WOW! OUR PRODUCTION OF POINT LOMA was just put on theaterscene.org’s
2025 A 10 Best List
Thank you Darryl Reilly!
Jennifer Pierro and Laura Shoop
DARRYL REILLY OF THEATRESCENE.ORG
“Wiry and jittery Jennifer Pierro has several hilarious bits as the scheming company psychologist.”
“Director Ken Wolf’s sharp staging realizes the play’s comedic and dramatic momentum through zesty straightforwardness, visual élan and his cast’s strong performances.”
“With its five characters and one set, Powerhouse is in the tradtion of well-made plays.”
Jennifer Pierro
“The best acting accolade goes to Jennifer Pierro as the HR psychologist second banana.” -Mari S. Gold, T and B On The Aisle
Jennifer Pierro and Laura Shoop
For Beginning Playwrights and Seasoned Pros who want to learn a better way to write a play!
RAWSHOCK by Rita Lewis is on THEATERSCENE.ORG’s
A 2024 10 Best List
by Darryl Reilly
(shared with Off-Broadway and Broadway Plays)
Since 2017, we have produced over 80 plays with playwrights, actors, and producers from around the world. Each project begins with an idea on the page and grows into a fully realized production on stage.
We are now accepting full-length plays and musicals (60 to 150 minutes) for production through 2026. Whether your goal is an Off-Broadway run, or a fully staged premiere, we can help you bring your work to life in New York City.
Production costs for a full-length play typically range from $25,000 to $200,000 and beyond, depending on the scope of your production, scenic and technical elements, cast size, and number of performances. We work with both Equity and Non-Union projects.
This program is for playwrights and producers who are serious about building a professional production in New York, or anywhere in the world—with the guidance and experience of Manhattan Rep’s team.
Your script deserves more than a reading. It deserves a stage, an audience, and a full production that brings your vision to life.
If you are serious about self-producing your play in New York City, or anywhere in the world, click on the button below!
THE REVIEWS ARE IN!
DARRYL REILLY OF THEATERSCENE. ORG:
“exquisite command of dramatic writing”
“exhilarating physical staging”
“Dressed all in black with flowing black hair, the thin, animated and alluring Jennifer Pierro is haunting as a disturbed artist off her meds; she is riveting enacting several harrowing breakdowns.”
“Chelsea Clark conveys tremendous pathos as a troubled young woman on the verge of a new start in life!”
“The authoritative, yet approachable Camber Carpenter is serene as the heroic therapist.”
“Nathan Cusson is ferocious as a combative hothead patient.”
“Christian Libonati beautifully combines intensity and weariness as a forlorn substance addicted male prostitute.”
“Each actor offers and sustains fearless characterizations”
"Rawshock intelligently explores its painful subject matter through blazing theatricality."
DEB MILLER OF DCTHEATERARTS. ORG:
“Rawshock is an important example of theater in the service of society”
"explosive segments of psychological and emotional breakdowns"
SCOTTY BENNETT OF THEATERSCENE. NET PROCLAIMED:
“It is beautifully written by Rita Lewis and superbly directed by Ken Wolf.”
"The ensemble that plays the patients is outstanding. They fully embody their characters and give several emotionally compelling performances."
"Jennifer Pierro is so in tune with the character that watching her feels like eavesdropping on a real patient."
"Chelsea Clark gives a beautifully integrated performance of Tina, fully realizing the moments of anxiety and calm."
"Nathan Cusson is solid in his characterization of Alex, a young man who is an outpatient and has an explosive temper."
"Theresa Della Valle's performance adds to the powerhouse that this ensemble represents. She is totally believable as the grandmotherly member of the group. From the moment she enters the stage and speaks her first lines, there is no doubt that it is not an actor playing a role but a real person."
"Christian Libonati gives an emotionally powerful, heart-breaking tour de force performance, the impact of which is not fully realized until the end of the play."
