Category: Show Pages

Special Performance: Enough!

Special Performance:

Enough! Plays to End Gun Violence

Performance Date: Monday, October 6th, 2025

Every hour in America, a child is shot. Gun violence silences voices — but in Raleigh, NC, teens are taking the stage to speak out.

On October 6, Burning Coal Theatre joins over 50 communities nationwide for ENOUGH!, presenting six urgent new plays by teen writers confronting gun violence.

Directed by Brook North

This event is free to attend. No reservations required.

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OUR PERFORMANCE OF Enough! Plays to End Gun Violence

Enough! Plays to End Gun Violence / October 6th, 2025 @ 7:00pm

Directed by Brook North

ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence empowers teens to write short plays that spark community conversation and inspire meaningful action on gun violence. Each fall, organizations nationwide present readings of six new teen-written plays, connecting local audiences to youth voices and local solutions.

enoughplays.com

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Show Pages

Special Performance: Rachel Corrie

Special Performance:

My Name is Rachel Corrie

Next Performance Date: March 18th, 2026 @ 7:00pm

Over the course of 10 months, Burning Coal Theatre will produce 10 staged readings of My Name is Rachel Corrie, by Alan Rickman and Katherine Viner, with a different cast at each performance.

The March reading will feature members of the Triangle’s music community!

All tickets are free with a suggested donation of $10. All proceeds will go to Doctors without Borders or another international aid organization working to bring food to the civilians of Gaza.

Directed by Jeff Zinn

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OUR PERFORMANCE OF MY NAME IS RACHEL CORRIE

My Name is Rachel Corrie written by Alan Rickman and Katherine Viner

Directed by Jeff Zinn

My Name is Rachel Corrie is based on the diary and emails of the young American Activist Rachel Corrie. Rachel decided to put her body in jeopardy by travelling to the West Bank in Israel to stand in front of bulldozers attempting to raise a Palestinian neighborhood in order to build illegal ‘settlements’ for Israelis. She was run over by a bulldozer operated by an Israeli Defense Forces soldier and killed. My Name Is Rachel Corrie is the story of one American who stood up for her values and for the rights of a people for whom she had no connection other than the connection of being human.

My Name is Rachel Corrie premiered at London’s Royal Court Theatre under the direction of playwright and actor Alan Rickman. It transferred to the West End and was scheduled to transfer to the New York Theatre Workshop, but the playwrights withdrew the play after NYTW said they were postponing the production “indefinitely” because of input from some of their supporters. A year later a commercial production of the play ran at the Off-Broadway Minetta Lane Theatre in 2006. Burning Coal presented the play as part of its Second Stage series in May 2011 under the direction of Tea Alagic.

Reserve tickets to MY NAME IS RACHEL CORRIE here.

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Show Pages

Special Performance

Special Performance:

Learning Curves

Performance Date: August 27th, 2025 @ 7:30pm

Can a perky, middle-aged rule follower once and for all face down her middle school demons before the building is razed to the ground?

Learning Curves, written and performed by Jake Lipman

Originally developed in Matt Hoverman’s GO-SOLO Workshop. GO-SOLO.org

Directed by Susan Gross

All tickets $10

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OUR PERFORMANCE OF Learning Curves

Learning Curves written and performed by by Jake Lipman / August 27th, 2025 @ 7:30pm

Directed by Susan Gross

A precocious girl named Jake grows up loving school, its rules, and singing in choir.

But the year she turns twelve, Jake develops early and is spurned by the popular girls. When a teacher crosses the line, school ceases to make sense anymore.

Years later, she’s invited back to a middle school reunion.

Are there lessons to be learned by revisiting the past, people, and places that shaped you?

Buy tickets to LEARNING CURVES here.

