It’s that time of year again! And I know some of you are playwrights and some of you have thought about giving it a try. I did last year and am letting my subconscious work on it this very moment. But here are the details if you are so inclined:
It’s that time of year again! We are looking for work with a classical inspiration. Six brand new short plays will be selected from this open-submission process to be presented alongside new plays from commissioned writers, Ken Ludwig (Lend Me a Tenor, Crazy for You) and Betty Shamieh (Malvolio, Roar). Red Bull Theater’s 16th Annual Short New Play Festival is scheduled for Monday, June 22, 2026. This year’s theme? REFINISHED
“Happy New Year! Each year, our Short New Play Festival seeks fresh, exhilarating work inspired by the classical canon. This year’s guiding word is REFINISHED—a jumping-off point inspired by George Bernard Shaw’s Cymbeline, Refinished. Let this idea spark your creative imagination. We’re seeking a bold range of responses: revised endings to classics, reinventions of iconic characters, borrowed classical settings, or entirely new styles of dramatic verse. You might respond to a play we’ve produced—or choose a classic of your own to transform. We warmly welcome inspiration drawn from beyond the traditional Western canon. Through this festival, we aim to cultivate vibrant dialogue with classical theater in ways that are inventive, surprising, and alive to the present moment.
It’s a new year—time to refinish the past and write something new!“
– Jesse Berger | Founder & Artistic Director
OPEN SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Using the theme REFINISHED, write a short play that: makes use of heightened language, and/or is in conversation with a classical theme, style, or story from any cultural tradition; is no more than 10 minutes in length; is self-contained with a beginning, middle and end; is an original, unpublished, and never previously produced new work.
Get the complete guidelines.
Selected playwrights will receive a staged reading of their submission as part of the festival on Monday, June 22, 2026, performed by an ensemble company of some of New York City’s finest actors, with a commissioning fee and travel reimbursement to attend the festival, rehearsal, and performance in New York City.
DEADLINE: 12 NOON ET | MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2026.