“TOWN OF NASTY” AND OTHER THINGS
WE BLURT OUT FOR FREE SPEECH

Immersive pulp fiction where the audience writes the filth

The world premiere of Dirty Books is an immersive play written and directed by Mara Lieberman, which opened November 13 at Bated Breath Theater—a decidedly Off-Off-Broadway adventure. Part art installation, part scripted play, part improv free-for-all, the experience plunges a small audience into a heated battle over anti-obscenity laws and censorship in America. Inspired by real stories of 1960s erotic-fiction writers (and borrowing language from Supreme Court cases), the evening begins with a slide show tracing the rise of Anthony Comstock, the zealous postal inspector who made it illegal to mail “obscene” material beginning in 1873.

Grayson Willenbacher and Sammy RivasAlexis Pratt and Melina Rabin

The premise is simple: two men in the 1960s write soft-porn novellas together, while — unbeknownst to them — their wives are hooking up in the next room. When the men are arrested and detained, the wives discover the nature of their husbands’ collaboration and rewrite the latest manuscript from a woman’s point of view. Around and between this narrative thread, the production reveals a constant stream of surprises. The company makes inventive use of the tight space, and audience suggestions are woven throughout the performance to shape the story-in-progress.

Marisa Moureau and Melina Rabin

When a title was needed, for example, a roaming flashlight landed on me. “Town of Nasty” were the first words out of my mouth—words that later appeared, to my delight, on the published book cover the characters proudly displayed.

Other early-evening audience contributions resurfaced as well. During the pre-show installation, guests were invited to roam with prompts requested. In one small space, a typewriter sat beneath a photograph of two women gazing intently at each other. The prompt asked, What are they saying to each other? I typed, “Forget our husbands!” — a line later repurposed by the men as they crafted their story. Nearby, a dress mannequin asked for words that scarred and/or liberated us. I chose QUEER, a word that has done both for me at different points in my life, scrawling it with a Sharpie across the mannequin’s shoulder. When one of the wives undressed the other, her back was covered in the very words audience members had offered.

Marisa Moureau and Grayson Willenbacher

Participation was encouraged from every angle. If a flashlight didn’t land on you, the cushioned ottoman you were sitting on might suddenly ring with a telephone inside. It wouldn’t stop until answered. An onstage performer would either solicit a new twist for the developing pulp novella or request personal advice you had to share aloud. “What’s it like to truly be in love?” one caller asked. The audience member’s answer was quiet, lovely, and true. The moment was one of many that felt like a shared experience had united us all.

Dirty Books features Sophia Carlin, Alexis Pratt, Melina Rabin, Sammy Rivas, and Grayson Willenbacher — a youthful, vibrant, attractive, and fully committed ensemble.

Alexis Pratt and Melina Rabin

The production team includes Yung-Hung Sung (set and lighting design), Seth Black (set and projections), Stephanie Lopez (costume design), Jacob P. S. Lemmenes (technical director), Lauren DeLeon (intimacy coordinator), Delaney Jordan (stage manager), and Victoria Blas (assistant stage manager).

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photos by Bjorn Bolinder

Dirty Books
Bated Breath Theater, 39 W 14th St, Suite #301
100 minutes, no intermission
ends on December 21, 2025 EXTENDED to February 8, 2026
for dates and tickets, visit Dirty Books Play

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Gregory Fletcher is an author, theater professor, playwright, director, and stage manager. His publishing credits include a craft book on playwriting entitled Shorts and Briefs, as well as a collection entitled A Playwright’s Dozen: 13 short plays. Other publishing includes two YA novels (Other People’s Crazy, and Other People’s Drama), 2 novellas in the series Inclusive Bedtime Stories, 2 short stories in The Night Bazaar series, and five essays. Website, Facebook, Instagram.