We are so excited to finally share the news! NYC-based playwright Matthew Kelly has signed on as our first playwright partner. His play The Plastic City was chosen from a collection of over 500 submitted applications, and all of us at TBT are thrilled to be producing the piece as a staged reading in September. The Plastic City follows Jade (a teen diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder), her imaginary friend Joy, and her mother Cordelia as all three explore the past of their economically-depressed home that was once a thriving plastic manufacturing hub. Community and familial tensions rise as Cordelia begins to seek connections between the town's historical plastic pollution and her daughter's diagnosis.

The Plastic City shines a light on the experience of families raising children with Autism Spectrum Disorder while also delving into the sacrifices communities make in the name of industrial and economic growth. To that end, its story echoes concerns found in myriad communities affected by lead pollution, global warming, and similar threats. 

More about The Plastic City and playwright Matthew Kelly below!