Matt Barbot

The epic, foundational high fantasy series THE ENDURANCE TRILOGY is finally getting the big-picture franchise film treatment its always deserved, bringing together a group of friends to watch each one of the saga’s three installments over the years. As they get older, and their fantasy escapism comes into conflict with harsh realities, their friendships are tested. Who do the stories we love really belong to?

In 1950, two would-be assassins board a train from New York to Washington, DC and discuss their plan to strike in the name of Puerto Rican independence. Well, they would be discussing it, that is, if it weren't for interruption after interruption, each time by figures out of art and history, reflections of what their country means to them and has meant to the United States. As the borders of their reality begin to shift and their train chugs along, the two must finalize their plan, interpret what messages these strange visitors have for them, and decide how they want their sacrifice to be remembered.

[FULL LENGTH] Alex, a comic book artist whose ideas might be "too Puerto Rican," has begun secretly dressing up as his creation: El Coquí Espectacular, defender of Nuyoricans in all five boroughs! When his brother Joe is fired from a project for not being Puerto Rican enough, the two, with the help of a young photographer named Yesica, hatch a plan: to debut El Coquí at the Puerto Rican Day Parade and prove themselves to the world. El Coquí Espectacular and the Bottle of Doom examines the ways in which we define our heritage and ourselves.

[FULL LENGTH] Othello, the Moorish general, wants to give his beloved Desdemona the beautiful secret wedding she deserves... but that means borrowing ducats. Unfortunately for him, the Jewish moneylender Shylock has spent too long among the terrible people of Venice to see this marriage as anything but a death sentence for Othello. Unbeknownst to Shylock, however, his own daughter has begun an illicit romance that may bring the whole world crashing down on all their heads. A crossover between Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice and The Tragedy of Othello, The Venetians uses two classical outsiders to ask questions about immigration, assimilation, national identity, and what acceptance truly means.

[FULL LENGTH] With Mamá long gone and Papá catatonic (and only able to sing old sitcom theme songs), aspiring baseball player and high school super-senior José finds himself in charge of his video-game obsessed little sister, Clara. Scraping by together on the Lower East Side, the siblings try to stay distracted from their bleak reality through José’s fanciful stories: that she was a fairy princess of a magical realm, left in Central Park for their parents to find. When the siblings realize José’s stories might be true – that, in fact, he may be making them come true – Clara is faced with a choice, and José will fight a magical battle for his sister’s destiny.

[FULL LENGTH] Jo's grandfather—a decorated veteran—has died, leaving emotional wreckage and unpaid debts in his wake. As she prepares for the funeral, Jo's heart is set on keeping grandpa's burial flag; to get it, she'll have to deal with her despondent mother, an attempted exorcism, and competition from a secret aunt young enough to be her little sister. It won't be easy, but nothing an aspiring saint like Jo can't handle.

[FULL LENGTH] After being whisked off to Rome and tricked into playing a role in an infamous trial, aspiring actor Carlo has been thrown in a dungeon, guilty of committing a crime on behalf of the corrupt and vulgar medieval Pope Stephen VI, who has become obsessed with undoing his predecessor's work. (Sound like anyone you know?) With the help of Saint Genesius - the Patron Saint of Actors, Clowns, and Lawyers - Carlo must perform the story of how he wound up in this situation, regain his faith, and find a happy ending. Based on the true story of the Cadaver Synod.

[ONE ACT] The Anglo-Zanzibar War lasted less than forty minutes. This play isn't much longer. On the morning of August 27th, 1896, the British fought a thirty-eight minute war for control of the sovereign archipelago nation of Zanzibar. Now, a group of performers have come together to tell the story of this war from start to finish...plus a little extra.

[ONE ACT] An unsuspecting Sam falls head over heels during a game of dominos: Ana, recently displaced from her home in Puerto Rico, is going for a run in the park where Sam and his elderly friend Herbie play. These new feelings lead Sam to talk about his first crush, and he and Herbie reminisce about love, Broadway musicals, and heritage. When Ana adds her perspective to the mix, Sam slips up, and becomes less and less sure he can turn this into a love connection.

[THEATER FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES] Stoo is a Martian boy who discovers that he can’t grow his favorite fruit from Mars now that his family lives on Earth. Together with his diverse group of human friends, Stoo sets out to invent a brand new “special food” from delicious things on Earth. The result is a “Martian-American gumbo” – and a tale about the unifying power of friendship, music, and sharing a meal.

[10 MIN] Aboard a familiar starship, a bravefaced medic and a bookish linguist must untangle their differences, past feelings, and a curious superstition about away teams.

[10 MIN] Joe, a stressed out soon-to-be father, just can't seem to get a break. His wife's due any minute, now, all the hotels and inns are booked, and this friendly concierge has suggested his wife give birth in a barn of all places. This is the kind of crap that made Joe leave Bethlehem in the first place...

[10 MIN] The story of Heracles' Bow, told in reverse. A play about the Trojan War, and how men ruin everything.

[10 MIN] In a fit of panic, F. Scott Fitzgerald asks his friend Ernest Hemingway for help with a *small* problem. Loosely based on Hemingway's account in "A Movable Feast."

[10 MIN/MONOLOGUE] Abraham's son won't talk to him, and it's all God's fault. Now Abraham's got a bone to pick with God. Does faith always mean doing the right thing? Does faith make things that seem wrong right?

[MONOLOGUE] Somewhere between being forced to disguise herself as a boy and learning that there's more to life than iambic pentameter, poor Rosiola is beginning to realize that the old definitions she's grown so accustomed to aren't big enough to contain everything she is.

A monologue in verse about gender, sexuality, and counting syllables.

[MONOLOGUE] María is trying to win back an old friend after tragedy ripped them apart years ago. She tries to remember her home in Puerto Rico, and most of all a song she once sang with her lover. Except...no one sings anymore.

A new West Side story.