World Premiere of Ryan’s Pub, Trivia Night by Alec Silberblatt

Sturgeon Bay, WI (September 16, 2025) - Performances start September 24th for Third Avenue PlayWorks’ world premiere production of Ryan’s Pub, Trivia Night by Alec Silberblatt. The fourth show of the 2025 season at Third Avenue PlayWorks, this play runs from September 24 to October 12, 2025, featuring performances by Kelli Strickland and Doug Mancheski.

A semifinalist for the Bay Area Playwrights Festival and workshopped at the 2023 Seven Devil Playwrights Conference, Ryan’s Pub, Trivia Night exemplifies Silberblatt’s quirky and distinctive storytelling. Ryan’s Pub, Trivia Night follow Marcie & Richie, the best trivia team this side of the Monongahela river, as they contend with cheaters in billowy khakis, bosses with big watches, bartenders in tight t-shirts, and coming face to face with demons that are both real and imagined.

About his work, Silberblatt says “I seek to find the extraordinary in the ordinary. Make the mundane poetic. Make heroes out of the flawed folks you meet at the local bar.”

Playwright Alec Silberblatt is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the setting for Ryan’s Pub. Most recently, Pittsburgh Public Theater commissioned his play, A Tell-Tale Heart, that premiered online during the pandemic and in 2023 premiered live to sold-out audiences at Pittsburgh Public Theater where he also starred in the production. 

Third Avenue PlayWorks has a history of producing impactful new work. TAP’s last world premiere was Jennifer Blackmer’s I Carry Your Heart with Me in 2023, which went on to receive a Steinberg/America Theatre Critics Association New Play Citation in 2024. World premiere productions provide a unique and memorable experience for audiences as they help to shape the play for subsequent productions while supporting the creative process and new artists.

“We’ve made a commitment to making new things here and it can really raise the profile of our organization, our region, and the artists who work in it,” says Jackie and Steve Kane artistic director Jacob Janssen. “And our audience can be on the lookout for more new plays to come in 2026 and beyond,” Janssen went on to say.

In conjunction with the world premiere, TAP is partnering with local nonprofit, JAK’s Place, for a Pay-What-You-Will Preview on Wednesday, September 24, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. This organization empowers adults with diagnosed mental illness as well as anyone with a mental health concern by building support and providing the resources to move toward recovery. Those interested in attending the preview to support this organization, may arrive as early as 6:30 p.m. on the evening of the performance for general admission seating. Space is available on a first come, first served basis. Donations may be made in cash or with checks made out to Third Avenue PlayWorks. Half of the proceeds will benefit this show’s Community Partner.

The production at Third Avenue PlayWorks is directed by Jacob Janssen with scenic design by Alex Polzin, costume design by Kotryna Hilko, lighting design by Colin Gawronski, sound design by Brian Grimm, props design by Haley Anne Cranstoun, and production stage management by Kelsey Brennan York.

THE CAST

Kelli Strickland as Marci

Doug Mancheski as Richie

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

September 24 - October 12, 2025

Wednesday-Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m.

Friday matinee October 3 at 2:00 p.m.

Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m.

• Pay-What-You-Will Preview: Wednesday, September 24 at 7:30 p.m. with half of the proceeds benefiting JAK’s Place

• Ticketed Preview: Thursday, September 25, 2025

• Opening Night Reception: Friday, September 26, 2025

• Post-Show Conversation: Friday, October 3, 205, following 2:00 p.m. matinee

• Closing Night: Sunday, October 12, 2025

For more information about performances of Ryan’s Pub, Trivia Night at Third Avenue PlayWorks or to purchase tickets, visit thirdavenueplayworks.org/ryans-pub-trivia-night  or call the box office at (920) 743-1760.

Click to Download Photos (Show photography available September 22)

2025 Media Kit

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ABOUT THIRD AVENUE PLAYWORKS

Located in downtown Sturgeon Bay, Third Avenue PlayWorks (TAP) presents riveting performances of comedies, dramas, and musicals in the Steve and Jackie Kane Theatre. This unique 124-seat space brings audiences face-to-face with powerful stories by creating the most intimate theatrical experience possible. With its ever-growing reputation, varied educational opportunities, and long-standing presence in the community, TAP is an integral part of Door County’s vibrant arts scene. TAP is Door County’s premier year-round professional theatre. For more information, visit thirdavenueplayworks.org.