Edinburgh Fringe Hit BEFORE THE DRUGS KICK IN to Have Two NYC Industry Presentations

The BBC Writersroom Popcorn Award Nominee for Best New Writing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe comes back to New York on Thursday, September 28th, 7pm and Friday, September 29th, 1pm at the UNDER St. Marks Theater.

A 62-year-old woman in an insane asylum closes her eyes and becomes a 28-year-old stand-up comedian with everyone in the audience being part of her imagination. Before The Drugs Kick In is an intimate blend of stand-up, theater and time travel starring NYC comedian and actress Maria DeCotis* (Broadway, Vogue, Rolling Stone) as comedian Lynn T. Walsh. The show is dedicated to anyone, especially young mothers of the 80s, 90s and early 2000s, who society wrote off as crazy instead of giving them an opportunity to live.

Before The Drugs Kick In made its world premiere at the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe to multiple five and four star reviews while being nominated for two of the biggest awards at the largest arts festival in the world, the BBC Writersroom Popcorn Award for Best New Writing and the Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award. The play is written, directed and produced by comedian and playwright Mike Lemme.

On September 28th and 29th, DeCotis and Lemme will bring Before The Drugs Kick In home to where Lemme started his career as a New York City comedian and playwright, the UNDER St. Marks Theater (94 St. Marks Place between 1st Avenue & Avenue A). The goal for these Equity approved showcases will be to meet the right creative and financial producers to help bring the show Off-Broadway this fall or winter.

Content Warning: Before The Drugs Kick In contains distressing themes with strong language and mentions of suicide but it is also full of punchlines too.

Both performances are open to the public!

Tickets can be purchased here on a $15 sliding scale for anyone experiencing financial hardship.

Full reviews from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and company bios are available here.

Note: The venue is not ADA accessible

*Appearing courtesy of Actors' Equity Association. These are Equity Approved Showcases.

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