ABOUT JAKE LIPMAN

Jake Lipman is an actor, writer, and producer based in NYC, where she has produced over 40 thought-provoking comedies with Tongue in Cheek Theater Productions. Her plays include Up a River/Down the Aisle (Midtown International Theater Festival), Shut Up Martha (Capital Fringe), Relentlessly Pleasant and The Inn at Lake Devine (TIC). BA, Smith College; MFA, Actors Studio Drama School. SAG-AFTRA, AEA. www.jakelipman.com

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Season 29 Show Pages

My Fair Lady

Main Stage:

My Fair Lady

Performance Dates: April 9 - 26, 2026

One of the great American musicals, My Fair Lady is based on Shaw’s Pygmalion, and tells the story of a ‘lowly’ flower girl who dreamed of becoming something more, and the older man who’s passionate desire to help her caused him to rethink everything about his life.

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OUR PERFORMANCE OF 'MY FAIR LADY'

My Fair Lady
Book & Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
Music by Frederick Loewe
April 9 – 26, 2026

Learn more about ticket discounts (including $5 student tickets, educator discounts, military discounts, and Pay-What-You-Can day) on our Plan Your Visit page.

Have accessibility concerns? Review our options on the Accessibility page. Give us a call at (919) 834-4001 or email development@burningcoal.org to request accommodations or give feedback.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

CAST & CREW

CREW

Directed by Jerome Davis
Music Director – Christian Stahr
Choreographer – Flora Bare
Stage Manager – TBA
Lighting Designer – TBA
Costume Designer – Stacey Herrison
Scenic Designer – Li Xiang
Properties – Samantha Gallup
Sound Designer – Juan Isler
TD/ME – Barry Jaked
Scenic Charge – Meredith Riggan
Asst. Director – Tyson Holder
Dialects – Natalie Blackman
ASMs – Lauren Hess, Cori Ann Holder, Courtney Pisano, Gabriella Terrero

CAST

Alec Donaldson
Lenore Field
Simon Kaplan
Natalie Reder
Derek Robinson
Rone Sargent
Byron Jennings II
Adalynn Eller

MAKE A SUBSCRIBER RESERVATION

– Tickets to a particular performance are subject to availability, and we recommend subscribers reserve tickets 48 hrs* in advance to guarantee their spot. Reserving your ticket means you’ll be on the check-in list for that performance. To reserve, please email your preferred performance date/time to: development@burningcoal.org to reserve your ticket, or call the box office at (919) 834-4001.

– *Reservations made less than 48 hours in advance may not be entered in time!

– If you did not make a reservation, please bring the subscriber card that was mailed to you for a quick verification at check-in. We will do our best to seat you.

STUDY GUIDE, PROGRAM, REVIEWS

Learn more about the world of MY FAIR LADY by checking out the STUDY GUIDE

Check back soon for programs, reviews, and more!

CONTENT WARNING

Learn about Our Main Stage Season

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Season 29 Show Pages

Red Pitch

Main Stage:

Red Pitch

Performance Dates: February 5 - 22, 2026

The southeast premiere of a red-hot play about futbol, friendship, and coming of age in a constantly shifting world. This critically acclaimed play originated at London’s Bush Theatre before transferring to the West End in April 2024.

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OUR PERFORMANCE OF 'RED PITCH'

Red Pitch by Tyrell Williams / Feb 5 – 22, 2026

Red Pitch tells the story of Bilal, Omz, and Joey, three boys growing up in south London. As gentrification and economic development threaten to destroy their neighborhood, these lifelong friends must reckon with what it means to grow up in a world that is constantly changing around them, while finding solace in the game of soccer and the community they’re building for themselves. Red Pitch originally played at London’s Bush Theatre before transferring to the West End in 2024.

Learn more about ticket discounts (including $5 student tickets, educator discounts, military discounts, and Pay-What-You-Can day) on our Plan Your Visit page.

