The Maenads, a new play by Playwriting alum Stephen Foglia '17, is currently playing at The Tank Theater in Midtown, from September 18 to October 12, 2025. The production, directed by Philip Christian Smith, tells the story of a group of five men climbing a mountain to role-play as The Bacchae, the women who worshiped the God Dionysis in Euripides’ The Bacche. The Maenads is a response to Euripides’ play, recasting men to carry out these roles as a means to challenge specters of masculinity represented in the play’s central conflict: that the five men become trapped on top of the mountain.
Foglia isn't the only Theatre alum involved in the production. Acting alums Alex Stene '18 and Keither Michael Pinault '15 are both members of the cast. Stene plays character Max/Kalyke and Michael Pinault plays Stewart/Meliou.
The Tank is a non-profit arts organization dedicated to highlighting the work of emerging artists and working to remove financial barriers from full-fledged productions. Past notable productions that premiered at The Tank include Invasive Species by Maia Novi (2023) and Mahinerator by Jerry Lieblich (2023).
Fellow Playwriting alum Alix Sobler '17 calls The Maenads “An unhinged and hilarious portrait of male floundering with a tender heart.” Playwright and librettist Doug Wright calls The Maenads “a deeply bizarre and altogether quite wonderful new play.”
Stephen Foglia is a writer and teacher from St. Louis, Missouri. He currently teaches theatre at Hunter College. Foglia was a finalist for The Columbia@Roundabout series and Against the Grain Festival. He was a semi-finalist for the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, the Bay Area Playwrights Festival, and the Civilians Next Forever Initiative. Stephen is a member of Lincoln Center Directors Lab.
Tickets for The Maends can be purchased here.
