Family ties ignite in Repulsing the Monkey, a new, heartfelt comedy by Michael Eichler about siblings who struggle to honor their parents’ legacy as the specter of gentrification looms. With the sudden inheritance of their parent’s bar, Janey (Kim Katzberg) and Danny (Sergey Nagorny) are besieged by prospective owners from the coasts who seek to purchase Jablonski’s and make it their own. Emily Elizabeth Bennett, Kaila Wooten, Samuel Barnes Jaffe, and Asha Devi hilariously capture the would-be gentrifiers, who think little of erasing the bar’s character and discarding its history. As they compete over their vision for the space, Danny and Janey struggle to make a decision that will change their lives and the spirit of their hometown forever, while confronting their past and facing their future. Should they keep the unprofitable bar and honor their folks, or sell to developers from the coasts for a hefty profit?

Direction & Costume Design: Daniel Leeman Smith

Lighting Design & Stage Management: Kathrine R. Mitchell

Sound Design: Andy Evan Cohen

Dialect Coaching: Sarah d’Angelo

Photos courtesy of Marina Levitskaya