coming to nyc!
sun, nov 19 @ 9pm
club cumming - 505 E 6th st, NY ny
World premiere ~ 1-23 august 2025 ~ Edinburgh fringe festival
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Press for '2025 salem witch trial' AT EDINBURGH FRINGE"Wylder's show is, in the truest sense, radical"
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ by The Student News UK "Hilarious and harrowing" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ by The Nerd Party "Incrediby well crafted - nothing short of remarkable" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ by Binge Fringe "Gretchen Wylder is a nightmare" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ by Geek Chocolate |
About the play: Based on the true story of a tarot-reading lesbian forced from her home by Christian neighbors likely in a cult, Gretchen Wylder's darkly comedic one-woman show explores witches as healers, the patriarchal systems that burned them, and the modern dangers of organized religion. Living a double life—reading tarot in Salem while surviving in a creepy cottage town run by zealots—her personal horror show becomes a fierce reclamation of spirituality. Gretchen reinterprets Biblical women’s stories and exposes the ongoing persecution of the divine feminine, all while trying not to get burned at the stake.
Is this story really true? Hellllll yes it is. Well, technically, it is based on my true story (for legal reasons, I have to say this). This insane situation was one that I, Gretchen Wylder - the performer and creator of this play - lived through. And it all happened just one year ago! I've alchemized my trauma into art. Last summer, I was trying to survive being surveilled, harassed, and eventually ousted by my Christian neighbors, which resulted in the most frightening situation of my life. This summer, I've brought my plight here to Edinburgh for all of YOU to judge me. Judge away, go for it. The worst you can do is boo. The worst my neighbors could do is burn me at the stake. I much prefer the former.
About the creatives
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PERFORMER/WRITER - Gretchen Wylder (she/they) is a multi-disciplinary artist, most known for her work as creator/writer/actor of the indie queer comedy series These Thems, which screened at 40 film festivals, won seven awards, and has reached over a million viewers worldwide across platforms. A pilot version of These Thems is currently in development and was lauded as a Yes And Laughter Lab 2023 Finalist. With a background in live performance, Gretchen acted in off-Broadway, international, and regional productions (Avenue Q, Rent, Urinetown, et al) for nearly 20 years before transitioning to independent film creation and fiction writing. Gretchen founded Wylder Womyn Productions, an intersectional feminist production company in 2018, whose films have debuted at Tribeca, Outfest, and Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts. Currently, Gretchen is writing her debut novel, which was workshopped at Aspen Institute in 2022. She is an accomplished tarot reader and enjoys a sabbatical from the “real” world by reading cards for hundreds of tourists every October in Salem, Massachusetts since 2015. While transcending genres in her work from comedy to surrealism to fantasy, the goal for her art is always one of healing from an intersectional feminist perspective.
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DIRECTOR - Ryan Cunningham (she/her) is a queer writer/director and Emmy & Peabody award-winning producer. Her debut feature film LONE WOLVES is currently on the festival circuit, where it has won two best film and two best actor awards so far, and will be playing at the Museum of the Moving Image in NYC in March 2025). In theater, Ryan directed Sam Morrison's critically acclaimed and award-nominated off-Broadway solo show SUGAR DADDY (2022 EdFringe @ Gilded Balloon, NYCF, Soho Playhouse NYC, Soho Theatre London), Ricky Sim's COMING OUT TO DEAD PEOPLE (EdFringe 2023 @ Greenside, 2024 @ Assembly, Soho Playhouse NYC, Soho Theatre London), Maria DeCotis' EMOTIONALLY UNREASONABLE (2023 EdFringe @ The Cuckoo's Nest, NYCF), Chanel Ali's RELATIVE STRANGER (fka BREAK UP WITH YOUR DAD, 2024 EdFringe @ Just the Tonic, NYCF), Kelly Bachman's PATRON SAINT (2024 EdFringe @ Assembly), Star Stone's VILLAIN ERA (2024 EdFringe @ Greenside), and Kenice Mobley's DON'T KILL YOURSELF YET (2024 EdFringe @ Leith Arches). In TV, Ryan has produced over 20 half-hour comedy series, including BROAD CITY, SEARCH PARTY, and INSIDE AMY SCHUMER, as well as directed ILANA GLAZER: THE PLANET IS BURNING (Amazon), EXPECTING AMY (Max) and CLUB CUMMING PRESENTS A QUEER COMEDY EXTRAVAGANZA! (Showtime) hosted by Alan Cumming.
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