CRABS IN A BARREL Named Featured Production of Midtown International Theatre Festival

As the Midtown International Theatre Festival makes its return to the New York stage after a decade-long hiatus, festival producers have officially named "Crabs in a Barrel" by acclaimed playwright Reginald T. Jackson a featured event of the 2026 season. This production will headline the festival's residency at the American Theatre of Actors (ATA) this July, coinciding with the ATA's landmark 50th Anniversary.

"Crabs in a Barrel" is a searing psychological drama centered on three individuals trapped in an existential "Hell." Jackson, a celebrated PEN America Writers' Fund grant recipient, weaves a modern-day love triangle where long-buried secrets and unspeakable crimes are slowly and methodically unmasked. The play promises to be a centerpiece of the MITF comeback, offering the kind of high-stakes, intellectual storytelling that has defined Jackson's storied career.

Reginald T. Jackson is a titan of the New York independent theater scene. Since founding the Rainbow Repertory Theatre-the nation's first Black Gay Theater-in 1988, Jackson has been a tireless advocate for LGBTQ+ POC voices. A National Shakespeare Pioneer and winner of multiple awards including a New York City Mayor's Citation, Jackson's work has graced the stages of Lincoln Center and The Public Theater, and has been utilized as a teaching tool at NYU and Pace University.

The relaunch of the Midtown International Theatre Festival, founded by John Chatterton and produced in partnership with indie luminary Jay Michaels, and the landmark American Theatre of Actors, transforms the three-theatre ATA complex into a massive hub of creative innovation from June 15 through July 26, 2026.

Performances will take place at the Sargent Theatre, Wednesday July 8, Saturday July 11, and Sunday July 12.