THEATRE BRUT SHORT PLAY FESTIVAL 2026: THROUGH THE WINDOW to Open at NJ Rep

What happens when we look through a window? Do we see the world as it really is, the world as we wish it could be, or something we never expected? New Jersey Repertory Company is inviting audiences to discover the unexpected with THEATRE BRUT SHORT PLAY FESTIVAL 2026: “THROUGH THE WINDOW,” a festival of eight original short plays presented over two weekends, November 13–15 and November 20–22, 2026, at the West End Arts Center in Long Branch, New Jersey.

From dark fantasy and unexpected romance to family revelations, fractured relationships, and the fragile line between imagination and reality, THEATRE BRUT brings together eight distinctive playwrights for an exploration of the human experience that is by turns funny, provocative, unsettling, and deeply moving.

Each playwright was challenged to interpret the theme “Through the Window” in an original 15-to-30-minute one-act play, resulting in eight unique theatrical worlds and eight very different perspectives on what happens when we look beyond the familiar.

Known for championing adventurous new voices and bold storytelling, NJ Rep's THEATRE BRUT festival embraces theatrical experimentation and creativity unrestrained by convention. The festival offers audiences an opportunity to experience new work in an intimate setting, where the distance between artist and audience disappears, and anything can happen.

Bringing these eight distinctive theatrical worlds to life is a creative team whose artistry and imagination are at the heart of NJ Rep's THEATRE BRUT Festival. The festival is led by Festival Director Suzanne Barabas, Gail Winar Festival Producer and Festival Literary Manager Joel Stone The creative and production team includes Janey Huber (Assistant Director / Assistant Lighting Designer), Jordan Ryder (Intimacy Director for A Glass Darkly), Jessica Parks (Production Manager/Resident Set Designer), Jill Nagle (Resident Lighting Designer), Pat Doherty (Costume Designer), Nick Simone (Resident Sound Designer), Brian Snyder (Technical Director), Blake Robinson (Projection Design Assistant), and Marisa Procopio (Properties Designer), Production Stage Managers Kristin Pfeifer and Rose Riccardi, with Assistant Stage Manager Ian Duhart.

PROGRAM A — NOVEMBER 13–15

The first weekend features four plays exploring imagination, ambition, memory, and the sometimes dangerous collision between fantasy and reality.

A GLASS DARKLY by Shanti Reinhardt

Cast: Christa Collier and Michael Irvin Pollard; Directed by Suzanne Barbaras, Assistant Directed by Janey Huber

When Faye, a successful young romantasy writer, meets a blind date in an underground bar in the Los Angeles Metro, she discovers that the power of her imagination may have created a dangerous new reality. A provocative journey into the unexpected consequences of the stories we tell ourselves.

GROUND FLOOR, PARK VIEW by James Hindman

Cast: Lukas Jarvi and Lisa VillaMil; Directed by Joel Stone

Full of hope, a young couple purchases their dream apartment in a changing New York City neighborhood, only to discover that the future they imagined—and the beliefs upon which they built it—may be more fragile than they ever expected.

LOT'S WIFE by Neil LaBute

Cast: Gia Crovatin; Directed by Neil LaBute

A woman reflects on her romantic experiences dating back to high school and a 20-year reunion that delivers surprising results. From a playwright known for his unflinching examinations of human behavior comes a revealing look at memory, desire, and the complicated relationships that shape our lives.

ONE HUNDRED WINDOWS by Alexis Kozak

Cast: Andrea Gallo and Sandy Clancy; Directed by Gail Winar

When an aging scenic designer clashes with her young protégé over a new theatrical production, imagination and reality collide. Can fantasy set reality on fire? A theatrical exploration of artistry, generational conflict, and the creative impulse.

PROGRAM B — NOVEMBER 20–22

The festival's second weekend turns its attention to relationships, secrets, unexpected discoveries, and the universal search for connection.

LOOK by Michael Griffo

Cast: Nancy McKeon and Joelle Zazz; Directed by Gail Winar

An ordinary visit takes an extraordinary turn when Melanie learns of a surprising discovery made by her mother—one that will forever change the way she sees her. A revealing exploration of family, perception, and the things we never truly know about those closest to us.

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR by Joel Stone

Cast: Jonathan Randell Silver and Sandy Clancy; Directed by Joel Stone 

Liam and Mia are enjoying a passionate, secret affair as "neighbors with benefits" in a small West Hollywood apartment building. Half the fun is keeping their relationship under wraps. But tonight, their carefully guarded secret may be exposed.

SCENE FROM AN ITALIAN (CROATIAN) RESTAURANT by David Pierini

Cast: John Adams, Emily Anderson, and Dan Domingues; Directed by John D. FitzGibbon

With the unlikely assistance of a waiter-philosopher, two people from dramatically different walks of life attempt to bridge the distance between them. A thoughtful look at loneliness, life experience, and the human longing to find common ground.

TUNNEL OF LOVE by Chris Phillips

Cast: Ella Kaille and Ephraim Birney;  Directed by Suzanne Barbaras, Assistant Directed by Janey Huber

A flirtation blossoms between a guarded film student and his charismatic classmate. But as their relationship deepens, hidden truths and unexpected secrets emerge, threatening the future they have begun to imagine together.

Together, these eight plays invite audiences to consider the windows through which we view the world: the literal windows that frame our surroundings, the emotional windows that reveal our innermost selves, and the unexpected openings that challenge everything we thought we understood.

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