Flanner House and IF Theatre and teaming up again to present new play readings by 10 new and emerging playwrights from the Flanner House Campus.
IF Theatre first partnered with Flanner House Arts; Stage Academy in 2025 to bring new works to the stage. Curated by the Indy Arts Council and ARTI Awards, this partnership aimed to accomplish two things: reduce barriers for BIPOC Hoosiers to receive an arts education and participate in local cultural initiatives — including IndyFringe Festival and OnyxFest — and create free and low-cost theatrical experiences for Indianapolis’ Northwest side residents, according to a press release.
Now, in its second year, the Flanner Fringe Lab is presenting nine new plays written and developed by 10 emerging playwrights from across the country in a free two-day festival Feb. 6-7 at Flanner House.
“The Lab isn’t a landing,” Austin Dean Ashford, Flanner House Arts; Stage Academy artistic director, said in a statement. “It’s a blastoff! And the February readings are your opportunity to get on the ship before it takes off.”
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Since participating in Flanner Fringe Lab last year, the students of the 2025 cohort have gone on to stage full productions of their plays at the IndyFringe Festival, teach workshops for high school students, and go on national tours, according to a press release. The 2025 cohort remains a vital part of the operation of the Flanner Fringe program — giving feedback to the writers and managing the run-of-show at each of the event’s three venues on Flanner House campus: Ujamaa Bookstore, Cleo’s Bodega and Morningstar’s Cloud Underground.
“Great stories can come from anywhere,” Paul Daily, executive director of IF theatre, said in a statement. “And they belong to everyone. That’s what the Flanner Fringe Lab is about: equipping artists of all backgrounds with the tools they need to tell their great stories in the creative market.”
The 2026 Flanner Fringe Cohort includes:
- Bryan Ball
- Bomani X
- King Richard
- Shantel Badji
- Marcus Allen Rembert
- Adam Henze
- Jadah Rowan
- Cecil Blutcher
- Myshaun Minor
- Deshawn Sherrell
Both participants and guests will get to experience a community-centered approach to creating and improving new plays, with opportunities for discussing, dining, theatre education and an awards ceremony where 2-3 members of the 2026 Flanner Fringe Lab cohort will be chosen to present their plays in the 2026 IndyFringe Festival Aug. 13-23. Additional opportunities for projects to continue on to OnyxFest or IF Theatre’s Spotlight Season may also become available, according to a press release.
Flanner Fringe Lab Festival takes place Feb. 6-7 at Flanner House. Tickets are free, but passes must be reserved at indyfringe.org/flanner-fringe-lab.
For more information about IF Theatre or to learn about upcoming performances, visit indyfringe.org/upcoming-shows.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe has a bachelor's in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and has previously worked for Indy Maven, The Lantern, and CityScene Media Group. In her free time, Chloe enjoys live theatre, reading, baking and keeping her plants alive.
