The festival kicks off on January 9, 2026 at 6:30pm, featuring three short plays, starting with The Interview written by Alisa Rosenthal. This hilarious play follows the character of Caroline, as she interviews for a job that she knows nothing about. With wacky characters and quick dialogue it could be considered a job seeker’s nightmare, as a terrorizing CEO, nervous intern, and general chaos ensues.

Then, Neither/Both by Alisa Rosenthal. This non-linear piece is an exploration in grief and how loss can fracture an already uncertain identity following the main character after the death of her Mexican grandmother prompts her to ask the question if her Mexican identity is still valid without that last tie to Mexico. After, they will present STOP. by Julia Ravenscroft, which tells the tale of how meeting two strangers at a bus stop can change your life perspective in a short passing moment.

Following the short plays at 7:30pm, How To Rob The Art Institute of Chicago written by Sam Hernandez. On a cold Chicago night, four friends debate a serious question: Is stealing Indigenous art of Latin America a radical act of decolonization or a stupid way to get arrested? And also – is being Latine-American enough to claim a connection to that art? And what does it even mean to be Latine-American? And how does one rob a museum? In How to Rob The Art Institute of Chicago, Sam Hernandez’s comedy about friendship, identity, and colonialism, four college seniors plan the most important heist of their lives.

On Saturday, January 10, 2026 at 4:30 PM the New Year, New Works Festival will continue with another full-length play called Love In The Time Of ___ , written by Mantra.

Set in a world of pop songs, dating apps, and coincidences, Mantra’s pattern play,

“Love in the Time Of _____” interrogates the gap between the idealized notion of love

we consume and the messier reality that love entails. When the rose-colored hue of

novelty falls away, where do we go from there?

Then, at 6:00pm, the PINK room by Ella Boyd-Wong. Set in 1920s/30s Chicago – Ruth, Irene, Josephine, and Ethel come home to find their eccentric and protective older sister, Virginia, home from college to visit. However, Ruth has become the new de facto oldest sibling, and Virginia doesn’t understand Ruth’s support for their father’s organized criminal business. What can one simple day in the sisters’ dressing room reveal about who is truly affected by the consequences of the powerful few?

Finally, serving as the grand finale of the festival at 7:30pm is night two will end on the full-length play, Red Devil, written by Andrea Berting. Recently presented to audiences in Chicago at a different reading, this play will reemerge with new revisions. The play follows two elderly, queer breast cancer patients who fall in love in the chemotherapy infusion room with the help of a young influencer documenting her own treatment for the world to see.