The Richard P. Stahl Festival Of New American Theatre – Presale
Trust us, it’s a process.
The Southwest’s Premier New Works Festival.
Hosted annually by The Phoenix Theatre Company, the Richard P. Stahl Festival of New American Theatre amplifies new voices and expands the canon of American theatre. The 29th Annual Festival will continue honoring our longstanding commitment to the development of new works, playwrights, and performers, and include a variety of events that allow artists of all kinds to see their work come alive onstage.
The Richard P. Stahl Festival of New American Theatre for the 2026/2027 season will be presented on December 4 – December 20, 2026!
Want to know who’s a part of this season’s festival? Check out the participants page!
Please check back in the summer of 2027 for submission information for 2028 Festival script submissions!
ALL FESTIVAL PROGRAMMING WILL BE HELD IN THE HORMEL THEATRE.
Interested in multiple events? Check out our Festival Pass for the best deal on tickets!
new works readings
BANDIT QUEEN
Musical Reading
Composer and Book Writer: Amanda D’Archangelis
Lyricist and Book Writer: Sami Horneff
Director: Michelle Chin
Music Director: Helen Kohler
Dramaturge: Amy Corcoran
Saturday, December 5 at 7:30pm
It’s 1902, and a troupe of traveling actors presents “The Arizona Female Bandit,” a play centering on Pearl Hart, the Wild West’s most notorious woman outlaw…and the older sister of playwright and star Katy Davy. But tonight, the real Pearl, freshly released from prison, bursts in on the final rehearsal, insisting the show’s ‘facts’ are fiction. The sisters step into their own roles, reliving their past shaped by abuse, crime, and addiction – and forcing them to finally mend old scars live, in real time. BANDIT QUEEN features a small cast of versatile performers and an Americana-inspired score that blends the rich storytelling of the Old West with a contemporary pop theatre sound.
THE HUMAN COMEDY
Musical Reading
Book Writer and Lyricist: William Dumaresq
Composer: Galt MacDermot
Additional Lyrics: Sam Willmott
Adapted by: Jack Viertel, Sam Willmott, and Sammi Cannold
Producer: Michael Kruke
Co-Producer: Ram Narasimhan
Director: Michael Barnard
Music Director: Steve Hildebrand
Dramaturge: Kirt Shineman
Saturday, December 12 at 7:30pm
In a small-town California city that perhaps never really was, young Homer Macauley becomes a telegraph delivery boy bringing messages of hope and tragedy to the local residents. Set during World War II, The Human Comedy was adapted musically by Galt MacDermot (Hair) from the classic novel by William Saroyan. It’s a warm, affectionate portrayal of small-town values at their best, the inevitable disappointment of some outcomes, and the unending whimsical nature and unpredictability of life itself.
THE SPARKLE WARS
Play Reading
Playwright: Brendan Bourque-Sheil
Director: D. Scott Withers
Dramaturge: Claire Dettloff
When a group of Memorial High School Theatre students get their production of The Laramie Project shut down by the school board, they decide to make their own piece of documentary theatre about the fight to get it back, which takes them to the frontlines of a hijinks-filled culture war, guaranteed to transform Memorial, and all of them along with it. The Sparkle Wars is a mockumentary about how communities choose the stories of who they are.
FESTIVAL PROGRAMMING
CHOREOGRAPHY LAB
Modeled after and inspired by the New York Theatre Barn event of the same name, this offering will showcase how movement and dance can elevate and expand storytelling in new musicals. Two choreographers, Molly LaJoie and Lynzee Foreman, will interpret “Galapagos” from Techies by Sam Carner and Derek Gregor, who also wrote Unlock’d which will be featured in our upcoming season, showcasing the transformative power of movement. The two interpretations will be presented in tandem to show the iconic mark a choreographer can leave on a musical. This event will be followed by a talkback.
First Draft Series: Young Playwrights (in collaboration with Spotlight Youth Theatre)
Through a collaboration with Spotlight Youth Theatre, we are presenting a special iteration of our First Draft Series featuring young playwrights. This free event will feature sit down readings of three different one-act plays which competed and won Spotlight Youth Theatre’s 2026-2027 Playfest, their annual playwriting competition for young adult playwrights.
New Works Design Panel- Bandit Queen
Saturday, December 5 at 5:30pm
This Festival event puts a spotlight on the work of designers and their role in establishing the world and aesthetic of a new work. This will be an informative panel with lighting, costume, and scenic designers. This panel is also in conjunction with the reading of Bandit Queen. The artists will talk about their creative process and design ideas for a fully produced version of this musical.
Composer Lyricist Cabaret – Dylan MarcAurele
In this cabaret, we celebrate the work of composer and lyricist Dylan MarcAurele, writer behind the Off-Broadway smash hit Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody. Each performance will feature a 45-minute set of music and will be followed by a talkback.
Composer Lyricist Cabaret – Ryan Ardelt and Matt Villar
Friday, December 11 at 8:30 pm
Sunday, December 13 at 12:30pm
In this cabaret, we celebrate the work of Ryan Ardelt and Matt Villar, two composers and lyricists who often frequent the Phoenix Theatre Company’s stages as actors! Each performance will feature a 45-minute set of music and will be followed by a talkback.
Composer/Lyricist Panel
A discussion between all of the writers and adapters behind week two of the Festival: Ryan Ardelt, Dylan MarcAurele, Jack Viertel, Matt Villar, and Sam Willmott. This behind-the-scenes event will focus on the process of songwriting, adapting musicals, and how different writing teams approach the journey from page to stage or from screen to stage.
[title to be determined]: AN IMPROVISED MUSICAL
Saturday, December 12 at 5:30pm
Witness the opening and closing performance of a brand-new musical being created right in front of you. A group of artists will gather details from the audience to improvise a short musical – music, lyrics, dialogue – everything being made up in front of a live audience. Get your tickets to a truly one night only experience!
THE 24-HOUR THEATRE PROJECT
Courtyard Drawing Friday, December 18, 7:30pm
Performance Saturday, December 19 at 7pm
A Festival favorite is back by popular demand. Four playwrights are randomly paired with a director and group of actors to write, rehearse, and memorize a short play to be performed 24-hours later. Join us for the drawing to see what artists will be paired together as well as the performance for an evening of brand-new short plays!
FIRST GLANCE: CHURCHILL AND ROOSEVELT
Our 2024-2025 season saw an almost sold-out run of Churchill written by David Payne and performed by David and his son Daniel. In January they return to the Hardes Theatre to premiere their new play, Churchill and Roosevelt: The Christmas That Saved The World. Join us for a first glance of the play that features two world leaders thrust together at a critical time in world history. Featuring David as Churchill and directed by Daniel, father and son also discuss the development process that preceded this new production and the other productions in their roster – seven in total – all of which feature renowned historical figures.
