Coming to Chicago soon!
FUCKING STRANGERS cast, left to right: Robert Love (Mick), Amy J. Johnson (Julianne).
FUCKING STRANGERS cast, left to right: Roy Gonzalez (Dylan), and Levi Welch (Ru).
FUCKING STRANGERS
By Erik Patterson
Directed by Jack Dugan Carpenter
January 22–February 7, 2027
Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 PM | Sundays at 3:00 PM
Open Space Arts, 1411 W. Wilson Avenue, Chicago
$30 General Admission | $25 Students & Seniors
Ru hasn’t left his bedroom in years. Mick can’t stop paying for affection. Julianne mourns the person she never became and the dreams she once had. Dylan will sell himself to anyone if the price is right. In FUCKING STRANGERS, four people who seem to have nothing in common discover that their lives are connected in ways they never expected.
Provocative, funny, sexy and ultimately deeply human, Erik Patterson’s dark comedy explores sex, loneliness, desire, shame and the complicated ways we search for connection.
What do we reveal to strangers that we cannot reveal to the people closest to us? And what happens when a seemingly anonymous encounter becomes something much more?
Bold and contemporary, FUCKING STRANGERS moves between physical and online worlds as its four characters search for intimacy—sometimes by buying it, sometimes by hiding from it, and sometimes by finding it where they least expect it.
The play received its world premiere in Los Angeles at Echo Theater Company. Critics responded particularly strongly to its humor, unpredictability and emotional seriousness, noting that beneath its provocative title is a story concerned with loneliness, secrecy, family and the need for human connection.
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Erik Patterson is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and writing teacher. His plays include ONE OF THE NICE ONES and HANDJOB, and his work has been produced or developed by organizations including Echo Theater Company, Playwrights’ Arena, the Mark Taper Forum and The Lark. His television and screenwriting work has earned a Writers Guild of America Award, a Humanitas Prize and Emmy Award nominations.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Jack Dugan Carpenter returns to Open Space Arts after directing SMILEY and the staged reading of BREAKING THE CODE. A Chicago director and theatre artist, Carpenter has also directed with St. Sebastian Players and The Plagiarists, where he served as Managing and Development Director from 2011 through 2025. He holds an MFA in Directing from Illinois State University.
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Write a Romantasy!
99 Prompts to Write a Tale of Heart and Heroism
by Erik Patterson
Master the romantasy genre with this ultimate guide full of prompts and tips for aspiring authors and seasoned writers alike looking to craft their dream romantasy novel.
Ideal for writers at all experience levels, this workbook offers an abundance of helpful tips and a variety of prompts that will inspire writers to create their perfect romantasy story!
This book guides writers through the tropes and themes that exist within the romantasy genre, then provides prompts that will not only engage the writer’s creativity, but they will also aid in beating writer’s block, spark ideas for uncharted possibilities, and offer fresh perspectives to outdated tropes.
Write a Horror Novel
99 Writing Prompts to Craft
a Tale of Teror and Darkness
by Erik Patterson
Abandoned places! Final girl! Ghostly hitchhickers! Horror fans and writers-to-be can build their own worlds, craft their own characters, and spin their own gripping stories with these engaging and thought-provoking writing prompts, making writing your own horror story easier—and more thrilling—than ever!
Ideal for writers at all experience levels, this workbook offers an abundance of helpful tips and a variety of prompts that will inspire writers to create their perfect horror story!
Write a Horror Novel guides writers through the tropes and themes that exist within the horror genre, then provides prompts that will not only engage the writer’s creativity, but also aid in beating writer’s block, spark creativity for uncharted possibilities, and offer fresh perspectives on outdated storytelling techniques.
First, writers will find an interesting plot or setting for their characters, then they’re given brainstorming and writing instructions. They may also find some interesting twists with asks about adding additional elements (like a joke or a lie), giving things an extra horror spin, or working in a callback.
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Write a Dystopian Novel
99 Writing Prompts to Craft
a Tale of Ruin and Rebellion
by Erik Patterson
Master writer’s block and spark your creativity with this workbook full of helpful tips and a variety of prompts for writers of all experience levels to create their perfect dystopian story!
Write a Dystopian Novel guides writers of all experience levels through the tropes and themes that exist within the dystopian setting, then provides prompts that will not only engage the writer’s creativity but will also beat writer’s block and offer a fresh perspective on outdated tropes.
