SoftLaunch 2026 brought immersive, participatory performance experiments to Cleveland Public Theatre’s campus January 15–17

A weekend built around experimental formats

SoftLaunch 2026 unfolded across multiple spaces at Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT) from Jan. 15–17, 2026, operating as a weekend-long performance festival structured around audience movement between works rather than a single seated program. Performances ran from 7 to 10:30 p.m. each night, with projects staged in various locations across CPT’s campus.

The festival’s design emphasized nontraditional theatre forms — including installations, participatory and immersive encounters, and works built for small groups or one-on-one audience experiences. The structure positioned audiences as active participants, with projects often incorporating direct interaction, wandering pathways between rooms, and activities that shaped what each attendee encountered.

Projects ranged from intimate encounters to multi-room installations

The 2026 program presented a wide set of performance experiments, spanning movement-based work, music-driven sessions, interactive conversation structures and multi-room storytelling environments.

• “Are We Not Strangers?” created a participatory setting built around invitations to exchange stories and bring a line from a book that moves the attendee.
• “Nonverbal Conversations” focused on communication without spoken words through sound and movement, conducted in small groups with sessions recorded for reflection.
• “Windows to… or How to Stop SmoKing” was structured as a multi-room interactive performance installation incorporating video and sound elements and offering audiences an option to leave an audio response.
• “TEA: The Evolution Archive” was staged as an Afrofuturistic lounge environment centered on tea service and memory-oriented installations.
• “Portraits by Suttree” elevated portrait-making into performance, with the audience member taking on the role of the model in a guided, improvised exchange.

Clear boundaries and audience expectations

Several projects explicitly established audience expectations and safety parameters. Some works included mask requirements within the installation space, and at least one project carried a detailed content warning that referenced themes including transphobia, domestic violence, legal violence, police and emotional trauma. These disclosures functioned as advance notice for audiences navigating the festival’s varied environments.

Closing night event and ticketing structure

SoftLaunch offered multiple ticket options by day and for the full weekend, including limited, day-of “choose-what-you-pay” rush tickets distributed in person at the door on a first-come basis. A closing-night celebration was held Saturday, Jan. 17, with admission including a post-show reception featuring light appetizers and a selection of complimentary beverages.

SoftLaunch was organized as a “beta test” environment, presenting works at different stages of development alongside fully produced projects, with audiences moving between artistic experiments across CPT’s campus.

Context: CPT amid expansion plans

The 2026 festival took place as CPT continued pursuing a broader campus expansion effort that has included plans to convert a neighboring former church building into additional performance and rehearsal space. That long-term infrastructure work, alongside programs focused on developing new performance models, reflects an ongoing emphasis on supporting emerging and experimental work in Cleveland’s theatre ecosystem.