What happens when three women in an assisted living facility join a theatre class running scenes from A Streetcar Named Desire while weighing what remains of their lives—and what still makes those lives worth living? That question sits at the heart of Everything Is Here, a new comedy by playwright Peggy Stafford (16 Words or Less, Motel Cherry), debuting this December at 59E59. Directed by Meghan Finn with choreography by Lisa Fagan and presented by The Tank in collaboration with New Georges, the production runs December 3–20, 2025.
The play unfolds in the common room of a retirement community, framed by a picture window that looks out onto a small man-made pond—home to one solitary duck—and an aging oak tree with a limb that hangs too close to the ground.
Within this simple setting, Everything Is Here uses sharp humor, honesty, and a touch of Tennessee Williams to follow three women who unpack the stories of their pasts, slip into spontaneous Streetcar reenactments, and confront the strange, funny, and often difficult realities of growing old.
Directed by Meghan Finn, a prolific theater director and nonprofit trailblazer who has tripled The Tank’s programming since taking on the leadership role in 2017, this production showcases the talents of Jan Leslie Harding, Mia Katigbak, Susannah Millonzi, Petronia Paley, and Pete Simpson.
“This play is hilarious on the page, but the real joy will be watching these extraordinary actors bring it to life. Their performances are sure to be among the most memorable of the season,” says Finn. “I couldn’t pass up directing this delicate, very funny, deeply heartbreaking, and mischievous play by Peggy Stafford.”
Peggy Stafford, known for her singular plays that both captivate and unsettle, has crafted a dramedy that is quirky, unsentimental, and refreshingly clear-eyed. With a light touch, it considers impermanence, the slipperiness of language, and the fragile stories we lean on to make sense of our days and desires.
The play has been in development for some time, and along the way, Stafford had a hunch that an essential part of the storytelling might be in dance and movement. “I’d always imagined the characters in the play using movement and dance as a kind of language—something that could carry meaning where dialogue couldn’t. I reached out to choreographer Lisa Fagan, and together we workshopped and experimented our way toward discovering that physical vocabulary within the play.”
Supporting the production is a powerhouse creative team. Richard Hoover (TV: David Lynch’s Twin Peaks) provides scenic and set design, Patricia Marjorie designs costumes, Yang Yu brings nuanced lighting, and Shane Rettig shapes the soundscape. The production is grounded by stage manager Olivia Jursik, with Zoë Parrish as assistant stage manager and Pete Betcher as technical director.
Everything Is Here suggests that aging may be unavoidable, but it can still be unpredictable, humorous, honest, and fully alive.
Catch the show at 59E59, located at 59 East 59th Street New York, NY 10022, from December 3 until December 20, 2025.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.59e59.org.
