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David's writing career has been profoundly impacted by the nurturing creative communities he has had the good fortune to join, starting with Primary Stages' Einhorn School for the Performing Arts (ESPA), and followed shortly thereafter by The PlayGround Experiment (PGE).
As a New York writer, David has had the pleasure of working to develop new works with several NY-based creative communities, including the Next Step Theatre Festival, Emerging Artists Theatre, The Players Theatre, The Secret Theatre, and The Skeleton Rep. Other communities of note that have provided support and encouragement are the Dramatists Guild Institute, the Roundabout TheatreLab, the Seattle Playwrights Salon, the Playwrights' Center, and the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF). He is most grateful for the generosity of spirit that he has been shown and for the continuing support and encouragement of all of his theater mentors and colleagues. And he is doing his best to pay it forward and be supportive of other theater artists and generous with his time in his community.
On June 11, 2026, John Allman (music) and David (book & lyrics) produced two full musical staged readings of Fur Pajamas as part of the Next Step Theatre Festival at The Producers' Club in Midtown Manhattan. From L to R: David (book & lyrics), John Allman (music), Ronda Christie (Claudia), David Michael Kirby / DMK (Peter), Heidi-Liz Johnson (Eva Jean), Oliver Callahan (Nigel), Sam Selezow (Maitre D), Elizabeth Alm (Denise), Rachel Croom (Andi), Shayna Rives (Stage Directions), and Niko Rissi (Zach).
David outside The Producers' Club, venue for the Next Step Theatre Festival 2026.
Fur Pajamas post-reading celebration at The Brazen Tavern with Joe, Pam and Geri (David's family members who flew to NYC from Wisconsin to attend the reading).
Unfamiliar, A Maidstone Tale cast & crew after curtain. Standing: David, Ciera Eis (Director), Eva Gozé (MS. LOPEZ / S.D.), Maya Rosewood (MOTHER / MRS. RUDEK). Seated: Kelsea Baker (ANNE), Shayna Rives (SUSAN), Akaina Ghosh (NEL), and David Michael Kirby (Photographer). (The Marjorie S. Deane Little Theatre, April 2026)
David at tech for Unfamiliar, A Maidstone Tale with Ciera Eis (Director) and cast onstage. (The Marjorie S. Deane Little Theatre, April 2026)
Photo: David Michael Kirby.
Post-reading group shot of the playwright and the cast of Arsinoë IV: Sydney Cusic (Arsinoë), Rudaba Nasir (Cleopatra), Diana Cherkas* (Intro & S.D.), Brad Makarowski* (Ptolemy XII & Roman Commander), David (Playwright & Director), Jayson Kerr* (Ganymedes) and George Pappas* (Roman Envoy & Egyptian Guard). (The Chain Theatre, Sept 2025)
Arsinoë IV post-reading talkback (The Chain Theatre, Sept 2025)
PGE members just before the curtain at Arsinoë IV (Tim, David, Amanda, Mike and Manny - but missing Matt!) (The Chain Theatre, Sept 2025)
Arsinoë IV post-reading celebration at The Tailor Public House with Marilyn, Angie and Ted (Sept 2025).
The playwright and cast of Unfamiliar (The Players Theater, Oct 2024)
The playwright with two of his friends, Johanna and Andy, after a performance of Unfamiliar at The Players Theatre (Oct 2024).
John Allman (music) with the Fur Pajamas staged reading cast at the Black Box Theatre at the Seattle Center Armory (Oct 2024)
John Allman (music) and David Ceci (book & lyrics) at the Fur Pajamas post-reading celebration in Seattle (Oct 2024)
David Ceci (playwright & producer), Sònia Victoria Werner (Nel), Ursula Anderman* (Anne) & Marina Barry (director) of Unfamiliar at The Secret Theatre. Photo: sarahmjack.com (July 2024)
Unfamiliar post-opening celebratory dinner at Donovan's Pub (July 2024)
PGE's introduction of the table reading of Unfamiliar: A Maidstone Tale (March 2024)
The Skeleton Rep Salon Series staged reading of Sundown (Dec 2022)
PGE Holiday Party (Dec 2021)
PGE Drop and Give Me 10 #8 (June 2019)
David with Danielle Clare & Jordan Auslander (2019)
Seattle Playwrights Salon (SPS) audience talkback after staged reading of Fur Pajamas with composer John Allman (July 2019)
SPS Fur Pajamas rehearsal with Valerie Reid (SM) & Harry Turpin (Dir.) (July 2019)
ESPA playwriting class with Suzanne Bradbeer (2018)
ESPA playwriting class with Leah Nanako Winkler (2016)
An early scene reading from Fur Pajamas took place at ESPA on June 6, 2018. Without John Allman, there was no music, but scenes were read by actors... and Nigel's story was well underway.
ESPA libretto writing class with Kait Kerrigan (2020)
Table reading of Sarah Kohl's Good For Something (2019)
NYMF songwriting workshop (2018)
NYMF feedback from Kirsten Childs with Elliot Lee (2018)
PGE Happy Hour (Oct 2019)
ESPA Detention production of The Devil You Know (Feb 2016)
If you are a writer or composer and are interested in any of these organizations, David would be happy to discuss them with you and help you connect with them. Go to Contact and drop him a line.
SPS was apparently another casualty of COVID-19.
Although NYMF is no longer with us, many of the talented creatives who were an integral part of David's experience at NYMF are still actively making theatre.
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