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Zack Peercy

@zackpeercy

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A playwright, a screenwriter, a prose writer. A blind person took all these photos. (He/Him/His)
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Dramatist Guild Co-Reps for the Chicago region Laura Stratford and Zack Peercy invite Dramatist Guild members to attend a pre-show discussion with “Adirondack Chair Circle” playwright Stephanie Alison Walker on Sunday, October 25th at 1:30PM at Steppenwolf Theatre. Hear how the award-winning playwright brought this script from The Dramatist Guild’s End of Play event to the stage of one of the most prominent regional theaters in the country.
Register on the Dramatists Guild website and receive a 20% discount code on your ticket (valid through November 7): https://www.dramatistsguild.com/event/pre-show-discussion-ticket-offer-adirondack-chair-circle-stephanie-alison-walker by @zackpeercy

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a day ago

On August 2nd, @factorytheater will be raising money to produce their 32nd season of world premieres by Chicago Playwrights. When I tell people I’m an ensemble member at The Factory, I get one of two reactions:
1. They’re still around?
2. I’ve never heard of them.
Each reaction fills me with joy because I get to talk about what I like about The Factory. I tell them, yes, they’re still around! Even a pandemic, a mass exodus, and a fire couldn’t keep these wingnuts from producing some of the most original, eclectic, and scrappy work in the city! I tell them, we’re an evolving organization full of volunteers dedicated to making new work happen. We sell the tickets, scrub the toilets, and spend our free time stressing out about the production calendar. We think it’s exciting to tell audiences a story they’ve never heard before! We think it’s important to produce local artists writing for our city!
In this last year, The Factory has disemboweled a cop, had an actor sit silently and unmoving for 90 minutes, and demolished our whole stage to put a wrestling ring in the space. We’re always trying to make bold choices, execute better, and grow. No one really gives us laurels, so we’ve got nothing to rest on.
I think you should come hang out with us on August 2 at R Public House as we talk about our plans for Season 32: In Pursuit of Happiness, reveal some very cool posters, and give away some crazy prizes!
If you’re out of town, we’ll have a digital auction very soon!
If you’re just moved to support a ragtag group of theatermakers trying to produce three plays about wanting to live, you can donate directly!
Follow your heart at TheFactoryTheater.com by @zackpeercy

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2 months ago

Happy opening to the Pennsylvania premiere of MUFFED at The Playhouse of McConnellstown! Another ragtag group of dramatists is set to spread the word about Chester Greenwood and the town of Farmington, ME.
Always extra special to have a story of mine go up in my home state. The only people I’m ever really writing for are Pennsylvanians. taken in McConnellstown, Pennsylvania by @zackpeercy

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4 months ago

The Factory’s 31st Season was given the subtitle “Rage on the Stage” largely because of our summer slam closer TWO OUT OF THREE FALLS - a wrestling drama that combines the high stakes interpersonal conflict of theatre with the high octane theatrics of a WWE match.
Like a lot of Bill Daniel’s work, this script offers great opportunity for powerful performances. With humor and heart, he interrogates the rage we carry and the masks we use for it. Whether it’s hamming up a hit in the ring, stifling the sting of a fresh bruise in the parking lot, or playing it cool when we see our father’s ghost, the performance of our emotions can speak to the back rows beyond the words out of mouth.
If THE SPORTING LIFE was catharsis, and KUBRICKIAN was questioning, then TWO OUT OF THREE FALLS is a reckoning for the rage on the stage. Our season leaves you with a question: Is It Worth It?
I hope you come out June 11th through July 18th to find out. Tickets at TheFactoryTheater.com by @zackpeercy

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4 months ago

This was a bittersweet delivery. After four years and three productions, my mockumentary meta comedy MUFFED has been published by 1319 Press and here’s the proof. Like most shows, it took an army of believers to get here, but somehow none more so than my landlord David New.
I invited David to a public reading of the script at a local bookstore. It was a revised edition and we were performing on the actual Chester Greenwood Day holiday. The reading was a coda to our poorly attended first run up north - a chance to really pack the house for the original cast. David and I often talked about theatre when we ran into each other in the hall, but this was his first opportunity to see my work. He was so gobsmacked by the reading, he pulled me aside after snd said, “if you ever want this show produced, let me know.”
For a month, I was afraid to even ask him if he was serious, but I eventually got up the courage and his eyes lit up. He had always wanted to be a producer.
After an initial agreement as co-production with The Factory Theater, I found out that the theater’s finances were sunk and we didn’t have the runway to cover rent leading up to Muffed’s Chicago debut. When I told David the situation, he immediately wrote a check to cover the full rental fee. Not only did this get Muffed produced, it gave a 30 year old institution enough of a bump to get to their 31st season. The show remained a co-production, but the words “and produced by David New” were added to the already absurdly long title. We made him a character in the show with pre-recorded bits. He got a special shout out and applause on opening night. He hung posters around the apartment building “to advertise”.
I had kept the publication from him these last few months until I could show him a physical copy of the script. Unfortunately, he passed away on 4/21 and never got to see his name in print. I have a lot to say about my friendship with David New. Maybe one day I’ll tell you all about him. But today, I’m going to set aside some time to celebrate one of my biggest artistic champions and one of my favorite plays with an M&M McFlurry in the backyard garden.
Thank you, David. I’ll pay it forward ten-fold. by @zackpeercy

