VOICES INTERNATIONAL THEATRE AND ARTS FESTIVAL Returns to Jersey City in 2026
Jersey City Theater Center will present Romeo Castellucci, Kevin Powell, and Malik Work under the theme Beyond the Frame.
Jersey City Theater Center (JCTC) has announced the return of its signature Voices International Theatre and Arts Festival, running June 4 - 26, 2026 across multiple venues in Jersey City, and the Professional Voices Festival Conference on June 11 at White Eagle Hall, Jersey City.
Ticket prices range from free public events to $50 a ticket. Full festival passes are also available. To purchase and reserve tickets, and for more information visit https://jctcenter.org.
Produced by Jersey City Theater Center, the Voices International Theatre and Arts Festival is a vibrant celebration of diverse global voices. Under this year's theme, Beyond the Frame, the festival brings together internationally renowned artists and local visionaries for an extraordinary lineup of multidisciplinary performances, conversations, music, dance, immersive installations, and family programming and networking events that invite audiences to experience stories from around the world and from our own communities here in Jersey City.
From acclaimed International Artists such as Romeo Castellucci with the world premiere of Cantos to beloved local creators like Giselle Bellas, the festival creates space for everyone to participate, network, and share their story. From Jersey City native and Grammy-nominated poet Kevin Powell to the fearless truth-telling performances of Malik Work, Voices highlights artists who challenge, inspire, and connect audiences. The festival also features immersive installations and exhibitions at Mana Contemporary by award-winning innovators like Laia Cabrera and Isabelle Duverger, creating transformative visual experiences that push artistic boundaries.
International voices from across the globe bring compelling new perspectives to Jersey City, including writer Palesa Mazamisa and many other inspiring artists presenting works that illuminate identity, resilience, and the state of the world today.
Voices seeks to spark imagination, inspire creativity, and foster dialogue among diverse communities through bold artistic exploration. A special all-day Professional Voices Festival Conference on June 11 will bring together artists, presenters, producers, and cultural leaders for panels, conversations, and networking opportunities.
Voices invites audiences to explore Jersey City's thriving arts scene just a few PATH train stops from New York City. Festival events take place at White Eagle Hall (337 Newark Ave), Mana Contemporary (888 Newark Ave), Nimbus Arts Center (329 Warren St), Grace Church Van Vorst (39 Erie St), Barrow Mansion (83 Wayne St), the Newark Avenue Pedestrian Plaza (134-158 Newark Ave) and other venues throughout Jersey City.
JCTC Executive Producer Olga Levina says, "One City. Many Voices. One Global Conversation. As an immigrant born in Ukraine, shaped by a diverse family and a childhood marked by uncertainty, I learned early that safety and peace come from recognizing our shared humanity. In today's world, where the loudest voices often dominate, we must ask: what does that truly mean, and whose stories are being heard now? The Voices International Theatre and Arts Festival creates space here in Jersey City for cultural exchange. Through the arts, we build bridges across communities and cultures by elevating voices too often overlooked and transforming our differences into a powerful global dialogue."
Beyond the Frame explores going beyond the borders we create, not only between countries, but also between communities, cultures, and people questioning what separates us at a time of growing division. For the Voices International Theatre and Arts Festival, the theme also means moving beyond the traditional confines of theatre itself, creating spaces where artists and audiences from around the world come together through stories, dialogue, and shared experiences that challenge perspectives, on Newark Avenue Pedestrian Plaza, at a church and beyond.
The festival is supported by funding through the NJEDA's A.R.T. Phase II Grant Program and the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism (VisitNJ).
2026 VOICES INTERNATIONAL THEATRE AND ARTS FESTIVAL FULL SCHEDULE
OPENING NIGHT: GLOBAL MUSIC - INDIA, INDONESIA, SLOVENIA/PUERTO RICO
Thursday, June 4 at 7pm at White Eagle Hall (337 Newark Ave). All ages welcome.
Opening night celebration featuring music artists from India (Surati), Indonesia (Riau Rhythm), and Slovenia and Puerto Rico (Slavo Rican Assembly) - a global kickoff to the 2026 Voices International Theatre and Arts Festival that sets the international scope of the Beyond the Frame season.
Performers include Surati: Pritha Majumder, Rajesh Roy, Sumit Roy; Slavo Rican Assembly: Jan Kus - saxophone, Gabriel Vicéns - guitar, Ahmed Alom - piano/keys, Dan Martínez - el. bass, Victor Pablo - percussion, Žan Tetičkovič aka Jean John - drums; Riau Rhythm: Rino Deza Pati, Hendri Faizal, Violano Rupiyanto, Refi Lesta Hakim and Viogy Rupiyanto.
