In 1977, Theatrical Outfit was founded by nine young Atlanta theatre artists who wanted to shake things up and launch some electric new energy into the theatre scene.  TO is launching a new festival to re-capture that energy, and launch a new generation of touring work that can light up stages in Atlanta, across Georgia, across the nation, or across the globe.

The American Theatre ecosystem is at a turning point post-pandemic. We need fresh new ideas.  New energy.  New performances that can shake up the theatre making model, and offer audiences something exciting and raw. Something that demands them to pull their asses from their couches and streaming services and interact with other human beings in an electric live performance space.

LAUNCHPAD: A “MADE IN ATLANTA” FESTIVAL is an exciting way to empower a new generation of theatre artists with the space, resources, development, and institutional support to create visceral, compact, innovative, and portable performance pieces than can be replicated in ANY space in Atlanta, Georgia, the nation, or even across the globe. This MADE IN ATLANTA festival will become an incubator for pioneering brand-new shows originating from the diverse creative ecosystem of ATL.

Venus is a pitch black comedy recounting one relationship as it spirals from a beautiful first date of stargazing to a spectacularly horrifying conclusion. Tackling the bizarre confluence of fear and love in modern life, the play lives in the same world as Yockey’s previous celestial-themed works Pluto and Mercury.

Attached Artists:

Kate Donadio-MacQueen (Actor), Suehyla El-Attar Young (Actor), Melissa Foulger (Director), Steve Yockey (Playwright)

Our protagonist, Phong, discovers a book that may have the power to rewrite history. He and his trusty sidekick, John F. Kennedy, set out to do the impossible… Stop the Vietnam War! Come see this solo musical comedy that explores the light hearted fun of the Vietnam War, generational familial trauma, and John F. Kennedy.

Attached Artists:

Justin Greer (Musical Composer), Phong Le (Playwright & Actor)

Manny Jacinto, a Filipino former UFC world champion, starts a podcast to rediscover his purpose after leaving the octagon. As he summons the spirits of iconic athletes, the line between past and present begins to blur, revealing truths he’s not prepared to confront. In the podcast season finale, Manny’s journey culminates in a profound encounter with Black tennis legend Arthur Ashe at Arthur Ashe Stadium. There, he faces his deepest questions about resilience, identity, and the cost of greatness, forcing him to reckon with the transformative power of sports.

Attached Artists: Matt Mercurio (Actor), Stephen Ruffin (Co-Playwright & Actor), Filipe Valle Costa (Co-Playwright & Director)

The funniest tragedy Shakespeare never wrote: welcome to Fat Juliet. Darkly hilarious and deeply moving, this solo performance uses the story of Juliet to map one woman’s (not so Juliet-ish) search for true love. Through absurd encounters with one-night stands, Christian clowns, evangelical nationalism, AC/DC, and the chaos of growing into oneself, the audience is invited to reimagine Shakespeare’s heroine navigating a world that was not built for her. In 90 minutes of sharp humor and raw vulnerability, Fat Juliet celebrates the ridiculous, messy act of finding oneself—and miracles that connect us all.

Attached Artists: Ash Anderson (Movement Design), Nicole Clockel (Costume Design), Joey Davila (Dramaturg), Teeq Hill (Scenic Designer), Greg Geffrard (Intimacy), Caylyn Jarmon Vinson (Stage Manager), Omari Joseph (Composer and Sound Design), Sam Lancaster (Aerial and Movement Designer), Bridget McCarthy (Playwright & Actor), Lauren Morris (Co-Director), Alejandra Ruiz (Co-Director)

Cabin 6 Is Not Okay: Zeke is trying his hardest to keep Blue Mountain Sleepaway Camp afloat this summer as their assistant-director, but when the head camp director is missing, his camp counselors (the audience) can’t remember their morning duties, and one of the Troubled Kids keeps running into the woods to perform bloody rituals with animal bones? Maybe this quarter-life-crisis summer gig wasn’t worth it after all. We’ll spend 8 weeks of summer camp with Zeke, holding staff meetings, awarding camp badges to brave “camp counselors” (the audience), and working together to unravel the mystery of why the Cabin 6 boys are deeply, violently, horrifically not okay.

Syran-0: Syran-0 is a computer-based AI that has been managing every aspect of Alfie’s life for the past three years, seamlessly integrating into every moment of the day. When Alfie utilizes Syran-0’s help to secure a date with Roxy through an app, Syran-0 discovers they would prefer to have Alfie all to themselves and attempts to sabotage the potential relationship. But Roxy has a secret of her own that complicates Alfie’s feelings about continuing a relationship with her, and Syran-0 becomes more determined to ensure Alfie isn’t distracted by potentially messy relationships anymore. The play explores themes of loneliness, social anxiety, and the evolving role of technology in our lives.