Joe's Pub Will Host Kaleidoscope: Celebrating Autistic Musical Theatre Makers in April

The Autistic Theatremakers Alliance (ATA) will present a showcase of original musicals by autistic writers in celebration of Autism Acceptance month April 17 at Joe's Pub. The evening, titled Kaleidoscope: Celebrating Autistic Musical Theatre Makers, will feature selections from five new musicals, with the event also celebrating ATA’s 2026 grant winners. 

The first show being spotlighted is Adderall Nation, from book writer and lyricist Addie Symonds and composer and lyricist Matthew Graham. The work follows the day that 17-year-old Lia’s entire class is taking the SAD-T (a college admissions test). But when a bad night's sleep throws her off her routine, Lia forgets to take her ADHD medication, ultimately bringing her and everyone around her down a whacky spiral of shame, strategy, desperation, and distractions.

Reign of Smoke & Lust: Seduced by the Shadow King’s Son, by composer Emma-Rose Bauman, lyricist Miranda Holliday, and book writer Xandra Schultz, is an enemies-to-lovers tale that follows a Female Main Character as she unravels fate in the face of her stories steamy love triangle, sexy misunderstood villain, and cunty nuns.

The Machine Stops, from composer Matthew Nassida and book writer and lyricist James Powers, is adapted from the 1909 short story by E. M. Forster of the same name, a retro-futurist dystopian look into a future (or past) where humans live underground and rely entirely on a construct called The Machine. As the fate of mankind slowly malfunctions, a mother and son connect and struggle to change each other’s perspective before time runs out.

Texas Annie: Legend of the Moan Ranger, written by composer and lyricist Jenn Howd and book writer Roz Mihalko, follows the campy, musical adventures of a renegade sex toy dealer in Texas when sex toys are declared illegal. When her granny’s sex toy shop is raided, Annie is forced to transform from a shy shop girl into a mustachioed fugitive in disguise. Guided by the disembodied voice of her granny’s girlfriend—now inhabiting one of the illegal sex toys—Annie’s journey takes a turn when she inadvertently kidnaps the governor’s daughter. Together, they embark on a wild ride of discovery and unexpected romance delivering sex toys to those in need across the state, vowing to turn the Lone Star State into the Moan Hard State as they drive off, happily, into the sunset.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Howd’s ATA grant will go towards taking Texas Annie: Legend of the Moan Ranger to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Too Bright To See, by composer Spicer Carr and book writer and lyricist Mika Kauffman, is based on the award-winning middle-grade novel of the same name by Kyle Lukoff. Eleven year-old Bug is used to haunted things, but when a new presence makes itself known the summer before Bug starts middle school, it’s clear that this spirit is intent on communicating something directly to Bug—but what, and why? Too Bright to See is a queer horror coming-of-age musical that grapples with grief, friendship, and identity, capturing the haunting hollowness of adolescent dysphoria interwoven with the overwhelming loss of a queer loved one. Carr’s ATA grant will be used to support a 29 hour reading of Too Bright To See later this year.

In addition to Howd and Carr, intimacy director CJ Higgins is also a recipient of a 2026 ATA grant, which will be used to support their efforts in Philadelphia, where they are the artistic director of the queer-centric The Bards Theatre Troupe, and the director of operations and programming for Theatre Philadelphia.

Said Margaret Hall, ATA founder and president of the board, “In the three years since the Autistic Theatremakers Alliance was founded, I have been consistently blown away by the sheer number of divinely talented Autistic artists developing their own work under the radar throughout New York City. In reflection of that exemplary excess, we are proud to present Kaleidoscope: Celebrating Autistic Musical Theatre Makers, which allows us to celebrate Autism Acceptance Month by uplifting five fantastic new musicals that are sure to warm your heart, tickle your funny bone, and leave you wanting more. There is no one way to be Autistic, just as there is no one way to make a piece of art, and we look forward to supporting these five shows, and our larger community, as they continue to share their perspectives and work with the world.”

For more information, visit PublicTheater.org.