Laia Cabrera & Isabelle Duverger - QUALIA & PERENNIAL LAND / THE DATA FOREST
Ongoing Showings June 6 - 26 at Mana Contemporary (888 Newark Ave). Opening June 6 from 1-4pm and June 7 from 5-8pm. Ages 12 and up.
An ongoing immersive installation and live performance work by Laia Cabrera (Spain/Catalonia) and Isabelle Duverger (France) presented across two galleries at Mana Contemporary. Qualia and Perennial Land / The Data Forest transform space through projection mapping, light, and data-driven storytelling, inviting audiences into a sensory exploration of perception, memory, and the relationship between nature and technology.
Artist Talks on June 12 at 11am (Conference Talk) and June 13 at 3pm (Public Talk).
Bill Bowers - IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING
New Jersey Premiere on Saturday, June 6 at 3pm at Mana Contemporary (888 Newark Ave).
A solo performance by celebrated mime and physical theater artist Bill Bowers, known for work that explores identity and the LGBTQ+ experience through movement and storytelling. IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING is a uniquely crafted autobiographical tour-de-force in which Bill shares funny, heartbreaking, and unbelievable true stories from his career as an actor and mime, and his life-long exploration of the role silence plays in all our lives.
Run time is 75 minutes. Ages 16 and up.
GISELLE
Sunday, June 7 at 7pm at White Eagle Hall (337 Newark Ave).
A Latin-infused reimagining of the classic Giselle, blending world music with the timeless romantic ballet narrative.
Ages 8 and up.
READING OF WAAFRICA 123 by Nick Hadikwa Mwaluko
New Jersey Premiere on Sunday, June 7 at 4pm at Mana Contemporary (888 Newark Ave).
Directed by Ghana-based artist Kobina Hagan, Waafrica 123 is a bold theatrical work examining queerness and identity through an African lens. Community partner is National Queer Theater.
Performed by Tẹmídayọ Amay, Amari Flynn, Bernadette Mira Hagen, Le'Asha Julius, Shiro Kihagi and Christopher Tucker.
Run time is 1:45. Ages 18 and up.
SYRIAN SOAP
New Jersey Premiere on Sunday, June 7 at 7pm at Mana Contemporary (888 Newark Ave).
Written by E. Zaalan, original direction by Natasha Mercado, and performed by Edib Farhan.
Award-winning standup and clown Edib Farhan presents Syrian Soap, a 60-minute absurd ancestral intervention inspired by Syrian soap operas and set in an intergalactic bathhouse. Community partner is National Queer Theater.
Run time is 60 minutes. Ages 18 and up.
TIZIANO CRUZ - Three Ways to Sing to a Mountain
New Jersey Premiere on Tuesday, June 9 at 7pm and Thursday, June 11 at 7pm at White Eagle Hall (337 Newark Ave).
Tiziano Cruz is an artist from the periphery of Argentina. From a selection of autobiographical marks, he composes scenic narratives, invoking the memory of the body and the power of his Andean ancestors, in a desperate attempt, not only to silence the mourning of his dead sister, but also, as a possibility to reconcile with the world. This conference is the result of six years of unbridled research and writing about grief, loss, social, economic and cultural injustice in some lost villages in the periphery of Argentina.
Run time is 50 minutes. Ages 16 and up.
https://www.rosastudio.art/associated-artists/tiziano-cruz
THE CIGAR FACTORY (STAGED READING) BY PALESA MAZAMISA
Wednesday, June 10 at 3pm at White Eagle Hall (337 Newark Ave).
Written by Palesa Mazamisa (South Africa).
When a silent, profit-driven apocalypse begins, the last summit on earth is not at the UN, but in a cigar factory. Five women who have spent their lives fighting over how to run the world are locked in a room with one mission: save it. They must negotiate a single plan using only their wits, their histories, and a shared urgency. An audience discussion follows the reading.
PROFESSIONAL VOICES FESTIVAL CONFERENCE
Thursday, June 11 from 11am - 5:30pm at White Eagle Hall (337 Newark Ave). Ages 16 and up.
The centerpiece conference day of the 2026 Voices International Theatre and Arts Festival, bringing together artists, presenters, producers, curators, and cultural leaders for a full day of panels, conversations, and networking opportunities, followed by an evening of back-to-back headline performances.
