptozoology.

“I love monster movies, like the original ‘Anaconda.’ And it’s a running joke among my friends that my favorite movie is ‘Congo.’’” (Ironically, that 1995 shaggy ape tale featured Tim Curry, the original Frank N. Furter).

The legend of the Chupacabra provided an ideal bridge between Garcia’s past work and “Goat Blood.”

Garcia’s earlier plays focused more realistically on Latine and queer culture in the U.S., addressing topics including immigration, racism, and intergenerational conflict. “Goat Blood” doesn’t shy away from such themes, even as it cloaks them in genre trappings. It’s Garcia’s “Get Out.”

While “Goat Blood” is intended to jolt audiences with the stuff of nightmares, Garcia recounts his own life these days as something of a dream come true.

His partner of more than two decades is fellow theatermaker Rodrigo Ernesto Bolanos, who directed the premiere of “Goat Blood” in 2024.

“I like to joke that he’s in the business of making my fantasies come true,” said Garcia. “When I said I wanted to move from California to New York to pursue my career in the theater, he’s the one who made the plans and booked that first trip. I’ll come up with a crazy idea and he’ll say, ‘Ok, this is how to make it happen.’

“In one of my plays, I wrote a stage direction that pretty much said, ‘So she pulls a blanket out of her bag, and the blanket becomes a mountain; they climb the mountain and then throw someone off the top.’ And he’s like ‘Great! Here’s how we can do that!’ We have a very unique connection.”

When Garcia’s not writing or acting (the playwright is also a performer), he’s deepening his connection to the New York theater scene through his job managing The Drama Book Shop, a venerable New York institution that, as of 2020 is owned by Lin-Manuel Miranda, director Thomas Kail, and a handful of other Broadway notables.

“I’m surrounded by inspiration on the shelves every day,” said Garcia, who co-hosts the shop’s weekly podcast The Drama Book Show. “And every customer who walks in the door is someone I share a passion with.”

‘Goat Blood,’ $17.50-$25, June 25-July 19, Theatre Rhinoceros, 4229 18th St. www.therhino.org

https://www.markeugenegarcia.com/

The Drama Book Show
https://broadwaypodcastnetwork.com/podcasts/the-drama-book-show
]]><![CDATA[Mark-Eugene Garcia’s play, Goat Blood, is a queer horror thriller must-see! - Bearworld Magazine]]>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 11:41:45 GMThttps://www.markeugenegarcia.com/news/mark-eugene-garcias-play-goat-blood-is-a-queer-horror-thriller-must-see-bearworld-magazinePicture
Get your tickets now for Goat Blood, a play written by Mark-Eugene Garcia that’ll have you on the edge of your seat!
Premiering on June 25th in San Francisco at Theatre Rhinoceros, Goat Blood is a queer horror thriller wrapped around a deeply emotional story about grief, masculinity, memory, and survival.
​In the heart of a dense forest, nestled in the bed of a pickup truck, two coworkers, Pablo and Owen, find themselves waiting for their dates. What starts as a casual debate about tacos, friendships, sexuality, and heritage gradually transforms into something deeper… an undeniable attraction simmering beneath their banter!
However, their unexpected connection is soon overshadowed by the arrival of a menacing Chupacabra, threatening to shatter the tranquility of their evening. Owen’s terror at the creature’s appearance pales in comparison to his shock when he learns that the Chupacabra has been a constant presence in Pablo’s life.
The Chupacabra in the play is more than a monster… it becomes a manifestation of buried guilt, inherited fear, and the wounds Pablo has carried since losing his little brother years ago.
The play blends creature-feature suspense with intimate emotional storytelling, asking what happens when the things we avoid finally corner us.
Theatre Rhinoceros in San Francisco is the nation’s longest-running queer theatre company, making it the perfect destination to premiere the play. The space is small and intensely intimate, so while it’s not a fully immersive theatre, the audience will feel dangerously close to the action, almost as if they’re trapped in the room with the creature themselves.
Exploring the blend of horror and queer storytelling, Latino folklore, monsters as emotional metaphors, and how fear and desire often live side by side, Mark-Eugene Garcia has written a must-see play that everyone can enjoy. Goat Blood is also directed by Alejandro Torres and is a co-production with JT Presents.

Click here to get your tickets.

]]><![CDATA[JT PRESENTS & THEATRE RHINOCEROS present Goat Blood by Mark-Eugene Garcia, a west coast premiere June 25 - July 19, 2026]]>Thu, 04 Jun 2026 14:25:57 GMThttps://www.markeugenegarcia.com/news/jt-presents-theatre-rhinoceros-present-goat-blood-by-mark-eugene-garcia-a-west-coast-premiere-june-25-july-19-2026PictureCasey Spiegel (left) as “Owen” and Eric Esquivel-Gutierrez as “Pablo” in the upcoming Theatre Rhinoceros/JT Presents production of Mark-Eugene Garcia’s Goat Blood, June 25-July 19 at 4229 18th St. in San Francisco’s Castro District. Photo: Scott Sidorsky
 Following the critically acclaimed, sold-out run of A Guide for the Homesick in 2023, JT Presents and Theatre Rhinoceros bring Mark-Eugene Garcia’s hit play Goat Blood from New York to San Francisco. Garcia takes the legend of the chupacabra, a figure of fear in many Latinx and Southwest American cultures, and mixes it with the queer desire and ancient truths we carry inside. Goat Blood focuses on two coworkers, Pablo and Owen. In the heart of a dense forest, nestled in the bed of a pickup truck, they find themselves waiting for their double dates. What starts as a casual debate about tacos, friendships, sexuality, and heritage gradually transforms into something deeper – an undeniable attraction simmering beneath their banter. However, their unexpected connection is soon overshadowed by the arrival of a menacing Chupacabra, threatening to shatter the tranquility of their evening. Owen's terror at the creature's appearance pales in comparison to his shock when he learns that the Chupacabra has been a constant presence in Pablo's life. ​
After successful runs at MEXFEST and FRIGID in New York City, Mark-Eugene Garcia’s Goat Blood makes its West Coast premiere as the final show of Theatre Rhinoceros’s 2025-26 season, co-produced with JT Presents. The play takes the legend of the chupacabra, a figure of fear in many Latine and Southwest American cultures, and mixes it with queer desire and ancient truths we carry inside. Two young men hang out in the flatbed of a pickup truck, waiting for their double dates, when they are pursued by the bloodsucking chupacabra. Before their night of terror ends, they are forced to face the creature of legend and their own buried desires. Alejandro Emmanuel Torres directs a cast of Bay Area actors. The cast features Eric Esquivel-Gutierrez (“Pablo”), Raye Goh (“Creature Creation”), Adrian Nava (“Mr. Sanchez”), and Casey Spiegel (“Owen”). Production team: Adriana Gutierrez (Costume Design), Colin Johnson (Lighting Design), Colin H. Johnson (Video and Projections Design), Kyle McReddie (Fight Choreographer), Wesley Murphy (Sound Design), Noah Rojas-Domke (Scenic), Noah Luce (Intimacy Director), and Raphael Buenaventura (Stage Manager)
A full reading of Goat Blood, directed by Rodrigo Ernesto Bolaños, was presented at MEXFEST—a festival celebrating Mexican culture through theatre, dance, and arts— held at The Tank in New York City in September 2024. A full production of the play was also featured in FRIGID New York’s Days of the Dead Festival, curated by Resident Artistic Director Martha Lorena Preve. Alejandro Emmanuel Torres directs a cast of Bay Area actors at Theatre Rhinoceros’ performance space in the heart of The Castro, June 25 - July 19, 2026. The cast features Eric Esquivel-Gutierrez (“Pablo”), Raye Goh (“Creature Creation”), Adrian Nava (“Mr. Sanchez”), and Casey Spiegel (“Owen”). Production team: Adriana Gutierrez (Costume Design), Colin Johnson (Lighting Design), Colin H. Johnson (Video and Projections Design), Kyle McReddie (Fight Choreographer), Wesley Murphy (Sound Design), Noah Rojas-Domke (Scenic), Noah Luce (Intimacy Director), and Raphael Buenaventura (Stage Manager).
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Mark-Eugene Garcia (Playwright) is a Chicano playwright, storyteller, and theatremaker, blending cultural legacy, and theatrical grit in every work. A 2025 Candela Playwright’s Fellow and a 2025/2026 Resident Artist at FRIGID New York, he is a member of the Dramatists Guild and a graduate of the City College of New York. He honed his craft in book and lyric writing with the Academy of New Musical Theatre and the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. Mark-Eugene’s work has earned the 2021 Jerry Harrington Award for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Musical Theatre, the 2018 UnFringed Festival Best of Festival Award, a 2016 Vancouver Ovation Award nomination for Outstanding New Work, a 2013 Planet Connections nomination for Outstanding Book of a New Musical, and the 2012 Jacob Weiser Playwriting Award for a Fully Realized Drama. Through plays and musicals that center Latine voices, queer identity, and emotional truth, Mark-Eugene creates stories that are unapologetically theatrical, deeply personal, and vibrantly alive.