Jennifer Pierro, Chelsea Clark, Nathan Cusson, Theresa Della Valle, Christian Libonati, and Camber Carpenter in Rawshock by Rita Lewis
Christian Libonati, Jennifer Pierro, Camber Carpenter, Nathan Cusson, Theresa Della Valle, and Chelsea Clark
Jennifer Pierro, Christian Libonati, Nathan Cusson, and Theresa Della Valle
Jennifer Pierro and Chelsea Clark
Produce a small workshop production of your play in NYC, developed and presented by Manhattan Rep.
The Play Production Workshop is for playwrights ready to step from the page to the stage.
This program is designed as an affordable, lower-end production path, stripped of unnecessary expense but rich in the essentials of great theatre.
No elaborate sets. Just the heartbeat of live performance: talented actors, lights, sound, and the play you’ve crafted brought to life.
For more information about this program, click on the button below:
OPENING NIGHT REVIEWS - openingnight.online - Edward Kliszus
“This … horror comedy delivers campy 1950s thrills in NYC’s Black Box theater scene.
Manhattan Repertory Theatre has struck theatrical gold with Tim Mulligan’s wickedly entertaining “Point Loma,” a gleefully campy horror spoof that channels the best of 1950s B-movie schlock while delivering genuine scares and belly laughs in equal measure. Under Ken Wolf’s spirited direction, this off-Broadway gem transforms the intimate black box space of Chain Theatre into a haunted playground where paranormal podcasters meet their match in a sinister San Diego hospice house.”
“Parker Jenkins brings a perfect blend of vulnerability and determination to Chad, grounding the increasingly absurd proceedings with genuine human emotion. His chemistry with Ian Brady’s exuberant boyfriend Todd provides the production’s emotional anchor, while Brady’s infectious enthusiasm for all things supernatural delivers some of the evening’s biggest laughs.”
“The paranormal investigation team proves equally compelling. Jevon Nicholson’s Rick perfectly captures the self-important bravado of a podcast host, while Michelle Park’s Kim brings depth to what could have been a stereotypical goth medium character. Mathew Hernandez rounds out the trio as Carl, the perpetually terrified cameraman whose reactions to the escalating horror provide consistent comic relief.”
“Jessica Luhmann deserves particular praise as Anna, the day-shift nurse whose wine-fueled breakdown and ultimate heroism steal several scenes. Luhmann navigates the character’s journey from professional competence to frazzled desperation to wine-bottle-wielding savior with impressive range and impeccable comic timing.”
“Wolf’s direction proves particularly ingenious in using the Chain Theatre’s intimate space to create a truly immersive theatrical experience. Rather than confining the action to the traditional stage area, the production transforms the entire venue into a haunted environment. Ghostly figures materialize from behind unsuspecting audience members, creating genuine jolts of surprise that ripple through the theater.”
POINT LOMA by Tim Mulligan
The Reviews are in!
Theaterscene. org - Darryl Reilly
“Disembodied opening and slamming kitchen drawers, pictures flying off walls and ominous, blood red messages scrawled on household objects such as a toaster, all figure in playwright Tim Mulligan’s uproarious, contemporary paranormal mystery comedy, Point Loma. Laughs and thrills are plentiful. Mr. Mulligan’s exquisite command of dramatic writing, director Ken Wolf’s dazzling physical staging and the exuberant performances, all make this an exhilarating and purely entertaining experience.”
“With Orson Welles-style auteurist brio, Mr. Wolf forcefully brings Mulligan’s vision to the stage. There are gorgeous tableaus, stunning stage pictures and precise placement of the actors, who periodically make striking entrances and exits through the venue’s rear area and the auditorium, and its front floor. Then there are the recurring, hooded cast members in swirling white robes depicting mischief making apparitions.”