Performers include María del Mar Suárez, La Chachi (Spain) at 4pm, Tiziano Cruz (Argentina) at 7pm, and Malik Work (USA) at 8pm.
MARÍA DEL MAR SUÁREZ, LA CHACHI - Taranto Aleatorio (Spain)
U.S. Premiere on Friday, June 12 at 7pm (main performance) at the Newark Avenue Pedestrian Plaza (134-158 Newark Ave), and Thursday, June 11 at 4pm (conference showcase) at White Eagle Hall (337 Newark Ave).
Spain's La Chachi brings an electrifying blend of contemporary flamenco and physical theater to Voices Fest, pushing the boundaries of traditional form through raw, explosive movement.
Performers include María del Mar Suárez and Lola Dolores.
Run time is 60 minutes. Ages 12 and up.
https://lachachi.net/taranto-aleatorio
ROMEO CASTELLUCCI - CANTOS
World Premiere at Grace Church Van Vorst (39 Erie St) on Friday, June 12 at 4pm, 4:30pm, 5pm, 5:30pm, 6pm, 6:30pm, 7pm, 7:30pm and 8pm, and Saturday, June 13 at 1pm, 1:30pm, 2pm, 2:30pm, 3pm and 5pm.
Company: Societas Raffaello Sanzio (Italy). By Romeo Castellucci and Scott Gibbons. Movement care by Gloria Dorliguzzo. Sound Technician is Nicola Ratti.
A profound and visually striking new work by one of Europe's most visionary theater directors, Romeo Castellucci, presented across intimate performances over two days at Grace Church Van Vorst.
Run time is 30 minutes. Ages 16 and up.
THE PRAGMATISTS from TRAP DOOR THEATRE
East Coast Premiere on Saturday, June 13 at 7pm at Nimbus Arts Center (329 Warren St).
Play by Witkacy. Directed by Zeljko Djukic. Sound Design by Danny Rockett. Original Music by Natasha Bogojevic.
Trap Door Theatre, Chicago's celebrated home of European avant-garde drama, presents The Pragmatists - a sharp, politically charged work directed by Zeljko Djukic.
Performers include Venice Averyheart, Caleb Lee Jenkins, David Lovejoy, Manuela Rentea, Hannah Silverman, Keith Surney and Kevin Webb.
"If you like Theater of the Absurd, then this show is for you!" - Around the Town Chicago
Run time is 75 minutes. Ages 16 and up.
KEVIN POWELL
Saturday, June 13 at 8pm and Sunday, June 14 at 4pm at Grace Church Van Vorst (39 Erie St). Ages 16 and up.
Award-winning author, activist and poet Kevin Powell delivers a powerful performance-lecture blending spoken word, memoir and social commentary that spans race, masculinity and American identity.
SANDGLASS THEATER - OMA (PUPPET THEATER)
Sunday, June 14 at 2:30pm at Barrow Mansion (83 Wayne St). Ages 5 and up.
Sandglass Theater is a renowned theater company specializing in combining puppets with music, actors, and visual imagery. Since 1982, the company's productions have toured internationally in over 30 countries, performing in theaters, festivals and cultural institutions and winning numerous international prizes. Sandglass is dedicated to the arts of theater and puppetry as a means of exploring contemporary issues, inspiring dialogue and sparking wonder.
Directed by Ines Zeller Bass. Performers include Shoshana Bass and Jana Zeller. Molly Gawler is composer/musician.
LOCO7's Don Quixote Takes New York (PUPPET THEATER)
New Jersey Premiere of Don Quixote Takes New York on Sunday, June 14 at 4pm at Nimbus Arts Center (329 Warren St).
A puppet theater production by LOCO 7, blending object manipulation and physical performance in an inventive, visually rich theatrical world.
Inspired by the novel The Ingenious Nobleman Sir Quixote of La Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes. Adapted by Ivan Cardozo and Beatriz Caballero. Re-imagined, adapted and directed by Denise Greber and Federico Restrepo. Choreographed and designed by Federico Restrepo. Sound Design and Music by Hao Bai. Costume Design by Becky Hubbert. Stage Manager is Maya Tsou.
Performers include Federico Restrepo, Braulio Basilio, Zlata Godnova, Ursula Tinoco and Juan Pablo Toro.
Run time is 45 minutes. Ages 5 and up.
KOREAN SHOWCASE
Sunday, June 14 at 7pm at White Eagle Hall (337 Newark Ave).
