Manhattan Theatre Club Unveils 2026 Ted Snowdon Reading Series Lineup

Manhattan Theatre Club has announced the lineup for the 2026 Ted Snowdon Reading Series. The readings will be held on Mondays at New York City Center Stage (i) (131 West 55 Street). All readings are free and open to the public, with RSVPs required due to limited capacity.

Now in its 28th year, the Ted Snowdon Reading Series is dedicated to the development of innovative new work, providing each playwright with a week-long rehearsal process alongside directors and actors. The 2026 series will feature three new plays and one new musical, including two commissions from Manhattan Theatre Club. The series is supported by Ted Snowdon.

Works developed through the series have gone on to full productions at Manhattan Theatre Club, including Proof by David Auburn, Between Us by Joe Hortua, Based on a Totally True Story by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Close Up Space by Molly Smith Metzler, Fulfillment Center by Abe Koogler, India Pale Ale by Jaclyn Backhaus, The Niceties by Eleanor Burgess, and THE MONSTERS by Ngozi Anyanwu. Additional works developed through the series have been produced at theatres in New York and internationally.

LAGNIAPPE

Lagniappe by C.A. Johnson, directed by Eric Ting, will open the series. Set in the Bunche Village subdivision outside New Orleans, the play follows the interconnected lives of residents who gather at a local corner store. Lagniappe is a Manhattan Theatre Club/Bobbie Olsen Play Commission.

SIGNALING

Signaling by Dylan Guerra, directed by Estefanía Fadul, is an MTC/Alfred P. Sloan Initiative Commission. The play is set at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico and centers on the creation of the Arecibo Message, sent into space as a representation of humanity.

THE COLLECTIVISTS

The Collectivists by Jaclyn Backhaus, directed by Zoë Adams, explores caregiving, community, and the idealism of collective living through the story of a young woman caring for her father alongside an intentional farm community.

A MOUNTAIN FOR ELODIE

The series will conclude with A Mountain for Elodie, written and performed by Benjamin Scheuer and directed by Séimí Campbell. The piece examines parenting, grief, and generational connection, and is presented in partnership with Signature Theatre.