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ABOUT US

Founded by Anthony J. Piccione, the original Talking It Out performance was presented live at the Dramatists Guild Foundation's Music Hall on March 10th, 2019. At the time of the initial readings, Michael D'Antoni wrote a rave review of the event for Five-Star Arts Journals, describing it as having “nothing less than pure, unadulterated, genuine, unpretentious focus on the agonies and anguish of mental illness, while also celebrating the triumphs and over those living with, or those living with someone who suffers from mental health issues.“ 

Originally intended to be a one-time event of minimalistic staged reading of short plays, the event has since been revived as an ongoing festival of play readings and additional arts programming, initially presented online via Zoom during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic before returning to live performance in 2024. Upon the first live screening of Talking It Out in November 2020, playwright & critic Jan Ewing praised the festival in a review for Hi! Drama for having “drawn from a wide range of ages and genders” and for “detailing the pain and distress encountered not only by those suffering from the various disorders but also those who support them.” 

Each of the plays is presented by an ensemble of actors from different corners of the world, highlighting various issues of mental illness - ranging from anxiety, depression, autism, ADHD, PTSD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dementia, and more.

Our live performances this season will be held on October 13th, February 9th and May 11th at 2pm at spit&vigor's tiny baby blackbox theater, located at 115 MacDougal Street, 3C, New York, NY and will also be recorded and available via our in-house podcast available on Spotify and all other major streaming platforms. 

Cast

Creative Team

Meet the Company

Chris Carver

Devon

Chris Carver ACTOR - Off-Broadway: "Our Town.. But Wilder" (Actors Temple), "Company of Man" (AMT). LA: "The Lost plays of Tennessee Williams" (LA Weekly Award), "The Dying Gaul" (LA Stage Scene Award), "The Magic Hour" (with Ed Asner), "Baby with the Bathwater" (ADA Award), "Falling Upward" (w/ Ray Bradbury), Regional: "The Heidi Chronicles", "A Chorus Line", "Gypsy", & "Greater Tuna" (Best Actor- GTL); TV/Film: "Parents Just Don't Understand", THE MAJESTIC, SURVIVING GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, and "American Dreams". : DIRECTOR- NYC: "Grave Reviews" (NYTF/ BWW- Best Dir), “Nero” (NYTF), “Something Rotten" (NCT), "A Christmas Carol" (NCT). LA: "AfterGLOW" (Best Dir of the Decade- BWW), "Psycho the Musical" (7 BWW Awards), "Hair" (w/ Julie Arenal) "Xanadu" & "Footloose" (The Strawberry Bowl), and "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" (World Premier). christopherglynncarver.com

Evelyn Adler

Melanie

An experienced voiceover artist, actress, writer and teacher of writing and literature, Evelyn deeply loves the spoken and written word. This story of "love in a hopeless place" offers light in the darkness, something we sorely need in these troubling times. It has been such a joy to work with these talented actors and everyone involved in this project. You can see more about Evelyn on www.girlscribes.com

Dean Blizzard

Joel

In 2018, Dean was nominated "Best Actor in a Leading Role" for Papermill Playhouse's Rising Star Awards. Since then, it's been a steady decline since Dean decided to pursue stand-up comedy, a craft especially difficult for him as he isn't funny and severely depressed. This is the first production Dean has been in since then and hopes that this experience will lead to more work as he also recently quit his day job in pursuit of happiness which he will not find. GO BIRDS!

Rebecca Conaway

Stage Directions for A Homeless Thanksgiving

Rebecca Conaway (she/her) is a freelance director, scenic artist, and stage manager based in New York City. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Theatre Studies and a Studio Art minor from the University of Evansville. Previous Stage Management Credits Include: Clubbed Thumb’s 2025 Winterworks, Board of Ed (Fresh Fruit Festival), Midnight Coleslaw’s Tales from Beyond the Closet, The Betrothed, and Past Talk (The Tank). Scenic Art: Urinetown, Ragtime, Once Upon a Mattress and Jelly’s Last Jam (NYCC) and Fatherland (MTC). Rebecca has also been a Production Assistant for Bite Me, munich medea: Happy Family, and Dirty Laundry (WP Theater). www.rebecca-a-conaway.com

Em Hausmann

Director

Em Hausmann (they/them) is a Brooklyn-based Director/Theatre-Maker, originally from sub-rural south Texas, whose work primarily focuses on new works development, queer + trans stories, musical theatre, and unique audience experiences. Select directing credits include SWIVES (First Kiss Theatre), WHITEHARE (Neurodivergent New Play Series), BEST IN SHOW (The Paradise Factory), MOVING ON (Fort Salem Theatre), BEETHOVEN: LIVE IN CONCERT (Fort Salem & The Green Room 42), STRIKE/OUT (Kitchen Sink), ANGRY BRITS STOMPING (IRT Theater), AND THE LIGHTS OF THE BOREALIS WERE SHINING (The Tank), THE VERY LAST DANCE OF HOMELESS JOE (Theater for the New City), OKAY. (Irvington Theater Company), A TINY LITTLE SKY (The Madison Theater). Em is a Resident Director for the Neurodivergent New Play Series and an Associate Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC). emhausmann.com @emhouseman

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