Two Saturdays.
Five bold new plays.
One immersive theatrical experience.
The Press Box Theater is proud to present the 2026 New Playwrights Festival, a curated showcase of emerging and established voices featuring staged readings of original works in development. This festival is designed to give audiences an inside look at exciting new plays while offering playwrights a professional, supportive environment to hear their work in front of a live audience.
All readings are book-in-hand staged readings and are followed by short audience talkbacks.
TICKETS
Festival Pass – $49
• Admission to all five plays across both Saturdays
• Includes dinner on Saturday, January 10
• Best value for experiencing the full festival
Single Show Tickets – $15
• Admission to one individual reading
Schedule & Plays
A Fox in the Henhouse
By Kate Katcher
A sharp, funny, and unexpectedly moving comedy about love, loyalty, and unfinished business. When a lonely widow brings her sister’s ex-husband home for a secret tryst, old wounds resurface and long-buried truths come spilling out—turning farce into something deeply human.
Reading begins at 2:00 PM
Followed by a short audience Q&A
Carole’s Christmas
By Emma Palzere-Rae
It’s July. Carole, a middle-aged dance professor and mother of a rising college senior, finds out that she has four weeks to live. Rather than fight her diagnosis, Carole decides to celebrate Christmas. Advent is four weeks, right? While her daughter is just about to launch her adult life, Carole’s is ending. As they start to unravel the significance of their journey, the magic of Christmas intervenes. With her daughter Ivy, best friend Marla, estranged husband Paul — and even the benefits manager from the university — by her side, Carole refuses to succumb to sadness and instead searches for the light in her situation. In the end, the spirit of Christmas prevails, and hope for the future endures.
Reading begins at 4:00 PM
Followed by a short audience Q&A
Additional Information
• All readings are staged, book-in-hand presentations
• Each reading includes a moderated audience talkback
• Snow date: Sunday, January 18 (if needed)