The 2021 Stages Festival is here!

The 2021 Stages Festival is here!

This year's festival will be held primarily online, due to the ongoing pandemic. The 40 member theatres of the Alliance will collectively produce over 60 events, made available at no cost or at deeply discounted ticket prices throughout March, April, and May, 2021.

We’d like to publicly thank the spotlight sponsors of The Stages Festival, whose support makes this programming possible: the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts; Bank of America; and The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey. Additional sponsors include OceanFirst Foundation; the George A. Ohl, Jr. Trust; New Jersey Historical Commission, and Fund for the New Jersey Blind.

Highlighted Events

Mussetta’s Stories and Melodies from Around the World Progressive Theater March 5 — March 31 This virtual production is an adaptation of Dr. M's children's record which was released March 2019. This snug-able listening and visual experience combined classical vocalist Dr Lori Brown Mirabal's enjoyment of teaching music to children with her imaginative stories and lovingly sung performances of original and global songs. This is ideal for story-time everywhere whether at home, in school, in libraries or in children's hospitals.

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The Playbill Gallery (a love story) Mile Square Theatre Available starting March 5 Mile Square Theatre in Hoboken debuts the premiere of its first Podcast play – The Playbill Gallery (a love story) – written and performed by MST playwright-in-residence Joseph Gallo, and featuring a sound score by MST's resident designer Michael Blaskewicz.

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Tales From Around The World: Storytelling by Gerald Fierst Pushcart Players March 13 Acclaimed storyteller, Gerald Fierst, provides laughter, drama, participation, and surprises from a multi-cultural world. Designed for elementary school audiences, a collection of folklore, literature, and original materials stress that all of us have stories to tell.

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Something to Vote For by Charlotte Perkins Gilman East Lynne Theater Company March 18 — March 21 This both witty and profound play takes place in the home of the new president of an influential anti-suffrage women’s club. When the group is concerned about the purity of milk given to babies, a local milk manufacturer, the new milk inspector, a poor woman who recently lost a child, and a woman doctor are invited to speak to the club. The doctor puts the need for women to vote at the center of the conversation if these women really want change for the better.

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The Genesis Play Festival: co-presented with Hi-ARTS Crossroads Theatre Company April 14 — 17 A crucial pillar in Crossroads’ mission is to support the work of new and emerging Black voices as they create and develop new plays for the American theatre. This is embodied annually in the Genesis Festival of New Plays. Historically, Genesis has given our audiences the first look of work that in later seasons will find itself on the main stage, and artists take the opportunity to receive critical feedback from our audiences in conversations following their readings. They are energizing to both our audiences and the participating artists.

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An Emergency Convening: Encore Screening and Discussion Elizabeth Youth Theater Ensemble May 1 Join us for this special encore screening of Walking the Beat : An Emergency Convening, which uses theater, film, and spoken word to share some of our meaningful takeaways from EYTE's Social Justice program. Following the screening, there will be moderated discussion with EYTE teaching artists and a special guest!

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Jersey City Theatre Center New Play Festival Jersey City Theatre Center May 6, 13, 20, & 27 Now in its fifth year, JCTC's New Play Festival is a reading series featuring new plays by emerging playwrights. Following a submission process, selected plays are presented in professionally directed staged readings. Held every spring the festival is an annual tradition that showcases new work while inviting JCTC audiences to play an essential role in the theater development process.

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Healing Voices: Caregivers’ Stories McCarter Theatre Center May 7 Healing Voices: Caregivers' Stories on Stage will explore the touching role caregivers play in our lives. Join us for a free virtual reading of an original script featuring excerpts from stories, plays, poems, and letters written by people who identify as caregivers, or have been deeply impacted by their interaction with one.

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For Colored Boyz On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown/When Freedom Ain’t Enuf Paterson Performing Arts Development Council May 31 This virtual production is a dramatic reading of select poems and monologues from For Colored Boyz Who Are On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown/When Freedom Ain’t Enuf written by Houston-based artist Bryan-Keyth Wilson. Inspired by the Ntozake Shange choreopoem For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When The Rainbow Is Enuf, Wilson’s choreopoem examines the dark realities of what it means to be a man of color in America, addressing such issues as toxic masculinity, homophobia, systemic racism, mental health, colorism, and police brutality.

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See the full line-up of 2021 Stages Festival Programming here!