ROGUE THEATER FESTIVAL to Return for 8th Season at The Flea Theater

The 8th annual Rogue Theater Festival (RTF) will return to NYC this summer, featuring a dynamic and diverse group of new works and artists. The week-long festival will showcase 37 original productions, including fully staged plays, short plays, staged readings, and digital streaming performances. Performances will run July 6-12 at The Flea Theater in Tribeca. The festival continues its partnership with Abingdon Theatre Company for the third year in a row.

Passionate love affairs, murder mysteries, errotic horror, raging storms both outside and inside the home, journeys through rehab, and to space stations, and stories spanning small towns and big cities will light up the stage during the 2026 Rogue Theater Festival. An eclectic mix of characters will take center stage, including four social media influencers who find themselves canceled - and then murdered - as well as a mysterious drifter searching for a place to call home, and a queer son returning to his parents Baptist home.

RTF founder Allison Hohman shared her thoughts on the upcoming festival: "Rogue is a festival that has a little something for everyone. Want to see a touching story about heartbreak? We've got it. Want to see an erotic thriller? We've got that too. Rogue has always aimed to tell as many different stories as possible, and our eighth year will be no different."

She added, "Audiences attending Rogue can expect to experience work that is well-written, engaging, and uniquely reflective of the indie theatre scene - where so many great new works begin."

Tickets are $12 for digital streaming, $15 for staged readings and the series of short shows, and $25 for fully staged productions. Tickets will be on sale beginning June 8th at www.roguetheaterfestival.com/ticketinfo

The Flea Theater is located at 20 Thomas Street (between Broadway & Church Streets), New York, NY 10007. Subways: A/C/E/1/2/3/J/M/Z to Chambers Street, N/Q to Canal Street, and the R/W/4/5/6 to City Hall. More information available at www.roguetheaterfestival.com

FESTIVAL LINEUP

FULLY STAGED PRODUCTIONS at The Siggy Theatre

Tuesday, July 7 at 7pm

There Inherent written by Kyle R.Thomas

As a threatening storm bears down on an old family home, an aging couple decides to ride it out. When their son and daughter-in-law show up demanding that they evacuate immediately, the story shifts into a battle of wills, an exploration of faith, and ultimately what can and cannot be left behind.

Wednesday, July 8 at 7pm

Steps written by Olivia Mathis & Zoë Parrish

It's been 10 years since Margot has stepped foot in her childhood bedroom. When she returns to help her parents move out of the house, she finds and starts reading her stepsister's old journal, stirring up the past that Margot ran away from. The play unfolds as she relives the memories of her and her step-sister, Grace, as they learn together what the end of girlhood looks like, and grow from strangers to sisters.

Thursday, July 9 at 7pm

SLAYED written by Kenneth Nunez

MURDER. MOST. PROBLEMATIC. Four social media influencers victimized by cancel culture are cordially invited to a murder mystery party hosted by the owner of a popular true crime podcast. When one of them is suddenly found dead, the night plunges into terror as fame, victimization, and the spectacle of true crime are called into question.

Friday, July 10 at 7pm

Sango written by Taiwo Aloba

SANGO is an epic historical drama that reimagines the mythos of Sango, the formidable Yoruba god of thunder, lightning, and justice, set against the backdrop of the tumultuous rise and fall of the Oyo Empire.

SERIES OF SHORTS at The Siggy Theatre

A series of six one act plays performed on Sunday, July 12 at 1pm, 4pm and 7pm.

Broken Expectations written by Julia Genoveva

Estelle went back to rehab...again. Part of her recovery is to go through The Twelve Steps. Her important step right now: Meeting with her son, Peter...who she hasn't seen in ten years.

Catch written by Hayden Palmer

Cade, a drifter with a broken wrist and a single duffel bag, walks into a rental office in a small river town. The leasing agent, Emma, shows him a furnished one-bedroom overlooking the storm-battered docks. Over the course of a single day, Emma and Cade circle their own losses and brush close enough to wonder whether a stranger's kindness can arrive in time.

Fully Furnished written by Bill Keenan

Set in a town that never quite lets go, Fully Furnished follows two strangers bound by loss and coincidence, asking whether salvation is something we offer, or something that arrives too late.

Help from the Pod written by Rebecca B Kane

"Even after passing, the mother has not dropped the infant's corpse, carrying it wherever she travels." In 2018, a whale carried her dead calf for 17 days, in what some sources labeled an "apparent" display of grief. This is a play about a small family with a display of grief that is much more than "apparent" at around the same time.

