This year's PlayFest embraces the world of Noir through a collection of nine original short plays written and performed by playwrights, selected from submissions to our annual
Winter Call for New Voices of Theater.
Performances:
November 6–8, 2026
November 13–15, 2026
November 20–22, 2026
Three different plays each weekend
FIRST WEEKEND - November 6, 7 & 8
"The Maltese Walter" by John Minigan stars Aaron Love as a therapist, with Alex Lyman as a mild-mannered accountant who suffers from “Film Noir power.” Hannah Kaczmarczyk plays his fiancée.
"Donner for Christmas" by Susan Jackson is a playful take on the films of legendary director Alfred Hitchcock, starring Mara McGrath, Fred Ireland, and Jimmy Adams.
"Give the Devil His Due" by John Franceschini, a client hires a detective to find a missing nightclub singer. The mystery stars Trina Justman and Luis Carbajal
SECOND WEEKEND - November 13, 14 & 15
(A Celebration of Playwright Alli Costa)
"Don't Shoot the Messenger Pigeon" by Allie Costa brings a Mets fan and a Yankees fan face-to-face in an unexpected encounter. The play stars Fred Ireland and Sarah Beth Abernathy.
"She Has Seen the Wolf" by Allie Costa stars Sarah Nathan, Luis Carbajal, and Aaron Love in a Noir-inspired take on Little Red Riding Hood.
"Can You Keep a Secret?" by Allie Costa is a take on The Twilight Zone, starring Sarah Beth Abernathy, Sarah Nathan, and Hannah Kaczmarczyk, with guest director Alexis Forni.
THIRD WEEKEND - November 20, 21 & 22
"Torrid Taxes" by Laurie Spector follows a tax accountant and his desperate client, promising to prove that even tax season can have a Noir side. The play stars Robyn Myers and Jimmy Adams.
"Crown of Blood: The Elsinore Murders" by Michael Waterson takes audiences into the dark
world of Shakespeare and Hamlet, reimagined through the lens of Noir. The production stars Alex Lyman, Sarah Nathan, and Luis Carbajal.
"The Last Visitor" by David Schoenfeld stars Dianne Fraser and Brad Darfler.