Thinking Theatre NYC - John R. Ziegler and Leah Richards
“As the play opens, the walls and furniture of the set are draped in white sheets, a haunted house where mediumistic Kim (Michelle Park) and camera/soundman Carl (Mathew Hernandez) from the podcast Ghosting are about to experience more than they bargained for, while Rick (Jevon Nicholson), the third member of the Ghosting team, hosts from back in the studio. When the lights come up again following the scares of the dimly lit, red-tinged opening scene, the set has been denuded of its coverings, transforming it into the bright white kitchen of a house belonging to an older man named Hank (Dave Silberger), whose Art Deco home boasts a historic designation from the city of San Diego. Hank has been in a coma for months–the production smartly uses the raised landing in front of the first row of audience seats as his upstairs bedroom, along with other locations–and while assertively cheerful VA nurse Anna (Jessica Luhmann) has been sticking it out on the day shift as Hank's home health aide, turnover on the night shift has been very frequent, as Anna informs new night nurse Chad (Parker Jenkins). It doesn't take long to see why, as loud noises of unknown origin quickly give way to further spectral phenomena. And then there's that door to the cellar.”
Jevon Nicholson, Michelle Park, Ian Brady, Parker Jenkins and Mathew Hernandez
FEARS MAGAZINE
“Ken Wolf's masterful direction shines in POINT LOMA, showcasing a magical interplay between the cast and stage effects. The ensemble scenes, rich with movement, sound effects, and engaging actions, embody the classic poetry of a staged comedy. The actors swiftly establish their characters, captivating the audience and holding their focus throughout the energetic 90-minute performance. The cast is excellent, delivering a compelling, relentless and memorable evening.”
Jevon Nicholson, Michelle Park and Mathew Hernadez
Theaterscene .net - Scotty Bennett
“Point Loma by Tim Mulligan is a play about the paranormal events set in a historic house in the Point Loma area of San Diego. The house was used as a hospice associated with a nearby naval base. The story was inspired by Mulligan’s personal experiences with paranormal events in the home of a friend in the same area. Ken Wolf, artistic director and co-founder of Manhattan Repertory Theatre, skillfully directs an able and enthusiastic cast in their delivery of a story of things that go bump in the night. It’s an entertaining evening of theater for people who enjoy the thrill of a scary story."
Parker Jenkins and Jessica Luhmann
Jessica Taghap - OffOffonline. com
Ken Wolf’s direction and production design join seamlessly with Mulligan’s writing to build a world that immerses the audience...
Hi Drama on Saturday at 1:30 pm on Spectrum TV CH 56, RCN Ch. 83 and Fios Ch.3
LESLIE DILEO
“The show is skillfully and creatively directed by Ken Wolf. He makes excellent use of the theater space and its stadium seating center aisle so that the audience feels immersed in the podcast and surrounded by ghosts who travel up and down the aisle. I absolutely love the premise of this show, and the actors perform with gusto: Parker Jenkins as night nurse Chad is likable and earnest; Ian Brady is quippy and snappy as Chad's paranormal-obsessed boyfriend; Jessica Luhmann's day nurse Anna is cheerfully unhinged by her haunted assignment; Matthew Hernandez's Carl anchors the ghost hunting duo with equal parts nerdy excitement and sheer terror. Jevon Nicholson's Carl is the most naturally performed character. Michelle Park as Kim stands out as the ghost hunter and medium whose desire to find the truth is almost surpassed by her recent trauma. Dave Silberger as Hank, the comatose patient, is not just a pretty face.
Point Loma is serious and silly in equal parts. It's well-produced and entertaining. If you are in the mood for something lively, and the subject of ghostly happenings interest you, I recommend Point LOMA.”
Mathew Hernandez and Michelle Park
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JOIN OUR ARTIST WORK DATABASE
We are always seeking production staff: Actors, Directors, Design Team, Technicians and House Staff, so we are building an Artist Work Database to use for the various productions we build. Click on the button below. Fill out the form or forms which work for what you do, and we will reach out first to this database when building a Production Team.
BRING YOUR BEST PLAY TO LIFE IN NYC IN A PROFESSIONAL READING!
Every playwright dreams of that moment, when the words on the page lift into air, when characters breathe, when their story lives in real time.
At Manhattan Repertory Theatre, we make that dream come true.
This is not a cold read.
This is not a table reading over Zoom.
This is a live professional rehearsal process, culminating in a powerful reading presentation of your play before an audience right in the heart of New York City.