Welcome to Playful Substance
Where Creativity Thrives and Artists Connect.
​Discover a space designed for adult creatives to explore, experiment,
​and express their unique vision.
 Jon Steiger, Genevieve Myers and Kate Owens in “Merchants”
by Raphael Perahia Photo Credit: Bree O’Connor
Welcome to Playful Substance
Where Creativity Thrives and Artists Connect.
​Discover a space designed for adult creatives to explore, experiment,
​and express their unique vision.
 Jon Steiger, Genevieve Myers and Kate Owens in “Merchants”
by Raphael Perahia Photo Credit: Bree O’Connor
A Storm Is Coming: Barometric Pressure at Reading Resistance
Step into an afternoon of bold, unfiltered storytelling at Reading Resistance: May Marathon, a curated series of staged readings exploring theater as a form of resistance.
At 3:00 PM, experience Barometric Pressure by Bree O’Connor—a gripping, darkly comic play set in 1986, where one family’s unraveling reveals both literal and metaphorical storms brewing beneath the surface. Runtime: approximately 2 hours.
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This event is part of a full-day festival featuring six new works by emerging Brooklyn playwrights, including:
• WASH & HIDDEN HALLOWS by John P. McEneny (1:00 PM)
• BAROMETRIC PRESSURE by Bree O’Connor (3:00 PM)
• HOMECOMING & 99 BOTTLES OF BEER by Beth Harpaz (6:00 PM)
• EN MER AVEC LOUISE BOURGEOIS by Michelle Beshaw (8:00 PM)
✨ One ticket ($23.18) grants you access to any—or all—of the day’s readings. Come and go, explore multiple stories, and immerse yourself in a full spectrum of new theatrical voices.
Curated by NYIT Award-winning artist Theresa Linnihan, this marathon brings together work that is daring, intimate, and unapologetically alive.
Expect an eclectic mix of themes—from necessary secrets to surreal rescues, from Midwestern storms of conscience to playful absurdity.
Whimsy, dark edges, and stubborn ghosts included. Refreshments and puppets will be served.
A Storm Is Coming: Barometric Pressure at Reading Resistance
Step into an afternoon of bold, unfiltered storytelling at Reading Resistance: May Marathon, a curated series of staged readings exploring theater as a form of resistance.
At 3:00 PM, experience Barometric Pressure by Bree O’Connor—a gripping, darkly comic play set in 1986, where one family’s unraveling reveals both literal and metaphorical storms brewing beneath the surface.
Runtime: approximately 2 hours.
This event is part of a full-day festival featuring six new works by emerging Brooklyn playwrights, including:
• WASH & HIDDEN HALLOWS by John P. McEneny (1:00 PM)
• BAROMETRIC PRESSURE by Bree O’Connor (3:00 PM)
• HOMECOMING & 99 BOTTLES OF BEER by Beth Harpaz (6:00 PM)
• EN MER AVEC LOUISE BOURGEOIS by Michelle Beshaw (8:00 PM)
✨ One ticket ($23.18) grants you access to any—or all—of the day’s readings. Come and go, explore multiple stories, and immerse yourself in a full spectrum of new theatrical voices.
Curated by NYIT Award-winning artist Theresa Linnihan, this marathon brings together work that is daring, intimate, and unapologetically alive.
Expect an eclectic mix of themes—from necessary secrets to surreal rescues, from Midwestern storms of conscience to playful absurdity.
Whimsy, dark edges, and stubborn ghosts included. Refreshments and puppets will be served.
Jerry Palooza Lives On!
we’re spotlighting the wild, witty, and wonderfully off-kilter world of Jerry Palooza. Featuring excerpts from six of Jerry Polner’s 27.75 plays, this playful plentitude brought together rehearsed readings, bold audience volunteers, and a packed room ready for bureaucratic chicanery, political lunacy, and memorably quotable mayhem.
Missed it? Loved it? Want to relive it?
Dive into the featured works, explore the excerpts, and celebrate the unmistakable voice of Jerry Polner — all in one place.
This limited-time showcase won’t stay on our homepage forever. Spend some time in Jerry’s world while it’s here.
Discover More of Jerry Polner
Jerry Palooza Lives On!
 we’re spotlighting the wild, witty, and wonderfully off-kilter world of Jerry Palooza. Featuring excerpts from six of Jerry Polner’s 27.75 plays, this playful plentitude brought together rehearsed readings, bold audience volunteers, and a packed room ready for bureaucratic chicanery, political lunacy, and memorably quotable mayhem.
Missed it? Loved it? Want to relive it?
Dive into the featured works, explore the excerpts, and celebrate the unmistakable voice of Jerry Polner — all in one place.
This limited-time showcase won’t stay on our homepage forever. Spend some time in Jerry’s world while it’s here.
Discover More of Jerry Polner
Turn Your Memories Into Stories
Start your memoir journey with Playful Substance. Join our Intro to Memoir workshop for hands-on prompts and guidance, or dive deeper in our Memoir Writers’ Group for 10 weeks of writing, feedback, and supportive community.
Join NowTurn Your Memories Into Stories
Start your memoir journey with Playful Substance. Join our Intro to Memoir workshop for hands-on prompts and guidance, or dive deeper in our Memoir Writers’ Group for 10 weeks of writing, feedback, and supportive community.
Join NowOur Mission
Playful Substance envisions a dynamic space for the development of adult artists and new theatrical works. Each person who walks through our door is invited to see themselves as an artist contributing to the culture of the room and the experience of the moment. You are a vessel for creativity and you deserve a place to play.
Our Mission
Playful Substance envisions a dynamic space for the development of adult artists and new theatrical works. Each person who walks through our door is invited to see themselves as an artist contributing to the culture of the room and the experience of the moment. You are a vessel for creativity and you deserve a place to play.
Past Productions
Explore a showcase of our previous projects, where creativity, collaboration, and innovation come together. Each production highlights the talent and passion of our artists, inspiring new ideas and possibilities for your own creative journey. From immersive theatrical performances to engaging community arts experiences, our past productions demonstrate the depth, diversity, and vibrancy of our creative community.
