2026 PRODUCTIONS
A Performance by Rema Keen
Written by Rema Keen & Kate Larken
An enthralling one-woman play inspired by the life stories of author Rema Keen’s grandmother, Teddy’s Piece unfolds as a vivid oral tapestry that carries audiences from the bustle of New York City to the coal mines of Appalachia and beyond. Blending narrative and music, Rema weaves a tale that rises from its mountain roots to become a universal story of grit, hope, and survival.
Rema Keen is a writer and performance/teaching artist who has performed in a number of national and regional theatres, including The Barter Theater. She has also toured nationally for over 10 years as an actor, story-teller, musician and artist-in-residence.
“The Prisoner of Second Avenue” is presented by arrangement with
Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
Mel Edison has a great job, a nice apartment, and a slowly dying collection of houseplants. Then his fancy Manhattan firm tanks and he’s fired. No problem—his wife, Edna, gets a job… until she’s fired too. Meanwhile, the air pollution is murdering the greenery, the paper‑thin walls broadcast every detail of the neighbors’ love lives, and Mel’s sanity is hanging by a thread. Just when he thinks it can’t get worse, his apartment is burglarized—and his psychiatrist dies holding $23,000 of Mel’s money. At this point, a nervous breakdown isn’t just understandable; it’s practically self‑care. And somehow, it turns out to be the best thing that ever happened to him.
Directed by Rebecca Tebbs Nunn
Cast
​
Michelle Ayala, Mark Beran, Austin Burch,
Bill Casey, Phoebe Hollingsworth, Cheryl Hoovler,
John Pitman & Caroline Sullivan