PlayMakers announces 50th anniversary season

Collage image of performers and audience members with a graphic in the middle reading, — The 50th anniversary season will feature works by celebrated playwrights such as Kimberly Belflower and August Wilson. (Playmakers Repertory Company)

PlayMakers Repertory Company has proudly announced its 50th anniversary season, celebrating its legacy while looking to the future of American theater. This milestone includes six dynamic productions, from a world premiere Greek epic to a contemporary Broadway sensation, inviting audiences to experience transformative stories and new voices.

Opening the season is a major artistic event: “Oedipus King/Colonus,” a world premiere adaptation by Carey Perloff with original music by David Coulter. This sweeping reimagining brings Sophocles’ epic trilogy to life in a sweeping tale of fate, prophecy and reckoning. This fresh adaptation breathes life into the ancient tale of a king’s search for truth and launches the anniversary season with scale and ambition, grounding PlayMakers’ legacy in the enduring power of ancient storytelling.

A standout highlight of the season is “John Proctor Is the Villain” by Kimberly Belflower, one of the most talked about new plays in America. Fresh from a celebrated Broadway run and already slated for a film adaptation, this electrifying and timely work is capturing national attention. Bold, provocative and deeply resonant with today’s audiences, “John Proctor Is the Villain” underscores PlayMakers’ commitment to producing work that sparks conversation and reflects the cultural moment.

The full 2026-27 season lineup includes:

Sept. 9-27: “Oedipus King/Colonus” by Carey Perloff, with original music by David Coulter (world premiere)
Oct. 14-Nov. 1: “Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous” by Pearl Cleage
Nov. 18-Dec. 6: “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder
Jan. 27-Feb. 14, 2027: “The Piano Lesson” by August Wilson
March 3-21, 2027: “John Proctor Is the Villain” by Kimberly Belflower
April 7-25, 2027: “The 39 Steps” by Patrick Barlow

Subscriptions for the 2026-27 season are available now, with single tickets going on sale in July. For more information, visit the PlayMakers Repertory Company website.