2026/27 Season
CREATIVE ENSEMBLE COMPANY
THIS IS WHERE NEW STORIES BEGIN.
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Original Work. New Voices. Live on Stage.
Creative Ensemble Company is a New York City home for bold new theatre—where playwrights develop original work, artists take creative risks, and audiences experience stories coming to life for the first time. Our 2026/27 Season invites you to discover new voices, encounter unforgettable performances, and become part of the community that helps new theatre grow. Come see what happens before everyone else is talking about it.
EXPLORE THE 2026/27 SEASON
COMING UP NEXT
ASE: THE NINTH ETHER – An immersive stage experience. Aya Ninthe wakes inside a system built to hold time still — and must choose between carrying an ancestral Archive forward or surrendering her memory to end her pain.
Written & Directed by Shema’yah Bey
I GOT THE LAST LAUGH! — A comedy inspired by the life and times of Jackie “Moms” Mabley, written by James E. Carter. Behind the floppy hat, house dress, and unforgettable punchlines was a woman who turned hardship into humor and broke barriers one laugh at a time. They may have underestimated Moms—but she always got the last laugh.
Directed by James E. Carter
THE KNIFE BEFORE XMAS – A comedy horror by James E. Carter. The tree is up, the lights are strung, and something is very wrong in this house. ‘Tis the season… to be worried.
Directed by James E. Carter
Save & Subscribe
Creative Ensemble Company The More You See, The More You Save.
Make Creative Ensemble Company part of your 2026/27 season. Subscribers enjoy preferred seating, savings of up to 25% or more, flexible ticket exchanges, and special subscriber experiences—while helping us bring bold new plays and unforgettable performances to the stage.
Choose the performances and seating that work for you below.
GREAT STORIES START HERE.
Your subscription does more than reserve a seat. It helps Creative Ensemble Company develop new plays, support artists, and bring original stories to New York audiences.
Come for the stories. Come for the artists. Come be part of what happens next.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE 2026/27 SEASON
Subscription purchases are non-refundable. If your plans change, tickets may be exchanged for another performance during the show’s run at no additional charge, subject to availability.
About CEC
Creative Ensemble Company is a New York City theater company built around a simple conviction: new plays deserve full productions, not just workshops.
Founded by playwright and artistic director James E. Carter, the company produces a full season of original work each year, alongside a New Works Reading Series that puts three new scripts in front of a live audience — and lets that audience vote on which one receives a full production the following season. Writers get more than a table read. They get a decision, a stage, and a run.
Our productions have traveled. I Got the Last Laugh!, inspired by the life and times of Jackie “Moms” Mabley, premiered at The Jubilee Theatre in Fort Worth, played a month-long run in Las Vegas, and won Irma P. Hall Awards for Best New Play and Best Lead Actress. Our catalog of original plays is available for licensing to theaters, schools, and producing organizations nationwide, and the company is developing a slate of independent films.
Creative Ensemble Company hires union and non-union performers, designers, technicians, and crew, and holds open auditions and staff interviews each season. If you want to work, there’s a way in...
Award Winning
This section highlights our most notable theater awards and accolades.
Irma P. Hall Award
This is our primary accolade, honoring excellence in professional stage plays and artistic direction.
National Showcase
Highlighting our acclaimed productions showcased in major cities like Fort Worth and Las Vegas.
New Works Honor
Detailing the value our reading series and script licensing bring to the theater community.
Featured Works
Explore our critically acclaimed original plays and award-winning productions.
Original Production
$50.00
New Works Event
Free
Published Play
Inquire
Acclaimed Theater Productions For New York
Discover our upcoming stage plays, new works reading series, and independent film screenings designed to inspire audiences and enrich the performing arts community.
Original Stage Play Premiere
TBA
New York City
Experience powerful storytelling and stellar performances in our latest theatrical production.
New Works Reading Series
TBA
Fort Worth
Join artistic director James E. Carter for an exclusive live reading of upcoming plays.
Independent Film Showcase
TBA
Las Vegas
Celebrating cinematic excellence with screenings of our latest independent film projects.
CREATIVE ENSEMBLE COMPANY, INC. | Inquiries@CreativeEnsemble.org
Call the Box Office: 844.525.0710
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