The Richard P. Stahl Festival of New American Theatre running December 2026 is on sale NOW!
Past season hits like The Roads to Loch Lomond, Let the Good Times Roll, and We Ain’t Ever Gonna Break Up: The Hymon & Parfunkel Musical got their start here. As always, we are excited to uplift new works with the help of returning and local talent and offer our community a peek behind the curtain.
All Festival events will be held in the Hormel Theatre from December 4 – 20, 2026. New this year, we are offering Festival Passes, which give you access to all of the events for one low cost! For information about programming and tickets, click here!
Where Artists Risk, Explore, and Create
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 2026/2027 Festival will continue honoring our longstanding commitment to the development of new works, youth and adult playwrights, and performers, and include a variety of events that allow artists of all kinds to see their work come alive onstage.
Creating Community That Lasts
Every year, we have the opportunity to invite creatives from all over to showcase their work on our stage. This year, we are welcoming back multiple familiar faces whose works have been featured, or they themselves have performed, during past Festivals and Seasons!
Jack Viertel returns to The Phoenix Theatre Company to present The Human Comedy, a musical adaptation of the classic novel by William Saroyan of the same name. His musical, Let the Good Times Roll world premiered during our 24/25 season, and is targeting a Broadway run during the 26/27 season. Joining him are Michael Kruke and Ram Narasimhan, who produced both of Viertel’s aforementioned works.
As part of the Composer Lyricist Cabaret, we are welcoming back local talents Ryan Ardelt, who has performed in productions at The Phoenix Theatre Company including The Sound of Music, and Matt Villar, whose original song cycle, Tales from the Amusement Park, made its professional debut at The Phoenix Theatre Company in 2023! Amanda D’Archangelis and Sami Horneff are also returning after their Composer Lyricist Cabaret was so well received. Their Arizona story, Bandit Queen, will come to life for its first staged reading as part of the December 2026 Festival!
How to Support New Works
Attending and engaging with new works are vital parts of the development process. For most of our events, artists invite audiences to discuss the work they’ve seen and provide feedback. Artists are curious about your thoughts and how their work was perceived.
What to Expect
This is an opportunity to witness how a production goes from the page to the stage!
The December 2026 festival will feature annual favorites – a play reading, two musical readings, two Composer Lyricist Cabarets, a Composer and Lyricist Panel, a Choreography Lab, the beloved 24-Hour Theatre Project, a Design Panel, a collaboration with Spotlight Youth Theatre for the First Draft Series: Young Playwrights, and an exclusive first glance at one of our upcoming productions. We are also excited to bring back [title to be determined]: An Improvised Musical after its success as a new addition to the January 2026 Festival. Witness the opening and closing performance of a brand-new musical being created right in front of you.
Be part of the evolution of a new work, walk a new path through American theatre.
Event Details
What: Richard P. Stahl Festival of New American Theatre December 2026
When: December 4 – 20, 2026
Events: A schedule of events for the duration of the festival can be found at https://phoenixtheatre.com/engage-learn/the-festival-of-new-american-theatre/
Where: The Phoenix Theatre Company, Hormel Theatre, 1825 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85004
Tickets: Available at www.phoenixtheatre.com or by calling the Box Office at (602) 254-2151
