WEiRD

WEiRD, DRAMA -  A surrealistic play about a neurodivergent boy, a small town, and the consequences of a community that fails to protect its own. 

At its center is Grayson, a 13-year-old neurodivergent science prodigy who experiences the world through formulas and patterns. Recently accelerated into a high school biology class, Grayson becomes the unexpected emotional anchor for a loosely connected group of teens and adults navigating grief, identity, and fractured family systems. 

The play orbits Charlotte, Grayson’s widowed and overextended mother; River, an older sibling quietly collapsing under adult responsibilities; Shiloh, Grayson’s steadfast friend; Mr. Farkas, a biology teacher on the edge of retirement; Wren, an upperclassman who becomes a quiet ally to Grayson; and Dakota—Wren’s ex—whose volatile brother Bryce fuels her escalating aggression. As tensions rise, a violent incident ruptures their fragile ecosystem: Grayson is assaulted and abandoned in the woods. 

Through interwoven text messages, hallway encounters, late-night confessions, and whispered dreams, the community’s fear, neglect, and complicity ripple outward. An allegorical, impressionistic work, WEiRD unfolds through multimedia imagery, an immersive soundscape, and minimal set pieces that shape its shifting, dreamlike world. Ideal for theaters committed to socially resonant storytelling, WEiRD invites audiences to experience difference from the inside out - prompting reflection on care, belonging, and the power of community to protect and care for its own.

THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

WEiRD may be paired with our signature Devised Theater Program, engaging participants in the creation of original performance driven by the issues that matter most to them.

Led by veteran arts educator Amy Poux, this immersive program guides students through a rigorous ensemble-building process rooted in long-form improvisation and deep collaborative inquiry. Participants move through an in-depth discovery phase of play creation in which actors become actor-writers, generating material through improvisation, discussion, and experimentation. Together, they shape this material into a vibrant, original theatrical work.

Grounded in socially engaged theater practices, this approach draws inspiration from historic movements that positioned theater as a catalyst for dialogue and change—using live performance to inspire community discourse, reduce social isolation, and create forums for hope, awareness, and collective voice, particularly for marginalized communities.

What Is It?

Using Poux’s award-winning long-form improvisational methodology, the Devised Theater Program brings together participants across ages and backgrounds to create live, ensemble-driven performance. Actors work collaboratively to illuminate the complexity of human relationships and social systems, inviting audiences into a shared theatrical experience.

Performances may unfold in traditional theater spaces or activate everyday environments—stores, restaurants, streets, and community gathering places—transforming public spaces into sites of storytelling and connection. The work invites spectators to “play along,” fostering empathy, awareness, and a powerful sense of collective community voice. 

Amy Poux is a nationally recognized arts educator, theater director, and curriculum designer whose work centers on empowering youth through creative expression, inclusive education, and professional mentorship. For over two decades, she has championed access to arts and career pathways for historically underserved communities, creating bold, transformative learning environments in both rural and urban settings. Her contributions have been recognized with a NYSCA Award of Merit, accolades from the U.S. Department of Education, Open Society Institute, and the NYC Department of Education, among others. She has served as a grant panelist for NYSCA, the Annenberg Challenge for Arts Education, and the Consortium of International Arts Educators.

Poux is the former Director of Education, Film at Lincoln Center and the longtime Director of Intergenerational Ensemble and Youth Ensemble Theater in Ulster County, NY, where she has taught and directed original productions with youth and adult performers since 2010. Under her guidance, YET has staged more than 40 theatrical productions, locally and Off-Broadway at Labyrinth Theater Company and regionally at the Richard B. Fisher Center at Bard College, NY Stage & Film/Powerhouse Theater at Vassar College, The Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. as well as Byrdcliffe Theater (Woodstock, NY), Denizen Theatre (New Paltz, NY) among others.  YET has garnered awards from the American Academy for the Dramatic Arts (Featured performance/Youth Theatre Conference 2018), the NYC Thespian Society (Best Play), NYS Theatre Education Association (Award of Excellence 2019). She specializes in long-form improvisation and devised theater techniques that center real-life issues and elevate underrepresented voices.