500 Rats: A Love Story
by BT Hayes
World Premiere — The Moxie Arts Incubator @ HERE Arts Center
September 2025
CAST: Charlotte Polk, Isabelle Deveaux, Antony Terrell, Danielle Koenig, Joyah Dominique, Nicole Kolitsas
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Director: Em Hausmann
Line Producer: Beth Slade
Production Stage Manager: Cori Diaz
Puppet Designer: Leah Levine
Lighting Designer: Lee Anne Meeks
Sound Designer: Cora Cicala
Scenic Designer: Malena Logan
Moxie Arts Managing Producer: Madelyn Paquette
Moxie Arts Artistic Director: Margaret Lee
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Production Photos by Ian McQueen and Margaret Lee
500 Rats: A Love Story Synopsis — Ibbi, an anxiety-ridden lesbian, has many problems. (1) Her rat-infested apartment situation. (2) Her landlady blames her for the rat-sized holes in the wall. (3) She doesn’t have enough money to cover rent herself and might have to leave without her security deposit (due to the repairs needed for the rat-sized holes in the wall). But it’s okay! It’s actually totally fine! Until the stress of these problems leads to Ibbi having a breakdown in front of a hot they/them named Bo. Together, they venture into the heart of the rat empire, dealing with mushroom tea, thrift shops, and the New York City Housing Authority along the way.