First Kiss Theatre presents
Fall Residency Readings
with Christiane Swenson, Maddie Dennis-Yates, Rachel Greene, and Lauren D’Errico
October 8, 15, 22, and 29
at Brick Aux – 628 Metropolitan Ave
7pm
$15

First Kiss Theatre Company is a primarily virtual home for artists on a quest to extract magic from the mundane and infuse it into bold, new theatrical work.

Born online in 2020 via the Theatre Is Dead Festival, FKT was created by and for emerging artists feeling unmoored in the new, pandemic-fucked theatrical world. Since then, our season has expanded to include multiple annual festivals, a residency, and some in-person programming in New York, through which we have generated a wonderful community of artists spanning the globe and a wide range of genres and disciplines.

The fall readings are the culmination of FKT’s summer residency, in which 4 writers come together to develop new plays.

ART GETS WHAT IT WANTS
by Christiane Swenson
October 8 – 7pm

Glen and Julie, two artists high on ego and short on stability, embark on a doomed collaboration that destroys their friendship — and the fabric of the universe.

Playwright – Christiane Swenson
Director – Delaney Circe

Part social satire and part howling tragicomedy. A bit “Girls” by way of Charlie Kaufman. A play that asks if a guy and a girl can be friends without the gender part getting in the way. “Art Gets What it Wants blurs lines — between art and artist, between friend and lover, between past and present, and between what we intend and how it’s interpreted.” (Sarah Jae Lieber)

Find them: @heyitschristiane 

cw: violence, sex, strong language, and intense discussions of mental health and trauma. A detailed content warning is given at the top of the show.

Vanessa the Miracle Girl
by Maddie Dennis-Yates
October 15, 7pm

Vanessa, a 14-year-old Italian girl, sees the David on a field trip and has an immediate sexual/artistic awakening – just as an earthquake hits, killing all of her classmates and her teacher. She becomes an instant tragedy celebrity, worshiped by the Italian press, advised by the Pope, horny. Can she live up to her new Miracle Girl title?

After an earthquake kills all of her teen peers on a museum visit, Vanessa, spared only because she clung to the David at a critical moment, is thrust into a world of gaudy, obsessive celebrity worship. Vanessa’s prime masturbation years have been interrupted by trauma and fame, and now she’s tasked herself with creating the perfect piece of art…or becoming it? She can’t quite figure that part out. Vanessa the Miracle Girl is a spectacle-laden, campy, art historical, gender-bendy coming-of-age story influenced by Technicolor films, Giulietta Masina characters, Caravaggio boys, and Party Girl.

cw: Natural disaster, Catholicism.

Follow them: @mdy_writes

Guts
by Rachel Greene
October 22, 7pm

The hit reality weight-loss competition show GUTS is back with its BIGGEST! SEASON! EVER! There will be grueling challenges, verbal abuses, and – of course – the fan-favorite weekly weigh-ins. But behind the camera, relationships are forming, romances are blossoming, and friendships are being found in the most unlikely of places. Can these six contestants find self-love, communal healing, and liberation in a place designed to make them hate themselves and their bodies? In other words – do they have the guts?

Playwright: Rachel Greene
Director: Isabella Fatigati

cw: Fatphobia

Follow them: @rachel.b.greene

Three Knockdown Rule (Or, When My Friend Was Not Dying)
by Lauren D’Errico
October 29, 7pm

Spanning the first lies between three old friends to a chance encounter where they can’t say anything more than hello, Three Knockdown Rule (or, When My Friend Was Not Dying) is a meditation on lying, truth, and precision.

Erin said that she was sick, but she wasn’t. Hayden said that hers was incurable, but it wasn’t. Erika said that she was dying, but she didn’t. Spanning the first lies between three old friends to a chance encounter where they can’t say anything more than hello, Three Knockdown Rule (or, When My Friend Was Not Dying) is a sparring match within a meditation on lying, truth, and precision.

cw: mentions of death and dying

Follow them: @laurderrico @firstkisstheatre

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Mask Policy: The Brick strongly encourages but does not require masks for audience members. We are in ongoing conversation with our artists and audiences as we continue to adapt our covid policies and it is subject to change at any time. Thank you.

A Note on Accessibility: The Brick has trigger warnings posted in the space for each show for you to check if you so choose. If you would rather ask questions in advance of being in the space or would like to enter in advance of house opening due to our seating not being assigned, please reach out to theresa@bricktheater.com.