Nine original short plays, all wrapped in shadowy noir themes, are set to take over Grace Episcopal Church's Newton Hall in St. Helena this November as UpStage Napa Valley stages the sixth annual edition of its PlayFest. The community theater group selected the scripts from 75 submissions sent in by playwrights across the country, and the three-weekend run will feature 14 local community actors bringing the stories to life starting November 6.
According to The Napa Valley Register, this year's festival leans fully into a noir theme, with nine 15-minute plays divided into three different programs across three consecutive weekends. Performances run Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 1:30 p.m., with tickets priced at $35 per show or $90 for an all-weekend pass, available through UpStage Napa Valley's website. The group's PlayFest Community Scripts Committee made the selections, and artistic director Sharie Renault said the noir theme inspired an extraordinary range of stories, including mystery, comedy, suspense, Shakespeare, Hitchcock and the supernatural, per the same report.
Opening Weekend Blends Mystery With Hitchcock-Style Comedy
Opening weekend, running November 6 through 8, features three plays directed by Renault herself. John Minigan's “The Maltese Walter” stars Aaron Love as a therapist, Alex Lyman as an accountant channeling what the Register describes as “film noir power,” and Hannah Kaczmarczyk as his fiancée. Susan Jackson's “Donner for Christmas,” featuring Mara McGrath, Fred Ireland and Jimmy Adams, offers a playful take on Alfred Hitchcock's films, while John Franceshini's “Give the Devil His Due,” starring Trina Justman and Luis Carbajal, follows a client hiring a detective to track down a missing nightclub singer.
Second Weekend Spotlights a Single Playwright's Trio of Scripts
The festival's second weekend, November 13 through 15, showcases three plays all written by the same playwright: Allie Costa, an actor, writer, director and singer whose original works have been produced internationally, according to her New Play Exchange profile. Her “She Has Seen the Wolf,” a noir-inspired take on Little Red Riding Hood, stars Sarah Nathan, Luis Carbajal and Aaron Love. “Don't Shoot the Messenger Pigeon” imagines a Mets fan and a Yankees fan meeting unexpectedly, with Fred Ireland and Sarah Beth Abernathy in the lead roles. Rounding out the weekend is “Can You Keep a Secret,” a Twilight Zone-inflected piece starring Sarah Beth Abernathy, Sarah Nathan and Hannah Kaczmarczyk, directed by guest director Alexis Forni.
Closing Weekend Reimagines Shakespeare Through a Noir Lens
PlayFest wraps up with its final weekend, November 20 through 22. Laurie Spector's “Torrid Taxes” follows a tax accountant and his desperate client, with Robyn Myers and Jimmy Adams starring. Michael Waterson's “Crown of Blood: The Elsinor Murders” reimagines Shakespeare's Hamlet through a noir lens, featuring Alex Lyman, Sarah Nathan and Luis Carbajal. The weekend also includes “The Last Visitor,” starring Dianne Fraser and Brad Darfler.
UpStage Napa Valley uses PlayFest both to give playwrights a stage for new work and to let local actors and directors collaborate on original material, the Register reports. The festival is made possible in part by support from the City of St. Helena and a grant from Napa County Arts & Culture, per the same account.
A Theater Rooted in Donor Support and Public Arts Funding
UpStage Napa Valley held its first annual Playwright Festival in fall 2021 and also presented online productions during the pandemic, according to UpStage Napa Valley. The organization operates as Calistoga Theater Company doing business as UpStage Napa Valley.
UpStage Napa Valley draws on both donor generosity and public arts funding. Individual memberships and donations supply 52% of the group's annual operating budget, while ticket sales, concessions and raffles make up the rest. Among its public support is Napa County funding approved for the 2026–2027 fiscal year to back the short play festival and two full-length mainstage productions, according to county records filed with the Napa County Board of Supervisors. That funding is part of a broader countywide investment: in June 2025, the Board of Supervisors awarded $242,132 across 14 arts and cultural organizations, money drawn from the Transient Occupancy Tax paid by lodging guests throughout Napa County.
Securing performance space remains an ongoing challenge for Napa Valley theater groups, and UpStage Napa Valley has responded by expanding beyond its usual St. Helena home. In July 2026, the company staged its thriller “Gaslight” at the newly opened Brannan Center in Calistoga in addition to its regular venue, according to Napa Valley Features. Newton Hall also serves as a theater venue.
What Comes After the Noir Festival
PlayFest is part of UpStage Napa Valley's 2026–2027 season. Ticket information for PlayFest is available at upstagenapavalley.org.
