Festival dates
June 25 and 26, 2027 2027 Festival Theme
Dreams & Magic
In a hard year, CUNY students claim a stage of their own and build whole worlds from simple shared pieces and imagination. Seven original student plays. Seven CUNY colleges. One shared stage.
Submissions are open now ✦ Seven original student plays ✦ June 25 and 26, 2027 ✦ Dreams & Magic
Frederick Loewe Theatre
Welcome to the CUNY Theatre Festival
What the theme means
Make the world you wish existed.
Dreams & Magic asks CUNY students to imagine boldly, transform simple shared pieces, and put a world of their own onstage.
Every play is original. Every play comes from a CUNY student. Every team begins with the same shared set kit and the nerve to transform simple pieces into a whole world.
From campus to festival
Produced on your campus. Presented at the festival.
Each selected play gathers its own campus team. The playwright and student producer bring that team together to produce the play at their college during Spring 2027. The festival presents the completed productions on June 25 and 26.
The Seven
We are looking for students from the following colleges.
The 2027 plan brings together one original play and one production team from each of these seven colleges. Campus participation is still being coordinated.
01 Hunter College
One campus. One play.
02 City College
One campus. One play.
03 Queens College
One campus. One play.
04 Brooklyn College
One campus. One play.
05 Lehman College
One campus. One play.
06 York College
One campus. One play.
07 College of Staten Island
One campus. One play.The Format
Two days. Every play twice.
CUNY Circle Day
A closed day for participating production teams, faculty advisors and each college's allocated guests. Doors open at noon. This day is not open to the general public.
Open Day
Open to friends, family, students and the public. Doors open at 10 AM. The same seven plays return in three blocks. Admission is free, with RSVP by block. RSVP details will be announced.
Two plays
Two plays
Three plays
The Rules
Same rules for everybody.
Shared set kit
Every production uses the same festival-provided kit of approved, reusable scenic pieces. The final inventory will be shared before production begins.
Closet-first costumes
Use what your team already owns. Do not buy new costumes. Your team may make new costumes itself.
Five and five
Each play gets up to five light cues and five sound cues.
Original student work
Every play is original and student-written. It may have been presented before, or it may debut at the festival.
Your story belongs onstage.
Current undergraduates at the seven listed colleges are eligible and invited to submit. Graduates from those colleges in Spring 2025 or later are also welcome. Submissions close January 4, 2027, at 11:59 PM ET.
Submit your playHave a question or want to get involved? Contact us.