(WEST ORANGE, NJ) -- Luna Stage presents PLAYFEST across two weekends from May 14-24, 2026. PLAYFEST contains staged readings, works-in-progress, workshop performances, and magic! Best of all, tickets are FREE!
The first weekend includes a reading and conversation with Red Wine in a Whiskey Glass; a solo performance of Hold These Truths; and the opening of a visual art installation.
Red Wine in a Whiskey Glass by Matt Monaco - In a bar at the edge of nowhere, two strangers are drawn into an inescapable reckoning. The new play and talkback takes place Thursday, May 14 at 7:30pm and Sunday, May 17 at 5:00pm. It will be performed by Matt Monaco, Kat Tyler, and Drew Hirshfield.
Hold These Truths by Jeanne Sakata - In Seattle during World War II, University of Washington student Gordon Hirabayashi agonizes over US government orders to forcibly remove and mass incarcerate all people of Japanese ancestry on the West Coast without due process of law. As he fights to reconcile his country's betrayal with his passionate belief in the U.S. Constitution, Gordon journeys toward a greater understanding of America's triumps - and a confrontation with its failure. Hold These Truths will be performed on Friday, May 15 at 8:00pm; Saturday, May 16 at 5:00pm; and Sunday, May 17 at 3:00pm. It is a solo performance by Joel de la Fuente.
And on Saturday, May 16 at 3:00pm, the official opening of an art exhibition by Jane Sayer will take place. She is Luna's resident graphic designer.
The second weekend includes scenes from Pyretown and a process conversation plus performances of The Unwitting Magician.
Scenes from Pyretown by John Belluso - After exploring in rehearsal over several months, two actors and a director share scenes from the first act of Pyretown and reflect on their process. This is a workshop performance and conversation with actors Byron Hagan and Monica Ross, and director Nathan Darrow. Performances take place Thursday, May 21 at 7:30pm; Saturday, May 23 at 5:00pm; and Sunday, May 24 at 3:00pm.
The Unwitting Magician by Jeremy Dobrish - An actor opens a sealed envelope, reads a script they have never seen before, and discovers, alongside the audience, that they are somehow performing impossible magic. It will be performed by Adrian Baidoo on Friday, May 22 at 8:00pm; by Lucas Pinner on Saturday, May 23 at 3:00pm; and by Lisa VillaMil on Sunday, May 24 at 5:00pm.
Tickets may be reserved online. The theater is located at 555 Valley Road in West Orange, New Jersey.
Luna Stage develops and produces vibrant plays about local and global experiences. This summer, Luna’s commissioned world premiere RIFT by Gabriel Jason Dean made its international debut at Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre where it was honored with the 2025 Scotsman Fringe First Award. Other Luna world premieres include Tony Award-winner Matthew Lopez’s breakout play The Whipping Man, which became one of the most widely-produced plays in the United States; Jenny Lyn Bader’s Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian State Library, which had two extended runs Off-Broadway in the 2024-2025 season; three premieres by Obie-winner Nikkole Salter; and the Luna-commissioned The Ground On Which We Stand, which received the 2024 Giles R. Wright Designation for Excellence in African American History.
The company has served as an arts anchor of New Jersey’s Valley Arts neighborhood, a traditionally-underserved region bridging the townships of Orange and West Orange. Luna received the JerseyArts People’s Choice Award for Favorite Small Theatre in New Jersey, and is dedicated to eliminating barriers to participation and nurturing the next generation of audiences and artists.
