From left: Jose Eduardo Moreno (Damon) and Michael Dukakis (Nick) in "Punish Me" at Hollywood Fringe Festival 2026 Written by Michael Dukakis based on true events, “Punish Me” at this year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival and performing at the Hudson Backstage Theatre, is about narcissism and manipulation with high stakes for the protagonist. The set resembles a modest Los Angeles apartment, providing just enough detail to establish the world without distracting from the story. Th

From left: Sean Yves Lessard (Jamie) and Cat Rojo (Cathy) in "The Last Five Years" at Hudson Backstage Theatre (Photo by Sydney Belabin) Tony Award-winner Jason Robert Brown’s 2001 “The Last Five Years,” directed by Aaron Byrnes at the Hudson Backstage Theatre, is an intimate two-person musical that explores a relationship at its breaking point. The story unfolds through two timelines told simultaneously. Jamie Wellerstein (Sean Yves Lessard), a novelist, moves forward from t

From left: Michael Dukakis (Nick) and Dylan Griner (Damon) in "Punish Me" at Hudson Backstage Theatre (Photo by Avi Kaye) Michael Dukakis’ world premiere psychological thriller “Punish Me,” directed by Monique Sorgen at Hudson Backstage Theatre, follows Nick (Dukakis), a Greek screenwriter who comes to Los Angeles chasing a dream that feels within reach. This desire feels almost certain when he meets Damon (Dylan Griner), a charismatic stranger who offers romance, access and