Gene Frankel Theatre Festival
Over 20 New Plays Showcased!!!
Aug. 4 - Aug 17
This August the inaugural Gene Frankel Theatre Festival will light up NoHo with a festival of new theatrical works. Running from August 4–17, the two-week festival will showcase an exciting lineup of 25 one-act and short plays, selected from over 100 submissions. Performances run nightly and on the weekends at the historic Gene Frankel Theatre which has been featuring groundbreaking new work for over seven decades. All featured plays are New York premieres, with many also making their world debut.
A distinguished jury panel--Thomas R. Gordon, Francesca Ravera,and Thomas G. Waites—will recognize excellence in acting, directing, and playwriting. Awards will be given for Best Male Actor, Best Female Actor, Best Director, and Best Play in both the one-act and short play categories.
Winners will be announced on August 17 during a Gala and Awards Ceremony, which will also include live performances by guest artists Tom Waits, Francesca Ravera, and Jason Lee.
Tickets are on sale at www.genefrankeltheatrefestival.com.
Gene Frankel Theatre’s owner and artistic director Thomas R. Gordon has curated, in collaboration with award winning actor Francesca Ravera, a unique lineup featuring original work by some of New York's finest playwrights.
Gordon shared why he was driven to create the festival, “I was inspired to do this festival by my former business partner Gail Thacker , who is also the former owner of the Gene Frankel Theatre. Gail is also doing a festival in August with Lucky Pearto at the GFT called 15 Minutes of Frame, so I thought it would be great to have August be a month of festivals. I also wanted to add my own personal touch to this festival to make sure we have a great time and that we are presenting great theatre. We are looking to create new opportunities for artist and unique shows for our audiences. We want to invite new talented artist to not only join our community, but the New York City theatre scene.
Ravera went on to say, “What I love about this festival is that it not only awards artistic excellence but it also fosters community engagement and connection within the theater scene. It’s a space that supports boundary-pushing work and amplifies vibrant, bold voices and the impact of their work. Audiences can expect a diverse program of short plays and one-acts that range from sharp comedies and challenging dramas to, innovative works. Each piece is selected for its strong storytelling and distinctive voice, ensuring a compelling and dynamic theatrical experience”.
The Gene Frankel Theatre is located at 24 Bond Street (Between Lafayette & Bowery), New York, NY 10012. Subways: 6 to Bleecker Street, B/D/F/M to Broadway/Lafayette.
BIOGRAPHIES
Thomas R. Gordon is the owner and Artistic Director of The Gene Frankel Theatre and the Artistic Director of The Onomatopoeia Theatre Company. Before moving to New York Thomas worked as a director, actor, lighting designer, sound designer and theater teacher in both Virginia and California. Directing credits include: You Are Not Alone, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Picture of Dorian Grey, The House of Bernada Alba, Of Mice & Men, Medea, Arsene Lupin VS Sherlock Holmes, Let's Play: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, among others. The critically acclaimed production of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is currently playing at the GFT through July 26.
Francesca Ravera is a New York-based, award-winning actress. She recently starred in Truth be Told by William Cameron at The Gene Frankel Theatre. Her Off-Broadway credits include lead roles in The Hummingbirds by Garret Jon Groenveld at Chain Theatre, a dystopian play that also toured Italy following its successful New York premiere, Constellations by Nick Payne at Gene Frankel Theatre, which also toured Italy, Blackbird by David Harrower at the New Ohio Theater, Two Rooms by Lee Blessing at Access Theater, North of Providence by Edward Allan Baker, and The Nina Variations by Steven Dietz at Chain Theatre. She also starred in productions at Urban Stages Theatre, including Espresso by Lucia Frangione and The Way We Get By by Neil LaBute, which toured Europe. Francesca has appeared in the feature film Ulysses: A Dark Odyssey and played the lead in the dramatic short film Claire, earning 'Best Actress' awards from numerous festivals. She has also featured in several short films, including Creature of the Night directed by Kaya Tone, Osiris directed by Tamara Hansen, and Windows to Nowhere, another film by Tamara Hansen. Francesca serves as a jury member for the New York Movie Awards and The Telly Awards. www.francescaravera.com
Thomas G. Waites Artistic Director of TGW Studios, Tom has been seen opposite Al Pacino in American Buffalo, appeared on Broadway in Search and Destroy with Griffin Dunne, rocked out in the cult musical TEANECK TANZI with Deborah Harry, and shared the stage with Dick Latessa and Frances McDormand in AWAKE AND SING! on Broadway.
Films include, On The Yard, And Justice For All, The Warriors, John Carpenter's The Thing, and many others, TV has been Law and Order 6 Guest Stars, Homeland, The Punisher, and many others.
