Three New Plays Announced for Premiere Stages at Kean University's 2026 Season

Premiere Stages at Kean University’s upcoming season will feature three full productions of new plays.

The season will kick off with Mala Aria (July 16-August 2, Bauer Boucher Theatre Center) by Gloria Majule, winner of the 2025 Premiere Play Festival. In this play directed by Jamil A.C. Mangan, Amazia, hoping to discover a way to eradicate Malaria, leaves her family in Tanzania to pursue a PhD abroad.

Next up is the New Jersey premiere of John Wooten’s Flawless (September 3-20, Bauer Boucher Theatre Center), directed by Joe Brancato. In this cautionary tale about the impending intersection of technology and creativity, a writer and an AI software designer battle to create the next great play.

The final full production of the season is Effa Loves Baseball (October 15-25, Enlow Recital Hall) by Pia Wilson, which was the winner of the 2025-26 Liberty Live Commission, committed to developing and producing new plays that celebrate New Jersey’s rich and diverse history. Directed by marcus d. harvey, Effa Loves Baseball is the true story of Effa Manley, the manager of the Newark Eagles, a team she wants to take all the way to the Negro League World Series.