Keen Teens History

Each year, our free Keen Teens program for New York City high school students culminates in the Keen Teens Festival of New Work and features the Off-Broadway premieres of three plays or musicals that Keen commissioned from professional playwrights.

  • THE ODDS ARE…
    By Dennis A. Allen II
    Directed by Antu Yacob

    THE DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU SHORTLY
    By Laura Neill
    Directed by Susanna Jaramillo

    MILEWALKERS
    By Jesús Valles
    Directed by Jean Carlo Yunén

    Learn more about our 2024 Keen Teens Festival of New Work.

  • BUCK STARS
    By C. Julian Jiménez
    Directed by Michelle Chan

    KIRDLE & MIFFINS: CURIOSITY SAVED THE CATS
    Music, Lyrics, and Book by Rona Siddiqui
    Directed by Tom Costello

    HIDDEN INSIDE
    By Nambi E. Kelley and Daniel Carlton
    Directed by Christopher Burris

    Learn more about our 2023 Keen Teens Festival of New Work.

  • A LITTLE BIT OF TEA WITH THAT
    By Bleu Beckford-Burrell
    Directed by Mark Cirnigliaro

    BAKE SALE
    By Stephanie Swirsky
    Directed by Sarah Krohn

    HATCH
    By C. Quintana
    Directed by Lynne Marie Rosenberg

  • FACE TO FACE: SOMEWHERE OVER THE INTERNET
    Conceived and Performed by the 2021 Keen Teens Ensemble: Jaden Burton, Quinn Canales, Angel Encarnacion, Maya Evans, Shoshana Hoover, Evelyn Ibague, Yana Khandaker, Alexandra Pereira Shorey, and Yauri Taveras

    Directed by Jasminn Johnson
    Playwright Mentorship by Christina Quintana and Forrest Malloy
    Video Design by Jack Dorfman

    This special video presentation is available to watch for free here.

  • WE <3 LOVE MR MARSDEN
    By Chisa Hutchinson
    Directed by Lynne M. Rosenberg

    A SUDDEN RUSH
    By Matthew Stephen Smith
    Directed by Dennis Allen

    CANCELLED
    Music and Lyrics by Melissa Li and Kit Yan
    Directed by Adam Odsess-Rubin
    Choreographed by James Watson
    Musical direction by Anessa Marie

  • REBELLIOUS RHYMES OF J NICE
    By NSangou Njikam
    Directed by Dennis Allen

    FOREIGN BODIES
    By C.A. Johnson
    Directed by Temar Underwood

    CITIZENS UNITED
    By Kate Cortesi
    Directed by Heather Lanza

  • WINIFRED & MYRTLE GO TO HIGH SCHOOL!!!
    By Leah Nanako Winkler
    Directed by Michael Goldfried

    AROUND 2
    By James Anthony Tyler
    Directed by Estefania Fadul

    CARIBBEAN QUEEN
    Book by Jamie Cowperthwait
    Music and Lyrics by Salomon Lerner
    Directed and Choreographed by Ilana Ransom Toeplitz

  • RAT COURT
    By Boo Killebrew
    Directed by Daisy Walker

    TILDA SWINTON BETRAYED US
    By A. Rey Pamatmat
    Directed by Zi Alikhan

    AND...ACTION
    By Eleanor Burgess
    Directed by Julie Kramer

  • LANDLINES
    By Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen
    Directed by Liz Carlson

    HOW THE MOON WOULD TALK
    By Nick Gandiello
    Directed by Sash Bischoff

    30 MILLION
    Music and Lyrics by Max Vernon
    Book by Jason Kim
    Directed by Mark Armstrong
    Choreographed by Brad Landers
    Music Direction by Lena Gabrielle

  • OLD FOLKS
    By Max Posner
    Directed by Mark Armstrong

    THE LOST GIRL (or FIRST CHAIR)

    By Lauren Yee
    Directed by Liz Carlson

    THE ASTONISHING AND DANGEROUS HISTORY OF MAZEFIELD THE FROG
    By Jen Silverman
    Directed by Tyne Rafaeli

  • GOING LEFT
    By Kristoffer Diaz
    Directed by Daisy Walker

    WHY AREN'T YOU DEAD ALREADY
    By Halley Feiffer
    Directed by Liz Carlson

    SYD ARTHUR
    Play and original songs by Kenny Finkle
    Directed by Jesse Geiger

  • THE DANCE COMPANY
    By Jonathan Caren
    Directed by Kel Haney

    FLIP TURN
    By Madeline George
    Directed by Larissa Lury

    A POLAR BEAR IN NEW JERSEY

    By Anna Moench
    Directed by Shelley Butler

  • WAYWARD LOAFERS OF GOOSEBERRY HIGH
    By Michael Mitnick
    Directed by Christopher Mirto

    LETTERS TO KURT
    By Janine Nabers
    Directed by Cat Miller

    DRAMA GEEKS vs ZOMBIE CHEERLEADERS
    By Kathryn Walat
    Directed by Portia Krieger

  • THE BORING-EST POEM IN THE WORLD
    By Greg Kotis
    Directed by John Clancy

    VIRTUAL CONGRESS

    By Mike Lew
    Directed by David F. Chapman

    THE FLIP SIDE
    By Jenny Schwartz
    Directed by Sarah Cameron Sunde

  • THE FINAL ROSE
    By Bekah Brunstetter
    Directed by Carlos Armesto

    THE VICTORIAN
    By Marcus Gardley
    Directed by Blake Lawrence

    ALIENS vs CHEERLEADERS
    By Qui Nguyen
    Directed by Robert Ross Parker

  • FIREBIRDS
    By Liz Flahive
    Directed by Blake Lawrence

    THE SOUTHRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL FORENSICS TEAM PRESENTS
    ASSORTED TALES OF ROBIN HOOD

    By Jason Grote
    Directed by Heath Cullens

    THE GHOST OF ENOCH CHARLTON
    By Cheri Magid
    Directed by Leah C. Gardiner

  • THINGS FALL
    By Barton Bishop
    Directed by Meredith McDonough

    NOWHERE IN AMERICA
    By Bathsheba Doran
    Directed by Lisa Rothe

    TO KNOW KNOW KNOW ME
    By Courtney Baron
    Directed by Daniel Rigazzi

    FREAK
    By Naomi Iizuka and Ryan Pavelchek
    directed by Blake Lawrence

  • CONSPICUOUS
    By Winter Miller
    Directed by Blake Lawrence

    CIRCUMVENTION
    By Anton Dudley
    Directed by Mark Armstrong