“Family, Faith, and the Future:” Lights Up on Penguin Rep Theater’s 2025 Season

Penguin Rep Theater’s 2025 season has officially begun, featuring the tagline that the shows performed this summer and autumn celebrate “family, faith, and the future.” Nestled in Stony Point, New York, Penguin Rep is a barn transformed into a theater that has been producing plays since 1977, celebrating its 48th anniversary this year.

The show lineup for the 2025 season includes The Miracle of South Division Street by Tom Dudzick (June 6 – June 29), Son of Zeus by Jimmy Georgiades (July 11 – July 27), Castling by Anthony T. Goss (August 15 – September 7), and Flawless by John J. Wooten (September 26 – October 19).

This is not the first time The Miracle of South Division Street, often shortened to Miracle, has graced the Penguin Rep stage. Written by a Nyack resident, Penguin Rep first premiered the show sixteen years ago. It has since been produced in 27 states and internationally in Canada, Israel, South Africa, and India. Miracle is a celebration of inclusion and the way we navigate family dynamics, all through humor.

The other three shows are world premieres. Son of Zeus follows an actor from Hell’s Kitchen whose mother is a belly dancer; Castling is a heartfelt and comedic look at garage workers bonded through chess; and Flawless explores the emergence of artificial intelligence in the creation of plays.

Penguin Rep chooses to premiere plays rather than license them in order to capture the true essence of theater’s collaborative nature. New works by living playwrights allow for organic development at the hands of directors and actors, resulting in fresh, original portrayals of characters and themes. For instance, during its creation, Miracle was submitted to Penguin Rep’s artistic director and revised based on feedback including a new ending, which remains in performances today. Penguin Rep is a Co-Op Resident Company of 59E59 Theaters, a program that offers professional space and support to non-profit companies premiering work in New York City. This opportunity allows new productions to reach wider audiences. Penguin Rep’s original Gene and Gilda will be adapted there in July.

Thanks to its longstanding presence in the Rockland County arts scene and its proximity to New York City, Penguin Rep caters to a wide audience, from Broadway regulars to those whose only exposure to live theater may be within its walls. The season’s catalog is curated by Artistic Director Joe Brancato, with a focus on plays that speak to universal themes and hold special significance for the theater’s community.

Penguin Rep supports other Rockland County businesses throughout its season, offering promotions such as a free glass of wine at select restaurants or 10% off at local stores, helping to introduce out-of-town visitors to all the county has to offer. In doing so, Penguin Rep seeks to build a genuine community among its patrons. Each show officially opens on a Sunday, when audiences are invited to enjoy coffee and cake with the cast after the curtain call. A post-show discussion and Q&A is held at least once per production, featuring the director, playwright, and cast. On the second Saturday matinee, a local restaurant showcases its menu during the performance, with past partners including North Rockland favorites TFS Burger Works and Lynch’s on the Green. Additionally, each show features one “Pizza Friday,” catered by Posa Posa of Nanuet.

Andrew Horn, Executive Director of Penguin Rep, describes theater as an “ephemeral art form,” and Penguin Rep strives year after year to connect with communities through this fleeting magic. As he states, “theater is deeply collaborative and only complete once the audience becomes part of it.” Penguin Rep’s mission for the 2025 season is to create community through shared experience. The productions aim to provoke questions, spark conversations, and unite a “group of people that come and sit in the dark and see something that will never be the same, ever” (Horn).

To learn more about Penguin Rep or purchase tickets, visit www.penguinrep.org/