Most audiences attend the theatre after months of rehearsals have ended, the scripts have been finalized and every scene has been carefully polished. In Grants Pass this August, the public will have an opportunity to experience something entirely different. Instead of watching a finished production, local residents will witness original plays and musicals while they are still taking shape, offering a rare glimpse into the creative process that transforms an idea into a performance.
That opportunity arrives Aug. 7 through Aug. 10 as The Loop: Lab and New Work Festival returns to The Hivve in downtown Grants Pass for its third annual festival. Bringing together nationally recognized playwrights, directors, educators and approximately 30 young performers from throughout Southern Oregon, the event has established itself as an uncommon collaboration where professional artists and local students work side by side to develop new theatrical works written specifically for young adult audiences.
Unlike a traditional theatre festival that focuses on completed productions, The Loop is built around the idea that great stories become stronger through collaboration. During three days of rehearsals, actors are encouraged to do much more than learn their lines. They become active participants in the development process, sharing observations about dialogue, characters and emotional authenticity while working directly with the playwrights creating the productions. Their feedback often influences revisions that continue long after the festival concludes.
That collaborative approach is the foundation of The Loop’s SAY Process, an acronym for Story, Audience and Youth. The model recognizes that young people offer valuable perspectives on stories written for their generation, allowing playwrights to test ideas with the very audiences they hope to reach. Rather than treating students simply as performers, the festival invites them to become creative partners whose voices help shape the direction of each production.
This year’s festival also represents an important milestone for the organization. After being produced in previous years through Aggregate Collective, LLC, the 2026 festival will be the first presented under The Loop: Lab and New Work Festival’s nonprofit structure, expanding its long-term mission of developing original plays and musicals while creating new opportunities for youth-centered storytelling.
Festival founder and president Julia Cuppy said the organization’s mission has remained consistent from the beginning.
“The Loop was founded on the belief that young people should have a voice in the stories created for them and about them,” Cuppy said. “By bringing together playwrights, youth artists, directors, and audiences, we create a collaborative environment where new work can be developed with authenticity, curiosity, and community at its core.”
Two original productions will anchor this year’s festival, each exploring universal themes through very different storytelling styles.
The King’s Table, written by acclaimed playwright Lee Cataluna and directed by Marjorie Mae Treger, is inspired by true events surrounding a small table once owned by Hawaiʻi’s last king. After learning the historic artifact has remained caught in a decades-long ownership dispute, a group of Iowa eighth-grade students launches an unexpected campaign to help return it to its rightful home. Along the way, the production weaves together history, friendship and civic responsibility while exploring the leadership of Prince Jonah Kūhiō and King Kalākaua, illustrating how determination and cooperation can create meaningful change.
Offering a lighter but equally thoughtful perspective, Greek To Me reimagines familiar figures from Greek mythology through humor, contemporary music and modern storytelling. Written by Maddy Sinclair and CV Wells, with Julia Cuppy directing and Bradley Behrmann serving as music director, the original musical follows Apollo, Aphrodite, Pandora and other legendary characters as they confront questions of identity, purpose, friendship and destiny while an uncertain future unfolds around them. Although inspired by ancient mythology, the production explores issues that remain relevant for young audiences today, including finding one’s voice, challenging expectations and choosing an independent path.
Following three days of workshops and rehearsals, both productions will be presented as staged readings on Monday, Aug. 10, beginning at 7 p.m. at The Hivve. Rather than concluding with the final scene, the evening will continue with facilitated audience discussions that invite community members to share their reactions with the creative teams. Those conversations become part of what organizers describe as the festival’s creative loop, providing valuable insight that playwrights may use as they continue revising their work before future productions.
The festival’s collaborative philosophy has helped establish Grants Pass as an unexpected destination for new play development. Professional artists from across the country travel to Southern Oregon not only to develop original theatre but also to work directly with local students, creating educational opportunities that are seldom available outside larger metropolitan arts communities. For young performers, the experience provides firsthand exposure to the professional development process while allowing them to contribute ideas that may ultimately influence productions performed well beyond Oregon.
As The Loop enters its third festival season, organizers hope the event continues strengthening the connection between professional artists and the community that helps shape their work. In many ways, the festival reflects the idea that theatre is more than entertainment. It is a conversation, and in Grants Pass that conversation includes playwrights, performers, educators and audiences working together to create stories that resonate with the next generation.
Additional information, including ticket availability, festival schedules and artist announcements, will be released in the coming weeks as organizers prepare to welcome the community for four days of creativity, collaboration and original storytelling in the heart of downtown Grants Pass.