Blackfriars Theatre

09/10/2026

It's opening night of EUREKA DAY (and our 77TH SEASON!!) here at Blackfriars, so what better time for a sneak peek at the show, courtesy of the great Ron Heerkens Jr. of Goat Factory Media?!
https://www.blackfriars.org/eureka-day

Director: Danny Hoskins (asst. by Zachary Bowman)
Stage Manager: Ted Plant
Set Design: Allen Wright Shannon
Lighting Design: Nic Minetor (asst. by Jillian Coppernoll)
Costume Design: Emily Ohl
Props Design: Shelby Dunning
Intimacy Direction: Rachel Solomon
Tech Director: Dave Baxter
Production Manager: Joe Valek

09/10/2026

It's time for QUESTIONS WITH THE CAST! Alexa Scott-Flaherty is playing Suzanne in EUREKA DAY, Blackfriars' 77th Season opener, running TONIGHT through Sept 20th!!

Audiences may remember Alexa from Hot L Baltimore and Steel Magnolias! She also directed Cry it Out!

1) What is your favorite thing about this script?
- How is uses the humor of recognition to lure us into what feels like a safe story only to drop out of the bottom and make us ask the big questions about what a community really means.

2) What is the best part about working on this production so far?
- The team! The team. The team.

3) What do you think is the biggest challenge of having conversations about touchy subjects?
- Defending, polarizing, making people right or wrong; making it black and white; losing complexity.

4) What do you think audiences will love about EUREKA DAY?
- Recognizing themselves.

5) Describe EUREKA DAY in 5 words or less:
- What makes a community work?

09/09/2026

ANNOUNCING: the shows and auditions for this year's Hourglass Play Reading Series!!
https://www.blackfriars.org/ -play-reading-series

THE HUMANS
by Stephen Karam
directed by Alexa Scott-Flaherty
Saturday, November 21st, 2pm

CLYDE’S
by Lynn Nottage
directed by Shawnda Urie
Saturday, February 13th, 2pm

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME
adapted by Simon Stephens
directed by Sam Nelson
Saturday, April 10th, 2pm

09/09/2026

Check out Danny and Alyssa with Brennan Somers on News 8 WROC Rochester!!

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — ‘Eureka Day’ is the opener for the 77th season at Blackfriars Theatre. The Tony-Winning comedy tackles vaccines, the impacts on parenting, and group decision-ma…

09/09/2026

It's time for QUESTIONS WITH THE CAST! Adryanna Elmendorf is playing Carina in EUREKA DAY, Blackfriars' 77th Season opener, running September 10th-20th!!

Audiences may remember Adryanna from her turns in Barbecue and Pretty Fire!

1) What is your favorite thing about this script?
- I love that the script is written to sound like actual real people having real conversations where thoughts are interrupted, people censor themselves (or not), etc.

2) What is the best part about working on this production so far?
- The best part about working on this production has been collaborating to build the school and community.

3) What do you think is the biggest challenge of having conversations about touchy subjects?
- The biggest challenge of having conversations about touchy subjects is a lack of safety.

4) What do you think audiences will love about EUREKA DAY?
- I think audiences will love the energy each character brings.

5) Describe EUREKA DAY in 5 words or less:
- Real, layered, revealing, necessary.

09/09/2026

Your next chance to smile, sing, and sweat with Mandi Lynn Griffith is less than 2 weeks away! Our ✨Body Positivity Dance Party✨ will be rocking away on Saturday, September 19th at 10am ... get your groove on and then go get your Fringe on!!

09/08/2026

It's time for QUESTIONS WITH THE CAST! Christopher Conway is playing Don in EUREKA DAY, Blackfriars' 77th Season opener, running September 10th-20th!!

Audiences may remember Chris from Glengarry Glen Ross in 2018!

1) What is your favorite thing about this script?
- The challenging language that mimics the overlap, the dropped sentence ends, and run-on nature of real conversation.

2) What is the best part about working on this production so far?
- The lovely intimate group of talented folk committed to the production.

3) What do you think is the biggest challenge of having conversations about touchy subjects?
- All the feelings, insecurities, competitive ideas/perspectives, the fear of alienating people.

4) What do you think audiences will love about EUREKA DAY?
- The fast-paced blend of comedy and drama.

5) Describe EUREKA DAY in 5 words or less:
- Unfolding chaos of best intentions.

09/08/2026

Okay, friends, let's settle something. If YOU could choose the next big musical at Blackfriars, what would it be??

A golden-age classic? A modern blockbuster? Something dark and delicious? Something laugh-out-loud funny? A romantic crowd-pleaser? Something nobody's ever heard of before??

DROP YOUR DREAM MUSICAL IN THE COMMENTS (and let the speculation begin)!

And then head to the website to get your tickets to the Season Soirée on November 14th at ARTISANworks so you can see whether your pick makes the ballot… the Soirée audience gets to vote for next year's big musical! THIS IS DEMOCRACY AT WORK, PEOPLE! 👏👏

09/08/2026

🍎📚 Welcome back, teachers!

We’re proud to partner with NYSUT to offer members 15% off regular and senior tickets to all of our '26-'27 Season productions! 🎭 Thank you to NYSUT for helping us make live theatre more accessible to educators across our community!

🎟️ NYSUT members: check your NYSUT newsletter and use your member discount when purchasing tickets to any of our 2026–2027 season productions.

👏 Tag your favorite teachers in the comments below and wish them a happy first week of school!

Here’s to a wonderful school year — and a wonderful season of theatre! ❤️

09/07/2026

It's time for QUESTIONS WITH THE CAST! Alyssa Koh is making her Blackfriars debut as Meiko in EUREKA DAY, Blackfriars' 77th Season opener, running September 10th-20th!!

Did we mention it's her big BT debut?! Welcome to the legacy, Alyssa!

1) What is your favorite thing about this script?
- The people bringing these irreverent words to life. Second favorite: feeling seen by the staggering proportion of filler words (um, uh, you know) coming from incredibly intelligent characters.

2) What is the best part about working on this production so far?
- This is an INSANE first show to do. I get a masterclass in acting--but more importantly, in listening--every single day from this talented and supportive ensemble.

3) What do you think is the biggest challenge of having conversations about touchy subjects?
- It's hard to want to engage directly in topics that revert people to their baseline fear-driven responses. How do we make change if we can't get past lashing out at each other? The answer may take a lifetime.

4) What do you think audiences will love about EUREKA DAY?
- What's not to love? Also Chris. Also: There's something so compelling about watching real life from the comfort of make-believe--and in these times, things feel even more real and more surreal than ever.

5) Describe EUREKA DAY in 5 words or less:
- A story you MUST see.