Review Fix chats with Chris Diercksen, Artistic Director of Stroller Scene and director of Strange Men, who discusses the program and his new production
About Chris Diercksen:
Chris Diercksen (Director) is a developer of new work through dramaturgy and direction. They’re currently the Artistic Director of Stroller Scene, a new play development company. Previously: Artistic Director of Team Awesome Robot, Producing Director of The New Voices Project at the Secret Theatre, and Literary Manager for Lunar Energy Productions. They’re an alum of Albright College and the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, where they return each spring as the lead playwright mentor for their Young Playwrights Festival.
About the Production:
Stroller Scene, a company that develops new plays by fostering environments for playwrights to experiment and grow, will present a developmental workshop of Strange Men, written by Sarah Bernstein, and directed by Chris Diercksen at BrickAux (628 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211), July 30-August 2.
Four men are brought together by a dating coach who promises to help them make meaningful connections with women. In this dark comedy about what it means to be a man, both the coach and his clients try to find the balance between vulnerability and masculinity without destroying each other or themselves in the process.
The cast will feature Christopher Cortez Adams*, Scott Thomas*, Rob Neil*, Rishi Mutalik*, Ryan George*, and Ryan Curley with Stage Manager/Assistant Director Talia Feldberg, Producer Ashley Siflinger, and Dramaturg Percy Hornak.
*Actors appears courtesy of the Actors’ Equity Association
“As a new play development organization, we’re constantly grappling with an ever-changing definition of readiness,” said Stroller Scene Executive Director Ashley Siflinger.“For us, it boils down to a playwright’s relationship to their script — does the document engage with and represent their core curiosity in a way that will not be easily misinterpreted by potential collaborators? Can the playwright articulate that core curiosity for themselves?”
“With Strange Men, Sarah’s approach to the work began from a place of extending empathy to the real men in our society that struggle with unattainable standards of masculinity,” said Stroller Scene Artistic Director Chris Diercksen. “That emotional clarity served as a powerful north star in guiding the structural development of the piece. Over the course of about a year, we worked with Sarah to hone in on that slippery central question through dramaturgical meetings, actionable revisions, table reads with many generous and talented actors, and ultimately a public reading at BrickAux. So when the opportunity arose to present a slightly longer workshop process, we were excited to return to allow our actor collaborators more room to stretch the piece even further.”
“Working with Stroller Scene has been one of the most fulfilling and productive experiences of my career,” said playwright Sarah Bernstein. “Stroller Scene is not just another reading series looking to put their stamp on a promising new play. They have a deep understanding of what writers and actors need during the vulnerable, volatile process of creating new work and they go above and beyond to provide it. They are invested in plays as full creative partners but their first priority is always to support a playwright’s goals (or to help her figure out what they are). Over the past ten years, it has been heartbreaking to see so many vital development organizations disappear. Stroller Scene is attempting to fill a huge gap in the theater ecosystem, but if anyone can do it, they can.”
Performances will take place on:
Thursday, July 30 at 7pm
Friday, July 31 at 7pm
Saturday, August 1 at 7pm
Sunday, August 2 at 4pm
Tickets ($20-$50) are available for advance purchase at www.bricktheater.com/event/strange-men/2026-07-30/. The presentation will run approximately 100 minutes, with no intermission.
About Stroller Scene:
Stroller Scene develops new plays by fostering environments for playwrights to experiment and grow. We immerse them into a community of artists who invest in their long-term development. Our programming produces empowered playwright collaborators and plays that are ready for production. www.strollerscene.com @strollerscene
Review Fix: How was this play born?
Chris Diercksen: Playwright Sarah Bernstein set out to write a pilot drawing on her experience playing “the woman” in weekend-long dating workshops for men.
It quickly dawned on her that as this was a story about a small group of people in a single, dumpy room trying to change their lives in 48 hours, the piece was best suited for the stage.
Review Fix: What has development been like?
Diercksen: Exciting! We’ve been working on Strange Men with Sarah for about three years now. In addition to providing dramaturgical support, we’ve held a number of closed table reads and one public staged reading. Over time the play has continued to find its voice, clarifying the circumstances and deepening each character’s journey.
For this workshop, we are lucky to have four returning cast members from the last time this work was staged. Their familiarity with the piece is a tremendous advantage when tackling the task of memorization and embodiment. We’ve already made some wonderful discoveries in rehearsal that are having a real impact on the script.
Review Fix: What makes this play special?
Diercksen: This play centers empathy in a genuine way. It’s not trying to be clever, it’s just smart without condescending to its audience. This may sound simple but it’s really hard to pull off.
Review Fix: What plays have influenced this one the most?
Diercksen: This play feels like it belongs to the tradition of ensemble plays where a group of people try to solve an impossible problem. These plays are funny and they keep you laughing all the way down the rabbit hole. I think Bright New Boise by Sam Hunter should be on this list. Thanksgiving Play by Larissa Fasthorse. Miles For Mary by The Mad Ones.
Review Fix: Any fun stories or wild moments during development?
Diercksen: Stroller Scene’s whole deal is joyful development. Does cutting the entire first scene of the play before our last reading count as wild? Maybe on its face it seems scary or drastic but there was a really compelling case to be made for that change so what a wonderful opportunity to try it out! We did, and it opened the whole play up for us – allowing the central arc of the piece to shine.
Otherwise, I mean… Sarah had a baby while we developed this play. That’s an adventure all on its own!
Review Fix: What were the major lessons learned?
Diercksen: The major lesson here is that our organization has more to give than we thought we could. As an Artistic Director, this play represents a proof of concept for all of Stroller Scene. Here was a play that had befuddled its playwright. She knew there was something worth working on but needed help mining it. So we provided her with patient structure and time, letting her guide the pace of its development by clear intentional revisions. When she knew what she was trying to do with the draft, we’d hear it out loud with generous actors. After each new draft, we’d come away with an active intention for the next one. The result of this process is a script that begged for more than we’ve ever offered before – an off-book staged workshop and multiple performances. What better way to advocate for this script than to share it with a broader audience?
Review Fix: How have your previous experiences in industry helped this play?
Diercksen: Who has time for humble introspection these days! What I know is I love developing new work and what I’ve learned over the last 18 years doing it is to stay enthusiastically curious. To reject cynicism and to foster an environment of joyful exploration. To commit to the hard choice first and to recognize when the hard choice is the wrong one. To count yourself lucky among like-minded creators and to be brave enough to ask for help.
All I’ve learned from my previous experiences in the industry is that my job as Artistic Director is to love the play for what it is becoming and to enthusiastically share that love with anyone who will listen. I’m really proud of the work that my collaborators have done in this environment, and grateful to be allowed into their process.
Review Fix: How do you want this play to ultimately be remembered?
Diercksen: As the workshop that inspired the world premiere production that inspired countless other productions.
Review Fix: What’s next?
Diercksen: More development of plays by Sam Walsh, Maddie Dennis Yates and others. Workshops, readings, and a long overdue company glow-up. More advocacy. More fundraising to better support our artists…. Just growth. What’s next is careful and considered growth with gratitude and generosity.
Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add?
Diercksen: Please support small independent theater artists. Make donations to companies like ours and others in your community. Go see a show and before you decide if you like it, ask yourself what they’re trying to do and who they’re trying to do it for. You might be surprised to learn that they’re trying to do it for you.
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