À La Carte Writers Workshop
About À La Carte
About À La Carte
About À La Carte
À La Carte Writers Workshop is a safe space for new works to be developed in a fun and collaborative environment. We produce works written by members of the group and prioritize casting people in roles they would not be traditionally represented in. We encourage our artists to take risks and empower them to develop the work that they want to create.
About À La Carte
About À La Carte
Meet our Creative Team!
Artistic Director
Artistic Director
Anastasia Novak (she/her) is a director and actor originally from St. Louis. She received her BFA in musical theatre from the Dobbins Conservatory, which is where she discovered her love for new work. She produced her first night of short plays in school, and she hasn't stopped since then. Some of her favorite credits include directing Funhouse at Players Theatre, directing Unpacking as a part of SPF, and performing in Homemade with A La Carte. As one of the Artistic Directors for A La Carte, she strives to make it a safe and welcoming space for all artists, and she focuses on casting performers in roles where they aren't typically represented. After graduating, she wanted to find a place to make art with her friends, and she is so happy to have found that home in A La Carte.
Jackson Bradshaw (they/them/any) is a director, writer, actor, and producer with a passion for new works development. Since growing up in a town called Normal, Jackson has strived to live a life that is anything but that. They thrive as a leader within collaborative artistic spaces. Some of Jackson’s favorite work includes directing People Don’t Shoot Up Schools in 1930 at Theatre Row, being a resident director for PlaygroundNY, and writing, directing, and producing their internationally acclaimed short film, Untitled Self Portrait! As an artistic director for Á La Carte Writers Workshop, Jackson hopes to create an exciting, yet safe environment for theatre artists to take risks and find their voice. Jackson is an alumni of the Dobbins Conservatory with degrees in Acting and TV/Film. You can follow them @jacksonbradshawofficial on all socials.
Director of Operations
Gracey Lyerla is very excited and proud to be part of this wonderful inaugural production with A La Carte Writer’s Workshop! Gracey got her BFA in Acting from the Dobbins Conservatory. She’s spent much of her time focusing on honing her writing skills, and this is the first public presentation of her work! Thank you to everyone who came to support her. Follow on Instagram @the_real_gracey
Isabel Fagre is an NYC based actor, director, and stage manager who graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in 2022. Recent credits include Funhouse, Arrivederci - The Nicholas Green Story, 54 Below Sings The Do Not Sing List Pt. 2, and Heard It From A Birdie a Tweet Inspired Musical. She is so excited to be a part of Dinner Table Discussions, and hopes you enjoy the show!
Production Manager
Rin O'Brien is originally from Memphis, Tennessee and got her BFA in Musical Theater from Southeast Missouri State University in 2021. She decided to move to NYC in that same year to live out her dreams as a working actor, but she has also recently discovered a passion for directing. Now, her main focus is auditioning and creating New Works with her incredible friends in À La Carte Writer’s Workshop. She also created the À La Carte Website. Follow her on all forms of social media @rin_and_tonic1.
Marketing Director
About À La Carte
About À La Carte
Current Events
The Prompt:
- For this production, all four writers were given certain color palettes to inspire their one act plays.
- These plays are about 30 minutes each, which is longer than our last shows.
COLOR THEORY
The Albatross by Jackson Bradshaw
Bianca’s academic career is taking off just as her boyfriend, Levi, is ready to settle down. Bianca must choose between returning to her hometown or taking off on a once and a lifetime research expedition to Antarctica.
The Human Experiment by Kirsten Freimann
Jordan wants to help the world, help herself by building Uma, a companion helperbot. But when she meets the sweet and down to earth Alice, her priorities change to something much more sinister. Can AI save us from ourselves, or only pull us deeper into madness?
The Three Sisters of the Unpaid Thirty-Minute Lunch Break by Beck Ferris
Did you hear they’re opening a location in Spring Lake that’s twice the size of this one and shutting this store down? Did you hear that somebody’s been eating other people’s lunches out of the breakroom fridge? Did you hear that General Manager Austin is GAY?
To Gaze Up Toward the Fire by Will Roane
The method for copying VHS Tapes. Parents. The Motion Picture Association of America. A cave. It’s 1998, and these are just a few of the obstacles that stand in the way of twin 12-year-old Jessica and Sam’s dastardly plan to steal a VHS copy of Titanic from their parents. To Keonna, their straight-laced classmate, the real problem with Jessica and Sam’s plan is the current bit: How are they gonna get out of this cave?