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5 months ago

I swear to god Farmington owes me a key to city. Get your copy of MUFFED at 1319Press.com! taken in Farmington, Maine by @zackpeercy

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5 months ago

The Laramie Project meets Waiting for Guffman is the best way I can describe MUFFED… by @zackpeercy. And if that doesn’t intrigue you, I don’t know what will. 🫡 Available online now! by @zackpeercy

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6 months ago

If you find yourself in central Pennsylvania this June, head over to The Playhouse at McConnellstown for their production of MUFFED! This will be the fourth production of my mockumentary comedy and the third production of my work in my home state! This production wouldn’t have happened without Muff Evangelist Jordan Rawlings passing the script along. I didn’t ask them too; they just thought beyond their own artistic desires. Every day in every way, be like Jordan Rawlings. by @zackpeercy

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6 months ago

It is very rare to have a full production of a play in a big city. It is even more rare to have an established critic of a respected publication attend your play. It is damn near impossible to have three separate productions in the span of 13 months. And it is unfathomable to have the same critic attend all three productions and validate a decade of playwriting work.
I haven’t written any new plays in about two years now. I’ve basically been priced out of the field. We all made a world where artists aren’t valued and longevity is dependent on financial support outside of the industry. I’ll be back when it’s economically feasible or when I’m commissioned.
Thank you to the ensemble of The Factory Theater for letting me produce under your banner, for putting up with me, and for being the only theater in the city to hold the door open for me.
Thank you to Kerry Reid and every individual choosing to show up for my work. So many of you championed, defended, and supported me in ways that are unspeakably kind. I owe you all another story or two.
And thank you to every collaborator who sat in a room with me and brought the ideas in my head to life. What a magical, deranged, and silly thing we all did.
I can’t believe I got to be a Chicago playwright! I think I’ll do it again sometime. by @zackpeercy

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7 months ago

My play KUBRICKIAN has its world premiere tonight at The Factory Theater after eight years of development.
The first picture is a screenshot of the notes I got from a locally famous playwright during the script’s first ever development opportunity in 2018. I paid $150 to participate in that workshop.
Subsequent feedback has always been split. Some folks have really gotten it. Some folks really haven’t. I always held a candle for it, believing in my idea and not capitulating.
The second photo is the show’s extension announcement. We sold so well before opening, we were able to add two weekends of performances.
The third photo is Taylor Mercado Owen, Rio Soliz Ragazzone, and Ben Auxier bringing the show to life under AJ Schwatz’s direction.
The show may not be for everyone, but it’s definitely for someone. And maybe that matters more. by @zackpeercy

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8 months ago

When you put a bunch of artists in a room together, you have to get some free labor out of them!
These onesies for our impending Zoey were created in collaboration by some brilliant friends who braved -23° wind chill to celebrate us. Throughout this whole pregnancy, everyone in our lives has been a real candle in the darkness and we couldn’t be more thankful.
Special shout outs to mountain-mover Kayla Menz for organizing, Jacque, Sydney, Jill, and Eric for setting up, Josh and Caitlin for tearing down, and Nole Beran for A/V support!
Our little moon princess is due any day now . . . by @zackpeercy

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8 months ago

Ten years after writing this one act for *my* Directing II class, a student named Jamya Hogan at Nebraska Wesleyan University reached out to direct GREETINGS FROM THE MOON for their Directing II class! Especially after a stellar showing of both parts (so far) as my Chicago debut at The Factory Theater, it’s such a joy that so many folks across the country have met and cared for Amy & Caroline. From Maine to Kansas to Arkansas to Illinois to Nebraska, I’m very thankful for all the postcards over the last decade. ❤️ 🌙 🌃 by @zackpeercy

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10 months ago