The Terrence McNally Festival, a three-day celebration of the life, work, and legacy of the late Tony-winning playwright, will be held January 29–31, 2027, in Austin, Texas.

Presented by The Terrence McNally Foundation, in partnership with Texas Performing Arts, the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin, and Rattlestick Theater, the upcoming festival will feature readings of five new American plays, an academic symposium, and a revival of McNally’s landmark play Corpus Christi.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Liz Frankel and Artistic Producer Kate Eminger, the festival will feature readings of the following new plays: Girl Time, written by Eliza Frakes and directed by Sarah Hughes; The Seahorse, written by Kate Fodor and directed by Will Davis; Gulliver’s Travels, freely adapted and directed by Zack Fine and Bradley Michalakis; You Can Tell a Tree by Its Fruit, written by comfort ifeoma katchy; and The Daisies, written by Tony Meneses and directed by Danny Sharron.

David Kornhaber will lead the 9 AM-2 PM January 30 academic symposium, examining McNally’s contributions to American drama, in the Prothro Theatre of the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin. The Rude Mechs production of McNally’s Corpus Christi is scheduled for January 30 at 8 PM at Austin’s Crash Box.

“At a time when so many of our beloved theatre festivals have ceased to be, we could not be more proud to partner with Texas Performing Arts, the Harry Ransom Center, and our forever collaborators at Rattlestick Theater to present a festival that celebrates Terrence McNally’s profound impact on the American theatre while championing the new voices shaping its future,” says Terrence McNally Foundation Executive Director Santino DeAngelo in a statement. “It feels especially meaningful to host this festival in Texas, where Terrence grew up and first discovered his love of theatre. We look forward to an extraordinary weekend of bold new plays, lively conversations, and unforgettable performances that celebrate Terrence’s remarkable legacy and the artists who continue to carry it forward.”

Born in St. Petersburg, Florida, and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, McNally maintained a lifelong connection to Texas. His archive is housed at the Harry Ransom Center at UT Austin, where his manuscripts, correspondence, and other materials provide a record of his creative life and the evolution of American theatre.

“The Terrence McNally Foundation has been a recent energizing force in new play development, and I am honored to help them expand south. The five scripts we have selected are smart, brave, original, and theatrical, and I can’t wait to share them with an audience. And the Rude Mechs doing McNally’s Corpus Christi is a pairing not to be missed!” adds Terrence McNally Festival Artistic Director Frankel.

“Rattlestick is thrilled to deepen its partnership with the Terrence McNally Foundation and champion new play development across the country. Austin holds a special place in this work, with its strong ties to UT Austin and St. Edward’s University reflected in Rattlestick’s artistic leadership. The city’s rich and expansive theatre landscape serves as a source of inspiration as Rattlestick prepares to reopen its newly renovated, flexible theatre space, reaffirming its identity as a bespoke development theatre dedicated to well resourced productions with long process-driven timelines,” states Eminger, associate artistic director at Rattlestick Theater.

In addition to his Tonys for Love! Valour! Compassion! and Master Class, McNally also won two Tony Awards for penning books for musicals: Kiss of the Spider Woman in 1993 and Ragtime in 1998. He also received the Tony Awards’ Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre honor. Read the complete obituary for Mr. McNally by clicking here.

Schedule and festival passes are available at TerrenceMcNallyFestival.com.