 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.
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 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.  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…
 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.  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.
 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.  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.  Photo 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.  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?  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.
 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.
 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. The Monsters We Know: Mark-Eugene Garcia’s Book Signing at the Drama Book Shop- INSC Magazine7/8/2025 Before 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. This year, Candela welcomes 16 outstanding musical theatre writers and playwrights from across the globe into its 2025 cohort. By: Emmy Rice  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. Fables Folklore and Farces: A conversation with Mark-Eugene Garcia 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.  The Drama Book Shop presents, in association with Jay Michaels Global Communications, Fables, Folklore, and Farce- A Conversation With Mark-Eugene Garcia
A talkback, signing and live podcast recording. About the Plays EIGHT TALES OF PEDRO The story begins in 17th century Mexico, as Pedro and his companion travel from a small port town into the fabled Veracruz, telling stories while following Pedro’s one true love. Meanwhile, in the present day, in a van full of Mexican immigrants, Peter crosses a border into an unfamiliar country, while his companions tell him stories to chase away his fears. The two storytellers risk everything as their lives and plots intertwine. GOAT BLOOD Pablo and Owen thought they were in for a simple double date with two women they’d just met at a bar. Instead, under the cover of night, something ancient is watching them. Something hungry. For Pablo, the darkness hides more than just nerves—it holds a past he’s spent years trying to outrun. When the Chupacabra emerges from the shadows, the night turns to terror, and their evening spirals into a desperate fight for survival. But this is no ordinary monster. It is hunger and grief. It is guilt and memory. It is the thing Pablo has feared facing ever since the night he lost his little brother. As the creature closes in, the men must confront not just the beast, but their own buried truths—about where they come from, what they want, and what they are willing to do to stay alive. Because sometimes, the most relentless monsters are the ones we carry inside. WITH BATED BREATH 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 begin giving into wildest urges. Fargo meets Frankenfurter in this wacky comedy that is based on true events until it’s 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? At the time, he and his writing collaborator, composer Jeff Thomson, were searching for a new musical concept. When Mark-Eugene pitched the idea, they jumped on it, crafting an original and outrageous story set in a small Minnesota town affected by a pharmaceutical plant explosion that turns its residents into sex zombies. Over the next year, the team developed the show through The Academy for New Musical Theatre (now New Musicals Inc.), under the direction of Scott Guy and Elise Dewsberry. The piece was presented in a series of workshops and performances over the following two years, culminating in a two-night run at the Colony Theatre in Burbank in 2005. About the Author Mark-Eugene Garcia is an award winning Chicano playwright and a proud member of the Dramatists Guild. He is a graduate of the City College of New York and studied book and lyric writing with the Academy of New Musical Theatre and the BMI Lehman Engle Musical Theatre Writing Workshop. Productions include EIGHT TALES OF PEDRO (The Secret Theatre, The Queens Theatre) SHINING IN MISERY: A KING-SIZE PARODY (Capital City Theatre, 54 Below) GOAT BLOOD (Mexfest, Days of the Dead/FrigidNYC) 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, WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR , ONE NIGHT AT THE GOLDEN BOOT, INSCRIPTIONS, and KEYS. As a Dramaturg, Mark has collaborated with The New York Musical Festival on the productions of TEMPLE OF THE SOULS, EMOJILAND, KAFKA’S METAMORPHOSIS, and ILLUMINATI LIZARDS FROM OUTER SPACE. He has also collaborated with the Fresh Fruit Festival with PARTITIME In addition to his writing career, he is also part of the Management Team of The Drama Bookshop and co-hosts THE DRAMA BOOK SHOW! on the Broadway Podcast Network. We kindly ask that you review the following information before reserving your spot: This Eventbrite ticket is your reservation for the event. Please note that the purchase of “Eight Tales of Pedro” “With Bated Breath” or “Goat Blood” ($ 11.95- $16.00) required for entry. Upon arrival, our team will direct you to the register to obtain your copy and complete your admission. The store will begin welcoming guests at 7:15 pm. Should you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected]. In the event of the event being sold out. Please email Events@Dramabookshop to be added to the Waiting List Mark-Eugene Garcia on Public Nudity, Healthy Aging, and Latiné Identity, on Tub Talks With Damon4/29/2025 Premiered Apr 29, 2025 #bodypositivity #menshealth #writingMark-Eugene Garcia has spent the past two decades connecting with New Yorkers through his writing, acting, and co-managing the cherished Drama Book Shop in Times Square. What lessons is he learning about healthy aging, body positivity, embracing identity, and being fully naked on screen?
0:00 - Mark shares what he likes about his naked body at age 44, and how he has been seeking ways to be healthy. How does one have confidence being naked on film even when they're not feeling confident? 12:23 -- Are younger people today more uncomfortable with public nudity today? How does Mark deal with filming naked sex scenes on movie sets? How does he feel about intimacy coordinators? 26:00 -- Mark traces his dream of moving to New York at age 26 from Covina, California, to write. How did the script for "With Bated Breath" come to evolve?  A Chupacabra could be creeping onto your stage, your shelf… or breathing down your neck! Goat Blood is officially joining the Theatrical Rights Worldwide family and could be in your hands very soon! Get ready for spooks, laughs, and Latino folklore—served with a side of boys, birria, and blood.
 At the Days of the Dead Festival at UNDER St. Marks, Goat Blood brings a mix of horror and humor. Written by Mark-Eugene Garcia, the play follows co-workers Owen and Pablo, waiting for their dates in the woods. As the night unfolds, they confront not only their feelings for each other but also a lurking threat: the chupacabra, a creature from Latin American folklore. The play navigates between lighthearted banter and suspense, exploring themes of fear, identity, and desire while twisting classic horror tropes.
 By Jim Catapano- Arts Independent
Riverside, California, 2010: Friends and co-workers Pablo (Sergio Caetano) and Owen (Hraban Luyat) are in a pickup truck by the woods. They are waiting for their gummies to kick in and for their dates to arrive. But they might as well be waiting for Godot—because due to a secret sabotage, the women are not going to show. And now the pair have their own complicated feelings for each other to confront—as well as, eventually, a very real monstrous entity lurking in the shadows (design by Coyote Caliente). |
Mark-Eugene GarciaWriter/Actor/Storyteller. Theatre Maker. Husband. Bad Hombre. Cat Taunter. ContentsArchives
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