Kristy Cates to Star in Blind Industry Showcase of THE UNWITTING MAGICIAN

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The theatrical experiment directed by Jeremy Dobrish features Cates, a WICKED original cast member, performing with an unopened script at Ripley-Grier Studios.

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Following its recent New York industry showcase Jeremy Dobrish 's The Unwitting Magician returns with another acclaimed Broadway performer stepping into the unknown.

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On Monday, October 19, 2026 at 2:00 PM, Broadway veteran Kristy Cates will take the stage at Ripley-Grier Studios, 305 West 38th Street, Room 307, for a special industry presentation of the innovative theatrical experience.

There is just one catch: Cates will have never seen the script.

Part play, part magic show and part theatrical experiment, The Unwitting Magician turns one of theatre's most fundamental conventions upside down. A lone performer walks onto a bare stage with little more than a music stand and a sealed manila envelope. Inside is a script whose contents remain a complete mystery to the actor until the performance begins.

Who is really in control, the actor, the script: or something else entirely?

For the October 19 presentation, the sealed envelope will be handed to Kristy Cates , whose Broadway career began in the Original Broadway Cast of Wicked, performing in the ensemble and understudying Idina Menzel before going on to take on the iconic role of Elphaba herself in the First National Tour and Chicago production.

Cates' additional Broadway credits include the Original Broadway Cast of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, playing Grandma Josephine, and Finding Neverland as Ms. Bassett. Her extensive Off-Broadway and regional credits include Come From Away, Hello, Dolly!, Ragtime, The Will Rogers Follies, Boeing Boeing, The Marvelous Wonderettes, The Bardy Bunch and Jerry Springer: The Opera.

No rehearsal. No advance script. No second chance to experience it for the first time.

Created by playwright and director Jeremy Dobrish , The Unwitting Magician exists at the intersection of theatre, magic and spontaneous discovery.

Dobrish's directing work has been seen at Second Stage , MCC, Joe's Pub, The Old Globe , Barrington Stage, North Shore Music Theatre, The O'Neill, New York Stage and Film, Goodspeed and Village Theatre , among others. His productions have received multiple Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk nominations. He is a nine-time published playwright, founder of Adobe Theatre Company and co-founder of Midtown Direct Rep.

The result is not simply another performance of the same show. It is a new encounter between performer, material and audience-one that can never be duplicated.

For producers, presenters, artistic directors, general managers and members of the theatrical community, the October 19 presentation offers an opportunity to experience firsthand a theatrical concept designed to be reinvented every time a new performer opens the envelope.

Nominate your favorite local productions and performers before the deadline on October 31, 2026.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/off-broadway/article/Kristy-Cates-Will-Lead-Industry-Presentation-of-THE-UNWITTING-MAGICIAN-20261006)._