Is This Thing On?

A Solo Show by Adam Bradley

Is This Thing On? is about the version of yourself you put down — and whether it’s ever too late to pick it back up.

Blending storytelling, live music, and humor, the show traces the arc of a voice — from a boy in the Catskills discovering something real at the piano, to the exhilarating highs of Yale, to chasing music in New York and Los Angeles — and then gradually setting that voice aside in favor of a different life.

Until grief cracks him open and he finds his way back to the thing that was always waiting.

What emerges is deeply personal: a story about identity, responsibility, and the quiet cost of compromise.

Upcoming Performances:

Yellow Bicycle Theater, Philadelphia

Tuesday, Sep 8, 2026 - 8:45pm
Wednesday, Sep 9, 2026 - 6:30pm
Thursday, Sep 10, 2026 - 6:30pm

Padraic Lillis (Director) is The Founding Artistic Director of The Farm Theater. The Farm Theater’s College Collaboration Project commissioned and developed Kimberly Belflower’s play, JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN, which was nominated for 7 Tony Awards and is currently in production as a feature film. For the past twenty-five years, Padraic has been dedicated to the development of new plays. A few of the plays that he has worked on from inspiration to production are Lindsay Joy’s RISE AND FALL OF A TEENAGE CYBERQUEEN (NY IT  Award Outstanding Director), Lee Kaplan’s award winning solo show BULLY (NY International Fringe Festival's Directing Award), and Adina Taubman’s award winning solo show THE ROAD BACK (Best Director United Solo Festival). His solo show, GET TO ELEVEN, on suicide ideation, was turned into a film and aired on PBS. Currently directing JOAN’S TEETH, a film written by Dipti Bramhandkar and featuring Kathleen Turner. Padraic was awarded the Humana Visiting Scholar and Artist in Residence at Centre College. He is a member of Labyrinth Theater Company and a life long Yankee fan. Instagram: @thefarmtheater

Press

BroadwayWorld Announces IS THIS THING ON? to Premiere at Philadelphia Fringe Festival

Word4Culture: From Bridgewater to the Board: Adam Bradley Confronts Ambition, Grief, and Reclaimed Artistry in Is This Thing On?

Playground: The Architecture of Vulnerability: Award-Winning Director Padraic Lillis on Shaping Is This Thing On?

Theatermania: Is This Thing On? at the Yellow Bicycle Theater, Philadelphia

StageBuddy: Is This Thing On? Detailed Information

Contributions are tax deductible through fiscal sponsorship with Fractured Atlas.