NEW YORK 523
by Joseph Gallo
For our heroine, Joy, her story is a familiar one – a small town girl leaves home, and tries to make it in the big city. Except Joy’s story begins at the end, where we find her standing at a ballet barre in a pool of blood – murdered. NEW YORK CITY 523 is a whodunit hybrid play, which combines naturalism with impressionistic dialogue, choral work, fantasy, story theatre, and at the same time, incorporates movement elements and dance directly into the narrative. So put on your red shoes and dance the blues!
- Cast Size: 2M 2F
- Running Time: 90+ minutes
- Royalty Rate: $75 per performance
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About the Playwright
JOSEPH GALLO was the playwright-in-residence at Mile Square Theatre in Hoboken from 2016 – 2023, where his credits included: wrote and performed in Yuppies Invade My House at Dinnertime; wrote and directed the dance/theatre piece The Magic Hour, and directed the performance film, which was named Best Feature at the NYC Indie Theatre Film Festival; wrote, directed, and performed in the podcast play The Playbill Gallery (a love story); wrote and performed the solo plays AJ’s Book and Long Gone Daddy (“…strong, moving, assured…an unsparing, honest, funny story…beautifully captured.” – Broadway World); and worked as dramaturg and producer on the dance/theatre piece Much Ado About Cucumbers & Cigars, and additionally directed the performance film. As a solo writer/performer he also appeared in the original production of My Italy Story at Penguin Rep, which later had its debut Off-Broadway at the 47th Street Theatre in New York with Danny Mastrogiorgio (“…a compelling page turner.” – New York Times). The play later received a critically acclaimed revival at MST starring Emmy Award winner Tom Pelphrey, who was named Best Actor by The Star-Ledger. Full-length plays include: Two-Man Kidnapping Rule (New Ohio Theatre); Warning: Adult Content (Theatre 54); Staten Island (Circle Rep Lab); and New York City 523, which was developed in workshop at the Writers Theatre of New Jersey and is published by Next Stage Press. He also co-created and wrote the text for the dance/theatre piece 80% of Love for company Rindfleisch, which debuted in New York at the Obie award-winning Ice Factory Festival at the Ohio Theatre, and subsequently transferred to the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival (“…this dance soap opera/symbolist dream play boasts a virtuosity seldom seen.” – nytheatre.com). He is a current member of the Actors Studio Playwrights and Directors Workshop, a New Jersey Council of the Arts Playwriting Fellow, and a recipient of the NJ Council of the Humanities Incubation Grant for New Work. A frequent participant at The Moth in New York City, he has toured with The Moth Mainstage Ensemble, and has been featured on The Moth Radio Hour. Training: MFA in Playwriting, Ohio University.
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