News: Short Noir Play “Dark Orchid” Plays Block 8 at the Gene Frankel Theatre Festival, August 2nd-15th

(l to r) David Dowlett, David Michael Kirby, N. Marie Teagno. Photo by Joe Pacifico.
Heather Violanti’s Short Noir Play Dark Orchid will make its world premiere as part of Block 8 at the Gene Frankel Theatre Festival, taking place from August 2-15, 2026

In 1944 Hollywood, dead dreams are a dime a dozen. After a famous novelist tries to steal one of her ideas, failed screenwriter Myrtle finally finds the courage to make her dreams come true…on her own terms.

The show is directed by Jennifer Sandella and features N. Marie Teagno, David Michael Kirby, David Dowlett, and Mona Bruno. Dark Orchid plays at the Gene Frankel Theatre Festival Block 8 in Manhattan (24 Bond St., New York, NY 10012) on August 2 at 5 pm, August 8 at 7:30 pm, and August 15 at 2:30 pm.

Says Violanti, “This play was inspired by the sass and style of film noir, the stream-of-consciousness writing of William Faulkner, and the long-standing discrimination experienced by women within the entertainment industry. It’s a celebration of the creative spirit as well as a love letter to Old Hollywood.”

Violanti is a playwright and dramaturg currently based in New York City. Her plays have been produced at the RATNYC, Dream Up Festival at Theater for the New City, the Radioactive Festival, the Women’s Theater Festival, the DR2 Lounge, and MusicalFare Theatre. Her play Waltz of the Exterminator was published in the Best Ten-Minute Plays of 2021 by Smith & Kraus. Two other short plays, The Bald Mousetrap and Fish Story, are published by Brooklyn Publishers. 

Director Jennifer Sandella is a Brooklyn based theatre artist with a foundation in classical text and performance. She is the Artistic Director of Random Access Theatre and the Executive Director of The RAT NYC. Recent directing projects include Miranda from Stormville (RATCO), The Potemkin Play (Here Arts), Rosmersholm (The Old Stone House/RATCO), The Taming of the Shrew (Brooklyn Bridge Park: Shakespeare at Sunset), and Save the Robots (West Village Musical Theatre Festival/NYMF). 

Tickets for Dark Orchid are $25-$35+ and available at www.genefrankeltheatrefestival.com. Dark Orchid is a 15-minute play within a 90-minute show block. 

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