Last year's winner of the $500 JUDGES PRIZE: Far from the Tree, by Michael Towers, of Westford, Massachusetts.
(UNION, NJ) -- The Theater Project, an incubator for new work and rising artists, has opened for submissions to its fourteenth annual THINK FAST festival of short plays, which will take place online March 5-7, 2027. The submission deadline is November 16.
The judges will select seven to ten plays, which must run no more than 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 four categories: Best Play ($500 prize), Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Director. They will also announce the winner of the Audience Favorite award.
This is the 14th annual THINK FAST. Originally focused on tristate area playwrights, the festival has grown to attract submissions from around the United States, Canada, and overseas.
For guidelines and application instructions, please visit THINK FAST Short Play Competition
“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.
There are multiple performances including:
Friday, Oct 16, 2026
@ 10:00am
Kean Stage - Bauer Boucher Theatre Center
Union, NJ
There are multiple performances including:
Friday, Oct 16, 2026
@ 7:30pm
Kean Stage - Bauer Boucher Theatre Center
Union, NJ
Thursday, Oct 29, 2026
@ 4:30pm
Kean Stage - NAAB Auditorium
Union, NJ
There are multiple performances including:
Friday, Nov 13, 2026
@ 7:30pm
Kean Stage - Bauer Boucher Theatre Center
Union, NJ
Friday, Dec 04, 2026
@ 7:30pm
Kean Stage - Wilkins Theatre
Union, NJ
