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.
EVENT PREVIEWS
Be Amazed by the Golden Age of Radio at the Toms River Branch of the Ocean County Library
(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- Return to the era when families gathered around the wireless set for "theater of the imagination." The Toms River Branch of the Ocean County Library will host a live presentation by WREP: When Radio Entertained People on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 from 7:00pm to 8:30pm. A trivia game will take place before the show at 6:30pm. The performance will begin at 7:00pm. Join them for an evening "broadcast" of skits from the Golden Age of radio, performed live by WREP's veteran actors.
Centenary Stage Company's Women Playwrights Series presents "Not It!" by Kathleen Coudle-King
(HACKETTSTOWN, NJ) -- Centenary Stage Company brings its acclaimed Women Playwrights Series to a powerful close on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at 7:00pm with a staged reading of Not It! by playwright Kathleen Coudle-King. The performance will take place in the Sitnik Theatre of the Lackland Performing Arts Center on the campus of Centenary University. Admission is free, with donations welcomed.
RVCC to Present Student Theatre Production of "The Wolves"
(BRANCHBURG, NJ) -- Raritan Valley Community College's Arts & Design department will present The Wolves by Sarah DeLappe, April 15-17, 2026 at 7:00pm each night The performances, which are free of charge and open to the public, will be held in the Welpe Theatre at the College's Branchburg campus.
Bridgewater-Raritan High School Theatre Arts presents "Little Shop of Horrors"
(BRIDGEWATER, NJ) -- Bridgewater-Raritan High School Theatre Arts presents Little Shop of Horrors from April 16–18, 2026, in the Bridgewater-Raritan High School Auditorium. This cult-favorite musical comedy features a book and lyrics by Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken, and tells the delightfully dark story of a shy flower shop assistant who discovers a mysterious plant with an insatiable appetite.
Kean University Theatre Department presents "The Bald Soprano" by Eugène Ionesco
(UNION, NJ) -- Kean University Theatre Department presents The Bald Soprano by Eugène Ionesco from April 10-18, 2026 in the Bauer Boucher Theatre Center. Has your day-to-day life begun to feel like some surreal hallucination?
NJIT's Theatre Arts and Technology Program presents "Curtains"
(NEWARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Institute of Technology's Theatre Arts and Technology Program presents the musical comedy, Curtains, from April 16-18, 2026 in the Jim Wise Theater.
County College of Morris presents "Yankee Doodle Dandy"
(RANDOLPH, NJ) -- As the nation commemorates the Semiquincentennial, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, County College of Morris (CCM) invites theatergoers to be entertained and experience the life of American composer, playwright, actor, producer and showman George M. Cohan, in the high-energy musical Yankee Doodle Dandy. Presented by the Marielaine Mammon School of Music, Performing Arts, and Music Technologies, performances will take place on Wednesday through Saturday, April 15–18, 2026 at 7:30pm in Dragonetti Auditorium.
Villagers Theatre presents "The Cottage" by Sandy Rustin
(SOMERSET, NJ) -- Villagers Theatre presents The Cottage by Sandy Rustin across two weekends from April 10-19, 2026. This a romantic and (not quite) murderous comedy of manners. Fate, identity and marriage are called into question as a surprising, hilarious web of secrets unravels.
Gateway Playhouse To Hold Auditions For The Classic Musical Comedy "Guys And Dolls" on April 18th and April 22nd
(SOMERS POINT, NJ) -- Gateway Playhouse will hold auditions for Frank Loesser's Tony Award-winning musical comedy Guys and Dolls on April 18 and April 22, 2026. Anyone age 16 and older, with any theatrical background or experience, is welcome to try out for this much-adored show. No appointments are necessary; all roles are open. Phil Pallitto, artistic director of the Gateway, will direct the musical.
Literature to Life Announces Second Series of Books Unite, Free Community Events in Paterson Supported by NJEDA A.R.T. Phase II Grant
(PATERSON, NJ) -- Literature to Life (LTL) has announced their second series of Books Unite: Literature to Life in Paterson, consisting of a book club, two live performances, and an interactive workshop all centered around The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Crossroads Theatre Company: Genesis Festival - "The Gypsy Code: A Love Letter to New York"Friday, April 10, 2026 @ 7:00pmNew Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC) New Brunswick, NJ
