Joey Merlo
Mar 11, 2023On Set with Theda Bara
1080 Press 2023
Joey Merlo's On Set With Theda Bara is a one-person four-character play about the nearly-forgotten silent film "vamp" Theda Bara, but also about fan culture, contemporary queerness, and the timeless allure of a mysterious and possibly cursed castle. The play premiered at The Brick's Exponential Festival, and is now available in an expanded edition from Eureka! Press and 1080 Press, including gorgeous artwork by artist, poet, and critic Wayne Koestenbaum. Even people who don't typically read plays will find a lot to love in this book, which is written without traditional character headings or stage directions. On Set With Theda Bara is a strange, beguiling, and brilliant piece of writing.
Andy Boyd is a playwright based in Brooklyn, New York. He is a graduate of the playwriting MFA at Columbia University, Harvard University, and the Arizona School for the Arts.