🎠NEW! Tampa Theatre Newsletter
Directed by Chris Cavazza, T.O.Y. confronts the harsh realities facing educators in Florida, where teachers navigate mounting hardships and political manipulation over what they are allowed to teach.
🎠NEW! Tampa Theatre Newsletter
The playwright, Peter Nason, has been working in public schools for nearly 40 years all around the country. After witnessing the brutal pressure from school districts to change curriculums to fit the personal preferences of parents and local government, Nason decided to write T.O.Y. as a revealing love letter to the educators in Florida.
Based on true events, the cast will be made up of former students of Nason’s including the show’s director Cavazza who, following his high school graduation, studied under Nason for years as an assistant teacher and director.
The two-act play will be split into two different performances, with a 65% discount on tickets for the Act II performances for those who attend Act I. It is strongly recommended that those who attend Act I also attend Act II for the full performance experience.
The cast currently includes Peter Nason, Chris Cavazza, Hannah Lawson, Zach Cain, Dana Mauro, Anika Meeusen, Shaun Shaugnessy, Jo Villafane, and Alysia Wargo Rodriguez.
The new play is set to run at the Tampa Fringe Festival this upcoming June and will return to NYC in August 2026 for a fully staged Off-Broadway run.
T.O.Y. is co-directed by Cavazza and Cain and co-produced by Nason, Cavazza, and Meeusen.
The show is set to have its Off-Broadway premiere at The Chain Theater in New York City in the fall. It will run from October 26th through November 8th.
2026 Theater Fans’ Choice Awards – Live Stats
Best New Play – Top 3
1.
Liberation
28.3% of votes
3.
Dog Day Afternoon
15.5% of votes
