(UNION, NJ) -- The Theater Project, an incubator for new work and rising artists, has opened for submissions to its thirteenth annual THINK FAST festival of short plays, which will take place online February 27 – March 1, 2026. The deadline is November 17.
The judges will select seven to ten plays, which must run a maximum of fifteen minutes. The playwrights work with The Theater Project to pre-record their works for broadcast over Zoom. The audience at each performance will vote for its favorite play. Following the third and final performance, the judges will select the winners in five categories: Best Play ($500 prize), Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Audience Favorite.
For guidelines and application instructions, please click here.
Last year's winners: AUDIENCE FAVORITE: Third-Party, Blameless, by Andrew Riddles of Ottawa, Canada, $500 JUDGES PRIZE: Over the Hills and Far Away, by Christopher Zaczek of Baltimore, Maryland.
Originally focused on tristate area playwrights, the festival has grown to attract submissions from around the United States, Canada, and overseas.
“The goal of the festival is to give audiences the chance to enjoy new work,” said Mark Spina, artistic director of The Theater Project. “It also provides playwrights, actors and directors an opportunity to meet colleagues beyond their local theater community. Throughout the years, THINK FAST has showcased the impressive range and imagination of playwrights who offer everything from comedy to drama to experimental theater.”
Founded in 1994 and based in Union, The Theater Project introduces New Jersey audiences to new plays and supports rising playwrights and theater artists. It develops new audiences for theater by service to the community, providing programs for children and seniors, and using theater as a forum to address current issues.
