MACH 33

We are pleased to announce the winning plays for the 25-26 cycle!

MACH 33:
The Heat of the Sun’s Rays by Katherine Vondy
Haunt Me by James Still
Sing For Me by Cris Eli Blak

Launchpad:
River of Night by Randal K. Jackson
Parity by Howard Ho
Hubble by Simon Bowler

This year’s program features an exciting, multifaceted collection of works-in-progress spanning genre, theme, and scientific focus, showcasing the range of science-driven theater as an art form.

Join us for the MACH 33 Festival May 14-16, 2026 for readings of the MACH 33 plays and readings of selections from the Launchpad plays!

Founded in 2013, MACH 33: The Caltech Festival of New Science-Driven Plays is a one-of-a-kind play development program, culminating in readings of new theatrical works focused on science by playwrights from the Greater Los Angeles area. Over the past decade, MACH 33 has helped nurture the evolution of dozens of exciting new plays focused on the ideas, history, and human drama of science.

MACH 33 energizes the conversations about scientific, mathematical, and technological questions by staging readings of new, unpublished, unproduced plays. Festival playwrights have the unique opportunity to work with science advisors from Caltech and JPL, so we focus on plays that could benefit from this science mentorship. The readings are open to the public and present a discussion with Caltech/JPL scientific panelists after the show. Our casts and crews feature professional actors and directors as well as students and members of the Caltech/JPL community.

Launchpad, the new early-development play lab, seeks to spark creative exchange between playwrights and scientists, serving as a laboratory for new plays focused on scientific, mathematical, and/or technological themes. Operating under the auspices of MACH 33, the new Launchpad initiative is aimed at works-in-progress in the earlier stages of the script writing process. Through this program, playwrights will also have the unique opportunity to work with science advisors from Caltech and JPL to develop their plays.

What’s in a Name?

“Escape velocity” is the speed needed to “break free” from the gravitational attraction of a massive body. On the surface of Earth, escape velocity is about 11.2 kilometers per second, or approximately 33 times the speed of sound: MACH 33.

Our name celebrates the innovative, dynamic breakthroughs that scientists and artists achieve. Through our performances and post-show discussions, MACH 33 strives to:

Strengthen personal connections to the scientists, engineers, and mathematicians who shape our world
Challenge and broaden the view of science, mathematics, and technology in the popular imagination
Make science feel more alive, exciting, and tangible
Deepen our emotional responses to science and scientific inquiries
Activate new ways of imagining the science all around us

Outside of the festival, MACH 33 has also helped develop plays including The New Galileos by Amy Berryman, Rocket Girl and Pasadena Babalon by George D. Morgan, God Particle Complex by Chris Bell and Josh Zeller, and Another Revolution by Jacqueline Bircher (which TACIT toured to Italy in 2023).

Brian Brophy, Director of TACIT, is the Artistic Director of MACH 33.

Arden Thomas serves as the Associate Artistic Director of MACH 33.

Cole Remmen serves as Program Director for Launchpad.

This year’s application period is now closed, but you can check out the application requirements.

For other science-driven theater programs, check out our resource page.