A performance arts showcase from South Korea, presented as part of the 2026 Voices International Theatre and Arts Festival programming.
Performers include DoKyung An, Raymond Cha, Juhwa Lee, Olivia Lee, Susan Lee and Suna Yun.
BLACK AND WHITE TEA ROOM (KOREA)
Tuesday, June 16 and Wednesday, June 17 at 7pm at Nimbus Arts Center (329 Warren St). Ages 12 and up.
Written and directed by Cha Hyun Suk.
From South Korea, Black and White Tea Room is an evocative theatrical work that draws on Korean ritual, ceremony and contemporary performance traditions.
IF I HAD A GUN, I'D TAKE THEM ALL DOWN
U.S. Premiere on Thursday, June 18 at 7pm at Nimbus Arts Center (329 Warren St).
Created by and dramaturgy by Paul Bargetto and Michael Rubenfeld. Text and video by Piotr Armianovski. Directed by Paul Bargetto. Performed by Michael Rubenfeld.
A raw and unflinching performance work from Ukraine/Poland, exploring violence, conflict, and the human cost of war through theater and movement.
Run time is 60 minutes. Ages 18 and up.
https://teatrtransatlantyk.org/ifihadagun
VERSES AT WORK by MALIK WORK
Friday, June 19 at 7pm at Grace Church Van Vorst (39 Erie St), and Thursday, June 11 at 8pm (conference performance) at White Eagle Hall (337 Newark Ave).
Poet and performer Malik Work delivers Verses at Work, a dynamic spoken word and performance piece examining labor, identity, and the American experience. Also performs at the June 11 conference.
"The MC is a curator, an alchemist and sometimes a prophet, but always a sustainer who never lets the mic drop." - Broadway World
Run time is 1 hour. Ages 14 and up.
DODO GOMBAR - THE PORTAL (SLOVAKIA)
New Jersey Premiere on Saturday, June 20 at 3pm at Mana Contemporary (888 Newark Ave). Ages 16 and up.
Slovak writer and performer Dodo Gombar presents a literary performance work that bridges Central European storytelling traditions with contemporary theatrical form.
OLGA RABETSKAYA - LA PLAYA (DANCE/PERFORMANCE) (BELARUS)
Saturday, June 20 at 7pm at Nimbus Arts Center (329 Warren St). Ages 12 and up.
Directed and choreographed by Olga Rabetskaya. Music Director/Composer is Masha Vasilevskaya.
La Playa explores humanity's relationship with nature, the forces that shape us, and the systems - both internal and external - that govern our lives. Structured as a two-part work, the first section introduces four central characters working in a beachside café, each representing an elemental force. After a transformative event - a tsunami - the second half shifts into an abstract, movement-driven celebration of the body, spirituality, and resilience.
Performers include Carl Ponce Cubero, Lavy, Elliana Lynch-Daniels, Masha Vasilevskaya and Emma Weiss. Musicians include Aliya Kamenshikov (vocals), Garik Bagdagyulyan (drums), Daniel Basilio-Fernandez (bass), David Chorowski (percussion) and Masha Vasilevskaya (violin). Lighting Design by Mariano Marquez, Tiago Canhoto and Olga Rabetskaya. Technical Direction and Design by Mariano Marquez. Sound Design + Live Sound Engineer is Maksim Cherepanov. Set Design by Mariano Marquez and Olga Rabetskaya. Costumes by Aleksandra Sikorskaya and Olga Rabetskaya.
Carolyn Dorfman DANCE/RASHAD WRIGHT - The Fire & the Rhythm
Wednesday, June 24 at 7:30pm at Nimbus Arts Center (329 Warren St). Ages 8 and up.
Choreographed by Carolyn Dorfman.
New Jersey dance icon Carolyn Dorfman and her company bring their signature blend of contemporary dance and humanist storytelling to Voices Fest.
EUROPEANA from THEATRE NA ZABRADLI (CZECH REPUBLIC)
New Jersey Premiere on Thursday, June 25 at 7pm at Nimbus Arts Center (329 Warren St).
Directed by Jan Mikulasek. Dramatization by Dora Stedronova and Jan Mikulasek. Dramaturgy by Dora Stedronova. Set and Costumes by Marek Cpin.
Europeana: the history of Europe in the twentieth century depicted with a detached view, a dry sense of humour and bitter irony. Key historical moments receive the same attention as banal ones, creating a new view of our past through wit, irony, mystification and hard facts.
