Published by New Jersey Stage
originally published: 04/09/2026
(PLAINFIELD, NJ) -- Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center presents its 2026 New Jersey One-Act Play Festival, featuring five world premiere one-act plays by New Jersey playwrights, from April 24-26, 2026 at duCret Center of Art. The annual festival continues Dragonfly's mission of championing local artists, producing new work, and bringing diverse, community-centered storytelling to the stage.
Artistic Director Catherine LaMoreaux noted that the festival remains a cornerstone of Dragonfly’s artistic vision. “We believe new plays are essential to the future of theater,” she said. “This festival gives New Jersey writers a platform, connects artists with audiences, and reminds us that live theater is one of the most immediate ways to build empathy and community.”
Performances will take place Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25 at 8:00pm, and Sunday, April 26 at 2:00pm. Tickets are $20–25 and are available for purchase online at the door. The duCret Center of Art is located at 1030 Central Avenue in Plainfield, New Jersey.
Following the Friday evening performance, audiences are invited to stay for a special talkback with the playwrights, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process and the opportunity to engage directly with the writers behind these world premieres.
“In these times, it’s difficult to find places that celebrate new works,” said playwright Benjamin V. Marshall, writer of Elizabeth, NJ. “Dragonfly is tremendous because it takes chances with producing new plays, and it also celebrates the communities who comprise their audiences.”
This year’s festival features:
* Unlove Me by Charles Grayson, directed by Andrew Rodriguez: A couple terribly in love visits a relationship counselor and tries to explain why they need help.
* Reunion by Stephen Patrick, directed by Matt Holbert: An elderly woman in a nursing home is depressed until she is given a possibly magical laptop.
* A Grave Mistake by Susan Cain McQuilkin, directed by Aidan O'Rourke: A man arrives in a wooded area with a body in a tarp. As he digs a grave, the tarp begins to move.
* Elizabeth, NJ by Benjamin V. Marshall, directed by Kat Perez and Aaliyah Whitfield: The story of two immigrant women waiting to see loved ones at a detention center.
* Game Company by and directed by Catherine LaMoreaux: A Baby Boomer and a Gen Z gamer are forced to work together at a video game company.
The productions feature a talented ensemble cast including Theresa Copeland, Kamirah Owens, Mark Vallaro, Whitney Bailey, Doris A. Dollard, William Bardusch, Vicki Cardona, Eloy Rosario, Tatum Thompson, Carla Breton, Lorena, Tim O’Connor, Christine, Comerci, and Jillana Kucey.
Aaliyah Whitfield, who is co-directing Elizabeth, NJ, spoke to the power of local theater and community believes “Local art matters.” She says “there’s a level of community that is built when you know the people who are on stage and the people who come to support. What is created on the stage is a magic that folds, like paper into origami—literature, language, and design into something with structure, substance, and empathy. And the beauty of theater is you never get the same thing twice.”
This program is made possible in part by a 2026 HEART (History, Education, Arts Reaching Thousands) Grant from the Union County Board of County Commissioners, and grants from The Plainfield Cultural and Heritage Commission, and The Plainfield Foundation.
Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center is a Plainfield-based nonprofit theater company in residence at duCret Center of Art. Dragonfly is dedicated to producing inclusive and diverse programming that reflects the voices and experiences of its community. Through classic works, new plays, and world premieres, Dragonfly fosters dialogue, empathy, and artistic excellence.
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