ACANSA and ACT Announce Selected Plays and Creative Teams for 2026 10 Min Play Showcase
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 9, 2026
Media Contact:
Coburn Goss, Artistic Director
Argenta Contemporary Theatre
501-353-1443
Six new Arkansas plays will be featured September 13–15 at ACT II Sharon Heflin Performing Arts Center as part of the 2026 ACANSA Festival.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR — Big stories. Bold ideas. Ten minutes at a time.
ACANSA and Argenta Contemporary Theatre are proud to announce the selected plays and creative teams for the ACANSA / ACT 10 Min Play Showcase, presented September 13–15, 2026, at ACT II Sharon Heflin Performing Arts Center as part of the 11th ACANSA Arts Festival of the South.
The Showcase celebrates new Arkansas-made theatre and the playwrights, directors, and actors bringing those stories to life. Presented in ACT II’s intimate black box setting, the event invites audiences into the thrill of new work: fresh characters, unexpected turns, big laughs, sharp questions, and stories finding their shape in the room.
“ACANSA is proud to create opportunities where Arkansas artists can connect, experiment, and share new work with the community,” said Leslie Golden, Executive Director of ACANSA. “The 10-Minute Play Showcase captures what the festival is all about: collaboration, discovery, and the joy of experiencing bold new stories together.”
“What excites me about this Showcase is that audiences get to encounter new Arkansas plays at the moment of discovery,” said Jeremy Williams, Executive Director of Argenta Contemporary Theatre. “These are stories being tested in the room with actors, directors, and an audience — and that exchange is one of the most alive things theatre can offer.”
Selected Plays and Creative Teams
GRASS FED
By Frank Harrison
Directed by Erin Fowler
Featuring Mary Faulkner Turriff and Debby Herden
On Halloween night, a mother’s front porch becomes the last place she expected to face what she has finally learned to leave outside.
King Rabbit
By James Mainard O’Connell
Directed by Wyatt Hamilton
Featuring Alexis McAlister, Susan Thomey, Mark Hansen, and Stef Bailey
A park bench on a rugged trail becomes a meeting place for myth, certainty, and one very strange search for a miracle.
MISS 1977
By Jack Shock
Directed by Jeremy Williams
Featuring Jane Morgan Balgavy and Alexandra Powell
After a homecoming halftime show, a former twirler stares down fifty and finds unexpected glory in sequins, memory, and second chances.
Righteous Rage
By Scarlet Sims
Directed by Jeremy Williams
Featuring Diego Ladino, Adam Ryan Whitfield, Wil Wes, Marseiko Jackson, and Alexandra Powell
When an anonymous accusation shakes a local café, idealism, loyalty, and suspicion collide before closing time.
The Nazarene
By Charles Bonet
Directed by Jeremy Williams
Featuring Jameson Watkins, Tyranni Hubbard, and Ryan Bass
In a quiet park at dusk, a man chasing peace discovers the past still knows where to find him.
The Right Time
By Mark Mulkerin
Directed by Wyatt Hamilton
Featuring Jazmine Denney and Jameson Watkins
A couple tries to choose the right moment for an impossible goodbye, and finds out the argument is about much more than timing.
Performance Schedule
Sunday, September 13 at 2:00 PM
Monday, September 14 at 7:30 PM
Tuesday, September 15 at 7:30 PM
Tickets and more information are available here: 10 Minute Play Showcase
About ACANSA Arts Festival of the South
Through arts programming, ACANSA strengthens the cultural vitality of the entire community. Founded in 2014, ACANSA Arts Festival of the South showcases artists from around the globe and right here at home in dozens of multidisciplinary arts experiences on both sides of the Arkansas River every September. Acansa Gallery hosts emerging to renowned local and regional artists in month-long exhibitions. In-school artist workshops, complimentary tickets for all students 18 and younger, and Free Spring Break Arts Camps complement ACANSA’s efforts to build a more dynamic and engaging community through the arts.
About Argenta Contemporary Theatre
Argenta Contemporary Theatre creates bold, contemporary live performances in the heart of North Little Rock’s Argenta Arts District. Through professional quality productions, new creative partnerships, and education programs for students and adults, ACT brings artists and audiences together around stories that entertain, challenge, and connect our community.
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