BODEGA CAT at Chain Theatre Summer One-Act Festival

Bodega Cat, a new one-act play written by Taiwanese theatre artist Melvin Ningyao Yen and directed by Sissi Xiqian Chen, will be presented as part of Chain Theatre’s 2026 Summer One-Act Festival, Program #28.

Set in a 24-hour Brooklyn bodega, Bodega Cat is a quiet, darkly funny two-hander about a missing cat, bad coffee, loneliness, and the small rituals people create to survive the night. The play follows a night clerk and a regular customer as the search for a cat that may or may not exist becomes a way of asking for care without saying so directly.

An earlier version of Bodega Cat was first developed through PlayGround-NY. This production marks the play’s next life as a developed 30-minute version at Chain Theatre.

The production features Marisa Moureau as “Clerk” and Elizabeth Rose as “Regular”. The creative team includes Melvin Ningyao Yen as playwright, Sissi Xiqian Chen as director, Amelia Yuqing Wang as stage manager, Ruomeng Li as scenic designer, Silvan Tang as sound and music designer, and Yuyi as key visual artist.

Use ticket code MELVIN26 when purchasing tickets to get 20% off.