Alejandro Emmanuel Torres (Director) is a proud San Francisco native and theatre director/producer. He holds a B.A. from UC Davis in Dramatic Art and Film Studies with additional training with the Moscow Art Theatre School. His work as a director has been featured at The Overcast Theatre, Pianofight's Shortlived, The Exit, Bindlestiff Studio, The San Francisco, and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals, and at Awesome Theatre. More recently, he directed the sold-out run of Jake Brunger’s Four Play for JT Presents. Alejandro uses the medium as a tool for experimentation, discourse, and exposing audiences to new experiences. He is deeply excited at realizing this contemporary piece of queer theatre and hopes it speaks to you. 

JT Presents began producing in 2022 with Ken Urban’s A Guide for the Homesick for the Theatre Rhinoceros 2022-2023 Season. The production prompted Bay Area Reporter critic Jim Gladstone to declare that “Rhino [has] got its groove back.” JT Presents next produced Four Play by Jake Brunger in 2024, which Theatrius called “brilliant.” In between, they brought Joe DiPietro’s Fucking Men to the Nectar Social Club in Oakland for three sold-out performances. The most recent production of JT Presents was Andrew Bergh’s The Radicalization of Rolfe at Safehouse Arts in 2025.

​Theatre Rhinoceros was founded in 1977 and is the longest running LGBTQ+ theatre in the nation. They develop and produce works of theatre that enlighten, enrich, and explore both the ordinary and the extraordinary aspects of our queer community. Our emphasis is on new works, works about under-represented members of the larger queer community, and revivals of lesser-known queer classics. Over the years Theatre Rhinoceros has received many awards of recognition including: Theatre Rhinoceros Day in the City Proclamation from Mayor Gavin Newsom, State Assembly Certificate of Recognition from Senator Mark Leno, recognitions from Congressperson Nancy Pelosi and Assembly Persons Tom Ammiano and Carole Migden, numerous Cable Car, BATCC and TBA Awards and Nominations, and the GLAAD Media Award for Best LGBT Theatre.
]]><![CDATA[Guest writer Melissa K Fyfe reviews Mark Eugene-Garcia’s “With Bated Breath”]]>Wed, 13 May 2026 19:08:06 GMThttps://www.markeugenegarcia.com/news/may-13th-2026Picture
Garcia’s production of With Bated Breath delivered a laugh-out-loud experience, and with such talent from the cast, this well-written play was sure to please all who had the privilege to attend. The clever one-liners and much alliteration are cleverly placed within the story, leading the audience down the winding path of a multilayered plot filled with mysteries and characters you can relate to and soon adore. Each cast member brings life to this small town in Virgin, Minnesota, and takes the audience on a wild journey with many subjects, all while charming us effortlessly. The play embraces an underlying message of light-hearted fun and leaves you feeling like you have taken a ride filled with twists and turns and brimming with good-hearted creativity.​
The very moment the play begins, the audience is whisked away to a quaint country town store named Warner’s Corner Store. The owner, played by Kirstin Wolf, used words with clarity and precise timing to really ensure the audience was aware as to where and what the story was about to unfold before our very eyes. Keenly using articulation and props of air in a jar, cat, and not to forget her scarf over her hair to create an aged woman, she produces a clear road map for what the audience will be in store for, and sparks curiosity amidst the story about to unfold.

The production is a triple-winning combination. Garcia’s witty and clever writing skills and use of words, combined with the professional and perfect stage direction of Bolanos , in addition to the cast of seven who have multiple roles, pull off a well-timed, flowing, and jovial story.  Dylan Glick masterfully changes roles simply with a pigtailed wig to play “Mona” and a baseball hat to play character “Ulaf”. He delivers each role with convincing lines and gets laughs the whole way through, an absolute gem in the theater.

The town has a mayor who is anxious and lacks leadership confidence, yet Frankie (perfectly played by the lovable Matthew Penalva), who is not ever acknowledged to the point that it is quite humorous. The town is run by Pastor Johnson (played superbly by Duncan Pflaster), who delivers his words with a force of passion and strength. Provides lines like “Satan only smiles through willing mouths,” the Pastor regularly displays his various biased opinions and leaves you feeling there is more to this character than meets the eye. When Dr. Corazon De La Fuente (Martha Lorena Preve) is on stage, she eloquently fills in the scientific details and provides the foundation for essential pieces to the plot. Finding capable workers, well, now that’s another issue. We meet Kirstin Wolf again as “Blondie” and “What’s Her Face”.  The factory will be manufacturing sex pills, and the town, which is against “sex”, with Pastor Johnson taking a town-wide stand against it, becomes quite a conundrum. The factory worker Oliver “Tiny” Cox (intrinsically played by Federico Mallet, who also plays the role of Gunner, a more physical comedic approach and does so with ease) is in danger.  A mysterious saboteur causes a cooling system failure, resulting in a toxic fume explosion in the factory. Erotic fumes prevail in the town, which becomes overrun with sexual intentions that prove to be too strong for the Virgin townsfolk. Mayor Frankie is immune and harbors feelings for Dr.LaFuente. Will the Mayor win in the game of love? Will the town of Virgin be able to control itself and rein in its needs?  
​
I cannot say enough positive words that express how fond of this cast the audience becomes throughout this tale’s many captivating theatrical components. Laura Walter, who delivers lines effortlessly and creates Randy Johnson, the handsome player son of a preacher man, before our eyes, and then changes to a well- hearted lusting woman, was a performance well done and was extremely comical. The director Rodrigo Ernesto Bolanos should have an honorable mention as well, as he somehow created multiple rooms, atmosphere, and guided this cast to a winning combination of humor, precision acting, and overall audience enjoyment. The stage team and producer Aaron Clark Burstein should be congratulated for helping give life to this project filled with love and laughter, and it is with sincere hope that this play becomes close to your proximity sometime soon.
]]><![CDATA[An Open Letter from Joyous Audience Member, Susan Armeli, about “With Bated Breath,” written by Mark-Eugene Garcia and directed by Rodrigo Ernesto Bolanos-Arts & Entertainment Compass]]>Wed, 13 May 2026 18:58:42 GMThttps://www.markeugenegarcia.com/news/an-open-letter-from-joyous-audience-member-susan-armeli-about-with-bated-breath-written-by-mark-eugene-garcia-and-directed-by-rodrigo-ernesto-bolanos-arts-entertainment-compassPicture
Dear future audience, 
The production of “With Bated Breath,” written by Mark-Eugene Garcia and directed by Rodrigo Ernesto Bolanos, was a tastefully written and skillfully executed experience. From the moment the lights shine on Old Lady Warner at Warner’s Corner Store, the audience is fully engaged in an amusing and thought-provoking story.​
Set in the small town of Virgin, Minnesota, the play introduces local residents who appear prudish—until they become anything but. The script is sweet, comical, and filled with clever tongue twisters, puns, and double entendres. The cast of seven is impressive, with four actors playing dual roles to bring eleven distinct characters to life.
The performance made excellent use of its black box theater setting. Scenes transitioned seamlessly between various locations, including a general store, a factory, a church, and even a Jeep. These changes occurred effortlessly before the audience’s eyes during brief transitions. Additionally, the sound effects were perfectly balanced, drawing the audience deeper into the storyline without being overwhelming.
I will not share more to avoid spoiling the surprises of Virgin, Minnesota; however, what happens there just might happen in a town near you.
Best regards,
Susan Armeli
]]><![CDATA[Dennis Bush’s THE SLOPPY ABANDON OF EXCAVATED LOVE in NYC: A Review- Jed Ryan, Lavender After Dark Media]]>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.markeugenegarcia.com/news/dennis-bushs-the-sloppy-abandon-of-excavated-love-in-nyc-a-reviewPicture
As the very first production of New York City’s 2026 Fresh Fruit Festival on Monday, April 20th, Dennis Bush’s The Sloppy Abandon of Excavated Love had high expectations.  Indeed, the play met this challenge with flying (rainbow flag) colors. Directed by Lester Thomas Shane, the comedy-drama offers an intimate look at four openly gay men whose lives are intertwined not only personally, but also via the trajectory of gay male history through the last five decades.  If that sounds like an overly grand description, I assure you it’s not.  The different ages of the characters affect their personalities, their outlooks on their own lives, and how they interact with each other.  When one of the 35-ish characters makes a musical theater reference that the 20-something man doesn’t understand, it’s one of the funniest and also most realistic moments in the show. (The audience, for the record, got the reference!) Aaron (John Trindl) is Generation Z.  Kelvin (Mark-Eugene Garcia) is Generation X.  Marcus (Chris Ikner) and Jason (Collin Hendley) are somewhere in between.  There is also the voice of yet another generation making his presence known in The Sloppy Abandon of Excavated Love— but more about that later…  ​
Aaron (played with quick-witted perfection by Trindl) is the first character we meet in the play, and he enters the stage ALMOST completely nude– except for one orange sock.  Shortly afterward, Kelvin (a character seemingly custom-written for Garcia’s bold acting style) comes out in an open robe– with nothing on underneath.  Indeed, the bare attributes of the easy-on-the-eyes cast members grabbed the attention of the audience immediately– which is, of course, always essential in the theater.  But it was arguably NOT done (just) for titillation purposes.  As the audience learned later on, the actions of these characters– which may or may not include walking around the apartment in various stages of undress– are perfectly suited to their personalities.  But more about being “naked” later… 
The Sloppy Abandon of Excavated Love takes place entirely in the Manhattan apartment of Marcus and Kelvin. Marcus and Kelvin are friends and sometimes “frenemies”, were formerly “friends with benefits”, and have been apartment-mates for 11 years.  Aaron is Kelvin’s new boyfriend, and much is made throughout the play about the age difference between the two men.  Later on, a fourth guy, Jason, enters the scenario.  Marcus and Jason were also lovers in the past, but Jason also has some history with one of the other men in this play as well  (Jason is perfectly played by Hendley; the character is no less than a sponge for affection.) Although three of the men in Bush’s piece may seem like gay male caricatures– the youthful, seemingly carefree twink Aaron, the unapologetically cocksure stud Kelvin, and the hopelessly romantic, emotionally needy Jason– I’ll assuredly state that every gay man knows guys like Aaron, Kelvin, and Jason in real life.  And, as over-the-top as these men can be– both individually and as a group– their characters have been written as fully formed humans.  The same can be said for Marcus, played excellently with seemingly staid stability by Ikner.  Rounding out the cast is Sula (a delightful Grace Maddux), the sassy and smart lesbian neighbor who the audience meets when she enters the boys’ apartment like a guided missile, looking for a set of tweezers.  I won’t reveal WHY she needed them. (Let it be said that all the characters in The Sloppy Abandon of Excavated Love know how to make a dramatic first impression…) 
Act 2 is when secrets are revealed, and long-simmering feelings and emotions some to the surface. Even the most astute of audience members will be caught off guard at the unexpected disclosures.   While I mentioned five characters in the play, there is actually a sixth character, albeit one that’s unseen.  That character is the unknown author of a journal left in Marcus and Kelvin’s apartment.  The journal, of which many passages are read in the play’s running time, serves as a vividly bittersweet exploration of a specific gay male counterculture of the past.  The journal candidly reveals the viewpoint of a man who lived through one of the most challenging times in history to be openly gay: the height of the AIDS epidemic. From the references to Polaroids and open sexual activity on abandoned trucks in the Meatpacking District, it’s most assuredly the 80’s  These entries are not only challenging and sometimes VERY rough to hear, but are also strikingly realistic: They speak frankly about  illness and death– and its association with gay sex at the time.  I couldn’t help but imagine the inevitable movie adaption of this play, where the unseen sixth character is voiced by or even represented onscreen by a separate flesh-and-blood actor, via flashbacks.  Ryan Murphy, are you listening? 
Some heavy subjects are explored in The Sloppy Abandon of Excavated Love.  This play never holds back: Be prepared for some uncensored talk about cum, dick pics, “convenience sex”, and more– plus some pieces of “advice”, many of them courtesy of the aforementioned journalist: “Any guy who washes his jockstrap after only one wearing will not have sex without showering first– and that tells you everything you need to know.  He is NOT to be trusted!”. As mentioned earlier, the first man we see in The Sloppy Abandon of Excavated Love is about 99.9% naked– but the raw, patently adult dialogue in this play goes way beyond any actual nudity we see on stage.  That said, even at its most serious moments, there is no shortage of humor, thanks to Bush’s endlessly snappy script.  All the hardworking actors get their share of funny lines (“We can stick our dicks in each other, but going through his phone is an invasion of privacy?!”, asks one character.), although Grace Maddux as Sula gets the lucky(?) position of being the purveyor of female-centered humor in this sea of testosterone– with a seemingly innocent reference to hairless cats that the audience particularly went wild over.  
Humorous and provocative at the same time, The Sloppy Abandon of Excavated Love is a fearless, transgenerational exploration of gay male sexuality.
The Sloppy Abandon of Excavated Love has one more performance on Saturday, April 25 at 2:00PM. at wild project, located at 195 East 3rd Street in New York City. For tickets and more information about this show and others in the 2026 Fresh Fruit Festival, visit 26_mstage – Fresh Fruit Festival
]]><![CDATA[WITH BATED BREATH by Mark-Eugene Garcia- Stagebuddy.com]]>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:10:15 GMThttps://www.markeugenegarcia.com/news/with-bated-breath-by-mark-eugene-garcia-stagebuddycomPicture
New Comedy “With Bated Breath” to Set Lower East Side Ablaze this April

