Transcendency Rising: Short Plays About Defying Limitations - 2026

Top right TBTB logo in white font. A big white T and an upwards arrow symbol. Background, a rainbow gradient with a title Transcendency Rising: Short Plays About Defying Limitations. Below, the 6 playwrights’ names and the dates of the festival.

TBTB was thrilled to showcase their first Short Play Festival after nine years! It featured 10 playwrights, 6 directors, and 22 actors, and ran from March 21 to April 11 and played at Theatre Row’s Theatre Five in New York City. The playwrights were John Patrick Shanley, Cate Allen, Bekah Brunstetter, Kathryn Grant, Lyle Kessler, Jeff Tabnick, and a few others.

The evening performances were from Thursday to Saturday at 7 pm, and the matinee performances were Saturday and Sunday at 2 pm at Theatre Row’s Theatre Five. We held a special performance on Wednesday, April 8th, at 7 pm.

The Short Play Festival was made possible in part by the generous support of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. TBTB is grateful for their commitment to our work and the arts.

For a complete list of our wonderful founders and Partners-In-Art, please click/tab here!

Playwrights

(Click/tab on the images to learn more about the playwrights)

Cate Allen is a light-skinned woman in her 50s. She has blonde hair and blue eyes, and is wearing a blue blouse. She has her arms crossed.

Cate Allen

Bekah Brunstetter is a light-skinned woman in her 30s. She has dark hair and dark eyes, and is wearing a black shirt with necklaces and plaid pants. She is leaning against a railing.

Bekah Brunstetter

Kathryn Grant is a light-skinned woman in her 60s. She has blonde hair and dark eyes, she is wearing earrings, a multi-colored scarf, and a blue denim jacket.

Kathryn Grant

Lyle Kessler is a light-skinned man in his 70s, he has short gray hair and dark eyes. He is wearing a brown shirt and a dark green jacket.

Lyle Kessler

John Patrick Shanley is a light-skinned man in his 70s. He has white hair and blue eyes. He is wearing an olive shirt and smiles.

John Patrick Shanley

Jeff Tabnick is a light-skinned man in his 50s. He has gray facial hair and blue eyes. He is wearing a dark green polo shirt.

Jeff Tabnick

To view our Accessible Playbill for Transcendency Rising, view it here, or scan the QR code below!

A picture of a QR code for the Accessible Playbill for Transcendency Rising.

Production Photos from TRANSCENDENCY RISING

Light-skinned man, 70s, wears glasses, red plaid shirt and tie, brown jacket, khaki pants, stands smiling on a dimly lit stage. Above him, text reads “I’ve come with the Good News.”

Photo credit: Carol Rosegg

(L to R): Xen Theophall

4 light-skinned women, 30s-60s. From right, woman 1 in a wheelchair, wears a green floral dress. Woman 2, blue and grey top, blue jeans. Woman 3 in a wheelchair, wears a Patriots jersey and blue jeans. Woman 4, wears an orange blouse.

(L to R): Jennifer Elizabeth Bradley, Emma Shafer, Jamie Petrone, & Amanda Cortinas

2 actors, 1 man and 1 woman, 60s, grey hair, light-skinned. The man in a patterned robe sits on a chair while a woman in pink scrubs and latex blue gloves stands nearby, looking at a mess on the floor beside a bed in a brightly lit hospital room.

(L to R): Scott Barton & Carla Brandberg

3 light-skinned actors, 2 are sitting, 1 is in a wheelchair. They are under a blue lighting. All wear casual clothing. Above them, projected text reads “You're a wheelchair user?”

(L to R): Dan Teachout, Ann Marie Morelli, & Aya Ibaraki

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