Honesty & Complexity Take Centerstage as Theatre Nova Debuts New World Premiere
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Theatre NOVA presents the National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere of THE JONBENÉT GAME by Tori Keenan-Zelt
ANN ARBOR, MI -- Theatre NOVA, Ann Arbor’s resident nonprofit professional
theatre specializing in new plays presents the National New Play Network Rolling World
Premiere of THE JONBENÉT GAME by Tori Keenan-Zelt, running March 27-April 19, 2026.
When best friends Molly and Rae were 12, they secretly played JonBenét Ramsey at
sleepovers. Twenty years later, in the wake of Molly's tragic death, Rae returns to her hometown school as a guidance counselor. But when Molly’s 12-year-old daughter, Hazel, knocks on Rae’s door, she and Rae slide back into the game, and the dark and liminal spaces of their unresolved grief.
Director Carla Milarch said, “The thing that moves me about this play is how realistically it portrays the experience of tween girls, in all honesty and complexity. The playwright takes us on a journey through the seldom talked about experiences that so many of us have when we enter puberty, from the first sexual stirrings to the realization that violence is always closer because of our gender."
"At a time when both literal and social acts of violence against women are in the news, it's important to think about the lasting scar this violence leaves on victims.”
Directed by Carla Milarch, the cast features Maggie Alger, Amy Morrisey and Cassandra Wilson. The production team includes Elise Blochwitz (stage manager), Briana O'Neal (set designer and props), Jade Guerriero (light designer), Jade Jaarda (costume designer), and Josie Herman (sound designer).
What is a Rolling World Premiere? At least three theatres have to commit to producing a "world premiere" production within 18 months of each other, all collaborating with each other, the playwright, and the National New Play Network to make it happen.
Carla said, “Rolling World Premieres are cool because the playwright gets to see three completely independent, different interpretations of their play, deepening their understanding of how their play is interpreted and how it works in front of an audience.”
THE JONBENÉT GAME by Tori Keenan-Zelt, runs March 27-April 19, 2026 at Theatre NOVA (410 W Huron St, Ann Arbor). Performances are Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 3pm and 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm. General admission tickets are $30, $25 for 65 and over, and $15 for students with student IDs at the door. Tickets may be purchased online at www.TheatreNOVA.org or in person one hour before each performance.
Seating in the theater will begin 30 minutes before each performance. There is ample free parking and quick access to the city’s restaurants, bars, bakeries, and coffee shops. New patrons can find Theatre NOVA across Huron Street from Ann Arbor’s YMCA through a parking lot entrance on the north side of the street.
Theatre NOVA’s mission is to raise awareness of the value and excitement of new plays and playwrights and to provide resources for playwrights to develop their craft by importing, exporting, and developing new work. This activity is supported by the Shubert Foundation, the Michigan Arts & Culture Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