Jackson and Midge On The Brooklyn Bridge written by Chelyn Cousar

After a rocky break up one year prior, a former couple tentatively reunite on the Brooklyn Bridge to examine what went wrong.

A Sad Affair written by Sean O'Leary

Over 20 years ago John and Megan had a passionate affair. When it ended, they split and lost contact with each other. Then a chance encounter brings them together. Both are in unhappy marriages and feel trapped in their lives. They decide to treat themselves to a one-time fling to bring back some excitement.

STAGED READINGS at The Siggy Theatre

Monday, July 6 at 7pm

Sun Tea written by Amelia Clark

Sun Tea is a comedy about (mostly) queer (mostly) women as they navigate the wins and woes of small town southern life and the family funeral home.

Saturday, July 11th at 7pm

Beneath The Wings Of a Dragonfly by Jason Wang

After sensing the lingering presence of the boy he lost, Ivan is pulled into a dreamlike journey through memory, where past and present collide in waves of music, movement, and emotion. Guided by flashes of youth, love, and heartbreak, he revisits the moments that shaped their relationship while struggling to remain connected to the world around him.

STAGED READINGS at The Pete Theatre

Monday, July 6 at 7:30pm

Baptist Passover written by Craig Winberry

When a queer son returns to rural Arkansas after a local shooting, he is pulled back into the family, faith, and buried violence he thought he escaped. Baptist Passover is a dark comedy and family drama about old wounds, religious performance, inherited shame, and the dangerous cost of telling the truth. As grief cracks open the Walker family's carefully protected myth, Huey becomes the one person who can either keep the silence or break the pattern for good.

Tuesday, July 7 at 7:30pm

Lisa + Tammy written by Carson White

Set in rural Texas from the 1980s through present day, Lisa + Tammy follows the lives of two best friends through their stolen conversations at weddings, baby showers and funerals. At turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Lisa + Tammy explores the cost of unrealized dreams, the sacrifices generations of women make for one another-and really good deviled eggs.

Wednesday, July 8 at 7:30pm

Canterbury Tales written by Larry Rinkel

Players re-enact six stories from the Canterbury Tales, written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the late 14th century (the Merchant, Miller, Reeve, Wife of Bath, Knight, and Nun's Priest). Some of the tales are bawdy and farcical (like the Miller), some serious and tragic (like the Knight), and there's even a cute little animal fable (the Nun's Priest). Along the way we'll find the stories still have a lot to say about sex, love, marriage, social status, youth, and age.

Thursday, July 9 at 7:30pm

Burned written by Cameron Forster

A New Year's Day fire in 1915 devastates Benson's All-Female College, killing four innocent young women and the school's principal. Decades later, siblings Jack and Tori visit their great-aunt Sarah, now living in a nursing home built on the site, only to discover she's being contacted by her sister Abigail-one of the victims that perished in the flames. As the past begins to resurface, they begin to uncover a truth their Aunt Sarah has spent a lifetime trying to bury and a haunting she can no longer escape.

Friday, July 10 at 7:30pm

Gas Light Therapy written by Patricia Lynn

Dr. Greg Stein is pumped. He's ready. He is so ready to introduce his newest invention, THE VICTOR-a revolutionary device that can permanently erase a woman's most traumatic memory. Very loosely inspired by Frankenstein, Gas Light Therapy is a twisted but witty exploration of mental health, identity, and the importance of recognizing that good intentions should never excuse dangerous actions.

Saturday, July 11 at 2:00pm

The Book Club written by Olivia Galligan

The Book Club is a lesbian coming-of-age dramedy that follows Molly, 16, and the imaginary conversations she has with the authors of 6 books she reads over the course of her young adult life. Through these conversations, the authors help Molly, and each other, on an awkward, challenging, joyful journey of lesbian self-discovery and acceptance.

Saturday, July 11 at 7:30pm

Blue Skies Yonder written by Peter Fenton

A contemporary Agatha Christie-inspired locked room murder mystery in the shadow of late-stage capitalism. At his lavish book launch party, promising young author Harrison Fowler spirals under the weight of a mismanaged manuscript and the deadly ambitions of his colleagues and loved ones. In the cutthroat world of publishing, the real killer might be whoever tells the best story.

Sunday, July 12 at 2:00pm

Canary: An American Myth written by Meghan Martin

In the coal camps of 1920s West Virginia, families struggle to survive as whispers of unionization spread through the mountains. As devastating mine disasters shake their lives, young Caleb becomes obsessed with the myth of Icarus, searching for meaning in stories of flight, ambition, and flying too close to the sun too close to the sun. Blending Appalachian history and magical realism, Canary explores the cost of chasing freedom in a world designed to keep people underground.

