THEATRE UNLEASHED PRESENTS BRIAN JAMES POLAK'S "THE MEETING" AT NYC FRINGE APRIL 1-6, 2026
The Meeting
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Festival Contact: Emily Owens PR | [email protected] | 917.208.6385
Show Contact: Gregory Crafts | [email protected] | 310.717.3102
Theatre Unleashed
PRESENTS
The Meeting
Written by Brian James Polak
Directed by Richard Piatt
Presented as part of the 2026 New York City Fringe Festival
April 1-19 at Chain Theatre Studio
Theatre Unleashed will present The Meeting, written by Brian James Polak and directed by Richard Piatt. The production will be presented as part of the 2026 New York City Fringe Festival with FRIGID New York at the Chain Theatre Studio (312 W 36th St. 4th floor, New York, NY 10018) with performances on Wednesday April 1 at 7:55pm, Thursday, April 2 at 7:55pm, Friday April 3 at 7:55pm, Saturday, April 4 at 10:35pm & Monday, April 6 at 7:55pm. Tickets ($25) are available for advance purchase at www.frigid.nyc. The performance will run approximately 60 minutes.
The Meeting is an immersive, near-future gathering disguised as a simple discussion where five former creators navigate a world in which art is forbidden. As memories surface and language becomes dangerous, the audience is drawn into a tense, darkly funny exploration of identity, resistance, and what it means to be human when expression itself is outlawed.
“An important piece of theatre especially in light of current events.” – Julie Hackett, 79 Ways To Die: The Interactive Shakespeare Speedrun
“…a thoughtful and tense meditation on how humans connect and how art, even when not actively made, shapes not just the community and the world we see, but the people who make it. Crucially important for our times!” – Brett Moore, Batter Up! My Brain on Baseball
“One of the most chilling things about watching The Meeting is knowing that this is not hyperbole anymore. It’s not overdramatic and it’s not hysterical thinking for us to consider a moment in time where art and artists are banned. [The Meeting is] incredibly poignant, varied, dynamic and very well acted – all around an incredible piece of art. It is art with a message that is vital and necessary.” – Peyton Ashby, Ghost Train
“…A show that will be sticking with me long after leaving the space.” – Doug Kmiotek, Tamra Wasserman Presents: This is Real, This is Me by Tamra Wasserman
Theatre Unleashed presented The Meeting at the 2025 Hollywood Fringe Festival. The production garnered both critical acclaim and a nomination for the Fringe Award for Immersive Theatre.
The cast will feature Theatre Unleashed company members Veronica Matthews, Julia Plostnieks, Kristen Bennett, Marcela Barrientos, and Mitch Lerner.
Theatre Unleashed Resident Artist Joe Luis Cedillo supplies chilling audioscapes as the production Sound Designer. Two of the company’s original co-founders, Gregory and Jennifer Crafts, produce.
About Playwright Brian James Polak – Brian James Polak was born and raised in New Hampshire. His plays include HERE RESTS THE HEART (Alcove commission from Lucille Lortel Theatre), THIS IS THE SUBTEXT (commission from Son of Semele Ensemble), THE PATIENT (Jean Kennedy Smith Award), LAST TO DIE FOR A LOST CAUSE (John Cauble Award; published by Next Stage Press), THE CALL LIST (world premiere September 2026 with Third Avenue Playworks). His play THE MEETING about what artists might do in a fascist society where the arts have been banned, which was seen at the 2025 Hollywood Fringe, will be presented this year at the New York City Fringe (formally the FRIGID Fringe Festival) in April by Theatre Unleashed. For the past 10+ years Brian has been producing The Subtext, a podcast focused on the lives and work of playwrights. Brian received his MFA in Dramatic Writing from the University of Southern California, School of Dramatic Arts. He currently resides in Minneapolis, MN with his wife Heather and their dog Hercules Mulligan.
About Director Richard Piatt – An actor, director, and professor with over 25 years of experience in the field, Richard recently relocated to Long Beach from the East Coast. While he misses close family and friends, he is happy to call CA home and does NOT miss winter in New England! He has an MA in theater from Villanova University and has done extensive research in Theater of the Oppressed while living in London. He studied applied theater techniques under August Boal, Adrian Jackson, and Julian Boal and is an associate editor of the Journal of Pedagogy and Theater of the Oppressed. For a decade he was on the faculty for Theater at Merrimack College where he was also the Director of the Rogers Center for the Arts. Selected Directing credits include RENT, Doubt, Into The Woods, Red Herring, The Producers, The Santaland Diaries, Cabaret, Macbeth, The 9/11 Effect, and the award-winning Three Can Keep a Secret. He is thrilled to be working with Theater Unleashed once again and looks forward to many more exciting projects!
About Theatre Unleashed – Established in 2008, Theatre Unleashed is a 501©(3) non-profit ensemble membership company with an emphasis on playwriting and original works. Its mission is to facilitate original stories, shed light upon lesser-known works by known playwrights, and put new twists on old favorites; all for discerning Los Angeles audiences. The company is based out of The Hobgoblin Playhouse in Hollywood, but in recent years they have begun touring original hit shows to Fringe Festivals both national and international. Most recently, their original hit thriller Three Can Keep a Secret earned the Audience Choice Award for Best Touring Production at wild project and the “Most Fringe” Award at the 2025 New York City Fringe before heading to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe later that year and garnering a nomination for Best Production from the Intercultural Connection Awards. TheatreUnleashed.org
New York City Fringe Festival is an open lottery-based theatre festival presented by FRIGID New York, which gives artists an opportunity to let their ingenuity thrive in a venue that values freedom of expression and artistic determination. In true support of the Indie Theater Community, 100% of box office proceeds go directly to the artists whose work is being presented. FRIGID New York is here to chill out the New York independent theatre scene’s ideas of what a theatre festival can be! www.frigid.nyc
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