Welcome to the 2026 Newmarket International Festival of One Act Plays (NIFOAP), a premier showcase of global storytelling and theatrical innovation. This year’s festival brings together a remarkable collection of works from playwrights across Canada, the United States, and Japan, offering a diverse exploration of the human condition through the intimate lens of the one-act play.
From the hauntingly poetic perspective of a child in a war-torn village to the humorous resilience of female friendship in a hospital waiting room, the 2026 lineup traverses a wide emotional landscape. Audiences will encounter tales of creative struggle, unexpected connections, and the absurdities of life, all captured in compact, powerful narratives. We invite you to join us in celebrating these international voices and the enduring power of live theatre.
Featured Plays and Playwrights:
- A Happy Child by Natalya Torzhevska (USA)
- Bug Rescuing by Judy Klass (Nashville, USA)
- Character Flaws by Reginald T. Jackson (Brooklyn, USA)
- Cosmo Girls by Lawrie Carruthers (Toronto, Canada)
- Final Edition / Backup by Eden Lane (Colorado, USA)
- Hunchback of Marshall Ave. by Randy Gross (Enola, PA, USA)
- Just Asking by Cary Pepper (San Francisco, USA)
- Pigeon-Whole by Ken Green (Boston, USA)
- Red Comet by Len Cuthbert (Mt. Brydges, Canada)
- Such Dreams as Stuff is Made On by Dan McGeehan (Chicago, USA)
- The Big Sneeze (or Much Achoo About Nothing) by Morey Norkin (Saga-Ken, Japan)
- Unbridled Fear by Donald Loftus (New York City, USA)
- Unmasked at Dawn by Emma Inglis
