Independent theater takes center stage this fall as RJ Theatre Company and TAL Media present the third annual Circle Theater Festival, a three-week showcase of original plays, musicals and experimental performances celebrating emerging theatrical voices.
Running October 26 through November 15, 2026, at AMT Theater, located at 354 West 45th Street in Manhattan, the festival brings together a diverse collection of artists and productions exploring themes of identity, relationships, mental health, love, grief and personal transformation.
Founded by RJ Theatre Company and TAL Media, Circle Theater Festival was created to make professional theater more accessible to both artists and audiences. Its mission is to provide independent theater makers with the infrastructure and professional resources needed to develop and present Off-Broadway-quality productions without the substantial financial investment traditionally associated with producing a show.
The festival features programming across four categories: psychological thrillers, intimate dramas, coming-of-age stories and musicals.
Among the psychological thrillers is Hamlet Split Apart, an unconventional 60-minute adaptation by Emma Tadmor that divides Shakespeare’s iconic character among three performers, including a nine-year-old actor. Another featured production, WUNDRLND, written by Gabriel Arriaga, offers a dark reimagining of Alice in Wonderland, transforming childhood fantasy into a disturbing world of survival and shifting identities.
The intimate drama category includes Nude Portrait, written by Sadie Bones and directed by Ed Bianchi, whose television credits include The Wire and Deadwood. The production stars actress Elizabeth Berridge, marking her return to the stage after a 20-year absence. Written by her daughter, the play explores relationships, artistic ambition and the complexities of love.
Coming-of-age stories include MOKEB, Hannah Dehradunwala’s play about a young Pakistani-American woman seeking to reconnect with her spirituality during the 86-kilometer Arbaeen pilgrimage in Iraq. Meanwhile, IVY DAY, written and directed by Arianna Muñoz, examines the pressures facing six high school seniors awaiting college admissions decisions.
Musical offerings include LOUD & WITH FEELING, a production by DeafBlind theater maker Spencer J. Vigil about queer students organizing a sit-in protest, and BECOMING VEGAN, a musical comedy about romance, deception and dietary differences.
Other productions explore family relationships, grief, mental health and personal discovery.
Tickets range from $15 to $53 and are available at Circle Theater Festival. For reservations, call (917) 388-2630.
The festival aims to make independent theater more affordable to produce, more accessible to audiences and more reflective of the voices shaping the next generation of American theater.