Spotlight on Plays: January 2026
Incoming plays include The Unknown, The Visitors, and more.
By: Team BWW Jan. 12, 2026
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The Spring 2026 season has officially begun, and with it, comes new plays for theatre lovers of all kinds. Whether you live for intense dramas or would rather escape with zaney comedies, there's something for everyone both on and off-Broadway in January 2026.
Plays Off-Broadway
The Visitors
(Previews: 1/21/2026, Opening: 1/22/2026, Closing: 2/1/2026)
Sydney Harbor. January 1788. Seven Aboriginal leaders gather while a mysterious fleet of nawi (giant ships) amasses in the bay. As the vessels creep closer, the leaders face a fateful decision: send the strangers away or welcome them? Winner of the 2023 Sydney Theatre Awards for Best Mainstage Production and Best Ensemble, PAC NYC is proud to welcome The Visitors for its first international production. From Muruwari playwright Jane Harrison and acclaimed Quandamooka man director Wesley Enoch, this gripping, deeply researched drama captures one of the most pivotal and painful days in Australia’s history—while offering a sharp and funny portrait of how communities respond to change and the unknown.
Latest:
The Monsters
(Previews: 1/23/2026, Opening: 2/11/2026, Closing: 3/15/2026)
For a long time, LIL has been obsessed with fighting, and one fighter in particular: her older brother BIG, an aging but successful figure in the local Mixed Martial Arts circuit. But she’s been doing it all from afar… until one day when she decides to show up on his doorstep. Written and directed by Ngozi Anyanwu (Good Grief, The Homecoming Queen, The Last of the Love Letters) this world premiere is a sibling love story about reunions, resentment, reconnection, and wrestling with demons.
Ai Yah Goy Vey!
(Previews: 1/29/2026, Opening: 2/8/2026, Closing: 3/1/2026)
In Ai Yah Goy Vey!, a country bumpkin delivers Chinese takeout food in New York City’s diverse neighborhoods while seeking his long-lost Papa who dumped his Chinese Opera diva-Mama. Colorful characters offer clues in a “Looney Tunes” whodunit that combines standup comedy, musical theatre, dance, opera and puppetry. By playing on cultural similarities, the show shatters absurd assumptions to celebrate the diversity and one-ness of the human race.
Latest:
Hans Litten: The Jew Who Cross-Examined Hitler
(Previews: 1/30/2026, Opening: 2/5/2026, Closing: 2/22/2026)
Based on a remarkable true story, Hans Litten centers on the brilliant young Jewish lawyer who, in 1931, did the seemingly impossible: he called Adolf Hitler to the witness stand and publicly exposed the future dictator’s embrace of political violence, two years before Hitler rose to power. It remains one of the most audacious legal confrontations of the 20th century. The play moves from the charged atmosphere of Berlin courtrooms to the brutal reality of Nazi concentration camps, tracing Litten’s unwavering commitment to justice, reason, and human dignity. Refusing to remain silent in the face of rising authoritarianism, Litten risks and ultimately sacrifices his life for the rule of law. At once intellectually thrilling and emotionally devastating, Hans Litten: The Jew Who Cross-Examined Hitler is a powerful reminder of how fragile democracy can be, and how profound the impact of individual moral courage remains. As questions of justice, truth, and authoritarianism reverberate across the modern world, Litten’s story feels not only urgent but essential.
Latest:
- Daniel Yaiullo, Stan Buturla and More to Star in HANS LITTEN: THE JEW WHO CROSS-EXAMINED HITLER (1/6/2026)
- HANS LITTEN: THE JEW WHO CROSS-EXAMINED HITLER to Have World Premiere at Theatre Row (12/15/2025)
The Waterfall
(Previews: 1/31/2026, Opening: 2/15/2026, Closing: 3/1/2026)
Returning home to assist her mother after a hospitalization, Haitian-American Bean soon finds her confidence shaken by her mother’s idea of what her life should be. Stuck at home, with nowhere to run from her mother’s ideas of marriage, motherhood, and malady, Bean must ask, “Do you know who you want to be? And are you brave enough to own it?” The Waterfall is an intimate and aching two-hander about the generational divides around family, womanhood, and the idea of the American Dream.
The Unknown
(Previews: 1/31/2026, Opening: 2/12/2026, Closing: 4/12/2026)
Desperate to cure his writer’s block, Elliott retreats to a remote cabin—only to discover he may not be alone. As the boundaries between his work and his life collapse, Elliott begins to question everything he knows. Is he writing a thriller? Living one? Both? The Unknown is a provocative thriller by award-winning playwright David Cale that explores the fine line between fascination and obsession.
Latest:
- Photos: Sean Hayes in Rehearsal for THE UNKNOWN at Studio Seaview (1/7/2026)
- Sean Hayes Will Lead THE UNKNOWN Off-Broadway (11/17/2025)
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