Have accessibility concerns? Review our options on the Accessibility page. Give us a call at (919) 834-4001 or email development@burningcoal.org to request accommodations or give feedback.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

CAST & CREW

CREW

Directed by Avis Hatcher-Puzzo
Stage Manager – Julianna Frasca
Lighting Designer – Thania Melendez
Costume Designer – Jennifer Ijeoma
Sound Designer – Lee Martinez Cruz
TD/ME – Barry Jaked
Asst. Directors – Preston Campbell, Tyson Holder
Scenic Charge – Meredith Riggan
Asst. LD – Julianna Babcock
ASMs – Brenda Bailey, Courtney Pisano, Abby Patrick, Natasha Tyson

CAST

Quinn Gray
Jireh Ijeoma
Jaden Rogers
Vuitton Bond (Understudy)

MAKE A SUBSCRIBER RESERVATION

– *Reservations made less than 48 hours in advance may not be entered in time!

– If you did not make a reservation, please bring the subscriber card that was mailed to you for a quick verification at check-in. We will do our best to seat you.

STUDY GUIDE, PROGRAM, REVIEWS

RESOURCES:

Check out the RED PITCH DIGITAL PROGRAM!
Learn more about the world of RED PITCH by checking out our STUDY GUIDE

REVIEWS:

Talkin’ Broadway by Garrett Southerland
Triangle Review by Quinn Barbaza
The Black Drama School by Korinn Annette Jefferies

CONTENT CONSIDERATIONS

Moderate profanity; suitable for ages 14+
Please be advised that this production uses a strobe light effect.

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Season 29 Show Pages

Here in America

Main Stage:

Here in America

Performance Dates:
December 4 - 21, 2025

The US premiere of a play about two giants of the American Theatre, Arthur Miller and Elia Kazan, the legendary Marilyn Monroe and Kazan’s wife, and an act of betrayal during a fevered mid-century moment. This brilliant 75 minute play premiered at England’s Orange Tree Theatre in November 2024.

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OUR PERFORMANCE OF 'HERE IN AMERICA'

On a crisp New England afternoon in 1952, the playwright Arthur Miller (Art) travels to the Connecticut home of the greatest stage director of that time, Elia Kazan (Gadge) and his wife (Day). The conversation, haunted by a then unknown actress who the world would soon know as Marilyn Monroe (or as both men have jokingly nicknamed her, “Miss Bauer”) will have ramifications across the theatre world, the world of politics and most importantly, across a friendship that has been years in the making.

Learn more about ticket discounts (including $5 student tickets, educator discounts, military discounts, and Pay-What-You-Can day) on our Plan Your Visit page.

Have accessibility concerns? Review our options on the Accessibility page. Give us a call at (919) 834-4001 or email development@burningcoal.org to request accommodations or give feedback.

CAST & CREW

CREW

Directed by Jerome Davis
Stage Manager – Rebecca Pearce
Lighting Designer – Matthew Adelson
Costumes & Props Designer – Lynda Clark
Scenic Designer – Tom Burch
Sound Designer – Juan Isler
TD/ME – Barry Jaked
Scenic Charge – Meredith Riggan
Asst. Directors – Natalie Cooper and Susan Gross
Asst. LD – Julianna Babcock
ASMs – Ella Bryant, Lauren Hess, Asia Mayfield

CAST

Art – Andrew Goins
Gadge – Chip Carey
Day – Sarah Winter
Miss Bauer – Emma Roe

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

MAKE A SUBSCRIBER RESERVATION

– *Reservations made less than 48 hours in advance may not be entered in time!

– If you did not make a reservation, please bring the subscriber card that was mailed to you for a quick verification at check-in. We will do our best to seat you.

STUDY GUIDE, PROGRAM, REVIEWS

RESOURCES:

Check out the HERE IN AMERICA DIGITAL PROGRAM!
Learn more about the world of HERE IN AMERICA by checking out our STUDY GUIDE

REVIEWS:

Talkin’ Broadway by Garrett Southerland
Chatham Life & Style by Ebony Foster
Triangle Review by Lydia Sbityakov
Triangle Review by Kurt Benrud
Picture this Post by Amy Munice

CONTENT CONSIDERATIONS

This production contains mild language.

Suitable for audiences 14+

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Learn about Our Main Stage Season

Season 29 Show Pages

Once

Main Stage:

Once

Performance Dates: October 9 - 26, 2025

A modern musical about a young immigrant woman who loves music and believes it can be the key to a better life for her and her child, and the Dublin street musician who falls hard for her.

