About
TheatreReset is a women and nonbinary owned and operated theatre company in Columbus, Ohio with a focus on original short plays. We are committed to producing new plays that take on important topics such as mental health, identity, and autonomy with kindness and humor. We value adaptability, accessibility, and appreciation of all parts of the theatre creation process from playwrights to actors to technicians to production managers. The name TheatreReset was chosen as a commitment to positive change.
Short Play Festivals
We produce two short play festivals a year (in May and September). Each festival features 8 to 10 short plays, ranging from 5 to 15 minutes. This allows us to work with more incredible writers, actors, and directors, and ensures there’s something for everyone to enjoy! We love hearing the various answers when asking, “Which show was your favorite?”
TheatreReset was founded in March 2023 by Colleen “Squiddy” Kochensparger and Susie McGarry (soon joined by Frances Wiley) to provide a safe space for theatre artists of all backgrounds and experience levels.
Our first production in May 2023 launched with A Squad of Their Own by Bethany Dickens Assaf. This 10-minute play is the story of 4 unique female superheroes in an office lobby. While waiting to interview for the 1 opening for a woman on a team that’s otherwise all men, the women realize that together, they have plenty of skills, knowledge, and abilities to be successful and decide to form their own group. A Squad of Their Own is reflective of TheatreReset’s origin story: the desire to create opportunities for often-overlooked folks in a respectful, collaborative environment.
History
In January 2024, we announced our status as a nonprofit at our Coming Out (As a Nonprofit) Gala! The evening featured theatre trivia, a silent auction, and lots of delicious pizza, and the money raised funded our venue for the May 2024 short play festival.
In January 2025, we participated in the first annual 48-Hour Play Festival hosted by Aethereal Jest, with our original script “Bridal Council,” where Frances and Squiddy wrote the script Friday night, Susie created the sound cues late Friday night, Kathy Matthews and Kyle Dapo sourced props on Saturday, and Susie directed some amazing actors who memorized the entire 26-page script over Saturday and Sunday in time to perform it Sunday night at the Van Fleet Theater at CPAC, while four other theatre companies brought their own created-in-48-hour plays for a unique night of creative chaos!
In June 2025, we received a generous amount of funding from the Greater Columbus Arts Council for the Project Support grant that we wrote—this allowed us to pay all playwrights, actors, directors, and technicians involved with TR6 and TR7, as well as allowing us to work with the fantastic ASL interpreter group StageHands at our matinee performances!
Since TheatreReset’s beginning in 2023, we’ve held six short play festivals featuring 47 plays, 20 playwrights, and 54 actors. We’re excited to continue introducing new voices to the Columbus theatre scene with our upcoming show in May 2026!
