(RED BANK, NJ) -- Two River Theater presents the 15th anniversary of ¡Festejo! Celebrating Latine Stories Onstage, from August 6–9, 2026. Curated by José Zayas, the annual festival, formerly known as Crossing Borders (Cruzando Fronteras), will feature five new play readings by acclaimed and emerging Latine playwrights.
Thursday, August 6 at 5:00pm - Kick Off Celebration. Live music provided on the Plaza with food, fun and feasting!
Thursday, August 6 at 7:00pm - 1898. Play by De Nelson Díaz-Marcano; Directed by / Dirigida por José Zayas. When Puerto Rico becomes a US territory, the Suarez family is enticed by an American investor who appears with an opportunity that promises riches beyond their imaginations. But as soon as he arrives things start falling apart in Nelson Díaz-Marcano’s 1898, which explores how history resonates with us today.
Friday, August 7 at 5:30pm - Project Wright Now: Stories from the Heart (Historias del Corazon). Throughout the school year, Red Bank Middle School’s 7th and 8th grade AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) students have been crafting original pieces in weekly writing sessions with Project Write Now. Now in its second year with the festival, this thrilling showcase will feature poems, stories, and all-around love from these young storytellers.
Friday, August 7 at 7:00pm - Standing Still. Play by De Melinda Lopez; Directed by / Dirigida por Rebecca Aparicio. Come get centered in the yoga studio! Join six ordinary people as they try to stay grounded in a world shaped by uncertainty. Co-author of Two River’s Stir, Melinda Lopez’ Standing Still is about the power of showing up for each other in extraordinary times.
Saturday, August 8 at 2:00pm - American Carnage. Play by De Marvin González De León; Directed by / Dirgido por Rebecca Martínez. Martín hid in the basement when his parents disappeared. 30 years later, he’s still in the basement with only a stuffed-man made of burlap bean sacks for company. American Carnage by Marvin González De León is part allegory, part Looney Tunes Dada, and an exploration of Mexican and family history told with humor and tenderness.
Saturday, August 8 at 5:30pm - Recuerdos de Una Bodega Princess: La Fiesta De Los Reyes Magos 1998. Written, translated, and performed by / Escrita, traducida, e interpretada por Iraisa Ann Reilly; Directed by / Dirigida por Estefanía Fadul. Every January 6, the Latine community of Egg Harbor City, NJ gather for a celebration of the Feast of Los Reyes Magos, or Three Kings Day. The Bodega Princess, Iraisa Ann Reilly, introduces the audience to her family, her hometown, and her epiphany at the 1998 Feast. Featuring music, storytelling, and good old ’90s nostalgia performed entirely in Spanish. Made possible by a grant from the American Theatre Wing. PERFORMED IN SPANISH
Saturday, August 8 at 8:00pm - Jarana Beat in Concert. An evening filled with music by the winner of 2015’s Mexican Music Award for Best Contemporary Folk Band, Jarana Beat.
Sunday, August 9 at 2:00pm - tether. Play by De Noelle Viñas; Directed by / Dirigida por Liz Carlson. Siblings Mo and Lidia can teleport, but they can’t seem to leave each other behind. Bound by a lifetime of struggle and survival. Noelle Viñas’ tether is a darkly funny new play about the impossible ache of loving someone enough to change.
¡Festejo! is supported by a grant from the American Theatre Wing and the Mary Owen Borden Foundation.
Award-winning Two River Theater, located in Red Bank, New Jersey, is where bold stories inspire imagination and connection. Each season, the theater produces a mix of new plays, reimagined classics, and musicals, along with new work development, education programs for young people, and community engagement events that bring people of all ages together. Across its 80,000-square-foot campus, more than 20,000 students, families, and theater lovers experience Two River's acclaimed productions each year on its two stages: the 343-seat Joan and Robert Rechnitz Theater and the flexible 110-seat Marion Huber Theater. The theater also houses state-of-the-art scenic, costume, and property shops.
Two River has launched productions that have reached international audiences, including Be More Chill by Tony Award® nominees Joe Iconis and Joe Tracz—the theater's first Broadway production—which went on to play in London's West End and Japan. Recognized by USA TODAY as one of the "10 Great Places to See a Play," Two River Theater is led by Artistic Director Justin Waldman and Managing Director Nora DeVeau- Rosen.
