New Jersey Repertory Company’s 2026 Theatre Brut festival runs November 13–22 in Long Branch, with eight new one-act plays, including one by Neil LaBute, split across two weekend programs.
This year’s eight playwrights were each asked to write a play of 15 to 30 minutes on the theme “Through the Window.” Each program runs about two hours with an intermission. Performances are Fridays at 2pm, Saturdays at 2pm and 7pm, and Sundays at 2pm.
Program A, November 13–15
- A Glass Darkly by Shanti Reinhardt: a young romantasy author on a blind date in a bar beneath the Los Angeles Metro finds her imagination has made something dangerous real.
- Ground Floor, Park View by James Hindman: a couple buy the apartment they always wanted in a changing New York City neighborhood, and the certainties behind the purchase start to give way.
- Lot’s Wife by Neil LaBute: a woman looks back on her high school romances and on a 20-year reunion that did not go as expected.
- One Hundred Windows by Alexis Kozak: an aging scenic designer and her young protégé clash over a new play.
Program B, November 20–22
- Look by Michael Griffo: during a routine visit, Melanie learns of a discovery that changes how she sees her mother.
- Love Thy Neighbor by Joel Stone: Liam and Mia’s secret affair inside a small West Hollywood apartment building is about to stop being secret.
- Scene From an Italian (Croatian) Restaurant by David Pierini: helped by a waiter with a philosophical streak, two people from very different lives try to find a connection.
- Tunnel of Love by Chris Phillips: a flirtation between a guarded film student and a charismatic classmate brings secrets to the surface.
Performances are at NJ Rep’s MainStage, 179 Broadway, Long Branch. Tickets are available from njrep.org and by phone at 732-229-3166.
