REPULSING THE MONKEY is a hilarious and heartfelt play that tells the story of a brother and sister in Pittsburgh, PA, who inherit a local shot and beer tavern following the sudden death of their parents. The play addresses issues of gentrification through the lens of a working-class family who must make a tough decision that will change their lives and the spirit of their hometown forever. Should they keep the unprofitable bar and honor their folks, or sell to developers from the coasts and make a profit?

REPULSING THE MONKEY is a site-specific performance that invites audience members to join the cast in the third floor bar of the historic White Horse Tavern as the play unfolds around them.  This quaint bar is sandwiched between skyscrapers in the heart of New York City's Financial District and has been in operation since 1641.

In the spirit of site-specific work, this bar becomes a character in the play – lending its charming appearance and centuries of history to the story as it assumes the role of Pittsburgh's Jablonski's Bar.

The White Horse Tavern will be running food and drink service for our guests before and after the show – adding to the ambiance and providing a first class experience for audience members.

We are raising funds to support the NYC debut of REPULSING THE MONKEY and are hoping to raise $15,000 towards production costs. All donations are tax deductible thanks to our Fiscal Sponsorship through Fractured Atlas. AND we have some pretty sweet swag to thank you for your financial support!

PLEASE NOTE: REPULSING THE MONKEY is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the charitable purposes of REPULSING THE MONKEY must be made payable to “Fractured Atlas” only and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

This play could not be arriving at a better time for the city whose theatres and bars lay dark for month after month, many still do. But it is more than the joyous return to live performance that makes this play’s debut in New York so important. 

It is no secret that New York City is one of the most expensive places to live on the planet. What was once an affordable and thriving hub for families, artists, and eccentrics alike is increasingly becoming a hollowed out, homogenous, corporate shell that pushes working class families, people of color, and artists further and further towards the periphery. Neighborhood after neighborhood succumbs to gentrification and this is a loss for everyone. The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the housing crisis as thousands of New Yorkers, who have been out of work since March of 2020, will face eviction as pandemic protections expire. Those apartments will be renovated and otherwise transformed. Communities will be lost. People will be forgotten. While I don’t have much expertise in policy, I do have expertise in using art to ignite political conversation. SO, Michael and I are strategically bringing REPULSING THE MONKEY to life at the historic White Horse Tavern in New York City’s Financial District – just steps away from the New York Stock Exchange. Our hope is that this site-specific production will excite and entice members of New York’s financial elite to attend the play, and that its message will ripple out and ignite a wave of moral reflection in people poised to make positive changes for New York City.

As a theatre artist, I seek to create work at the intersection of art, education, and community. I seek to create dialogue with audiences that inspires real change in the immediate world around us. In the theatre, we call this artivism. This ethos is what makes Michael’s play so appealing to me, and indeed our desire to make the world a better place is a common thread between the two of us. 

I come from a working-class family in Oklahoma and have found my way to the big city in pursuit of my dreams, and this play resonates deeply with me as a result. I have been successful and lucky on my journey, becoming a member of the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab and a doctoral candidate at NYU, and I am forever grateful to the people and places that brought me to where I am now. They are at the core of who I am as an artist and their imprint is what makes my work worthwhile. I endeavor to give back to the communities that shaped me and to make life a little bit easier for kids like me. “Kids like me” doesn’t just apply to the poor living in rural America, but to folks fighting for a better life everywhere in our country, including the big cities. It is my hope that this play will catch on, build momentum and be so successful in catalyzing change that it loses its relevance. 

I am excited to be directing this show and to be in the great company of fellow artists Michael Eichler, Kathrine R. Mitchell (lighting designer & stage manager), and our incredible producer Ali Kennedy Scott as we expand our creative teams and bring this dream to fruition. I hope that you will join us, whether that’s in person or through the livestream opening night event. Either way, I can’t wait for you to join us in the theatre.