Crabs in a Barrel is Featured Production at Midtown International Theatre Festival

Broadway + NYC

Broadway

Off-Broadway

Off-Off Broadway

Cabaret

Dance

Opera

Classical Music

Eastern

Central

Western

West End

WEST END

UK Regional

International

Canada

Australia / New Zealand

Europe

Asia

Latin America

Africa / Middle East

Entertainment

TV/Movies

Music

Performances will take place at the Sargent Theatre, Wednesday July 8, Saturday July 11, and Sunday July 12.

POPULAR

Get all the top news & discounts for Off-Off-Broadway & beyond.

As the Midtown International Theatre Festival makes its return to the New York stage after a decade-long hiatus, festival producers have officially named "Crabs in a Barrel" by acclaimed playwright Reginald T. Jackson a featured event of the 2026 season. This production will headline the festival's residency at the American Theatre of Actors (ATA) this July, coinciding with the ATA's landmark 50th Anniversary.

Get all the top news & discounts for Off-Off-Broadway & beyond.

"Crabs in a Barrel" is a searing psychological drama centered on three individuals trapped in an existential "Hell." Jackson, a celebrated PEN America Writers' Fund grant recipient, weaves a modern-day love triangle where long-buried secrets and unspeakable crimes are slowly and methodically unmasked. The play promises to be a centerpiece of the MITF comeback, offering the kind of high-stakes, intellectual storytelling that has defined Jackson's storied career.

Reginald T. Jackson is a titan of the New York independent theater scene. Since founding the Rainbow Repertory Theatre-the nation's first Black Gay Theater-in 1988, Jackson has been a tireless advocate for LGBTQ+ POC voices. A National Shakespeare Pioneer and winner of multiple awards including a New York City Mayor's Citation, Jackson's work has graced the stages of Lincoln Center and The Public Theater , and has been utilized as a teaching tool at NYU and Pace University.

The relaunch of the Midtown International Theatre Festival, founded by John Chatterton and produced in partnership with indie luminary Jay Michaels , and the landmark American Theatre of Actors, transforms the three-theatre ATA complex into a massive hub of creative innovation from June 15 through July 26, 2026.

Performances will take place at the Sargent Theatre, Wednesday July 8, Saturday July 11, and Sunday July 12.

Videos

Off-Off-Broadway SHOWS

Recommended For You

Sign up for announcements, and exclusive discounts on tickets to your favorite shows!

© 2026 - Copyright Wisdom Digital Media , all rights reserved. Privacy Policy

_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/off-off-broadway/article/CRABS-IN-A-BARREL-Named-Featured-Production-of-Midtown-International-Theatre-Festival-20260515)._