Performers include Jiri Vyoralek, Honza Hajek, Magdalena Sidonova, Dita Kaplanova, Anezka Kubatova, Vaclav Vasak, Miloslav Konig and Jiri Kniha.
Run time is 100 minutes. Ages 16 and up.
GIRL ON A TRAMPOLINE from SVANDOVO DIVADLO (CZECH REPUBLIC) (Closing Night)
New Jersey Premiere on Friday, June 26 at 7pm at White Eagle Hall (337 Newark Ave).
Prague's acclaimed Svandovo Divadlo closes Voices Fest 2026 with Girl on a Trampoline. Inspired by the difficult life of Zdena Salivarova and Josef Skvorecky, the play examines their work and life in communist Czechoslovakia and subsequently in emigration in Toronto, Canada.
Directed by Martin Frantisak. Stage Adjustment by Martin Frantisak and Johana Souckova Nemcova. Dramaturgy by Johana Souckova Nemcova. Stage Design and Costumes by Eva Zezula. Music by Ivan Acher. Choreography by Zoja Mikotova. Video Projection by Frantisek Pechacek. Production: Tereza Markova. Stage Manager is Martina Deleau.
Performers include Andrea Bursova, Marek Frnka, Matej Andel, Barbora Krupkova, Jan Mansfeld and Katarina Misejkova.
Run time is 2 hours and 20 minutes (including intermission). Ages 12 and up.
https://www.svandovodivadlo.cz
Olga Levina is the Co-Founder and Executive Producer of Jersey City Theater Center (JCTC), where she has spent more than two decades building one of New Jersey's leading arts organizations, and the Founder of Voices International Theatre and Arts Festival. Since 2006, Olga has shaped JCTC's artistic vision through innovative theatre, dance, music, and multidisciplinary programming focused on building bridges among diverse communities through the arts. She is also co-owner of White Eagle Hall, where JCTC presents their main stage productions, festivals, and events.
Under Levina's leadership, JCTC has created acclaimed programs including Voices International Theatre and Arts Festival, Immigration Arts Summit, Garden State New Play Festival, DirectorsLab, Arts4All, JCTCKids, JCTC Global Music Series, Stories of Greenville, and One City One People. Her directing credits include Mind, Body and Soul, Trojan Women, American Dreamers, and Whispers and Shouts of a Growing City.
Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, and raised in Belarus, Levina began her artistic career as a dancer and choreographer. She graduated from the Minsk School of the Performing Arts and studied acting, directing, and dance in both Europe and the United States, including at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York City. She holds a BFA in Acting from Montclair State University where she also attended the MA Directing Program with Jorge Cacheiro.
Levina has received numerous honors, including the Belarusian Philharmonic Award for Creative Choreography, the Jersey City Arts Leadership Award, the JCAC Award for Programming of Artistic Excellence, and the Making a Difference: Empowered Women Empower Women Award. A proud member of ISPA, APAP, and the Under the Radar Symposium, she frequently lectures at universities, collaborates with local artists and organizations and internationally with many cultural institutions and artists.
Her lifelong mission is to bring diverse communities together through the arts.
Tomek Smolarski (Voices International Theatre and Arts Festival Co-Producer and Curator) is a cultural manager, producer, and curator with over 20 years of experience producing international cultural events and building bridges across disciplines through cultural diplomacy. His work spans theater, film, and performance, and he has collaborated with leading U.S. institutions including BAM, MoMA, Lincoln Center, Anthology Film Archives, MoMI, Pacific Film Archive, and La MaMa Theatre, among many others.
Jersey City Theater Center (JCTC) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) arts organization committed to inspiring conversations about important issues of our times through the arts. Co-founded by Executive Producer Olga Levina, an immigrant from Belarus, Jersey City Theater Center (JCTC) produces and presents universal yet locally relevant works, emphasizing social justice and human rights. Since 2006, JCTC has provided a platform for all artistic voices to be heard in Jersey City, with the aim of sparking meaningful cross-cultural dialogue that helps build a greater understanding, mutual respect and better communities in New Jersey.
Programming made possible by numerous supporters, including the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs/Tourism Development, Hudson County, the City of Jersey City, and the Office of Cultural Affairs/Jersey City Arts Trust Fund. For those who are interested in attending any of the performances, sponsoring any of the upcoming productions, or purchasing tickets for large groups, please email info@jctcenter.org. For info visit https://jctcenter.org.
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