First writers will find an interesting scenario for their characters, then they’re given brainstorming and writing instructions, and may also find some interesting twists with extra asks about adding additional elements (like a joke or a lie), giving things an extra dystopian spin, or working in a callback. For anyone looking to expand their dystopian writing, this book is a must-have to help complete their story ideas, deepen their worldbuilding, and craft unforgettable, thought-provoking narratives that will captivate readers.
Erik Patterson
Erik Patterson is a queer playwright, screenwriter, and educator. His work has been produced and developed by Echo Theater Company, Playwrights’ Arena, LATC, Theatre of NOTE, the Evidence Room, The Actors’ Gang, the Lark Play Development Center, Moving Arts, Black Dahlia, Naked Angels, the Mark Taper Forum, Open Space Arts, Conundrum Theatre, Santa Monica Playhouse, and New Group. Awards: Julie Harris Playwriting Prize, Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, Backstage West Garland Award. Nominations: Ovation Award, Stage Raw Award, LA Weekly Award, GLAAD Media Award. Erik has written films for Warner Bros., Universal, 20th Century Fox, Disney, Freeform, MTV, Paramount, Hallmark, and Syfy, among others. Film credits include Abandoned (starring Michael Shannon), fourteen episodes of R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour (two Emmy nominations), Another Cinderella Story (WGA Award), and Radio Rebel (Humanitas Prize). Erik is the creator of Your Daily Writing Prompt on TikTok. His TikTok prompts have millions of likes, helping writers across all genres including romantasy, romance, and sci-fi/fantasy. He is the author of a series of writing prompt books for Simon & Schuster, including Write a Romantasy, Write a Dystopian Novel, and Write a Horror Novel, available in bookstores nationwide. Erik is a graduate of Occidental College and the British American Drama Academy. He is an alum of the Center Theatre Group’s LA Writers’ Workshop and a founding member of The Splinters.
F**king Strangers
SMASH HIT
at ECHO THEATER COMPANY
July-August, 2026
F**KING STRANGERS World Premiere
by Erik Patterson
Directed by Chris Fields
Ru hasn't left his bedroom in years. Mick can't stop paying for affection. Julianne mourns the person she never became and the dreams she once had. And Dylan will sell himself to anyone if the price is right. In this dark comedy of love and loneliness, four F**king Strangers are about to discover they're connected in more ways than they realize.
Starring Tasha Ames, Sean Luc Rogers, David Shofner, Michael Sturgis, James Tupper
What the critics are saying…
TICKET HOLDERS LA: "There an undeniably electrifying magic that happens when a brilliant and courageous playwright, a veteran director gifted with uncanny surgical precision, and a seamless ensemble of actors align. Echo’s stunning world premiere of F**king Strangers [in Atwater Village] delivers just that."
STAGE AND CINEMA: “Tense, FUNNY, and unexpectedly tender…Terrific comic moments…Sharp and knowing…Simultaneously ridiculous and PAINFULLY REVEALING…A first-rate production.”
ARTS BEAT LA: “WITTY… POWERFUL… a quartet of expert and moving performances… full of dark or rueful humor.”
SPLASH MAGAZINE: “A bizarre, hilarious tale…HILARIOUS… What begins as a role-playing fantasy spirals into a wildly unpredictable collision of sex, secrecy, family, and redemption.”
ON STAGE LOS ANGELES: “F**king brave…FUNNY AND UNCOMFORTABLE AND SEXY AND TOUCHING… YOU MUST GO! Highly recommended.”
DISCOVER HOLLYWOOD: “GLORIOUSLY SMART, THOUGHTFUL AND CREATIVE… funny, deeply lonely and, yes, very dark… BRAVO, ECHO THEATER”
STAGE SCENE LA: “WOW!… twisty-turney, edge-of-your-seat, and very sexy… thoroughly enthralling.”
STAGE RAW: “STAGE RAW TOP 10… an entertaining watch, its strengths evolving from the playwright’s understanding of human nature and his ability to craft that understanding into a funny, accessible and at times poignant story.… RECOMMENDED.”
LARCHMONT BUZZ: “RICH IN COMEDIC GOLD AND RAW TRAUMA… four exceptional performers”
TICKET HOLDERS LA: “STUNNING world premiere [from] one of Los Angeles’ most vital theatrical voices… a penetrating and deeply contemporary exploration into the intertwined nature of connection, deception, and our species’ universal craving to be seen and loved… as HILARIOUS as it is piercing… theatre at its most riveting.”
FROM THE ARCHIVES: ROMANTASY BOOK TOUR (2026)
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