A "vanguard figure of socially conscious theatre" (CPHPost),
RILEY ELTON MCCARTHY (est. 1999) is a critically acclaimed Danish-Irish playwright, lighting designer, performer, and professor of theatre arts. They are a member of Actor's Equity Association, and The Dramatists Guild. Riley trained at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, and Marymount Manhattan College.
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“The most original voice in horror since Mike Flanagan” (The Scotsman), Riley’s work, that “displays a unique and intellectual writing style; combining a mix of natural, poetic dialogue, wit, and narration” (Lost in Theatreland) has been seen internationally. Their published plays can be purchased now through NextStage Press and at The Drama Book Shop.
Riley is making their Off-West debut with IVORIES at The Old Red Lion Theater in London for a limited engagement beginning July 2025, directed by Georgie Rankcom. Previously, Riley's work has been produced commercially at CultureLab LIC (I'M GOING TO EAT YOU ALIVE), and The Triad Theater (The Lesbian Play).
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They are a two-time Eugene O’Neill Semi-Finalist for Sharon and Melina and I'M GOING TO EAT YOU ALIVE, and are a two-time SheNYCArts Semi-finalist for The Lesbian Play and Take Me Down to the Levee, and a semi-finalist for the 2023-24 Dramatists Guild Fellowship. Their production of IVORIES at 59E59 and Edinburgh Fringe was nominated for an Off-Fest Award and long-listed for the Brighton Fringe Award for Excellence. They've had presentations of their work at The Brick, The Gilbert Theater, Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Tank, 59E59, and Yale School for Drama. They have twice been a finalist for the Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program at Juilliard. This year, they were a finalist for the Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts Residency. They were a resident playwright in the TGNB2S+ Affinity Intensive with Workshop Theater, INKubator with Art House Productions, and CPH HOTMeat in the International World Pride festival in Copenhagen. Their work has been nominated for 32 Off/Off-Off-Broadway BroadwayWorld Awards. Riley has also worked with Adam Driver's Arts in the Armed Forces. ​​​​​​
Riley is a direct descendant of Ulysses S. Grant and Wild Bill Hickok. Outside of their work as a writer, Riley enjoys playing horror games, watercoloring while watching documentaries, going to the cinema with friends, vintage shopping, and spoiling their three pets rotten. The Oscars are Riley's Super Bowl. They are very competitive about predicting the winners.
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MFA: New York University (Musical Theatre Writing) - 2027
MFA: Rutgers University (Playwriting - 1 Year) - 2024
BFA: Marymount Manhattan College (Playwriting & Acting) - 2021​​​
Horror is circumstantially funny, certainly, but effective horror is circumstantially terrifying in what it shows us is true about the world we live in. I strive for honesty in my work. My work often reflects my own pondering and observations of the world around me and the inquisitions that arise from my curiosity with it. I am more interested in telling stories about people that center their humanity over stories that captivate with spectacle. Anyone can pull off a practical effect. Not everyone can enrapture an audience.
Other storytellers may deny this, but, I earnestly believe every storyteller puts a piece of themselves in every character that they create, even the ones they claim they cannot relate to. There is always some part of ourselves in every facet of a story, in every trait of a character, whether we harbor a resentment that we are expressing, or freeing the parts of ourselves we can't otherwise share to the world through our text. I certainly have done both.
I do not believe in sacrificing gentleness to "toughen one's skin" for a cruel world. I believe if we were all gentler on each other we would have a kinder world. I know this is unrealistic. I hold myself to its standard anyways: I hold onto my gentleness and my sensitive heart. I hold onto my tears as my strength. I embrace my shortcomings as lessons and my successes as small steps towards my own peace. I believe cycles of vengeance become cycles that don't end unless someone is willing to break the chain and walk away. I believe the pursuit of such revenge creates wounds that won't heal. Conversely, I believe time heals all wounds: even the ones you didn't know could scar over. Even the most deeply hereditary trauma can be scared away if we are brave enough to name it. I believe for every fear there is something to overcome that makes us stronger.
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I am deeply passionate about new drama and empowering living playwrights. I believe spoken word is the most powerful tool on earth. It has created nations and destroyed them. We can burn physical text like the Library of Alexandria, but so long as we continue to speak to one another, we preserve our culture and we share our lives, and there's something beautiful about how for centuries and centuries we keep coming back to the simplicity of looking one another in the eyes, smiling, and sharing the sweet nothings of our days together.
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I deeply believe that not all art is for every person. I make what I love that makes me feel joy. If that's your thing too: welcome.