About À La Carte
About À La Carte
Past Events
SOLD OUT
The Prompt:
- For this production, a randomized generator chose each writer's fate.
- They were all assigned a specific flavor: sweet, sour, or spicy, and had to write a ten-fifteen minute play inspired by it.
- They were also give an additional twist, each writer also had to include a picnic blanket somewhere in their play.
Sweet
Abduct Me, BB by Jackson Bradshaw
A queer couple stranded in the middle of nowhere longs for another life. Trapped without any money, resources, or support, they see only one way out...... Alien Abduction. They've been following sightings and are prepared to make themselves the perfect target.
WorryWalt by Sano Rogers
It's Walt's Graduation Party and the first person to show up is,,,, Cal? This is going to be awkward.
Emergency Survival Shelter by Beck Ferris
To earn this badge, your scouts must demonstrate their ability, in groups of 2 to 5, to build a shelter capable of keeping them safe and warm overnight using only a picnic blanket and what they can find in the forest. Recommended for Cadets (Girlscouts ages 11-14). Troop Leaders: due to hormonal changes your campers are undergoing at this stage of scouthood, adult supervision is recommended!
Sour
Offer Only by Gracey Lyerla
Twins Tyler and Bridget have a big work opportunity coming their way, but they realize they arent as on the same page as they previously thought. They will test their closeness as siblings, and potentially change their trajectory forever.
Buyer's Remorse by Katie Freimann
Zara is ready to start a ew chapter of her life, and the first step was purchasing her first home. The one thing she didn't sign up for? An unwanted spirit named Frank. The two of them must decide whether or not they can cohabitate or if their potential friendship is dead on arrival.
Dining Set by Will Roane
Jane has brought her dining set into the park to sell it, accidentally putting it right on top of Clem's favorite meditation spot. When Clem, a writer wound up tight as a watch can't get his zen going because Jane and her dining set are in the way, a battle of the wills ensues.
Learning to Drive by Kirsten Freimann
Leah and Bridget have come back from their perfect third date, and lust is in the air. But as anxiety creeps in, we are left to wonder if sparks will fly or if these two weren't meant for this roadtrip together. Comedy unfolds as the girls fumble with the gears.
SpIcy
Haunted, Until by Ries Lundstrom
Ash and Sky are moving into their first home together. Quickly, they begin to unbox more than their stuff. Did Ash cheat on Sky with her ex, Chris? Ash says she didn't and that Sky should just get over herself. It only gets worse as we witness the beginnings of a haunted marriage.
Order Up by Rin O'Brien
While cleaning up after the lunch rush in a tiny Brooklyn cafe, Pepper encounters a customer that isn't one of her regulars. Olive seems normal at first, but is harboring a massive secret. Will Pepper finally find out the answers to her past? Or will she continue to live in her working class circumstances?
SOLD OUT!
Homemade by Kirsten Freimann
Elyse and Lauren are estranged sisters getting ready to go to their mom's funeral. Elyse holds great disdain towards Lauren for abandoning her in her time of need until the discovery of an old memory starts to heal this rocky relationship.
It's Not a Sex Robot Play by Gracey Lyerla
Jenn returns home to find that her mother has left her a rather unwelcome surprise package. She will discuss life, living, what it means to be human. A big question hangs over our heads: Just because we can, does that mean that we should?
Kitchen by Ries Lundstrom
Eric can’t remember why he came into the kitchen, but Luca’s trying to read. Something weird is going on with their kitchen door. It opened by itself yesterday and Kaneisha disappeared after walking through it.
Life360 by Jackson Bradshaw
Three siblings are forced to confront their fractured relationships when Anna returns home after years of distance. Charles, grieving the recent loss of his wife, is emotionally absent, while Cordova struggles to keep the family together. Anna’s arrival stirs up unresolved tension, especially as she feels increasingly alienated from the family’s traditional values and small-town life.
The Breakup by Kirsten Freimann
Veronica and Max have been seeing each other for a little while, and it has been anything but paradise. They must now figure out how to end this relationship, but how do you let them down easily without looking like the bad guy? At the expense of their own dignity, they try to rip the bandaid.
Welcome to the Company by Beck Farris
The company has a full-time salaried position available for a dedicated, hardworking employee. There are just a few things we need first— don’t look at us like that! It’s all standard procedure.