Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative: 2025-2026 New Voices Series

Remember the nineties? It was the coolest time ever and CPI was there! So help us celebrate our 30^th anniversary milestone this season with the best plays ever written by talented playwrights who live right here in our local market! Get your season tickets now through Tuesday, September 16th! Booyah!!

Each performance includes a talkback session to gain audience feedback that will help the playwrights improve their work. 

All readings are performed in the Aronoff Center's Fifth Third Bank Theater.

September 16, 2025 – 7:30 PM 

Hollywood Masala by Sanjay Puligadda

Hollywood Masala follows an Indian-American family’s trip to India, where hilarious culture clashes, Bollywood dreams, and a shocking kidnapping collide. As their daughter’s daring escape involves a self-absorbed movie star, they rediscover family bonds and identity—delivering sharp comedy, heartfelt moments, and a satirical look at celebrity culture.

October 28, 2025 – 7:30 PM 

Frightfest

CPI’s annual 10-minute play festival fundraiser returns with a Halloween theme to support the Cincinnati Care Center Animal Blood Bank.

Playwright names and titles coming soon...

November 18, 2025 – 7:30 PM

Thanks for Calling, a one-act play by Dave Doster

Two ex-lovers meet via a broken keyboard. This is the catalyst for the love story of Anna and Danny, one a woman struggling to make ends meet, the other a jazz musician hoping for his big break. Will they re-connect, or only learn that some things can't be fixed?

Stillwater Depot, Center Street, and Sgt Skinner Goes for Coffee, three 10-minute plays by Clint Bramkamp

In Stillwater Depot, Lily visits her old hometown to check up on her estranged father. Dad’s doing okay, but Lily needs to work on a few things.

A homeless man on Center Street tries to save Martha’s husband from a heart attack, and introduces him to a different world.

In Sgt. Skinner Goes for Coffee, a hard-boiled cop seems to be trying for a Dirty Harry moment, but the Armed and Dangerous Fugitive won’t resist arrest. Now what?

February 10, 2026 – 7:30 PM

Welcoming Echoes, a one-act play by Paul Bergman

Welcoming Echoes follows John Lewis from his youthful days to his gradual “justice-awakening” and full embrace of the “Beloved Community.” The words of Lewis, the power of his commitment to Civil rights and non-violence, the poignancy of painful reversals, and the glory of his later years entwine in a tapestry of a dynamic life.

A Playwright’s Potpourri: Four 10-Minute Plays by Roger Collins

Next Train on Platform 22 - Two strangers, two journeys, two very different destinations.

Must be the Music - Music: the medium of emotion, and desire, and hope.         

Off the Beaten Path Café - A good cup of coffee with the right music… you’re ready for (almost) anything!

The Holy Terrors - This brand of paintball takes teamwork, tactics, and a dose of theology. 

March 10, 2026 – 7:30 PM

The Angles of Mercy, a one-act play by Charles Stephan

Maryann and Abraham, opponents of capital punishment, lost their young daughter, Candace, to violence in circumstances that left Abraham wracked with guilt. The offender has been convicted, but when his lawyer asks the couple to oppose a likely death penalty, they both discover the limits of mercy, but for different reasons.

What are the Odds, a 10-minute play by Charles Stephan

Can statistical probability by itself explain a remarkable coincidence?

April 14, 2026 – 7:30 PM

Martha’s Will, a historical fiction play by Susan and Doug Decatur

In September 1919, wealthy Cincinnatian Martha dies. Her lawyer gathers potential heirs to participate in parlor games reminiscent of the early 20th century. The historical events of the time add layers of intrigue that foreshadow how Martha’s “will” is imposed, showing that things aren’t always as they seem to be.