Powerhouse Playwright Mark-Eugene Garcia presents another clever work at FRIGID NY
NEW YORK, NY — This spring, the quiet, conservative town of Virgin, Minnesota, is about to get a very loud, very public wake-up call. The world premiere of With Bated Breath, a riotous new comedy exploring what happens when a “purity-first” town accidentally inhales a cloud of high-potency sexual enhancers comes to FRIGID NY.

​The production runs from April 24 through May 3, 2026, at the legendary Under St. Marks theater under Manhattan.
​
The Story: A Midwestern Hot Dish Left on High

In Virgin, Minnesota, the cows are celibate and the traditions are iron-clad. Mayor Frankie, desperate to rescue the town from economic collapse, strikes a deal to bring in a new factory headed by the formidable Dr. Corazon De La Fuente. The only problem? The factory produces sexual enhancement pills.

When a localized accident releases a “mysterious cloud” of sex-enhancing mist into the atmosphere, the town’s repressed urges bubble over. Under the hilariously judgmental gaze of Old Lady Warner, the residents must navigate a whirlwind of newfound lust, awkward revelations, and a total breakdown of small-town decorum.

Quick Facts & Details
Genre: Comedy
Run Time: 95 minutes
Venue: Under St. Marks | 94 St. Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009
Performance Dates: April 24, 2026 – May 3, 2026
Ticket Pricing: $20.00 – $40.00 (plus a $2.50 service fee)
Content Advisory: Themes of sex, religion, and death.
A Town Ready to Loosen Up

Mark-Eugene Garcia’s With Bated Breath is a laugh-out-loud romp that tackles the absurdity of repression and the chaos of human nature. It is a story of hormones, high stakes, and the realization that sometimes, a town needs to lose its cool to find its heart.
The production joins an exciting spring lineup for independent theater in New York, promising a high-energy experience.

Tickets & Information

​Seating is limited at this intimate East Village venue. Audiences are encouraged to book in advance to witness the most “steamy” event of the season. For press inquiries or interview requests, please contact: Jay Michaels Global Communications, Strategic Marketing for the Independent Arts at info@jaymichaelsarts.com
For tickets visit: https://tickets.frigid.nyc/event/6897:1413/
#WithBatedBreath #IndieTheatre #UnderStMarks #VirginMinnesota #NYCEvents
]]><![CDATA[WITH BATED BREATH to Open at FRIGID NY's Under St. Marks-  Broadwayworld]]>Wed, 15 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.markeugenegarcia.com/news/with-bated-breath-to-open-at-frigid-nys-under-st-marks-broadwayworldPicture
With Bated Breath, a new comedy by Mark-Eugene Garcia, will make its world premiere at Under St. Marks with a limited run as part of FRIGID NY.
This spring, the quiet, conservative town of Virgin, Minnesota, is about to get a very loud, very public wake-up call. The world premiere of With Bated Breath, a riotous new comedy exploring what happens when a "purity-first" town accidentally inhales a cloud of high-potency sexual enhancers is coming to FRIGID NY.  The production runs from April 24 through May 3, 2026, at the legendary Under St. Marks theater under Manhattan.

In Virgin, Minnesota, the cows are celibate and the traditions are iron-clad. Mayor Frankie, desperate to rescue the town from economic collapse, strikes a deal to bring in a new factory headed by the formidable Dr. Corazon De La Fuente. The only problem? The factory produces sexual enhancement pills.

