STAGE LEFT PLAY FESTIVAL to Return With 5 New Plays This June

Working Theater and the Broadway Advocacy Coalition will present the second annual Stage Left, an innovative new play festival where art meets activism, taking place June 12 - 14, 2026 at Theatre Row.

Building on its inaugural year, Stage Left returns to unite artists, advocates, and audiences in a shared space of storytelling, solidarity, and action. Supported by the Murphy Institute and Leadership for Democracy and Social Justice, the festival continues its mission to transform the theater into a space for solidarity, dialogue, and civic action.

Now in its second year, Stage Left brings five new plays to the stage —

How to Melt Ice by Amalia Oliva Rojas
Novios by Arturo Luíz Soria
#NewSlaves by Keelay Gipson
Narrowsburg by Chad Kaydo
Sisyphus in Yaffa by R. Forest Malley

Each production is paired with a community partner to create opportunities for dialogue and direct engagement, inviting audiences not only to witness stories from the frontlines of progressive movements but to participate in real-time responses. The first announced community partners are Workers Justice Project, Freedom Agenda, Theater Workers for a Ceasefire, and Undue Medical Debt.

Stage Left transforms the theater into a site of community organizing where performance extends beyond the stage and into collective reflection, conversation, and resistance. Through these collaborations, the festival reimagines what it means for art to be in service of justice.

This year’s festival continues to build on the vision established in its first year, expanding its reach and deepening its commitment to cultural organizing through theater. Events will include performances, post-show conversations, and facilitated opportunities for audiences to connect with advocacy efforts aligned with each play.

2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats

Best Sound Design - Top 3

1. Adam Fisher - The Lost Boys

38.4% of votes

2. Tony Gayle - Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

12.5% of votes

3. Kai Harada - Ragtime

6.9% of votes

Vote Now! View Live Stats