Come early to catch a pre-show music set each performance! Pre-show starts approximately 30 minutes before curtain.

ONCE is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com

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Digital program

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OUR PERFORMANCE OF 'ONCE'

A modern musical about a young immigrant woman who loves music and believes it can be the key to a better life for her and her child, and the Dublin street musician who falls hard for her.

Come early to catch a pre-show music set each performance! Pre-show starts approximately 30 minutes before curtain.

Learn more about ticket discounts (including $5 student tickets, educator discounts, military discounts, and Pay-What-You-Can day) on our Plan Your Visit page.

Have accessibility concerns? Review our options on the Accessibility page. Give us a call at (919) 834-4001 or email development@burningcoal.org to request accommodations or give feedback.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

CAST & CREW

CREW

Directed by Nathalie Ray
Music Director – Christian Stahr
Stage Manager – Rebecca Peace
Lighting Designer – Chris Popowich
Costume Designer – Julia Rodriquez
Scenic Designer – Christina Lu
Sound Designer – Juan Isler
TD/ME – Barry Jaked
Scenic Charge – Meredith Riggan
Asst. Director – Carry Vaughan
ASMs – Brenda Bailey, Ella Bryant, Julianna Frasca, Abby Patrick, Courtney Pisano, Natasha Tyson
Asst. to the LD – Julianna Babcock
Hair & Wigs – Lynda Clark

CAST

Mary Brown

Emma Caterinicchio
Margaret Ellen Christensen
Andrew Crowe*
Seoyoung Hu
David Keats
River Mann
Tripp Nilles
Julie Oliver
Essi Sings
Christopher Wood

*Denotes membership in Actors’ Equity Association

MAKE A SUBSCRIBER RESERVATION

– *Reservations made less than 48 hours in advance may not be entered in time!

– If you did not make a reservation, please bring the subscriber card that was mailed to you for a quick verification at check-in. We will do our best to seat you.

STUDY GUIDE, PROGRAM, REVIEWS

Learn more about ONCE by checking out our STUDY GUIDE
Check out the ONCE Digital Program

REVIEWS

Triangle Theatre Review by Kurt Benrud
Picture This Post by Amy Munice
CVNC by Byron Woods

CONTENT CONSIDERATIONS

Moderate Profanity

Appropriate for audiences 13+

Learn about Our Main Stage Season

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Show Pages

Haughey/Gregory

Special Performance:

Haughey/Gregory

Performance Dates: October 14 - 23, 2024

Haughey/Gregory is an addition to Burning Coal’s 2024-2025 season and is separate from the mainstage series.

It will run in repertory with Copenhagen at the Murphey School Auditorium. Performances take place on Monday-Wednesday evenings at 7:30 pm.

General Admission Tickets: $20

Student Tickets: $10

RUN TIME: 1:35 w/o intermission

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Digital Program

OUR PERFORMANCE OF Haughey/Gregory

Haughey/Gregory by Colin Murphy / October 14 – 23, 2024

Directed by Flora Bare

Irish ● Political Comedy

In 1982, in Dublin, two very repulsive characters were running for high office. Then … something happened. Haughey/Gregory is the hilarious and brilliantly HOPEFUL play about a moment in time when the least expected thing happened, and the world changed for the better.

“The Gregory Deal” has become one of the most fascinating and unprecedented untold footnotes of Irish politics and Haughey/Gregory looks to examine all the political game, uprise, and sacrifice behind this lesser-known Cinderella story. Inner-city Dublin, 1982: after seeing plans for the demolition of his poverty-stricken hometown, small-town politician Tony Gregory makes an unusual rise in politics, shockingly becoming a Techta Dála as a member of an independent party. In doing so, Gregory finds himself in a very unique position of power as he is now among a split Daíl and it becomes clear that his vote could completely sway the upcoming election. Now courted by both major nominees Fitzgerald and Haughey, Gregory meets with both big-time politicians trying to figure out how to best leverage his newfound power to represent and fight for “the little guy.”