Sunday, July 12 at 7:30pm

MOONBODIES written by Halley Platz

MOONBODIES is an erotic horror play set in a nightmarish near-future New York City, where Shelley, a vibrant nightclub performer battling lifelong body dysmorphia and eating disorders, enrolls in an experimental drug trial that slowly transforms her into a werewolf. The catch: the drug only works if she eats.

DIGITAL PERFORMANCES

Digital streaming shows will be available on demand from July 6-12. Productions will be streamed via the CUR8 platform.

Bear Trap Garden written by Mikayla Delos-Santos

Bear Trap Garden takes place in a matriarchal society in the distant future. Girls are brought up to flourish and boys to watch.

Fem-Ship written by Joelle Joyner-Wong

Ever since she was 16, Zenaida had been in a relationship. After years of kissing frogs, Zenaida moves to a new city where she begins to navigate life the world in her eyes.

If a Tree Falls written by Daniel Black

When Nick returns to the woods where he once spent summers with his late wife Abigail, the boundaries between past and present begin to blur.

Run //Tracey.exe written by Aaron Garrett

On a nowhere space station an overwork AI keeps its head down keeps things humming. Tracey's past is a mystery, but no one thinks to ask about it, not since the Disconnect, no one wants to think about that.

THE UNDERSTANDING written by Rachel Rubin Ladutke

THE UNDERSTANDING is set in an affluent neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1995. Prominent obstetrician Victor Cordoba has been accused of horrific acts during the "Dirty War" nearly twenty years earlier.

I don't know, then we die written by Amelia Merrill

Claire and Mona, best friends for life, lock themselves in the girls' bathroom and get ready for one last school dance before the climate apocalypse ruins everything - including their makeup.

Usernames written by Mission Reed

Usernames is a set of fictional interviews, weaving the stories of the last 12 remaining players of online video game: Artaxian Online. Taking on the moniker Newbie2000, an amateur journalist delves deep into the dungeons and canyons of Artaxia.

Shangri-La-La, a comedy musical about Siegfried & Roy written by Mike Meier

Shangri-La-La is a bold, irreverent comedy musical set inside the glittering illusion machine of Las Vegas. This abbreviated one-hour festival version focuses on Siegfried & Roy and their extraordinary reinvention at Steve Wynn's Mirage Hotel.

Untitled Oz Project written by William Meurer

A queer, autistic young man finds himself alone in a strange room in the middle of the night after he's been kicked out by his mother. Unsure of where to go or how things have gone so wrong, he turns to the one constant in his life: The Wizard of Oz, and begins a journey down an unpaved road of memories.

An Awkward Timing written by Yide Cai

Set in 1976 China, in the aftermath of the Tangshan earthquake and Mao Zedong's death, An Awkward Timing follows YoYo, a rebellious 17-year-old factory apprentice with a love for poetry, and NanNan, a pragmatic 15-year-old girl torn between survival and self-discovery.

An Institution written by Dan Takacs

When a professor kisses a student during a classroom acting scene, the TA goes on a crusade to get him fired. But the professor calls in every favor to save his career, and soon each faculty member must choose a side.

Equity written by Stephen Fruchtman

Here in end stage capitalism, it can sometimes feel like we're going in circles. The people with all the money are ruining everything while they profit off of the ruination, and they're all starting to look like the same two people. A virtual play written for Skype that has to be presented, purely coincidentally, on Zoom.

To the Valley written by Luis Macias

Three strangers stowaway in the back of a fruit truck heading to the last oasis on Earth, the Rio Grande Valley. As they get closer to the valley, they learn a cosmic evil spread its roots in their new home.

Sorrow 1882 written by Katherine Lyle

Sorrow, 1882 is a meditation on Van Gogh's trials with addiction, mania, and suicidal ideation, and his relationships with the people who loved him.

About Rogue Theater Festival

Located in the heart of New York City, the Rogue Theater Festival stands as a beacon for theatrical innovation and creativity. Devoted to nurturing new voices and championing fresh perspectives, this dynamic festival serves as a platform for both emerging talents and seasoned artists to showcase their latest works. With a commitment to inclusivity and diversity, Rogue Theater Festival welcomes submissions from playwrights of all backgrounds, fostering a vibrant community of storytellers who push the boundaries of conventional theatre. Since its inception, Rogue Theater Festival has been committed to fostering creativity, diversity, and innovation in theatre, both on and off the stage. www.roguetheaterfestival.com

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