The Gum Play
By Lucas Kavner
December 2nd, 7pm
In the late 1800s, the brutal and disgraced former Mexican president Santa Anna was exiled to Staten Island, New York, where he hoped to make some quick cash and return to Mexico as a hero. But when he and the American assigned to watch over him strike up a unique partnership, everything takes a turn for the far, far worse. A dark comedy based on the true story of the invention of gum in America.
Life on Paper
By Kenneth Lin
December 7th, 6pm
As a forensic economist, determining the financial value of a person's life is just another day's work for Mitch, so the surprise death of a billionaire philanthropist should mean his ship has come in. But when his estimates are disputed by the dead man's beautiful beneficiary, he's forced to re-examine what makes life worthwhile.
Binary (Or The Information Age)
By J. Holtham*
December 9th, 7pm
Rob and Andrew enter a worldwide competition to redesign the Netflix customer preference algorithm, believing victory could change the world, or at least get them out of Andrew's mom's garage. But when Rob falls for a rival programmer, that victory - and their lifelong friendship - hangs in the balance.
Spill
By Leigh Fondakowski
December 10th, 7pm
Playwright Leigh Fondakowski (Head Writer of THE LARAMIE PROJECT) explores the stories of those whose lives have been impacted by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Based on extensive interviews with gulf coast residents, oil industry workers and environmentalists, SPILL presents the kaleidoscope of conflicting interests and perspectives that led to, and exacerbated, the catastrophe.
*Following the reading of SPILL, EST/Sloan will host a discussion between Leigh Fondakowski and Moises Kaufman, moderated by Ellen Reeves.
Father Unknown
By Daniel Reitz*
December 12th, 2pm
Amy and Lisa are the proud parents of a baby girl. When they go online in search of half-siblings born from the same anonymous sperm donor, they are shocked to find a hundred-fifty little half-brothers and sisters--and counting. The miracle of motherhood clashes with the dangerously unregulated boom business of baby making as the women delve deeper into the questionable ethics of the sperm bank that sold them their gift of life.
Youngblood Science Brunch: An Object At Brunch Tends To Stay At Brunch
January 5th, 1pm (12:30 for pancakes and bacon!)
Join the playwrights of Obie Award-winning EST/Youngblood as they merrily push past their complete ignorance of science to ponder the great unsolvable questions of this world and the world beyond…along with a buffet of pancakes, bacon, and (Young) bloody marys. A perennial sellout.
Silver
By Emily Chadick Weiss
January 7th, 7pm
After the Beijing Olympics, gymnast Felicia Biancardi refuses to accept her team's second place finish, claiming the gold-winning Chinese athletes lied about their ages. Felicia goes on an obsessive quest to use science to prove the truth and disqualify her opponents, but finds herself up against the limits of what science can prove. A comedy about failure on the world's greatest stage.
Old Four Legs
By Clare Barron
January 13th, 7pm
In early 20th century South Africa, Marjorie Latimer, curator of a curiosity museum, discovers the coelacanth - a fish thought to have been extinct for sixty-five million years.The remarkable story of a life-changing discovery and a one woman's refusal to let it change her quiet life.
Wonks (A Travesty)
By Willie Orbison
January 14th, 7pm
Based on the true story of Project ORCA and the 2012 Presidential Election, Wonks follows the rise and fall of young political operative who devises a secret computer program that will defeat the Obama campaign's big data juggernaut and vault Mitt Romney to the presidency. Spoiler alert: it doesn't quite work out as he planned.