Kitchen Sink Theatre Company to Present NYC Premiere of Cory Sapienza's PILLOW TALK at The Tank

Kitchen Sink Theatre Company will present the American premiere of PILLOW TALK written by Cory Sapienza and co-directed by Cory Sapienza and Jesse Hartley. PILLOW TALK previously premiered at Space Liverpool in August 2023. The production is slated for a limited run, with evening performances on November 21-22, and matinee performances on November 23-24. Tickets are now available from $20 here.

PILLOW TALK is a play that follows Ty, a gay trans man in his early twenties, as he embarks on a journey of sexual self-discovery and self-love. We follow Ty across four different sexual partners as he discovers not only what he likes and desires, but how he deserves to be treated and what he needs to be affirmed in who he is.

"Pillow Talk follows a trans gay man navigating sex and love throughout different points in his life." shares co-director Jesse Hartley. "This story allows the audience a window into Ty's most intimate moments - the good, the awkward, and the painful. For our trans audiences, we hope you find representation and joy in this piece. For our cis audiences, we hope this piece answers all the questions you were too afraid to ask."

Joining the cast of the American premiere of PILLOW TALK are Liam Forest (Ty), Oliver Dare (Felix), James Tibbles (Harlan), William Flynn (Benny), and Gabriel Ethridge (Q), with Benjamin Romanelli (u/s Benny/Harlan), and Kade De Angioletti (u/s Felix/Q).

The creative team includes lighting designer CC Hancock, sound designer Artemis Zara Gultekin, Costume Designer Robert Pugh, composer Neil Klein, and dramaturg Winter McVey; with movement choreography by Bellamy Woodside, and intimacy direction by Jesse Hartley. Quinn Riggs and Jest Spickler serve as production stage manager and associate stage manager, respectively.

PILLOW TALK caps an exciting inaugural season for Kitchen Sink Theatre Company, which has included readings of EVER, OSCAR by Maeve Aurora Chapman, MURDER! AT THE HEINEKEN ESTATE by Grace Mitscherlich, STRIKE/OUT by Lizz Mangan, AFFECTING EXPRESSION by Eliana Cohen-Orth, CLOWN LUNG by Steven San Luis, and ROLE MODELS by Caroline Ullman. This season's fully-staged productions include the New York premiere of DELIVERY BOY by Jaden Alvaro Gines, and the world premiere of NOSEBLEED: A "COMEDY" ABOUT HYPOTHETICALS, MAIL, AND CRAZY LOUD SEX by Carly Polistina. Kitchen Sink Theatre Company also produced a sold-out gala presentation of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, in association with Brooklyn Art Haus, last month.

ABOUT THE PILLOW TALK CREATIVE TEAM:

Cory Sapienza they/he (Playwright/Co-Director) is a playwright, actor, theatre-maker, and fan of being trans and having sex. He is a proud graduate of The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts' BA Acting program, and even prouder to now call Liverpool home. Previous playwriting credits include for those who've yet to feel it. an exploration of queer joy and contributions to Direct Current (An Original Musical). One of his greatest joys and proudest achievements has been co-parenting Pillow Talk with Jesse. The few hours of Cory's day that aren't occupied by Pillow Talk are dedicated to being a very sexy gay club bartender and getting his master's degree in psychology, just what you'd expect from someone who decided to write a trans sex play.

JESSE HARTLEY he/him (Co-Director/Intimacy Director) is originally from the tiny town of Catonsville Maryland, though he now works throughout New York City as an Actor, Director, and Intimacy Director. Across all of his work one theme has always remained a constant - helping trans people feel seen and represented in everything he does. Pillow Talk has been a joy and a highlight of Jesse's career since he read for Ty in the very first Zoom reading. Jesse has since fired himself from the leading role and taken on a task that's brought him more joy than he could have ever imagined: bringing a trans sex play to the stage. Using techniques he learned from both his studies with Theatrical Intimacy Education and his training with The Society of American Fight Directors, Jesse worked hard to craft a piece that was both safe for the actors to do and engaging for the audiences to watch. Jesse is a proud graduate of Circle in the Square Theatre School, as well as a proud father to his two cats, Frog and Toad.

ABOUT KITCHEN SINK THEATRE COMPANY:

Kitchen Sink Theatre Company is led by a majority of trans, nonbinary, and queer theatre makers, who strive to tell stories which speak to the experiences of our generation-specifically queer stories, or stories with major themes of social change/justice. By connecting primarily with other LGBTQIA+ theatre-makers, Kitchen Sink is able to create art that other young queer folks can identify with and relate to. Kitchen Sink prioritizes giving space to those who haven't seen much representation on stage or screen, actively choosing to work with up-and-coming playwrights with strong stories and experiences to share.

Kitchen Sink was founded by Katie Royse Ginther and Audrey Andrews in 2021, when the two decided to produce a performance of The Rocky Horror Picture Show with members of the community in Seattle, WA. With the help of community fundraisers and general donations, four performances of Rocky Horror took place at The Fairhaven Firehouse Event Center in Bellingham, WA, with a set created by Andrews and members of The Sylvia Center for the Arts (Now New Prospect Theatre). After Rocky Horror's large following, Royse Ginther decided to produce and direct another project in Bellingham, this time out of The Sylvia Center for the Arts. Good Water, written by Jessica Moreland, is now a nationally acclaimed play that received recognition from The Kennedy Center in 2022 for being an outstanding new play that best represented the voice of the writer. Good Water reached an entirely new population of theatre-lovers in the Bellingham and Seattle area, inspiring Royse Ginther to put on a summer stock season in partnership with The Sylvia Center.

From there, Kitchen Sink's following continued to grow, inspiring Royse Ginther to take it with her to New York City.? Kitchen Sink Theatre Company makes space for artists in the community to experiment with their own creativity, and strives to make a space that supports members of the community who have a passion for creating their own reality onstage (thus their slogan, Theatre for the community, by the community.). That includes actors, playwrights, technical theater creators, directors, and designers. kitchensinktheatrecompany.com | @kitchensinktheatrecompany

 

To post a comment, you must register and login.