Tom teaches acting here at the Gene Frankel Theatre on Monday from 6:00 To 10 each week. Free Audit!
www.instagram.com/genefrankeltheatrefestival
A distinguished jury panel--Thomas R. Gordon, Francesca Ravera,and Thomas G. Waites—will recognize excellence in acting, directing, and playwriting. Awards will be given for Best Male Actor, Best Female Actor, Best Director, and Best Play in both the one-act and short play categories.
Winners will be announced on August 17 during a Gala and Awards Ceremony, which will also include live performances by guest artists Tom Waits, Francesca Ravera, and Jason Lee.
Tickets are on sale at www.genefrankeltheatrefestival.com.
Gene Frankel Theatre’s owner and artistic director Thomas R. Gordon has curated, in collaboration with award winning actor Francesca Ravera, a unique lineup featuring original work by some of New York's finest playwrights.
Gordon shared why he was driven to create the festival, “I was inspired to do this festival by my former business partner Gail Thacker , who is also the former owner of the Gene Frankel Theatre. Gail is also doing a festival in August with Lucky Pearto at the GFT called 15 Minutes of Frame, so I thought it would be great to have August be a month of festivals. I also wanted to add my own personal touch to this festival to make sure we have a great time and that we are presenting great theatre. We are looking to create new opportunities for artist and unique shows for our audiences. We want to invite new talented artist to not only join our community, but the New York City theatre scene.
Ravera went on to say, “What I love about this festival is that it not only awards artistic excellence but it also fosters community engagement and connection within the theater scene. It’s a space that supports boundary-pushing work and amplifies vibrant, bold voices and the impact of their work. Audiences can expect a diverse program of short plays and one-acts that range from sharp comedies and challenging dramas to, innovative works. Each piece is selected for its strong storytelling and distinctive voice, ensuring a compelling and dynamic theatrical experience”.
The Gene Frankel Theatre is located at 24 Bond Street (Between Lafayette & Bowery), New York, NY 10012. Subways: 6 to Bleecker Street, B/D/F/M to Broadway/Lafayette.
BIOGRAPHIES
Thomas R. Gordon is the owner and Artistic Director of The Gene Frankel Theatre and the Artistic Director of The Onomatopoeia Theatre Company. Before moving to New York Thomas worked as a director, actor, lighting designer, sound designer and theater teacher in both Virginia and California. Directing credits include: You Are Not Alone, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Picture of Dorian Grey, The House of Bernada Alba, Of Mice & Men, Medea, Arsene Lupin VS Sherlock Holmes, Let's Play: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, among others. The critically acclaimed production of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is currently playing at the GFT through July 26.
Francesca Ravera is a New York-based, award-winning actress. She recently starred in Truth be Told by William Cameron at The Gene Frankel Theatre. Her Off-Broadway credits include lead roles in The Hummingbirds by Garret Jon Groenveld at Chain Theatre, a dystopian play that also toured Italy following its successful New York premiere, Constellations by Nick Payne at Gene Frankel Theatre, which also toured Italy, Blackbird by David Harrower at the New Ohio Theater, Two Rooms by Lee Blessing at Access Theater, North of Providence by Edward Allan Baker, and The Nina Variations by Steven Dietz at Chain Theatre. She also starred in productions at Urban Stages Theatre, including Espresso by Lucia Frangione and The Way We Get By by Neil LaBute, which toured Europe. Francesca has appeared in the feature film Ulysses: A Dark Odyssey and played the lead in the dramatic short film Claire, earning 'Best Actress' awards from numerous festivals. She has also featured in several short films, including Creature of the Night directed by Kaya Tone, Osiris directed by Tamara Hansen, and Windows to Nowhere, another film by Tamara Hansen. Francesca serves as a jury member for the New York Movie Awards and The Telly Awards. www.francescaravera.com
Thomas G. Waites Artistic Director of TGW Studios, Tom has been seen opposite Al Pacino in American Buffalo, appeared on Broadway in Search and Destroy with Griffin Dunne, rocked out in the cult musical TEANECK TANZI with Deborah Harry, and shared the stage with Dick Latessa and Frances McDormand in AWAKE AND SING! on Broadway.
Films include, On The Yard, And Justice For All, The Warriors, John Carpenter's The Thing, and many others, TV has been Law and Order 6 Guest Stars, Homeland, The Punisher, and many others.
Tom teaches acting here at the Gene Frankel Theatre on Monday from 6:00 To 10 each week. Free Audit!
www.instagram.com/genefrankeltheatrefestival
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