Award-Winning Actor THOMAS ELLENSON Brings New Play THOMAS & ME To New York - Sept 24-28

New Play THOMAS & ME To debut in New York Written, Directed by and Starring Award-Winning Actor THOMAS ELLENSON, with Music and Lyrics by DOUGLAS J. COHEN

NEW YORK , NY, UNITED STATES, September 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Award-Winning Actor, Writer and Director Becomes the First Performer Using a Speech Device to Write and Star in a Full-Length New York Play

NEW YORK, NY — Award-winning actor, writer and director Thomas Ellenson brings his deeply personal, funny and moving new play Thomas & Me to New York for a strictly limited engagement September 24–28, 2026 at The Frank Shiner Theater (18 Bleecker Street).

Ellenson, an actor with cerebral palsy who uses a power wheelchair and communicates through an iPad, will make history on September 24 as the first person using a speech-generating device to write and perform in a full-length play in New York City.

Written, directed by and starring Thomas Ellenson, Thomas & Me features music and lyrics by Drama Desk-nominated composer-lyricist Douglas J. Cohen. The show also features Mairéad O’Neill and Tyler Austin White. The production is co-directed by Stephen Santa, musical director is Sujin Kim-Ramsey, choreography is by Megan Loomis, associate-produced by Jason Styres, and casting by The Casting Collaborative.

Part reality, part theatrical storytelling, Thomas & Me follows a young man as he prepares to ask his girlfriend to marry him. Before he can take that leap, however, he decides he first needs to understand himself and honestly face his many challenges.

That means revisiting his childhood. His friendships. His choices. The people who shaped him. The things he wishes he had done differently. And the things he has never quite managed to say out loud. At once intimate, surprising, romantic and sharply funny, Thomas & Me is a story about disability — but even more, it is a story about growing up, falling in love, figuring out who you are and finding the courage to say what matters most. It just might break your heart — and then put it back together again.

“Thomas is an extraordinary force, his wheelchair never confining him, but rather acting as a foundation for his strength and bold flights of imagination. He affects everyone with whom he comes into contact,” said Tony Award winner Jefferson Mays.

Composer-lyricist Douglas J. Cohen added, “I’m excited to be working on such a unique, surprising and theatrical piece with such a wonderful team of artists. In Thomas & Me, so much resonates emotionally for me, and Thomas has a gift for finding humor and universality in his storytelling. That made my job as a songwriter especially rewarding.”

Co-director Stephen Santa said, “Thomas has created a truly heartwarming and moving story that invites both artists and audiences to reconsider how we tell stories about disability — and, in fact, about all our lives. It is a powerful, deeply human piece that has the potential to inspire meaningful change in how we all see ourselves.”

Thomas & Me marks the latest chapter in Ellenson’s growing career as a performer and storyteller. His previous solo productions have twice taken top honors on the New York festival circuit: Well Life Sucks won Best Production at United Solo in 2025, while It Is What It Is received Best Production at The One Festival in 2017.

THOMAS ELLENSON is an award-winning actor, writer and director whose work combines humor, imagination and deeply personal storytelling. An actor with cerebral palsy, Ellenson uses a power wheelchair and communicates through an iPad. His solo show Well Life Sucks won Best Production at United Solo in 2025, and It Is What It Is won Best Production at The One Festival in 2017. His screen credits include Ryan Murphy’s Grotesquerie, ABC’s Speechless and Disney+’s Out of My Mind. He has trained with The Barrow Group since 2023 and is a member of SAG-AFTRA. Ellenson has also developed a special connection with the Broadway community. In 2021, marking one year since Broadway went dark during the pandemic, he created the video “We’re Still Here,” bringing together more than two dozen Broadway performers, including Jessie Mueller, Alex Brightman and Joel Grey.

DOUGLAS J. COHEN is a Drama Desk-nominated and multi-award-winning composer-lyricist whose honors include the Richard Rodgers Award and Fred Ebb Award. His musicals have been produced in New York, regionally and internationally and include No Way to Treat a Lady, Children’s Letters to God, The Gig and The Opposite of Sex.

STEPHEN SANTA is a New York City-based director and producer whose work has been seen internationally. He is the co-founder and former artistic director of Jumping Jack Theater, a company that created theatrical experiences for audiences with autism and developmental disabilities.
MAIRÉAD O’NEILL is a New York City-based actor, singer and musician, and a graduate of Boston University’s School of Theatre and LaGuardia Arts High School. Her work includes projects with SpeakEasy Stage, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, Keen Company and The Theater Center, as well as voice work on The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel and TOMORROW: The Continuing Adventures of Annie Warbucks. She is a member of SAG-AFTRA.


PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
THOMAS & ME
Written and Directed by, and Starring Thomas Ellenson,
Music and Lyrics by Douglas J. Cohen
With Mairéad O’Neill and Tyler Austin White
Co-Directed by Stephen Santa
Choreography by Megan Loomis
Associate Producer Jason Styres
Casting by The Casting Collaborative
The Frank Shiner Theater is located at 18 Bleecker Street, New York City
Thursday, September 24 at 7 PM
Friday, September 25 at 8 PM
Saturday, September 26 at 2 PM
Saturday, September 26 at 8 PM
Monday, September 28 at 7 PM
Running time: approximately 90 minutes
Tickets are available at:
https://bit.ly/ThomasAndMe

Joe Trentacosta
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