The Little Shakespeare Festival
August 2027, dates tba
adaptations | classic | curated
Welcome to The Little Shakespeare Festival at FRIGID New York! This festival is a celebration of independent theater and performance that takes inspiration from the immortal bard, William Shakespeare. Each year, companies are offered a different theme or idea to help guide their work.
What kind of performances can I expect?
FRIGID is proud to be a quirky, black-box basement, Off-Off-Broadway venue where artists aren’t afraid to make bold choices and try new things. While this festival specifically curates Shakespearean-inspired stories, you can generally expect something a little more off-the-beaten-path in our space!
How much are tickets? Are there any discounts?
Most shows with FRIGID are priced between $7-$30, and/or offer a “pay-what-you-can” option (with a minimum of $7) PLUS a $2.50 transaction fee.
You can also buy tickets at the door (cash or card) without the fee, but with a small 45-seat house we cannot guarantee a show won’t sell out – therefore we strongly recommend purchasing in advance.
What is the theatre like? Are there concessions?
We are a basement blackbox only accessible by stairs. The theatre is general admission (not assigned seating) for up to 45 patrons with a mix of cushioned theatrical chairs and free-standing plastic chairs. We have two bathrooms available via another (small) set of stairs.
The small-but-mighty bar is open for most evening performances with a selection of wine, beer, & cider – plus non-alcoholic options like soda and water. Please note we are not a full-service bar.
What if I’m running late or unable to make it?
If you are running <10 minutes late, there is a chance you will be able to make it into the show. After this point, we cannot guarantee a staff member will be at the door and able to grant entry. It is also up to the discretion of each show to handle late seating. Please note that late arrival does not qualify for a refund.
If you are feeling unwell, please email boxoffice@frigid.nyc to exchange for a streaming link at no additional charge (IF streaming is available). If streaming is not available, we may try to exchange for another date of the same production or another show in the same festival.
Since we are a small team, please give as much notice as possible to increase your chances of receiving the link or exchanging in time for the performance.
How can I be a part of this festival?
Applications for Little Shakespeare open annually around May with the festival occurring for 2 weeks in August. Join our mailing list to learn when submissions open for Little Shakespeare 2027, as well as other festivals & opportunities hosted by FRIGID!


Welcome to The Little Shakespeare Festival at Frigid New York! This festival is a celebration of independent theater and performance that takes inspiration from the immortal bard, William Shakespeare. Each year, companies are offered a different theme or idea to help guide their work.
ARCHIVE: The 2026 festival’s theme was “ShakesPUNK”
Like it or not, Shakespearean theatre has become part of the establishment: easy, predictable, and safe. But we don’t think that’s how Shakespeare should be. That’s not what we’re here for. We’re here for Shakespeare that challenges, that shocks, that’s loud and grimy and angry. That’s punk! That’s ShakesPUNK. We’re challenging the Shakespearean status quo with the punkest, weirdest, queerest, angriest Shakespeare-adjacent theater you’ve ever seen!
Remember that being punk is about being unapologetically you, and speaking out against the injustice in the world around us
Join our community and remember that Shakespeare doesn’t just live on when performed in giant, open air amphitheaters or big, Broadway houses; he also lives in these most humble of places, where I think he would have felt quite at home. Here, with you and me, at The Little Shakespeare Festival.
Little Shakespeare is curated by artist and educator Conor Mullen of As You Will and rAN from August 6th through 23rd, 2026

ARCHIVE 2026: ShakesPUNK


























Years Past

2025: Not Your English Teacher’s Shakespeare
- Anti-Gone, Created by Sivan Raz and Presented by Needs More Work Productions
- As You Will, Created by Conor Mullen, David Brummer, and George Hider
- As You Wish It or The Bride Princess or What You Will, Written by Michael Hagins, Presented by Fork the Odds Productions
- Hamlet: La Telenovela, Adapted by Federico Mallet, Translation by Jose Ruano, and Presented by Something From Abroad
- Hamlet’s Dad, Written & Performed by Rachel Resnik, Presented by Serious Play
- Measure for Measure, Presented by Elsewhere Shakespeare Company
- The Mousetrap, or Prince Hamlet wrote a dumb play and now we have to do it, Written by Margaret Rose Caterisano, Presented by Broomstick
- Tempestuous, Written by Mark Sage
- Two Households, Written & Performed by Rachel Weekley, Presented by No Exit Theatre Collective

2023: Exploring the Feminine in Shakespeare
- As You Will, Created by Conor Mullen, David Brummer, and George Hider
- Double Bill: Shakespeare’s Deaths & Shakespeare’s Ladies at Tea, Written by Frank Farrell, Presented by First Flight Theatre Company
- Lady Capulet, Written by Melissa Bell, Presented by Barefoot Shakespeare Company
- THE ROOM of Falsehood, Written by Michael Hagins, Presented by C.A.G.E. Theatre Company
- Shrew You! Presented by Hamlet Isn’t Dead
- Wheel of Fortune, Written by Jing Ma, Presented by Djingo Productions

2024: Camaraderie and Community
- As You Mic It: Shakespearian Slam
- As You Will, Created by Conor Mullen, David Brummer, and George Hider
- Fools in the Forest, Written by Natalie Kane (from text by William Shakespeare), Presented by Ladies & Fools
- The Lark and the Nightingale, Written by Mindy Mawhirter and Alyssa Cokinis
- Much Ado About Nothing, Produced by Megan Lummus
- My Own Private Shakespeare, Written by Justin Hay, Presented by Modern Classic Theatre
- Walter Schlinger’s Romeo and Juliet, Written by Sean Gordon, Presented by Glow-Worm Theatre Company
- When My Cue Comes, Written by William Shakespeare and Select Members of Hamlet Isn’t Dead, Presented by Hamlet Isn’t Dead

2022: Little Shakespeare
- As You Will, Created by Conor Mullen, David Brummer, and George Hider
- Romeo & Juliet, Produced by Sam Stone, Shelby Capone, Annella Kaine, Taylor Bartenope
- Brawls and Burlesque, Double Bill presented by Fortune Cookie and C.A.G.E. Theatre Company
- Uspoken Garden/ El Jardin que calla, Presented by Robus Dance Theatre Ensemble
