STAMFORD — The Party Theater will present Sarah Ruhl’s In the Next Room (or the vibrator play) over two weekends, May 9–11 and May 14–16, at 7:30 p.m. at The Carriage House, 76 Main Street.
Tickets are available at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/in-the-next-room-or-the-vibrator-play
Set in the 1880s, at the dawn of the age of electricity, Ruhl’s play draws on a historical medical practice in which physicians used early vibratory devices to treat what was then diagnosed as “hysteria.” Against that backdrop, the story follows a doctor and his wife as a new form of therapy quietly reshapes their marriage, household, and understanding of intimacy.
For this production, The Party Theater will stage the work with an all-female cast for the first time. The company’s 2025 production of Dance Nation sold out, and organizers say the new staging continues their focus on ensemble-driven, locally rooted performance work.
The production is directed by Kristin “Kiki” McCalley and features Marisa Caruso, Annie Pevear, Alyssa Matthews, Adrian Shirk, Catherine Morrison, Sinzia Reese, Pareesa Pourian, and Amy Rae.
Founded in 2018 by McCalley, The Party Theater describes its mission as building collaborative, non-hierarchical theater rooted in community engagement across Stamford and the Western Catskills. Since establishing a permanent base in the region in 2022, the company has expanded its programming to include performances, workshops, festivals, and new work development in partnership with local artists including Caruso and Shirk.
Now in its fourth consecutive season, the company’s 2026 programming is supported by the Robinson-Broadhurst Foundation, the Delaware County Office of Economic Development’s Tourism Grant, the Thompson Family Fund, and individual donors.
More information is available at thepartytheater.com, or on social media at @jointhepartytheater (Instagram) and @ThePartyTheater (Facebook).
