ShortCuts Play Festival

Small plays. Big possibilities.

A full story in just ten minutes. Western Reserve Playhouse’s ShortCuts Play Festival brings original short plays to the stage, giving playwrights, directors, and performers opportunities to share their work with audiences.

Across two successful editions, WRP has presented 12 original short plays. By pairing ShortCuts with mainstage productions, the festival invites audiences to discover new voices as part of their evening at the theatre.

ShortCuts debuted alongside The Shark Is Broken, with a different short play opening each performance during the April 4–13 run. The inaugural selections were:

• Your Love Makes Me Sick by Rachel Zake

• Life on the Holly Jolly Roger by Jeremy Gaydosh

• Old Woman and The Sea by Hope Bolinger

• An Evening with Valentine and Bratherford by Luke Brett

• Sock by Zachary Manthey

• Green Bean Casserole by Dayshawnda Ash

ShortCuts returned as part of WRP’s By the People Play Festival. Six original ten-minute plays opened performances of The Amish Project and American Moor, bringing more voices and stories into the festival. On September 27, all six came together for a standalone ShortCuts marathon that served as the festival’s finale.

The selections were:

• Waiting On Mom, Who Already Left by John Busser

• The Clean Plate Club by Arianna Rose

• Checkerboard Chicks by Allison Fradkin

• The Execution of a Midlife Crisis by Timothy Ritley

• Veteran by James W. Perry

• Sorting Through M&M’s by Rishi Chowdhary

A Place for Original Work

ShortCuts makes room for stories that can surprise, entertain, and spark conversation in a small amount of time. It’s part of WRP’s commitment to creating opportunities for artists and connecting audiences with original theatre. Stay tuned for 2027 submissions to open!