The Bushwick Starr Unveils 2026-27 Season Featuring New Works by Layla Khoshnoudi, Amando Houser and Toshiki Okada

The Bushwick Starr has announced its 2026-27 season, featuring three new productions alongside the return of its Starr Reading Series, community and education initiatives, and annual fundraising gala.

The season begins in October with I'm Not Even Half, created and performed by Layla Khoshnoudi and directed by Machel Ross. Previews begin October 6, with an official opening scheduled for October 10. The new work follows a woman whose life takes an unexpected turn after she is struck by a car while obsessively following news of unrest in Iran from her Brooklyn apartment. The production is described as a darkly comic exploration of faith, identity, and self-discovery.

The Bushwick Starr's annual Starr Reading Series returns in December. Curated by Machel Ross, Jehan O. Young, Elizagrace Madrone, and William Burke, the free event will run from November 30 through December 9 and feature readings of new plays by writers experimenting with theatrical form, language, and storytelling.

In February, the theater will present DeliaDelia! The Flat-Chested Witch!, created by Amando Houser and Kedian Keohan and directed by Keohan. Following a sold-out United Kingdom tour, the production arrives in Brooklyn with previews beginning February 3 and an official opening on February 6. The clown-inspired comedy follows DeliaDelia, a witch who leaves the swamp in hopes of becoming a "real girl" and joining a human basketball team.

The season concludes in May with The Sonic Life of a Giant Tortoise by Toshiki Okada, translated by Aya Ogawa and directed by Tei Blow. Previews begin April 28, with an official opening on May 1. The play explores questions of meaning, memory, and time through interconnected stories involving dreams, relationships, and surreal encounters.

Beyond its mainstage productions, The Bushwick Starr will continue its year-round community engagement initiatives. Summers at the Starr returns in August 2026 with free performances, markets, family activities, and neighborhood events. The theater will also continue Big Green Theater, now entering its seventeenth year, which partners with elementary school students to create environmentally focused plays.

Additional programming includes Creating Performance, an after-school theater-making initiative developed in partnership with El Puente, and Senior Storytelling, a bilingual memoir workshop serving older adults in the Bushwick and Ridgewood communities.

The organization also announced its annual Starr Gala, scheduled for October 26, 2026, at Rule of Thirds in Brooklyn. This year's event, themed "Oh! You Pretty Things…," will celebrate the theater's education and community programs through performances, dining, and fundraising activities. Gala tickets will go on sale September 8.

2026-27 Mainstage Season

I'm Not Even Half

Created and performed by Layla Khoshnoudi
Directed by Machel Ross

Previews begin October 6, 2026
Official Opening: October 10, 2026

The Starr Reading Series

Curated by Machel Ross, Jehan O. Young, Elizagrace Madrone, and William Burke

November 30 – December 9, 2026

DeliaDelia! The Flat-Chested Witch!

Created by Amando Houser and Kedian Keohan
Directed by Kedian Keohan

Previews begin February 3, 2027
Official Opening: February 6, 2027

The Sonic Life of a Giant Tortoise

Written by Toshiki Okada
Translated by Aya Ogawa
Directed by Tei Blow

Previews begin April 28, 2027
Official Opening: May 1, 2027

Annual Starr Gala

Monday, October 26, 2026
6:30 p.m.

Rule of Thirds
171 Banker Street
Brooklyn, New York

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