Co-founded by playwright Howard Meyer in 1998, Axial Theatre is an ensemble of theatre actors, writers and directors dedicated to the development and production of relevant new plays.
Plays developed by Axial playwrights have been produced or given promoted readings in New York City at Manhattan Theater Club Creative Center, the Marilyn Monroe Theater in West Hollywood, the Cell, the New York Fringe Festival, HERE Theatre, Dixon Place’s FUSE Festival, The Cherry Lane Theater, The Barrow Group, The Lark, Arts Westchester, Half Moon Theatre, Naked Angels and The Samuel French One-Act Festival : in Los Angeles at LA Pacific Resident Theatre; and in San Francisco at the New Conservatory Theatre.
In addition, one of Axial’s developed plays was selected as a finalist in the Princess Grace Playwriting Competition and Brian Quirk, an Axial produced playwright, was twice invited to the prestigious McDowell Writers Colony on the basis of plays developed at Axial Theatre. Two of Meyer's plays have been options for feature films.
Other major advances for plays include a staged reading of Maybe Never Fell by Howard Meyer at the historic Cherry Lane Theater. His play Radiance was a two-time semi-finalist (2011, 2012) at the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference and was produced at Axial featuring Obie award winner Chris McCann. WELCOME, This is a Neighborhood Watch Community enjoyed an Axial run directed by Drama Desk award winner Josh Hecht starring Emmy© nominated actor Jon Lindstrom and LAByrinth Theater co-founder David Deblinger.
Axial Theater has garnered rave reviews, from the Journal News (Westchester’s premiere newspaper) for The Love of Money, Cherry and Jerry, Two Hearts and AngelBeast and Broadway World for Back to the Garden (in co-production with GoJoClan Productions) and consistent supportive attention and reviews from the New York Times.
"NEVER THE SINNER" (2022)
"PAINT MADE FLESH" (2018)
"THE SEAGULL" (2014)
In 2018, Howard Meyer’s original work, Paint Made Flesh, (directed by and developed with Cady McClain) completed an invite-only Equity run at The Cell in Manhattan, earning rave reviews from venerable audience members like Bob McAndrew - former talent director at 20th Century Fox and Paramount Studios.
Director Cady McClain takes us by the hand and leads us step by step into a strange, labyrinthine world of art and artists. The journey is both physical and psychological. The actors performances are perfectly orchestrated without a misstep in her surefooted, masterful direction!
- Bob McAndrew
Former talent director at 20th Century Fox and Paramount Studios.
"To say I was blown away by the June 14th performance of "Paint Made Flesh" would be an understatement. The courage and focused ferocity of the actors lifted the total experience to levels I haven't felt in theater in quite awhile."
-Arlé Sklar Weinstein, Audience Member
"Genius. Cathartic. Every character made me ask questions that I am still wrestling with, and will probably be wrestling with for quite some time."
-Julia Boyes, Actor
Cady McClain was selected in 2021 to start a new era at Axial Theatre, leading the company out of the pandemic era. She created two "new" programs based on successful past programs that were enjoyed by Westchester audiences: Cactus Flowers - a monthly reading of four new short plays in development, and Axial Playwrights - One Act or Full length play readings driven forward my company members. Readings included a connected place by Youlim Nam at The Dramatists Guild, Jacquelyn Reynold's A Story About a Girl, John Patrick Shanley's Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, Craig Lucas's Ode to Joy, Sam Shepard's Fool for Love, Stephen Louis Grush's Feet of Clay, Aaron Mark's Deer, and Howard Meyer's Triple Womb, to name a few.