When a localized accident releases a "mysterious cloud" of sex-enhancing mist into the atmosphere, the town's repressed urges bubble over. Under the hilariously judgmental gaze of Old Lady Warner, the residents must navigate a whirlwind of newfound lust, awkward revelations, and a total breakdown of small-town decorum.
​
Seating is limited at this intimate East Village venue. Audiences are encouraged to book in advance.
For tickets visit: https://tickets.frigid.nyc/event/6897:1413
]]><![CDATA[Whisper in the Wings Episode 1548]]>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.markeugenegarcia.com/news/whisper-in-the-wings-episode-1548
]]><![CDATA[Midnight Snack Productions To Present The New York Premiere Of WITH BATED BREATH By Mark-Eugene Garcia-  Broadwayworld]]>Tue, 07 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.markeugenegarcia.com/news/midnight-snack-productions-to-present-the-new-york-premiere-of-with-bated-breath-by-mark-eugene-garcia-broadwayworldPicture
The New York Premiere of Mark-Eugene Garcia's comedy With Bated Breath will run at Frigid New York this spring.  Welcome to Virgin, Minnesota-a town so stuck in its ways that even the cows might be celibate. Mayor Frankie is determined to save the town from economic doom by bringing in a new factory, run by the brilliant but no-nonsense Dr. Corazon De La Fuente. But here's the twist: the factory manufactures sexual enhancement pills, and it doesn't take long before things start to get... steamy. ​
Just as the townsfolk are warming up to the idea of jobs, an accident sends a mysterious cloud of sex-enhancing mist floating through Virgin. Now, the once-uptight residents are overcome with desire, and all their repressed urges start bubbling up like a Midwestern hot dish left on high. Under the watchful (and hilariously judgmental) eye of Old Lady Warner, the whole town is turned upside down as everyone deals with newfound lust, confusion, and a whole lot of awkward conversations.
"With Bated Breath" is a laugh-out-loud romp about how one small town gets a big dose of hormones and learns to loosen up-ready or not!
The production is directed by Rodrigo Ernesto Bolaños. The cast includes Federico Mallet Flores as Oliver Cox/Gunner Warner, Dylan Glick as Ulaf Anderson/Mona Lurie, Matthew Penalva as Mayor Frankie, Duncan Pflaster as Pastor Johnson, Martha Lorena Preve as Dr. Corazon De La Fuente, Erin Solér as What's Her Face/Randy Johnson, and Kirstin Wolf as Old Lady Warner/Blondie Peterson.
The production is produced by Aaron Clark Burstein, stage managed by Tori Oatway, with scenic design and props by Adrian Walker, intimacy coordination by Katie Royse Ginther, and costume design by Tearzah Rai.
Performances are on April 24th, April 25th, May 1st, and May 2nd at 7pm and April 26th and May 3rd at 2pm. 
]]><![CDATA[Mark-Eugene Garcia Joins ‘THE SLOPPY ABANDON OF EXCAVATED LOVE’ at Fresh Fruit Festival]]>Sun, 29 Mar 2026 13:23:44 GMThttps://www.markeugenegarcia.com/news/mark-eugene-garcia-joins-the-sloppy-abandon-of-excavated-love-at-fresh-fruit-festivalPicture
The Fresh Fruit Festival kicks off its Mainstage season with the provocative new drama THE SLOPPY ABANDON OF EXCAVATED LOVE, opening at The Wild Project.

The play follows Marcus, who discovers a journal from the 1980s and becomes increasingly absorbed in its contents. What begins as curiosity turns into a kind of emotional possession, as the past bleeds into the present. His relationship with his boyfriend Jason begins to strain, while his friendship with Kelvin grows more complicated, intimate, and volatile.


Written by Dennis Bush, the piece continues his long-standing relationship with the festival. Bush previously presented HEAD FIRST at Fresh Fruit, where it earned awards for Outstanding Play, Director, and Performance. A prolific voice in contemporary theatre, he has written more than 50 plays and monologue collections, with productions staged internationally from London to Johannesburg. His work is published and represented by Next Stage Press, and he also works as a script and dialogue consultant across theatre, film, and television.

Direction is by Lester Thomas Shane, guiding a cast that includes Collin Hendley, Chris Ikner, Grace Maddux, John Trindl, and Garcia. The production marks Bush’s return to Fresh Fruit in April 2026, following the premieres of his award-winning works (Mary)Todd, ...Where You Eat, and Head First.
Beyond the stage, Bush continues to expand his reach, with new one-act plays Sometimes the Voices and Like a Bolt of Lightning now published and available for licensing. His solo-actor play Alan Loves Audrey was recently performed in Los Angeles, further cementing his reputation for emotionally incisive, actor-driven work.

Performance Schedule
  • Monday at 7:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday at 8:00 p.m.
  • Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

​Tickets

Tickets for THE SLOPPY ABANDON OF EXCAVATED LOVE and other Mainstage events are now available. Performances take place at The Wild Project, located at 195 East 3rd Street in New York City.
More information: https://freshfruitfestival.com/26_mstage/
]]><![CDATA[We didn’t create a monster. The monster was always there.]]>Wed, 04 Feb 2026 11:22:53 GMThttps://www.markeugenegarcia.com/news/we-didnt-create-a-monster-the-monster-was-always-therePicturePhoto by Madison DeVore Location: Tiger Schulmann's Chelsea
By Madison DeVore 

Photo Essay: Mark-Eugene Garcia Profile 

​On his first day of kickboxing class, Mark-Eugene Garcia learned some of the basics: jabs, hook punches and front kicks. It was a challenge. 
“I was just dripping in sweat and feeling disgusting — but at the same time — feeling alive,” he said. 

Growing up, Garcia, 45, didn’t do team sports. He was a marching band and theater kid. His school even allowed music as a foreign language and marching band as a physical education requirement, he added. ​
Picture
Photo by Madison DeVore Fighters: Mark-Eugene Garcia and Oscar Caguana Location: Tiger Schulmann's Chelsea
Garcia now works at The Drama Book Shop in midtown Manhattan. Garcia lives in Queens with his husband, Rodrigo Bolaños, and their two cats: Guapo and Muñecx (not Mucinex, he added). Both Garcia and Bolaños love theater and have even worked on shows together. 
“Now I joke that he’s always been in the business of making my dreams come true,” Garcia said of his husband. Garcia can write a scene so outlandish, but Bolaños will help him make it happen. 
Much of Garcia’s life revolves around the theater. ​
PicturePhoto by Madison DeVore Fighters: Mark-Eugene Garcia and Oscar Caguana Location: Tiger Schulmann's Chelsea
“I needed something vastly different,” Garcia said, as to why he began kickboxing classes. “I wanted something as far away from theater as possible,” he said. 
He’s now been a student at Tiger Schulmann’s Martial Arts in Chelsea for over a year. “I wanted to kind of challenge myself to prove that I still had some new tricks,” he said
​Over the year, Garcia has increased how often he goes to class — now four times a week. He said both his physical stamina and confidence have gone through the roof. 
“It’s become part of my identity, I think. And I think it makes me better at everything else I do,” Garcia said. 
PicturePhoto by Madison DeVore Fighters: Mark-Eugene Garcia and Oscar Caguana Location: Tiger Schulmann's Chelsea
There are parallels, even, between his paths in theater and kickboxing. 
Kickboxing is a mental sport too, he explained. One of the hardest parts is leaving the planned “choreography,” he said — or the combinations the students practice. When control is given to the student, it’s like a freestyle in dancing, he said as he recalled taking a salsa class years ago. Creating something — improvising — on the fly isn’t easy, he said.
“I think my biggest struggle will always be getting out of my head and learning to let go,” Garcia said. The biggest note he receives in kickboxing classes is to loosen up, he shared. 
PicturePhoto by Madison DeVore Location: Tiger Schulmann's Chelsea


Garcia said a goal of his is to discover new things about himself and be the best version of himself he can be. Kickboxing is helping him do that, he said. When Garcia upped his classes from twice a week to four times a week, he said to an instructor,“I hope you know that you’ve created a monster.” 


​Garcia said his instructor replied, “We didn’t create a monster. The monster was always there.”
]]><![CDATA[MTFest Returns to the Other Palace in 2026- with Shining in Misery A King-Size Parody]]>Fri, 05 Dec 2025 15:39:10 GMThttps://www.markeugenegarcia.com/news/mtfest-returns-to-the-other-palace-in-2026-with-shining-in-misery-a-king-size-parodyPicture
First introduced in 2019, MTFestUK has championed bold, original musical theatre, with many works reaching full productions in the UK and beyond. This year, audiences can enjoy six fresh pieces through intimate 1-hour workshop sharings, encouraging audiences to experience, explore, engage and support musical theatre in its earliest stages of development.


Paul Taylor-Mills, Artistic Director at The Other Palace, said: “This is so exciting! I can't wait to see the next season of MTFestUK coming to life. MTFestUK has become such an important platform for musical theatre, giving many emerging and established artists the chance to share their work. Year after year, we see musicals from the festival move on to full productions, which proves its impact and success. It's inspiring to witness the festival continually open doors for creativity and innovation in the art form.”

From digital-age community, hotel-bound suspense, witch-hunting, influencer pitfalls, to a charming deceiver, and a new queer legend - this season goes everywhere:

Shining in Misery: A King-Size ParodyMusic:  Andrew Abrams
Book & Lyrics: Mark-Eugene Garcia
Book: Colleen DuVall
Director: Gary Lloyd

​Experience a musical parody of King-size proportions! During the Misery of a blizzard, five people are drawn to the Shining lights of the Overlook Hotel. This includes Jack: the hotel's new caretaker, Wendy: his unhappy wife, Danny: their clairvoyant son, Annie: a volatile nurse, and Paul: the mysterious unconscious man she drags up to room 217. As the storm grows so do the mysteries of the hotel and the guests sing and vocalize while hacking an onslaught of visitors — human, animal, and supernatural. Will this group be able to harmonize through IT, take a Stand, or fade into The Mist?
]]><![CDATA[WITH BATED BREATH: Sex Zombies Invade a Midwest Town in Mark-Eugene Garcia’s comedy]]>Wed, 08 Oct 2025 14:24:09 GMThttps://www.markeugenegarcia.com/news/with-bated-breath-sex-zombies-invade-a-midwest-town-in-mark-eugene-garcias-comedyPicture
The first words spoken in the sold-out October 5th afternoon reading of Mark-Eugene Garcia’s With Bated Breath are courtesy of David Rigano as he introduces a character known as “Old Lady Warner”.  She’s the owner of Warner’s Corner Store in the tiny town of Virgin, Minnesota (Population: 205.3) Played by the anything-but-old-lady-like Kirstin Wolf, with her “cat” on her lap, the introduction to this small-town saga PERFECTLY establishes the zany spirit of the show we were about to see…  As it turns out, Wolf’s character boasts many of the play’s funniest one-liners.  But let’s not get too far ahead…  Most importantly, this “Old Lady” is skilled at storytelling… and what a story she has to tell!
With Bated Breath, written by Mark-Eugene Garcia, received a staged reading at New York City’s Under St. Mark’s Theatre as part of FRIGID NYC. 

