Acclaimed Playwright and Podcaster Dennis Bush Announces New York Return with “The Sloppy Abandon of Excavated Love” and Hit Podcast Series

Prominent playwright and screenwriter, Dennis Bush returns to the New York stage this spring with a compelling new work and a rapidly growing media platform. Bush will premiere his latest play, The Sloppy Abandon of Excavated Love, as a headlining production of the Fresh Fruit Festival, while simultaneously expanding his powerhouse industry podcast, Meet Me In The Monologue.

The Premiere: A Minefield of Passions and HistoryThe Fresh Fruit Festival is set to run from Monday, April 20 through Sunday, May 3, The Sloppy Abandon of Excavated Love will be on stage at The Wild Project in the East Village.

The play follows Marcus, who discovers a journal hidden in his apartment belonging to a man who lived there during the 1980s and early ’90s. As the journal’s secrets come to light, the past and present become inextricably entwined. Marcus’s current relationship with Kelvin—his roommate and former lover—evolves into a “minefield of passions and perceptions,” forcing a confrontation with the ghosts of the past and the realities of the present.

Performance Details:
Venue: The Wild Project, 195 East 3rd St., NYC
Festival Dates: April 20 – May 3, 2026

Tickets: Available via the Fresh Fruit Festival website.

Behind the Mic: “Meet Me In The Monologue”In addition to his theatrical return, Bush is bridging the gap between creators and performers with his podcast, Meet Me In The Monologue. The series explores the intersection of process and performance, offering deep-dive interviews into the craft of storytelling.
In just under a dozen episodes, Bush has “picked the brains” of industry leaders, including Doug DeVita, Carole Monferdini, David Robson, Liane Grant, Mark-Eugene Garcia, David Rambo, and Catherine MacNeal. Upcoming episodes are slated to feature Gary Garrison (former Executive Director of the Dramatists Guild) and David Rigano (Drama Book Shop luminary).

The podcast is co-hosted by Kelsey Pietropaolo and Meggy Lykins, with editing and mixing by announcer Martin W. Scott. Listeners can find the series on Apple, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.

About Dennis Bush

Dennis Bush is an internationally produced playwright and screenwriter whose work has been staged in ten countries, including the UK, Australia, Italy, and South Africa. With over fifty published plays and monologue collections, his repertoire is a staple of the global theatre community.

Bush is a frequent award-winner at major festivals; his play Head First broke box office records and earned “Outstanding Play” honors, while his solo play (Mary)Todd swept the categories for Best Play, Director, and Actor