"Good playwriting is a collaboration between your many selves. The more multiple your personalities, the further, wider, deeper you will be able to go."

-Jose Rivera, Playwright.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Andrew Cristi here. I've taken a lot of pride in my acting career, but I can't shake the feeling that much of it is waiting to be picked. Picked to audition, picked based on the way my voice sounds, my perceived age, my height, what clothes I'm wearing in any given moment, my resting bitch face... As 2020 introduced a global pandemic, writing felt like picking myself. Acting artists interpret text. Playwrights compose, curate and investigate themselves through it. We build worlds, characters, narratives; we choose every ellipsis, interruption, thought and theme. Most find this task daunting. I've found it to be creatively freeing from the ironclad grip of an industry that continues to wrestle with its warped commercialism, white supremacist ideology, ableism, misogyny and homophobia.

All systems of oppression are linked.

As screen addiction, AI slop and chronic loneliness plague Americans, producing my little readings of my little plays with big ideas has become my salve. The ability to bring people in community and share artistic work that isn't filtered through a screen is sacred.

WHAT YOUR DONATION DOES:

This campaign was created to bring my plays closer to fruition. Theater is expensive and your contribution supports artist honorariums, materials and space needed to present developmental readings in New York City. Any contribution is appreciated, whether it's sharing this fundraiser on social media or donating what you can.

THANK YOU!

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT:

Andrew Cristi [he/they] is a queer, GNC, performing artist and playwright who spawns from Thai, Filipino and Chinese ancestry. They were born in Chicago, but lived in Bangkok, Thailand for much of their childhood. As a teen, Andrew travelled back to the US, later receiving his BFA in Theater at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. As a cynical optimist, they write comedic plays where queerness, systems of oppression and satire intersect. Andrew's plays include incel (National Playwrights Conference Semi-Finalist '26), S-x Care (Bonfire Theatre Group), Corinthians (Broadway Barkada) and Micro/Macro. He lives in Queens, NY with his homosexual lover/b*tch, Steve. IG: @hello_drewby.

UP NEXT:

Andrew is currently working on a draft 3 reading of their play, S-x Care (Summer '26).

*The presentation is planned to include ASL interpretation.

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S-x Care

2W / 2M [GNC casting welcome]

SYNOPSIS: Shannon explores her sexual identity with a government funded sex worker. Her book club pal Marinda has a few choice words.

CAST/CREATIVE: TBA

HISTORY:

S-x Care has had two developmental readings. The first with Bonfire Theatre Group in 2023 featuring Jenn Gambatese, Alison Cimmet and Andrew Cristi.

The second reading took place over Zoom in 2023 featuring Rachael Ferrera, Marc Delacruz, Gabrielle Mariella and Carlos Encinias.

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Visit www.andrewcristi.com for more.

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Support Plays Written by Andrew Cristi

www.andrewcristi.com