Directed by Rodrigo Ernesto Bolaños, the reading had all of the professionalism, energy, and creative depth of a fully staged production. This was largely thanks to the smart script by Garcia, the fluid direction by Bolaños, and– most of all– the acting talents of the well-chosen, diverse cast of eight players.  With Bated Breath explores several serious, enduring issues, including prejudice/bigotry, sexual repression, and the thin line between faith and blind allegiance.  But first and foremost, this show is a comedy.  All of the seven on-stage actors excel at the art of making us laugh, whether through Garcia’s snappy script or through the art of wordless comedy.  Since four of the six actors perform multiple roles (which is often the case in staged readings), the cast even gets to create additional humor via their quick transitions between characters– which sometimes happen within one line of Rigano’s stage direction.  Dylan Glick’s simple trading of a pigtailed wig for a baseball cap to change from “Mona” to “Ulaf”, therefore, gets the audience into the farcical spirit just as much as lines like, “At times I feel vulnerable: trembling like a titmouse alone in the dark woods!”    
    
With Bated Breath takes place in the town of Virgin, Minnesota (Population: 205.3 again), which is ostensibly governed by the cute and well-meaning, but sadly socially awkward and politically impotent Mayor Frankie (C-Mac).  However, the town is actually ruled with a heavy cross hand by Pastor Johnson (played perfectly by TJ D’Angelo), who seems incapable of speaking any words with any tone below a bluster.  With patented lines like “Seduction brings about destruction!”, the Pastor regularly rales against the usual scapegoats (Drumroll please…): Latinos, “liberals”, homosexuals, etc.  This over-the-top character may seem like a stereotype, but history has given real-life characters like this a new cultural significance: Pastor Johnson actually seems more realistic than ever in 2025. When Dr. Corazon De La Fuente (Martha Lorena Preve) determines that tiny Virgin, Minnesota (Population: STILL 205.3…) is the seemingly ideal place to open a factory, the seemingly dim population (with characters known colloquially as “Blondie” and “What’s Her Face”) get excited.  However, their excitement goes limp when it comes to light that the factory will be manufacturing vague “sex pills”.  For a town which rallies against “drugs and sex and such”, with Pastor Johnson’s biggest fear being “Ch-ch-ch-CHANGE!”, this becomes quite a scandal, infuriating the Pastor and putting the factory worker Oliver “Tiny” Cox (Michael Lee Salinas) in danger.   An unknown saboteur causes a cooling system failure and explosion at the factory, allowing fumes from the sex drugs to enter the Virgin air.  After being repressed so long, true sexual feelings and even sexual orientations are revealed, as well as a few Peyton Place-esque revelations.  Even Dr. Cora, presumably the smartest character in the show, feels the need to give in to some carnal temptations, while Mayor Frankie secretly puppy-loves the beautiful doctor her from a distance. Will the Mayor win Dr. Cora’s affections?  Will Pastor Johnson get his just deserts? Will the town of Virgin drift into complete sexual anarchy? Will it be Utopia… or Gomorrah?  

