AAPI PLAYWRIGHT FESTIVAL to Return for Third Year at San Jose Stage
Jeffrey Lo leads the festival as artistic producer, with six new works by playwrights including Aimee Suzara and Phil Wong.
Contemporary Asian Theater Scene (CATS), in partnership with San Jose Stage Company, will present the third annual AAPI Playwright Festival, a celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) storytelling, on Saturday, July 11, 2026, at San Jose Stage in downtown San Jose.
Under the leadership of award-winning playwright and director Jeffrey Lo, who serves as artistic producer, the festival debuts six newly commissioned short plays by local AAPI playwrights and features a series of monologues written by Lo. This year's festival creative leadership team also includes associate artistic producer Reed Flores, with Flores and Melissa Mei Jones as directors.
The 2026 AAPI Playwright Festival features theatrical staged readings of six new works by the following AAPI playwrights:
- Tasi Alabastro
- Anne Yumi Kobori
- Suhashini Krishnan
- Jenny Nguyen Nelson (returning playwright from last year's festival)
- Aimee Suzara
- Phil Wong
'After our first two festivals sold out, we knew there was a clear community demand for new works by AAPI artists,' said Leianne Wong Lamb, board chair of CATS. 'The AAPI Playwright Festival was created to provide playwrights with opportunities to develop and share new work while connecting audiences with stories that reflect the breadth and diversity of AAPI experiences. We are proud to continue supporting emerging and established artists and to see the festival grow in its third year.'
'New works are essential to the future of theatre and festivals like this offer an opportunity to uplift our community's playwrights and celebrate their work,' added Jeffrey Lo, the festival's artistic producer. 'This year's lineup of playwrights brings together an exciting range of voices, offering audiences a chance to experience a delicious collection of original works.'
Audiences will experience a theatrical staged reading format featuring six original short plays. The evening includes original monologues written by Lo, performed by actors between plays. The plays range from comedy and family stories to explorations of identity, culture, relationships, healing and belonging, including one that weaves together family traditions, cultural mythology and a dash of horror.
An optional Guided San Jose Japantown Cultural District Walking Tour is also available to festival attendees on Sunday, July 12, from 10 a.m. to noon. Presented by CATS in partnership with the Japanese American Museum of San Jose, the guided tour takes place during the annual San Jose Obon Festival in San Jose Japantown.
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West Side Story—Film with Live Orchestra Davies Symphony Hall (7/09-7/10) |
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The Still Point: An Immersive Experience SOMArts Cultural Center (7/16-7/25) |
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The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark SPARC (7/03-7/26) |
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Pamela Gaye Walker’s Little BIG Mouth The Marsh Berkeley (7/12-8/02) |
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JAD Experience presents LUNAE Tara Firma Farms (7/17-7/26) |
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Comedy Oakland at Elbo Room Fri Aug 14 7:30pm Elbo Room Jack London (8/14-8/14) |
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Comedy Oakland at Quinn's Lighthouse Fri July 31 8:30pm Quinn's Lighthouse (7/31-7/31) |
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The Legend of Zelda in Concert Grace Cathedral (7/17-7/17) |
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Hamilton (Angelica Company) San Jose Center for the Performing Arts (7/07-7/18) |
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Company City Lights Theater Company (7/15-8/22) |