MR. LEATHER, 1976
Play - 2 hours 15 minutes w/ intermission
The Season (Mike Karns and Steven Tartick), in association with Tony Lance, Mr. Eagle NYC 2026, will present a benefit reading of MR. LEATHER, 1976, a new play by Zackary Grady (Murder at the Patel Motel, Gay Pride & Prejudice) and directed by Ryan Dobrin (Slanted Floors, Associate Director: Becky Shaw), will be presented on Thursday, June 18 at 7:00 PM at The Eagle NYC located at 554 West 28th Street. Doors will open at 6:30 PM.
After his long-term boyfriend suddenly breaks up with him, Glenn dives into the world of 1970s gay nightlife in NYC, hoping to erase the memory of his ex. However, when a new group of friends invites him to compete in a Men’s Leather Contest, Glenn is forced to confront the truth of his relationship head-on.
The cast will feature Emmy Award-winner Jeff Hiller ("Somebody Somewhere,” "Pluribus") as Rick, Robin Lord Taylor ("Gotham," Kowalski) as Al, Drama Desk Award nominee Dan Butler ("Frasier") as Joel, David Mattar Merten (An Enemy of the People, Richard II) as Glenn, Carol Mazhuvancheril (A Nice Indian Boy, The Inheritance) as Sam, Matthew Risch ("Modern Family," Legally Blonde the Musical) as Max, Drama Desk Award winner Alex Gibson (Octet, The Great Comet) as Nils, Fernando Contreras (Parrots at the Pagoda, Ghost) as Eddie, Patrick Clanton (Moulin Rouge!, Oklahoma!) as Daddy Bob, and Drama League Award nominee Marcia DeBonis (Small Mouth Sounds, The Voices in Your Head) as Linda.
MR. LEATHER, 1976, developed as part of Irons in the Fire at Fault Line, will be presented at The Eagle NYC, a venue that carries special meaning for the piece. The Eagle NYC is one of New York’s most storied gay bars and clubs, with roots stretching back decades and a long history as a gathering place for the leather, kink, and LGBTQ+ communities. For MR. LEATHER, 1976, a new play that embraces leather pride and is partially set at The Mineshaft, the legendary, now-closed New York leather bar, presenting the benefit reading at The Eagle NYC is a homecoming of sorts: a chance to honor queer history, chosen family, desire, danger, survival, and community inside a space that has helped carry that legacy forward.
