Summer Shorts: America's Short Play Festival
Summer Shorts is City Theatre's signature annual festival. Every June since 1996, we present a lineup of new ten-minute plays by nationally recognized and Miami-based playwrights, performed by an ensemble cast.
In June 2026, we open the 30th Anniversary Festival.
The 30th Anniversary Festival
After 30 years, Summer Shorts is one of the longest-running short-play festivals in the country. The 30th Anniversary Festival brings a new mix of short plays and original music, with a live band on stage.
Saturday, June 13, 2026 at the Westchester Cultural Arts Center.
Two performances:
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Afternoon Paid Preview | 2:00 pm | Programs A + B
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Evening Show | 7:00 pm | Program A, dinner break with live pianist, Program B
Defunded Not Defeated
In 2025, in the face of significant cuts to public arts funding in Florida, City Theatre and our audience refused to cancel the festival. With humor, generosity, and grit, our Defunded Not Defeated campaign brought 20 short plays, two musical numbers, and a live band to the Sandrell Rivers Theater for the 29th annual Summer Shorts, hosted by Rhonda Sanchez and featuring Jannelys Santos and Peter Mir of Miami's Villain Theater.
Thank you to everyone who joined us. The campaign continues, because the work continues.
How Summer Shorts Works
Each year, the festival features a curated lineup of new ten-minute plays selected from hundreds of submissions to our Susan J. Westfall National Short Playwriting Contest and from commissions to writers in our [Homegrown Playwright Development Program
Past Festivals
Across 30 seasons, Summer Shorts has produced more than 380 plays by more than 300 playwrights, including world premieres by writers who have gone on to win the Pulitzer, the Tony, the Oscar, and the Humana.
[See the full list of City Theatre playwrights, 1996 to today.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Summer Shorts 2026?
Saturday, June 13, 2026 at the Westchester Cultural Arts Center. Two performances: an afternoon paid preview at 2:00 pm and an evening show at 7:00 pm.
Where can I get tickets?
Tickets are available through the Westchester Cultural Arts Center.
What can I expect?
A new mix of short plays and original music with a live band, performed by an ensemble cast. The evening show includes a dinner break with a live pianist between Program A and Program B.
How long is the program?
The afternoon preview runs about 2.5 hours with both programs back-to-back. The evening show runs from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm including the dinner break.
Are the plays family-friendly?
Summer Shorts is curated for adult audiences.
How can I submit a play to Summer Shorts?
Submissions are accepted through the Susan J. Westfall National Short Playwriting Contest. Learn more here.
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