Off-Broadway's Keen Company, newly under the leadership of Artistic Director Kelly Kerwin and Producing Director Annie Middleton, is going outside the box with its upcoming 2025-2026 season, planning a series of one-night-only theatrical experiences in lieu of a traditional season of plays or musicals. Each entry in the upcoming Mixtape Series will feature performances curated by an artist or company, with press notes sharing audiences can expect "a surprise of genres, ideas, and voices."

The series will kick off with an evening curated by Monica Bill Barnes and Robbie Saenz de Viteri December 3 at The Space at Irondale, with performances from Ira Glass, The Bengsons, David Cale, and more. A March 2, 2026, entry at National Sawdust will be curated by Adam Gwon, whose musical All the World's a Stage made its world premiere via Keen last season. That evening will feature Jennifer Jancuska and BringAbout Development, an excerpt of a new musical by Rona Siddiqui, Bryce Pinkham, Zack Fine, Kirya Traber, and more.

The season will also include evenings curated by Ato Blankson-Wood (April 13, 2026) and Mona Mansour (May 4, 2026), the latter featuring Heidi Rodewald. Venues and further performers for both are to be announced.

“For our first season with Keen, Annie and I are doing everything we can to support creative expression,” says Kerwin in a statement. “In a time when thinking-outside-the-box is necessary, we’re launching Keen’s Mixtape Series. Each Mixtape show will be a constellation of artists and performances curated by some of the most dynamic artists in New York. This next phase of Keen is momentous yet distinct, nimble yet adventurous.”

"Keen’s mission of celebrating the complexities of hope and the joys of the human condition permeates every facet of the Mixtape Series and we know each evening will bring a sense of curiosity and wonder into an overwhelming and chaotic world," adds Middleton.

The company's 2026 gala, set for February 9, 2026, at Manhattan Penthouse, will honor playwrights Julia Jordan and Marsha Norman. Keen will also bring back its Keen Teens program and its Festival of New Plays, celebrating its 20th anniversary May 15-17 at Theatre Row.

"For our first Keen Gala, we are ecstatic to honor Julia Jordan and Marsha Norman," says Kerwin. "These women are not only brilliant playwrights, but they are changemakers and rabblerousers who have been dedicated to creating a more inclusive theatre industry. Among their many achievements, they co-founded The Lillys—an annual awards ceremony and foundation that honors women in theatre for their extraordinary work and advocates for gender and racial parity in the industry. We are indebted to one of our fantastic board members, Chisa Hutchinson, a fellow playwright, who enthusiastically championed their names."

Mixtape and gala tickets are available at KeenCompany.org.