As mentioned before, the cast are all excellent at comedy. Here’s one example:  Intentionally or not, so much humor is found with Mayor Frankie’s constant self-deprecative comments about his face being “blank” or “common”; This character is played by C-Mac, whose features and gift for that aforementioned wordless comedy make the actor the LAST person you’d expect to be invisible.  Everyone gets their moments in the spotlight, with standout Erin Solér reading the roles of both the Pastor’s horny yet well-mannered son “Randy Johnson” as well as a girl literally named “What’s Her Face” (Mark-Eugene Garcia is NOT a subtle playwright when it comes to his works of comedy…)
Like the fumes from the “sex pill” factory in Virgin, Minnesota (Popu… oh, never mind…), let’s hope With Bated Breath invades YOUR town sometime soon in a fully staged production!
​
With Bated Breath continues on Sunday, October 12 at 4PM at Under St. Mark’s Theatre, 94 St. Mark’s Place, NYC.  Visit  Tickets.Frigid.NYC for tickets and more information!
]]><![CDATA[Mark-Eugene Garcia's WITH BATED BREATH to Have Staged Reading With FRIGID New York]]>Sat, 20 Sep 2025 16:16:52 GMThttps://www.markeugenegarcia.com/news/mark-eugene-garcias-with-bated-breath-to-have-staged-reading-with-frigid-new-york
FRIGID New York will present a staged reading of With Bated Breath, a new play by FRIGID Resident Artists playwright Mark-Eugene Garcia and director Rodrigo Ernesto Bolaños at UNDER St. Marks on Sunday, October 5th at 4pm and Sunday, October 12th at 4pm. Tickets ($15) are available for advance purchase. Admission will also include a free glass of wine at the USM bar. The performance will run approximately 90 minutes, with no intermission.
With Bated Breath is a laugh-out-loud romp about how one small town gets a big dose of hormones and learns to loosen up-ready or not!
With Bated Breath began in 2003 when playwright Mark-Eugene Garcia stumbled upon a fluff news story about a small Irish town claiming its residents were affected by fumes from a nearby Viagra plant. While Pfizer dismissed the claim as impossible, Mark-Eugene couldn't help but wonder-what if it wasn't?
The cast will feature C-Mac, TJ D'Angelo, Dylan Glick, Martha Lorena Preve, Michael Salinas, Erin Soler, and Kirstin Wolf with David Rigano reading stage directions.
Mark-Eugene Garcia(Playwright) is a Chicano playwright, storyteller, and theatre-maker, blending cultural legacy, and theatrical grit in every work. A 2025 Candela Playwright's Fellow and a 2025/2026 Resident Artist at FRIGID New York, he is a member of the Dramatists Guild and a graduate of the City College of New York. He honed his craft in book and lyric writing with the Academy of New Musical Theatre and the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. Mark-Eugene's work has earned the 2021 Jerry Harrington Award for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Musical Theatre, the 2018 UnFringed Festival Best of Festival Award, a 2016 Vancouver Ovation Award nomination for Outstanding New Work, a 2013 Planet Connections nomination for Outstanding Book of a New Musical, and the 2012 Jacob Weiser Playwriting Award for a Fully Realized Drama. Productions include EIGHT TALES OF PEDRO (The Secret Theatre, The Queens Theatre), SHINING IN MISERY: A KING-SIZE PARODY (Capital City Theatre, 54 Below), STANDBY (Towle Theatre, New York International Fringe Festival- Encores Selection, New York Musical Theatre Festival, Next Link Selection), THE HOLY COWS OF CREDENCE SOUTH DAKOTA (Planet Connections Theatre Festival, Puzzle Theatre Festival), FACING EAST: A NEW MUSICAL (Jericho Arts Center), and UNMISSED CONNECTIONS (Planet Connections Theatre Festival). Other Plays include FLAKE OF SNOW, WITH BATED BREATH (formerly UP IN THE AIR!), WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR, ONE NIGHT AT THE GOLDEN BOOT, INSCRIPTIONS, and KEYS. In addition to his writing career, he co-hosts THE DRAMA BOOK SHOW! on the Broadway Podcast Network.
]]><![CDATA[Drama Book Shop Manager Spills His NYC Must-Dos (and Favorite Subway Line!]]>Mon, 01 Sep 2025 10:48:07 GMThttps://www.markeugenegarcia.com/news/drama-book-shop-manager-spills-his-nyc-must-dos-and-favorite-subway-lineCheck it out. ]]><![CDATA[FRIGID New York Unveils Programming For 2025-26 Season]]>Thu, 14 Aug 2025 13:59:09 GMThttps://www.markeugenegarcia.com/news/frigid-new-york-unveils-programming-for-2025-26-seasonPicture
FRIGID New York has revealed the lineup of programming for their 28th season including the 4th annual Days of the Dead Festival, the 13th annual Gotham Storytelling Festival, the 16th Annual The Fire This Time Festival, and the 19th Annual New York City Fringe Festival (formerly FRIGID New YorK Festival). Their upcoming season will also include new productions from resident artists Mark-Eugene Garcia and Rodrigo Bolaños, Padraig Bond, and Something From Abroad. All programming takes place at UNDER St. Marks, unless otherwise noted. Most performances will also be available to stream from home. ​
​Iris Bahr's Neurotica FestivalSeptember 4-7
Launched by multiple award-winning actor, writer and solo performer, Iris Bahr (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Hacks, Stories from the Brink!), Neurotica is a 4 day festival that brings to NYC fresh perspectives, fascinating life stories, edgy and delightful clown and bouffant shows, plus in-depth conversations with renowned authors from across the US and Canada. In its first year, Bahr is proud to champion artists as yet unseen on the NY stage, and have Neurotica fest be the NYC premiere for such a diverse group of compelling artists.
With Bated BreathWritten by Mark-Eugene Garcia, Directed by Rodrigo Bolaños
Resident Show, October 5th and 12th
When a company that produces a sexual enhancement drug relocates to a religious factory town in northern Minnesota, and its fumes begin to enter the air, the puritanical beliefs of the townspeople begin to waver. Long held inhibitions release and untold secrets spurt forth as the town spills into debaucherous revelry. For the pious Pastor Johnson, it means the arrival of the devil. For the tempting Dr. Corazon De La Fuente, who runs the factory, it is a wonder to be studied. Stuck in the middle is Mayor Frankie, anxiously watching as his town populace begins giving into wildest urges. Fargo meets Dr. Frankenfurter in this wacky comedy that is based on true events until it's not.
Days of the Dead FestivalOctober 17-November 2
Celebrate Día de los Muertos and Halloween with FRIGID New York at the Days of the Dead Festival curated by FRIGID New York's Resident Artistic Director Martha Lorena Preve in collaboration with Something from Abroad theater company members.This festival is a celebration of independent theatre and performance. A celebration of life and death, Days of the Dead is a festival inspired by the Mexican holiday Día de Muertos. During this time of year the dead return to earth to spend time with their families and enjoy their favorite things. It can be cheerful, sad, nostalgic, ritualistic and mysterious. It's all about the family and the community. The festival will be offering shows that have death and the afterlife as a theme as well as Halloween themed plays. We welcome everyone regardless of their cultural background or religious beliefs to celebrate our muertos together.
Gotham Storytelling FestivalNovember 3-16
Now a teenager as it turns 13, the Gotham Storytelling Festival brings together a variety of storytellers with a variety of storytelling styles to do what they do best. Whether you're looking to escape into someone else's story, revisit a familiar tale, cry a little or just laugh out loud because It's always the best medicine, Gotham has something for you. Join legendary hitters and new friends for an event that's sure to alleviate some of the year's aches, or at least help to distract, transform, transport or give you some sense of hope, if only for just an hour.
Holiday SpiritsDecember 6th & 7th
Who knows what lurks in the long, cold nights as we creep through darkness towards the winter solstice? We huddle together around our little lights for safety and warmth and tell each other stories of what might be out there as some sort of charm against the monsters being real. In fact, it was once tradition to tell ghost stories on Christmas Eve, something that has fallen by the wayside with the exception of A Christmas Carol, but the darkness is still out there. After a successful pilot last year, FRIGID New York's Resident Artistic Directors Martha Lorena Preve and Jimmy Lovett will be producing another two-night presentation of curated short play readings on themes of winter, the holidays, and the horrors therein.
Falling Out: A New MusicalWritten by Josee Klein
January 3-February 3, 2026
In a downtown New York music bar the ballads of lost loves and missed opportunities float on the air. Worlds collide when a melancholic transplant meets a musician with a past. Together they create a discordant harmony that will uncover the truths they both need to face to reshape their lives. This experiential production marks the WORLD PREMIERE of acclaimed musician and songwriter Josee Klein's musical of heartbreak and redemption.
The Fire This Time FestivalJanuary 2026 (Venue TBA)
The Fire This Time Festival was founded in 2009 by playwright Kelley Nicole Girod to provide a platform for early career playwrights of African and African American descent. Since its founding, the Festival has produced the plays of dozens of emerging writers whose works explore a wide range of themes and perspectives. The Festival also supports actors, directors, and technical personnel to help seed the pipeline with diverse talent and amplify underrepresented voices in theater in New York and beyond. The Fire This Time playwrights have gone on to have their plays produced in cities across the United States and work as writers in film and television. The Fire This Time Festival has evolved into an annual January event and continues to grow, expanding upon its core short play presentations to offer panel discussions, staged readings, a playwright's lab and other programs. The Festival has become a destination for diverse audiences, producers, and artists seeking new possibilities and opportunities in contemporary theater. Learn more about the Fire This Time Festival at www.firethistimefestival.com.
New York City Fringe FestivalApril 1-19, 2026, East Village @ UNDER St. Marks and wild project, Midtown @ The Chain, Dumbo, BK @ The Rat
New York City Fringe (formally the FRIGID Fringe Festival) is our flagship festival and something we all look forward to! It is an open, lottery-based theater festival that gives artists an opportunity to let their ingenuity thrive in an environment that values freedom of expression and artistic determination. In true support of the Indie Theater Community, 100% of box office proceeds go directly to the artists whose work is being presented. Fringe applications are taken through our website and are open from Labor Day through Halloween. New York City Fringe is a proud member of the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals.
Queerly FestivalJune 2026
Founded in 2014, Queerly is FRIGID's annual celebration of all things artistic and LGBTQIA2S+. Queerly strives for diversity on and off stage, seeking out queer teams and artists of all kinds as well as a wide range of shows and performances. Our goal is to provide a space for queer artists who've rarely or never seen their identities portrayed on stage to be able to represent themselves and tell their stories their way, as well as to provide a space for queer celebration, pride, and strength. Queerly is curated by FRIGID co-artistic director Jimmy Lovett, a trans, non-binary, bisexual marker and theater artist.
Little Shakespeare FestivalAugust 2026
Welcome to The Little Shakespeare Festival at Frigid New York! This festival is a celebration of independent theater and performance that takes inspiration from the immortal bard, William Shakespeare. Each year, companies are offered a different theme or idea to help guide their work. Join our community and remember that Shakespeare doesn't just live on when performed in giant, open air amphitheaters or big, Broadway houses; he also lives in these most humble of places, where I think he would have felt quite at home. Here, with you and me, at The Little Shakespeare Festival. Little Shakespeare is curated by artist and educator Conor Mullen of As You Will.
