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.

Thursday–Saturday at 7 pm; Saturday and Sunday at 2 pm. *Special performance was 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 who is in her 40s. 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 who is in her late-30s. She has dark hair in a ponytail with dark eyes, and is wearing a black shirt with necklaces and plaid pants. She is leaning against ballet bars.

Bekah Brunstetter

Kathryn Grant is a light-skinned woman who is in her 40s. She has blonde hair and dark eyes, and is wearing earrings, a multi-colored scarf, and a jean jacket.

Kathryn Grant

Lyle Kessler is a light-skinned, older man with gray hair. He is wearing a brown shirt and a dark green jacket.

Lyle Kessler

John Patrick Shanley is a light-skinned older man with white hair. He’s wearing an olive shirt and smiling.

John Patrick Shanley

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

An older light-skinned man in glasses, a red plaid shirt, red tie, brown jacket, and 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

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

An older, light-skinned man in a patterned robe sits on a chair while a woman in pink scrubs and blue gloves stands nearby, looking at a mess on the floor beside a bed in a brightly lit room.

(L to R): Scott Barton & Carla Brandberg

Three light-skinned people sit on a stage under purple-blue lighting; they are all wearing casual clothing, and the person in the center uses a wheelchair. Above them, projected text reads, “You're a wheelchair user?”

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

Press Releases