Haughey/Gregory will play Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings at 7:30pm, October 14th – 23rd at the Murphey School Auditorium.

Buy tickets to HAUGHEY/GREGORY here.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

CAST & CREW

CAST

Preston Campbell

Andrew Price Carlile

Margaret Ellen Christensen

Dan Oliver

Laurel Ullman

STUDY GUIDE, PROGRAM, REVIEWS

Triangle Review by Kurt Benrud

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Season 28 Show Pages

Merrily We Roll Along

Main Stage:

Merrily We Roll Along

Performance Dates: April 10 - 27, 2025

Winner of the 2024 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, Merrily We Roll Along rewinds history to look at friendship and the high price of success.

THE FINAL WEEKEND OF PERFORMANCES IS SOLD OUT. EMAIL INFO@BURNINGCOAL.ORG TO BE ADDED TO THE WAITLIST

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Digital program

OUR PERFORMANCE OF MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG

Musical Fable • Friendship and Compromise

THE FINAL WEEKEND OF PERFORMANCES IS SOLD OUT. EMAIL INFO@BURNINGCOAL.ORG TO BE ADDED TO THE WAITLIST

Friends Franklin, Mary, and Charley, look back on their changing relationships and lives over the course of twenty years to ask what we are willing to sacrifice for money and notoriety.

Learn more about ticket discounts (including $5 student tickets, educator discounts, military discounts, and Pay-What-You-Can day) on our Plan Your Visit page.

Have accessibility concerns? Review our options on the Accessibility page. Give us a call at (919) 834-4001 or email development@burningcoal.org to request accommodations or give feedback.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

CAST & CREW

Directed by Jerome Davis
Music Director Christian Stahr
Lighting by Matthew Adelson
Scenery by Joe Johnson
Costumes by Stacey Herrison
Properties by Samantha Gallup
Production Stage Manager – George Waller

CAST

Scott Lane, Percussion
Susannah (Suz) Longest, Double Bass
Adah Morton , Trumpet
Christian Stahr, Keyboard

MAKE A SUBSCRIBER RESERVATION

Tickets to a particular performance are subject to availability, and we recommend subscribers reserve tickets 48 hrs* in advance to guarantee their spot. Reserving your ticket means you’ll be on the check-in list for that performance. To reserve, please email your preferred performance date/time to: development@burningcoal.org to reserve your ticket, or call the box office at (919) 834-4001.

*Reservations made less than 48 hours in advance may not be entered in time!

If you did not make a reservation, please bring the subscriber card that was mailed to you for a quick verification at check-in. We will do our best to seat you.

STUDY GUIDE, PROGRAM, REVIEWS

Digital Program

About the Playwrights

Stephen Sondheim (1930-2021) was one of the most prolific and beloved composers of the 20th century and is credited with reinventing the American musical. His musicals frequently tackled unexpected themes and addressed darker elements of the human experience than many musicals choose to highlight. Sondheim began his career as a lyricist for the musicals West Side Story and Gypsy. Later in his career, he went on to write both music and lyrics for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Merrily We Roll Along, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, and Assassins. Over the course of his illustrious career, Sondheim won eight Tony Awards, eight Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, an Olivier Award, and the Pulitzer Prize, among other awards. Many of his works have been adapted into films, and his final work for the stage, Here We Are, made its Off-Broadway premiere in 2023, two years after his death at the age of 91.

George Furth (1932-2008) was a librettist, actor, and playwright, best known for collaborating with Stephen Sondheim on Merrily We Roll Along and Company. Furth won both the Tony and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical for Company and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Play for his play, Precious Sons.

Themes

Friendship
The cost of success

CONTENT WARNING

This production contains discussions of:

Alcoholism

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Season 28 Show Pages

Being Chaka

Main Stage:

Being Chaka

Performance Dates: March 13 - 30, 2025

BEING CHAKA IS A CO-PRODUCTION WITH TÉA ARTISTRY

Chaka, a 16 year old African American high school student, transfers to a private school where he is haunted, literally and metaphorically, by the ghosts of generational trauma and systemic racism. Chaka and his classmates must learn to grapple with their histories, families and cultures– or else let the past consume them.