Resident Artists
Padraig Bond's Climate FablesThe Climate Fables are a 12-play environmental epic by resident playwright Padraig Bond, about the future of humanity in climate change over one thousand years. These plays were rated 5 stars at the 2023 Edinburgh International Festival Fringe, won Best Play at the 2024 NYC Fringe, and have been described as "a masterpiece" by The Theatre Times. Completed works at FRIGID include The Trash Garden, Debating Extinction, The Collapse of the Hubbard Glacier, Ogallala, The (Green Apple) Play, and Coyote Oughta Eat That Salesman!. With 6 plays finished, FRIGID is halfway to developing the full canon of 12. Expect more coming soon!
Something From AbroadSomething from Abroad produces material from a variety of cultural backgrounds to bring stories from abroad and give them a voice in today's America. We are a theater company started by a couple of "broads" from abroad. We are proud to promote original art created by women.
Playwright Mark-Eugene Garcia & Director Rodrigo BolañosMark-Eugene Garcia and Rodrigo Bolaños are a married creative team whose artistic partnership is rooted in a shared passion for bringing Latine voices and stories to life onstage. Their first collaboration began in 2004, when Rodrigo performed in the workshop of With Bated Breath (then titled Up in the Air), written by Mark-Eugene. That early connection launched a creative relationship that has grown alongside their marriage-merging storytelling, direction, music, and performance.
VermillionVermillion is an independent performer, writer and artist born in Transylvania who has been active in the New York City cultural community since 2001. Her work has been presented at the Immigrant Theater Festival, Galapagos Art Space, Manhattan Theater Source, IWAS, The Field, Theater for the New City, The Moth, Stage Left, Bowery Poetry Club, and Chashama. Her current solo storytelling show, On Cats and Dogs and Other Family Revelations successfully premiered at the 2024 NYC Fringe Festival and its various iterations are monthly performed at UNDER St. Marks. Starting this season, Vermillion and her Lovely Shoes improv team will host the monthly Side-Coached show. During the first part of her residency, she will also be developing an evening of inventive monologues, some soulful, some naughty, under the Working Title Book Spines Broken By My Purring Cat. Vermillion is honored to be the new resident of this OBIE award winning theater, and she will give her all "boot camp" style and hopefully manifest another OBIE!
Recurring Shows at UNDER St. Marks
Odd SalonLast Show at Parkside Lounge in December
Odd Salon curates cocktail hour lectures highlighting strange-but-true stories from history, science, art, and adventure, live on stage, over cocktails. We bring experts and enthusiastic amateurs together to explore history's overlooked and under-told stories, from legends of lost cities to masters of art forgery, engineering failures to murderous sideshow performers, daring heists, questionable taxidermy, and tales of epic revenge. Odd Salon is inspired by the salonnières of the Enlightenment, the illustrated lectures of the Victorian period, and a strong desire to tell weird stories in good company.
Hottie BopLast Show in October
Hottie Bop is a kick-ass variety show with comedy, music and dance, and the perfect way to kick off your weekend. With a different line-up every month, there's always something you've never seen before so see you there, hotties!
The Open Mic DownstairsEvery Tuesday at 9:30pm
At The Open Mic at FRIGID New York the focus is the stage! Sign-ups get 7 minutes to try anything in one of the most supportive rooms in New York City. Whether it's a performance art piece, comedy, music, storytelling, dance, or something entirely off the top of your head, you'll find a home in the attentive welcoming community.
Living RadioFirst Monday of the Month @ 7pm
Every month, we remix current events to imagine what a slightly altered world could look like. Five brand-new radio plays, written with inspiration from the news, featuring a rotating cast and creative team, exploring alternate presents. The results range from the absurdly wacky to the poignantly reflective, from apocalyptic to aspirational-but they're always clever, fun, and inspired. It's the news-only better.
It's Getting Tired MildredSecond Saturday of the Month @ 8pm
Welcome to Mildred Springs! A quaint city in the vague Northeastern United States. A city not unlike other cities. Join us while the bold and the beautiful citizens of Mildred Springs live the days of their lives. Some might be young and restless. Some might be doctors working at Sacred Corpuscle Memorial, a general hospital. But they've all got one life to live. Join us as their world turns. Join us as their guiding light leads them on their constant search for tomorrow. Join us as they hang on to the edge of night and you will be transported to another world. The world of It's Getting Tired Mildred. Set in the 1980's, known for riding the line between camp and loving homage to the soap opera genre, and featuring a dynamic cast of the indie theatre pros, It's Getting Tired Mildred hooks audience members to come back month after month to see what happens next.
Side-Coached Improv ShowThird Tuesday of the Month @ 7pm
Side-Coached is an improv show in which performers improvise live based on an audience prompt, all along being side-coached by our experienced improv teacher Ian Herrin.
In this first season, they aim to experiment: at times with one large team, at times two smaller teams, will perform in the first part of the show, then they will jam with audience members who put their names in the hat.
Adam Wade, Live in New YorkThird Wednesday of the Month @ 7pm
Adam Wade, the 20-time Moth Story Slam winner, creator of the #1 Best Selling Audible Original 'You Ought To Know Adam Wade' and from TV's 'Inside Amy Schumer' and 'Girls' returns to UNDER St. Marks! This monthly storytelling show will feature three to four different stories from Adam's extensive catalog. No two shows will be the same. Come and see this New York Times, Time Out New York, and CBS critics' pick LIVE on stage in New York! A different special guest storyteller will begin each show.
ComediumshipThird Sunday of the Month @ 7pm
Psychic medium and stand up comedian Nelly Reznik will be performing Comediumship, an experimental combination of stand up comedy and audience readings. Readings may consist of connecting with loved ones who have passed, and receiving life guidance for audience members, all in a lighthearted way. Not everyone will receive a reading, but all in attendance should be open to it.
Your Unemployed FriendLast Tuesday of the Month @ 2pm
A show for you and your unemployed friends at 2pm on a Tuesday. Hosted by Jaboukie Young-White.
Paper KraineLast Wednesday of the Month @ 7:30pm
Paper Kraine was created in 2016 to bring together works in development, artists, and audiences in support of nonprofits. Monthly, the PK team curates a new works sample platter around a theme and donates all proceeds to a selected nonprofit. Try something new, delicious and strange. Come for the art. Stay for the community. We encourage risk-taking, question-asking, and the development of a supportive community of artists seeing, encouraging, and challenging each other's work with the ultimate goal of enriching the artistic community through cross-pollination and meeting new people. Learn more at www.paperkraine.com.
FRIGID NightcapLast Friday of the Month @ 10:30pm
Come get weird after dark! The East Village's riotously unpredictable late-night spectacle is a wondrously offbeat collision of comedy, music, burlesque, arts, and more. It's the most unique destination for anyone who just isn't ready to call it a night quite yet.
Awkward Teenage YearsSchedule Varies
True stories about the most gloriously awkward times in our lives - our teenage years! Awkward Teenage Years brings you the best storytellers in NYC to relive their joys and traumas for your entertainment - let's laugh and reminisce together! Enjoy tales of first loves gone wrong, failing the big test, finding your tribe, learning hard lessons, and most importantly - coming of age.
On Cats and Dogs and Other Family RevelationsSchedule Varies
On Cats and Dogs and Other Family Revelations wraps big ideas in focused stories about Ella's pets, offering glimpses of her human family and life in her place of birth, Transylvania, Romania. With her dark humor and heart, Ella takes audiences from her childhood under communist rule, to her present quirky experiences in East Harlem, using her dog and cat as reference points.
Daniel Simonsen Free to FailSchedule Varies
A night of experimental comedy with New York's Funniest Stand-Up 2022 winner Daniel Simonsen. Come watch the Norwegian build material as he works both scripted and completely unscripted. As seen on Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
[Peter BD Presents...]Schedule Varies
A changing show about connection, kinship, fellowship, transition, correspondence, altercation, relation, exchange, consociation, bond, communication, and more.
Secret CitySchedule Varies
Step into a world of Music, Dance, Comedy, Burlesque. The cool. wild and wonderful. Dress Up, dress Downtown or come as you are for a slice of NYC nightlife like no other. Co-Hosted by dazzling Dara Jemmott (crowned Winner, NJ Statewide Funniest Fest) and gregarious Gregory Levine (Travel Channel & Emcee - Guilty Pleasures) since June 2023.
Electric Moon CabaretSchedule Varies
Welcome to Electric Moon Cabaret, where sultry meets edgy in a provocative fusion of glamour and grit. Our cabaret is your playground for the night, where every performance is a bold blend of seductive allure and rebellious energy. A place where the performers are hotter than your last Tinder date and you can slip into something that says, "I'm here to play," get ready for a night that's as unpredictable as it is unforgettable. Electric Moon Cabaret is quite the adventure-and yes, we have been known to break a few hearts along the way.
Spanglish AffairSchedule Varies
We are excited to provide a safe space for artists to explore and share their art in front of a live audience. If there's something you've always wanted to do, this is a space for you to do it! While our company focuses on Spanish and Spanglish content, this is not a requirement for your piece-if you're someone with art to share, this space is for you. Here are some ideas for types of performers we're looking for: singers, dancers, comedians, performance art, burlesque, actors, visual artists, clowning, spoken word, poetry. THE SKY IS THE LIMIT!
As You Mic ItSchedule Varies
As You Mic It: An Open Shakespeare Slam - Join us for a one-of-a-kind slam where you can compete to be crowned Best of the Bards! If you are slamming, come prepared to perform up to two of any Shakespeare monologue or sonnet of your choice (within 3 and a half minutes, memorization not required but encouraged). If you don't want to slam, come join us for some merriment, libations, and maybe even become a judge (no experience necessary)!
Burnt ToastSchedule Varies
Picturesque, in the hilly woodsides of Upstate New York lies the Chateau du Comme. Nestled beneath boughs of American chestnuts and serenaded by the songs of sparrows. In this Eden, the collective, intraprospectors of the American zeitgeist: Burnt Toast, engaged their minds, bodies, and very souls in the pursuit of the ultimate comedic experience. This curation of short scenes, vignettes, and musical reprieves, postulates the matriculation of decades of experience in the American theatre, based on the most recent and cutting edge theories of performance. This chimaera, this amalgam from which there can, forever, be only a before and an after, presents a collective experience of euphoria, of laughter. It is the calm and the scent of a numbing side body: a stroke. It is Burnt Toast. Indulge yourself - satiate your superego and stroke your id - by coming to this performance.
]]><![CDATA[OTHELLO, GOAT BLOOD, & More Included in 25-26 Season at Theatre Rhinoceros]]>Mon, 11 Aug 2025 10:57:32 GMThttps://www.markeugenegarcia.com/news/othello-goat-blood-more-included-in-25-26-season-at-theatre-rhinocerosPicture

