ShuffleFest 2026 Kicks Off with Writers Workshop, Submissions Now Open

Los Angeles, CA — January 2026

Fake ID Productions in collaboration with ScriptShuffle and The Cats Crawl Theatre has officially launched its third annual ten-minute play festival, ShuffleFest, with an Official kickoff event, a Writers Workshop that brought together emerging and established playwrights in a collaborative, electric evening of storytelling.

Held on January 15th in North Hollywood, the event marked the official kickoff of the 2026 season. Writers gathered to brainstorm, draft, and share excerpts of original 10-minute plays in a roundtable-style format designed to foster both support and accountability.

“We always say ShuffleFest is part festival, part social experiment,” said Jasmin Haugstuen Please, co-founder of the festival and creative lead at Fake ID Productions. “This workshop is where that experiment begins. You never know what magic will come out of it and this year’s group felt particularly electric. The workshop usually results in awesome and inspired submissions, so I'm excited to see what we get to read this year.”

Submissions are officially open now through February 11, and writers from all backgrounds are encouraged to submit their 10-minute plays for consideration.

Festival committee member Zoya Ray emphasized that the festival is “a place for work-in-progress, for experimentation, and for brave creative risks,”

The festival will return to The Cats Crawl in East Hollywood April 8–10, with a dedicated tech and dress day followed by two evenings of performances.

Selected scripts will be paired with directors and actors from the ShuffleFest pool, in keeping with the event’s signature “shuffle” process.

“You don’t pick your plays, we shuffle it,” said Anthony Leyva, another committee member and ShuffleFest Co-founder. “It’s all about trust and creativity under pressure.” adding that “we’ve seen some incredible first-time playwrights find their voice through this platform.”

More details, including submission guidelines and festival timeline, can be found at www.fakeidproductions.com/shufflefest.

For artists looking to shake up their process, or just shake things up, ShuffleFest 2026 promises another bold chapter of indie theater.