The Hatchery 2026: August 29-30
Watch workshop productions of music and movement-driven new theater works for FREE
What is The Hatchery? Watch our vid
Hatchery details
Now in it’s third year, The Hatchery is a new works development program and festival which happens the weekend before Labor Day at The Judy, home of Northwest Childrens Theatre and School, in downtown Portland, OR.
We present two projects offering pay-what-you-will pricing to the public.
One is commissioned by the company and the other is a community sourced project, chosen by application. This year’s project will be announced in April.
The Hatchery seeks to support new theater works that feature an innovative use of music/movement as an integral part of theatrical storytelling. Individuals and groups of devisers, makers, and movement-based theater artists are in particular encouraged to apply, particularly if your process doesn’t adhere to a traditional, script-based model. Next year’s application will open November, 2026.
The Hatchery presents: Undertow
This year’s commissioned work for The Hatchery is a musical adaptation of the award-winning 2009 film, Contracorriente (Undertow). The film is a haunting portrait of a small Peruvian town’s homophobia, with the ocean serving as a key character and the inspiration for the visual, sonic, and physical world of the play.
A 10-member, all Latinė cast honors the source material, bringing cultural specificity to the unique challenges facing Latinė LGBTQIA+ people and the complex relationship between individual and community.
Undertow
Book by Javier Fuentes Leon and Eric Nordin
Music and Lyrics by Eric Nordin
Based on the motion picture Contracorriente, written and directed by Javier Fuentes Leon
Reservations available mid-July. Join our mailing list to be the first to know!
“…the most important thing we feel we gained from the Hatchery was the support of the entire Hatchery/Many Hats team, both creatively and logistically. We felt like there was a real investment put into our creative vision that made our growth and success possible.” - Teague Shattuck and Naama Friedman
“…often, I find myself wearing every hat at once—explaining, defending, directing, rewriting, producing, worrying. At The Hatchery, I felt held. I was able to focus solely on writing the play, knowing that I had a team who not only understood what I was making, but cared about nurturing it with gentleness, curiosity, and encouragement. That is an extraordinary gift..” - Josie Seid