Theatre Rhinoceros, the longest-running LGBTQIA+ theatre anywhere, will present six mainstage productions this season ranging from brand new plays to Rhino favorites to musical theatre classics. Readings, workshops, and ESPs are produced by Amy and Derek Morgenstern, Henry Rosenthal, and John-Thomas Hansen. 

Othello, by William Shakespeare and directed by John Fisher, will hold performances September 26 through September 28. Who is telling the truth in this insane classic? Come find out when it gets the Rhino twist.
The Break-Up! A Latina Torch Song is a world premiere that is written and performed by Tina D'Elia. It will be directed by Mary Guzman, and will run November 6 through November 23, 2025. Trina Maria, miserable in heartbreak-ville after she loses the Movie Butch of her dreams, stumbles into a mystical queer misfits “break-up” support group.

 Xmas Fun by the Rhino Artists will perform on December 18, 2025. Those crazy rhinos cut up in this holiday extravaganza. The performance is produced by Adrienne Hirt and Jeffrey Rodman.
Left Field is a world premiere that is written and directed by John Fisher. The show will run February 18 through March 15, 2026. The country is getting its first gay president.
La Cage Aux Folles will perform April 17 through May 11, 2026, with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman and book by Harvey Fierstein. Set in gay, gay, gay St. Tropez, the Rolls Royce of queer musicals comes to The Castro.
Finally, West Coast premiere Goat Blood will close out the season June 25 through July 19, 2026. The show is written by Mark-Eugene Garcia. Pablo and Own are sipping beers and fooling around in the flatbed of a truck, but something ancient and hungry is watching.
About Theatre Rhinoceros Theatre Rhinoceros was founded in 1977 and is the longest running LGBTQ+ theatre in the nation. We develop and produce works of theatre that enlighten, enrich, and explore both the ordinary and the extraordinary aspects of our queer community. Our emphasis is on new works, works about under-represented members of the larger queer community, and revivals of lesser known queer classics. Over the years Theatre Rhinoceros has received many awards of recognition including: Theatre Rhinoceros Day in the City Proclamation from Mayor Gavin Newsom, State Assembly Certificate of Recognition from Senator Mark Leno, recognitions from Congressperson Nancy Pelosi and Assembly Persons Tom Ammiano and Carole Migden, numerous Cable Car, BATCC and TBA Awards and Nominations, and the GLAAD Media Award for Best LGBT Theatre. 
]]><![CDATA[The Monsters We Know: Mark-Eugene Garcia’s Book Signing at the Drama Book Shop- INSC Magazine]]>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 03:51:21 GMThttps://www.markeugenegarcia.com/news/the-monsters-we-know-mark-eugene-garcias-book-signing-at-the-drama-book-shopBefore summer theater descends into festival frenzy and outdoor spectacle, June gave us something far more satisfying: three emotionally potent evenings that bypassed bombast and landed, instead, directly in the chest.
In different corners of New York’s downtown scene, artists found fresh ways to say the unsayable—whether through myth, mime, or the ticking countdown of a mechanical heart. Here’s a closer look at three performances that continue to linger well into July.

The Monsters We Know: Mark-Eugene Garcia’s Book Signing at the Drama Book Shop
​
On Friday the 13th—clearly no accident—playwright Mark-Eugene Garcia turned what could have been a conventional literary event into a mini theatrical séance. Hosted at The Drama Book Shop and celebrating the publication of With Bated Breath, Eight Tales of Pedro, and Goat Blood, the evening unfolded like a summoning: of stories, of history, of the monsters—real and imagined—that live just beneath the skin.
Garcia, whose work fuses Chicano identity with myth, satire, and the supernatural, shared not only reflections on his two-decade career but also presented a live scene from Goat Blood, performed by original cast members Hraban Luyat and Sergio Caetano.
Luyat played Owen, an all-American patriot whose comic relief brought levity to the play’s most tense and reflective moments. Through humor, the character becomes a lens for exploring deeper themes of culture, belonging, and mortality. Embodying a lighthearted jester, Luyat’s playful presence folded seamlessly into Caetano’s (Pablo) rhythm and energy, making this brief performance feel less like a promotional teaser and more like a vivid, self-contained moment from a fully realized world.
]]><![CDATA[Candela Announces Fellows for Third Annual Playwrights Summer Fellowship Program]]>Mon, 07 Jul 2025 04:00:35 GMThttps://www.markeugenegarcia.com/news/candela-announces-fellows-for-third-annual-playwrights-summer-fellowship-programThis year, Candela welcomes 16 outstanding musical theatre writers and playwrights from across the globe into its 2025 cohort.
By: Emmy Rice Picture
Candela, a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to expanding access to theater education for playwrights, book writers, and lyricists of Latin American and Caribbean heritage, has announced the fellows selected for its third annual Playwrights Summer Fellowship program, a.k.a. Summer Jam.

Founded by writer/director and professor Darrel Alejandro Holnes, and co-directed by scholar/director and professor Dr. Daphnie Sicre, the fellowship this year is a beacon for musical theatre writers and playwrights 21+ who seek access to writing workshops, craft talks, mentorship, and a supportive artistic community led by some of Broadway and Off-Broadway's greatest musical theater writers and playwrights -free of cost.

"At its heart, Candela is a call to action: a reminder that artists don't need permission to be powerful. The blaze begins within," says Holnes. "Our focus is self-empowerment and breaking down barriers so that our community can strengthen their understanding of playwriting, book writing, and lyric-writing fundamentals, as well as improving and expanding their skillset and honing their craft."
This year, Candela welcomes 16 outstanding musical theatre writers and playwrights from across the globe into its 2025 cohort: Fran Astorga, Christin Eve Cato, Georgina Escobar, Mark-Eugene García, Khalif Gillett, Sasky Louison, Brett Macias, Maya Malan-Gonzalez, Angele Maraj, Alan Mendez, Anya Paiz, Jessica Peña Torres, Jermaine Rowe, Mario Vega, Maiga Vidal, and Roy Alexander Weise. This year's fellows represent a variety of nations including Belize, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Mexico, St. Lucia, and a wide variety of languages and creoles.
Dr. Sicre reflects: "This program is not just about providing education-it's about community, access, and transformation. We are intentionally building a future where musical theatre writers and playwrights with Latin American and Caribbean heritage are not the exception but part of the standard."
The 2025 Playwrights Summer Fellowship will take place July 13-20 at the Dramatists Guild of America's Mary Rodgers Room, Medgar Evers College, and at various other locations throughout Brooklyn. Fellows will further develop their books, lyrics, and compositions through writing workshops, peer review sessions, master classes, craft talks, and professional development panels. The immersive week of master classes and professional development opportunities will also include viewings of Broadway shows, theater tours, backstage access, and time learning about institutions like the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, which preserve important theater history.
This year's faculty, mentors, and guests include an extraordinary lineup of artists, educators, and industry leaders; among them are Tony Award winner Itamar Moses (The Band's Visit, Dead Outlaw), Obie winner, Pulitzer finalist, and Tony nominee Kristoffer Diaz (Hell's Kitchen), Tony Award winner David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly, Aida, Yellow Face), Aurin Squire (A Wonderful World), and Tony Award winning Producer, Rashad Chambers (Purpose, Topdog/Underdog, The Inheritance). Also joining are playwrights and directors Caridad Svich, CQ, Carmen Rivera, Candido Tirado, Emmanuel Wilson, Peggy Robles-Alvarado, Roger Q. Mason, Zhailon Levingston, and dramaturg Amrita Ramanan of The Public Theater. Panelists and more guests are soon to be announced.
Candela is proud to stand alongside transformative partners and co-sponsors including the Dramatists Guild of America, Latinx Theater Commons, Signature Theatre, Brooklyn Arts Council, Howard Gilman Foundation, New York City Center, New York Theatre Workshop, NYU, and CUNY: Medgar Evers College, among others.
]]><![CDATA[The Drama Book Show! Fables, Folklore, and Farce- A Conversation With Mark-Eugene Garcia]]>Mon, 23 Jun 2025 11:11:23 GMThttps://www.markeugenegarcia.com/news/the-drama-book-showfables-folklore-and-farce-a-conversation-with-mark-eugene-garcia
]]><![CDATA[Guest Writer, BAMBI EVERSON at the Drama Book Shop with MARK GARCIA]]>Sat, 21 Jun 2025 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.markeugenegarcia.com/news/guest-writer-bambi-everson-at-the-drama-book-shop-with-mark-garciaFables Folklore and Farces: A conversation with Mark-Eugene Garcia Picture
The enthusiastic audience in the Drama Book Shop consisted of people that knew Mark’s plays, had worked on, or been in Mark’s plays, and me, who only knew Mark through my many visits to the Drama Book Shop, and his musical “Shining in Misery” which I am mildly obsessed with.
Mark is a natural storyteller and his playwriting arc over the last two decades was filled with humor and humility.​
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Mark admitted his first musical “Up in the Air” although inspired by a fascinating true story about  Viagra fumes in a small town in Ireland that caused strange events wasn’t terribly good. Even so, there was something there he couldn’t quite let go of. 
Mark always searches for the “Why” in a story. Why am I writing this? Does it have a heart? Years later, “Up in The Air” was stripped of its songs and became “With Bated Breath.” It had a successful run, so much so that Mark thought it might become a musical once again.
Mark was quick to praise his actors and what they bring to the table.
“The first draft of my play is not what winds up on the stage. When an actor does something unexpected, I tell them I am stealing that, and they have now become part of the process.”
His “8 Tales of Pedro” went through many iterations and is probably his most personal piece to date. Mark melds a sense of justice, and Robin Hoodesque stories within the claustrophobic atmosphere of a van bringing immigrants into a new world. The stories focus on people trapped between two worlds who use fables as a coping mechanism.

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​A scene from “Goat Blood”, his latest, was read by two accomplished actors.
A funny, spooky play with a possible monster lurking in the midst had the audience completely riveted and invested in the characters. Mark keeps us safe and laughing so when the scare happens, we are taken unaware.
It’s a play that will work with any budget which makes it accessible to everyone. It is clear Mark is a fan of the horror genre. He builds tension in a very cinematic way. I am looking forward to seeing this one.
When asked what was up next for Mark-Eugene Garcia, he laughed and said he really wanted to do a play based on “Bad Santa” but no one is answering his emails.
They really should.
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