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DIGITAL PROGRAM

OUR PERFORMANCE OF BEING CHAKA

Coming of Age • Generational Divides

Chaka, a 16 year old black high school student, transfers to a private school where he is haunted, literally and metaphorically, by the ghosts of generational trauma and systemic racism. Chaka and his classmates must learn to grapple with their histories, families and cultures– or else let the past consume them.

Learn more about ticket discounts (including $5 student tickets, educator discounts, military discounts, and Pay-What-You-Can day) on our Plan Your Visit page.

Have accessibility concerns? Review our options on the Accessibility page. Give us a call at (919) 834-4001 or email development@burningcoal.org to request accommodations or give feedback.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

CAST & CREW

Being Chaka created by TÉA Artistry; written by Tara Amber, Chuk Obasi, and Nalini Sharma/ March 13-30th, 2025

Directed by Vieve Price and Chuk Obasi

Stage Manager — Julianna Frasca

Lighting Designer — Julianna Babcock

Sound Designer — Juan Isler

ASM #1 — Roseanne Wagner

ASM #2 — Skylar Symonds

ASM #3 — Venezia Catlett

Painter — Meredith Riggan

TD/ME — Barry Jaked

CAST
Joey Brenneman

Andrew Price Carlile

Hunter Crone

Christa Irby

Amanda Marikar

Gabby Morell

Jarred Pearce

Joseph Reese

Emma Stone

Miriam Tabb

Nikki Dublin Turner

MAKE A SUBSCRIBER RESERVATION

*Reservations made less than 48 hours in advance may not be entered in time!

If you did not make a reservation, please bring the subscriber card that was mailed to you for a quick verification at check-in. We will do our best to seat you.

STUDY GUIDE, PROGRAM, REVIEWS

Reviews

Talkin’ Broadway by Garrett Southerland

Triangle Review by Kurt Benrud

Triangle Review by Dani Daniela

View the DIGITAL PROGRAM HERE

Want to learn more about the production history, themes, and social context of Being Chaka? Check out the STUDY GUIDE created by Eric Kildow.

About the Playwrights

A New York Native, Chuk Obasi is a playwright, actor, director, and choreographer. He is also an educator and a multi-disciplinary artist who works in theater, film, television, dance, and poetry performance. He is the Co-Director of TÉA Artistry.

Nalini Sharma is a writer, actress, and clown comedian known for her work on NCIS, The Rookie, Modern Family, and her absurdist clown show Until Death.

Tara Amber is a playwright, actor, and musician. She played Kunzang in the original cast of Being Chaka and is also known for her work on Law and Order and Awaken.

Themes

Coming of Age
Systemic Inequality
Loss
Friendship

CONTENT CONSIDERATIONS

This production includes discussions of:

Racism
Loss of a child

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Special Performance:

Enough! Plays to End Gun Violence

Performance Date: Monday, October 6th, 2025

Special Performance:

My Name is Rachel Corrie

Next Performance Date: March 18th, 2026 @ 7:00pm

Special Performance:

Learning Curves

Performance Date: August 27th, 2025 @ 7:30pm

Main Stage:

My Fair Lady

Performance Dates: April 9 - 26, 2026

Main Stage:

Red Pitch

Performance Dates: February 5 - 22, 2026

Main Stage:

Here in America

Performance Dates:December 4 - 21, 2025

Main Stage:

Once

Performance Dates: October 9 - 26, 2025

Special Performance:

Haughey/Gregory

Performance Dates: October 14 - 23, 2024

Main Stage:

Merrily We Roll Along

Performance Dates: April 10 - 27, 2025

Main Stage:

Being Chaka

Performance Dates: March 13 - 30, 2025

Performance Dates:
December 4 - 21, 2025