The Blue Suit Returns – Spark Theatre Festival NYC Starring Lee Summers and Richard E. Waits

Looking in a mirror at the gym, I suddenly saw my father staring back at me — that moment became the spark for my new short play The Blue Suit, now headed to the Spark Theatre Festival NYC.

I’ve been a member of the KQ Playwrights since its inception around 2012. Each year, every playwright in the group is given one evening to present new work — either developing something in progress or premiering something entirely new.

My slot came up in July of 2024, and at the time I had no idea what I was going to write.

One day I was in the gym in my building, listening to music through my headphones and looking at my reflection in the mirror. In that moment I realized something that stopped me cold: I looked just like my father.

For me, that was always a beautiful thing. My father was a very handsome man, and we lost him in 2002. Seeing him reflected back at me in that moment became the seed of an idea.

That idea became a short play called The Blue Suit.

Around that same time, there were a number of things weighing heavily on my mind — politically, socially, and emotionally. During my time earning an MFA in the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at Tisch, one of my instructors often said something that stayed with me: if something bothers you — if something makes you angry — write about it. Use that feeling as fuel.

So I did.

On July 3rd, I came back to my apartment and wrote The Blue Suit.

The play premiered that July with the KQ Playwrights, directed by Tony Award winner Adriane Lenox and starring myself alongside acclaimed actor Richard E. Waits. I played the father, and Richard played the son.

Since that first performance, the piece has returned to KQ as part of the anthology Lift Every Voice and Slay. Most recently, we have been invited to present the work as part of the Spark Theatre Festival NYC.

We will be presenting an elevated reading of The Blue Suit on:

April 26
2:00 PM
Spark Theatre Festival NYC
TADA! Theater, New York City

Click Here for Details and tickets!

Hope to see you there.

— Lee Summers