Fantasma

NOVEMBER 7 - DECEMBER 20, 2026

59E59 THEATERS (59 East 59th Street)
Tues-Fri @ 7pm; Sat @ 2 & 7pm; Sun @ 2pm
Thanksgiving week: Tues & Fri @ 7pm; Weds & Sun @ 2pm; Sat @ 2 & 7pm

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written by BENJAMIN BENNE
directed by LAURIE WOOLERY

presented by PRIMARY STAGES and LUCILLE LORTEL THEATRE
in association with JAN McADOO

On Christmas Eve, three generations of women gather in Rosie’s newly renovated kitchen to make chuchitos – a traditional Guatemalan recipe passed down by heart, touch, and intuition. While her granddaughters attempt to document the dish step-by-step, they discover that what’s being preserved isn’t just food, and that recording and remembering are entirely different things. Spanning nearly two decades, Fantasma is a bittersweet exploration of what we keep, what we lose, and the impossibility of ever capturing it exactly right.

Run time: 1 Hour, 30 Minutes with no intermission

Fantasma was developed at the Primary Stages Liff Lab, a new play development program named by The Sulzberger Rolfe Foundation in memory of legendary theater agent Samuel “Biff” Liff.

Fantasma was originally commissioned by South Coast Repertory with support from the Elizabeth George Foundation. Developed in The Playwrights’ Center’s 40th Anniversary PlayLabs (Artistic Director: Jeremy Cohen), Duke University’s New Works Labs Residency, and The Public NYC. Additional dramaturgical contributions by Andy Knight, Sarah Lunnie, and Wendy Weckwerth.

Developed in collaboration with Cat Rodriguez with Spanish translations by Cat Rodríguez.

Lead support for Fantasma is provided by Paula Kaminsky Davis and the Andrew Leynse Legacy Project at Primary Stages.

Major season support provided by The Howard Gilman Foundation, the A.R. Gurney Playwrights Fund, The SHS Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

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TALKBACKS

Talkbacks are led by a member of the Primary Stages artistic staff following the performance and offer an opportunity for the audience to engage in a dialogue with the artists in our productions.

Community nights and talkbacks for Fantasma will be held on November 18, November 20, and December 6.

  • Wednesday, November 18 at 7pm: Talkback with the Cast and Creative Team of Fantasma

  • Friday, November 20 at 7pm: Latine Night: A Community Night and Talkback celebrating Latine Playwrights
    Fantasma playwright Benjamin Benne in conversation with playwrights Migdalia Cruz (Miriam's Flowers, FUR, SALT), Cusi Cram (Dusty and the Big Bad World, Lucy and the Conquest, All the Bad Things), and more to be announced

  • Sunday, December 6 at 2pm: Latine Community Performance and Talkback in collaboration with Latinx Playwrights Circle
    with playwright Benjamin Benne, Amelia Acosta Powell (Artistic Director, Actors Theatre of Louisville; Steering Committee Member, Latinx Theater Commons), Oscar A. L. Cabrera (Co-Artistic Director, LatinX Playwrights Circle), Nidia Medina (Artistic Director, INTAR), and more to be announced

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To see a full performance calendar and purchase tickets, click the button below!

For assistance purchasing tickets or for group sales, contact the box office at 59E59 Theaters at boxoffice@59e59.org or
646-892-7999.

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SHOW LOCATION

59E59 Theaters, 59 East 59th Street (between Park and Madison Avenues)