Writing
Riley Elton McCarthy (they/them) is a transgender, nonbinary screenwriter, playwright, performer, and director based in NYC. Currently, Riley is a semi-finalist for SheNYCArts 2023 for Take Me Down to the Levee and a Eugene O'Neill National Playwriting Conference semi-finalist for Sharon and Melina, or, a Fantastical Farce Founded in Semi-Falsities. They were nominated for 2022 BroadwayWorld Awards for Best New Play for Sharon and Melina and Ragweeds.
Labelled a vanguard figure of socially-conscious theatre by CPHPost, their work has been seen all over the world, but most notably, The Triad Theater, 59E59, Yale Repertory Theatre, Bøssehuset, Folketeatret, ART/NY, The Tank, and The Brick.
They were recently a playwright in residence with Art House Productions' Inkubator New Play Program (to develop Daxton on the Night Shift at 7/11), and an inaugural playwright in the Copenhagen CPH HOTMEAT residency (to develop The Death of a Supernova), in collaboration with the International World Pride Festival in Copenhagen, sponsored by Down the Rabbit Hole DK and Gade Teater.
Their play IVORIES opens at The Brick and The Makers Ensemble in March 2023. This production will then transfer to 59E59 in July 2023, and then to Edinburgh Fringe in August 2023. IVORIES has received separate productions and development at The Tank, Yale Repertory Theatre, and The Gilbert Theater.
Riley is pursuing their MFA in Playwriting at Rutgers University, with an anticipated graduation of Spring 2025.
Riley is currently a resident playwright with the Miami-based experimental theatre company, Lakeranchhousedotpng. Their play rabbit will make its Miami premiere in November 2023. They are currently developing UNTITLED MINECRAFT SERVER PLAY within their residency.
Their play The Lesbian Play will be their off-broadway debut, opening in June 2023 at The Triad Theater.
Riley is a member of the Dramatists Guild and Ring of Keys, and is an equity membership candidate with Actors' Equity Association.
