The Theater Project to Present Online Short Play Competition for 2026
After each performance, theater lovers will vote for a play to receive the Audience Favorite citation.
Whether they live in Sayreville, N.J., or Salisbury, U.K., theater aficionados will be able to enjoy eight one-act plays from the comfort of their homes and pick the one they liked best, thanks to The Theater Project's thirteenth annual Think Fast, a virtual competition that will take place February 27 – March 1 online.
After each performance, theater lovers will vote for a play to receive the Audience Favorite citation. The judges -- directors, producers, and playwrights from the Theater Project community -- will choose the winners in four additional categories: Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Judges' $500 Prize for Best Play. The awards are announced at the online meet and greet which begins 30 minutes after the Sunday broadcast finishes.
“THINK FAST originally was an in-person event, but we had to switch to Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Mark Spina, artistic director of The Theater Project. “We discovered that the virtual competition generated submissions from all over the English-speaking world. We get to meet colleagues and learn about theater scenes outside the U.S. in our post-show online conversations.”
The following plays, written by competitors from the United States and Canada, are the 2026 THINK FAST finalists:
· Ramifications by Alex Bernstein
· On the Likelihood of Elephants by Brian S. Brijbag, Esq
· Never Buy a Used Cat by Robert Diamante
· Harry Potter and the Superfans' Dream Vacation by Teddy Durgin
· Time Table by Jeff Perlman
· Not to Take Latin Composition by Glen Sharpe
· Far From the Tree by Michael Towers
· Confessional by Chris Zaczek
The pre-recorded plays will be streamed at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, February 27, and Saturday, February 28, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 1.
Tickets cost $15. Buyers also will receive a link to a live post-broadcast meet-and-greet session, during which they may chat with the playwrights, actors, directors, and event organizers.
Videos
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Raymie Nightingale, A World Premiere Musical StageWorks Theatre (5/07-5/17) |
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Not the Right Mom Written & Performed by Megan Dolan Avenel Performing Arts Center (5/30-5/30) |
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Mercury: Tribute to QUEEN's Lead Singer Brook Arts Center (5/15-5/15) |
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Mercury: Tribute to QUEEN's Lead Singer Brook Arts Center (5/15-5/15) |
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Supernatural: The Play The Stage at Fellowship Hall (5/23-5/23) |
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HAVING OUR SAY by Emily Mann The Theater Project (6/11-6/21) |
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Ben Folds with the New Jersey Symphony State Theatre New Jersey (6/14-6/14) |
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Memphis Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre at the Count Basie Center (4/23-4/25) |
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What the Constitution Means to Me Robert Shackleton Playhouse (6/03-6/28) |
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Rick Steves' Europe: A Symphonic Journey Mayo Performing Arts Center (11/07-11/07) |
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