Two River Theater Commissions New Works from Joe Iconis and Iraisa Ann Reilly
Christopher Anselmo, Jared Corak, and more are among artists supported through Two River Theater’s commissioning and new work development program.
The award-winning Two River Theater is spotlighting its ongoing commitment to new plays and musicals with more commissions supporting some of today’s theater makers. Commissioned artists in 2026 are Tony Award-nominee Joe Iconis (The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical at La Jolla Playhouse), whose TRT commission, Be More Chill, premiered at Two River prior to its Broadway run, and playwright Iraisa Ann Reilly (A Bodega Princess Remembers… at Ensemble Studio Theatre), whose work has been featured in Two River’s Crossing Borders/Cruzando Fronteras Festival.
They join Christopher Anselmo and Jared Corak (Fountain at NAMT, The Pout-Pout Fish), Alex Lin (Chinese Republicans at Roundabout Theatre Company), Mayte Natalio (Broadway’s How to Dance in Ohio and Suffs), and Christina Pumariega (¡VOS! at Two River Theater) who have received recent commissions from Two River Theater.
Two River’s commissioning and New Work development program is led by Artistic Director Justin Waldman, Associate Artistic Director Dennis Chambers, and Literary Manager Fiona Kyle.
Two River has a strong track record of commissioning, developing, and premiering new work by leading theater artists. This past season, TRT’s commission of The Monsters by Ngozi Anyanwu (Good Grief at Center Theatre Group and Vineyard Theatre) premiered in a co-production with Manhattan Theatre Club and earned a Lucille Lortel Award Nomination for Outstanding Play, a New York Times Critic’s Pick, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation’s Theatre Visions Award, and an Edgerton Foundation New Play award. During the 2026-27 season, the show will be produced at theaters across the country, including The Geffen Playhouse, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and La Jolla Playhouse, demonstrating the lasting impact and national reach of Two River’s commissioning program. Other Two River commissions that have received their World Premieres in Red Bank include Hurricane Diane by Madeleine George, Your Blues Ain’t Sweet like Mine by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, and The Hombres by Tony Meneses.
Two River’s commissioning program exemplifies the theater’s commitment to the holistic ecosystem of new plays, musicals, and experiences. Each commission receives $15,000, access to institutional developmental support, including dramaturgy practice and reading and workshop opportunities, access to Two River’s staff, residency in Red Bank, space in TRT’s Center for New Work, Education, and Design, and an enduring commitment to their artistry. The theater’s current full list of artists under commission include Christopher Anselmo and Jared Corak, Jaclyn Backhaus, Jessica Hagedorn, Joe Iconis, Joe Iconis and Joe Tracz, James Ijames, Alex Lin, Mayte Natalio, Eliana Pipes, Christina Pumariega, and Iraisa Ann Reilly.
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