Broadway World Previews the 2026-27 Theater Season!
Fran Thomas | Author, Broadway World
Published September 25, 2026
Players Circle Theater Announces 2026/2027 Season
Seven Shows. One Intimate Stage. Players Circle Theater Announces “Love, Laughter, Legacy”
The laughs are big, the stories hit home, and the actors are just a few feet away. Players Circle Theater invites audiences to its 2026–2027 season, “Love, Laughter, Legacy,” featuring seven professional productions running October 20, 2026, through June 6, 2027.
The company is also opening the classroom doors this fall. Beginning October 3, Players Circle Studio will offer acting classes for students and adults at its new Fort Myers rehearsal hall.
Players Circle brings professional actors and audiences together in a theater where no seat is more than six rows from the action. This season’s lineup ranges from the comic mayhem of The Nerd to the bluegrass romance of Bright Star, with holiday nostalgia, family surprises and compelling drama along the way.
“We’ve put together seven wonderful reasons to come to the theater this season,” said Robert Cacioppo, Artistic Director “There’s uproarious comedy, a beloved holiday classic, a beautiful Broadway musical and powerful stories that give us plenty to talk about on the ride home. We have an exceptional ensemble, and I can’t wait to see them take on these roles. Come for a favorite, take a chance on a title you don’t know, and let us surprise you!”
THE 2026–2027 SEASON
THE NERD
By Larry Shue
October 23 through November 15, 2026
An outrageously awkward houseguest turns an unsuspecting young architect’s life upside down in this Broadway farce. As the evening spirals out of control, friendships and loyalties are pushed to their limits. From the author of The Foreigner, this comedy finds plenty of trouble in a visit that goes on far too long.
- Discounted previews: October 20 through 22
- Sponsored by: Dennis Lapidus & Ann Marie Shields and Bob & Jane Breisch
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY
By Joe Landry
December 4 through 23, 2026
George Bailey’s story comes to the stage as a live 1940s radio broadcast, complete with live sound effects and the atmosphere of a bygone radio studio. Adapted from the beloved holiday film, the play follows one man’s discovery of how much his life has meant to the people around him. Directed by Ted Wioncek III, the production offers a holiday outing for the entire family.
- Discounted previews: December 1 through 3
- Sponsored by: Dave & Cheryl Copham
SOCIAL SECURITY
January 8 through 31, 2027
Manhattan art dealers Barbara and David have their comfortable lives upended when Barbara’s outspoken mother moves in. Family tensions, unexpected romance and outrageous misunderstandings fuel this Broadway comedy from the author of The In-Laws and Blazing Saddles.
- Discounted previews: January 5 through 7
- Sponsored by: Mary McVay and Quenzel Marketing
MARJORIE PRIME
February 12 through 28, 2027
Presented in its professional area premiere, this Pulitzer Prize finalist imagines a future in which technology allows people to revisit those they have lost. When an elderly woman begins speaking with an artificial intelligence version of her late husband, her family must reckon with their differing memories of the life they shared.
- Discounted previews: February 9 through 11
- Sponsored by: Bruce & Janet Bunch
BRIGHT STAR
Written by Steve Martin & Edie Brickell
March 19 through April 11, 2027
Set against the Blue Ridge Mountains, this Broadway musical pairs a bluegrass score with a story inspired by true events. A chance encounter reveals a secret that connects two lives across generations. Ted Wioncek III directs this musical romance about family, loss and the possibility of a second chance.
- Discounted previews: March 16 through 18
- Sponsored by: Darlene Arnold and Lou & Pat Dunning
EISENHOWER: THIS PIECE OF GROUND
By Richard Hellesen
April 23 through May 9, 2027
At his Gettysburg farm, former President Dwight D. Eisenhower looks back on the decisions, sacrifices and accomplishments that shaped his life. Humor and candid reflection reveal the person behind the public figure in this portrait of presidential leadership and service.
- Discounted previews: April 20 through 22
- Sponsored by: Dee Whited & Lee Moore
SYLVIA
By A.R. Gurney
May 21 through June 6, 2027
Greg and Kate are settling into life as empty nesters in Manhattan when Greg brings home a street smart labradoodle named Sylvia. Kate has plans for their newfound freedom, but Greg’s devotion to the dog soon puts their marriage to the test in this comedy about companionship and a couple’s changing priorities.
- Discounted previews: May 18 through 20
- Sponsored in part by: Bob & Jane Breisch
- Content advisory: Contains adult language
“Expect the unexpected this season,” cheered Ted Wioncek III, Associate Artistic Director of Players Circle Theater. “Every show takes you somewhere different. You may come for a laugh and find yourself caught up in a story that stays with you, or come for a familiar title and see it in a whole new way. That is what makes live theater so exciting. Once the lights go down, anything can happen, and when you are this close to the stage, you are right in the middle of it.”
YOUR TURN TO TAKE THE STAGE: FALL CLASSES BEGIN OCTOBER 3
Have a child who loves to perform? Always wanted to try acting yourself? Players Circle Studio invites you to make Saturday your time for theater.
Two eight week courses begin Saturday, October 3, 2026, with professional actors leading students through theater games, improvisation and scene work. Tuition is $199 per participant for each course.
“There’s something so rewarding about watching someone discover what they’re capable of,” said Kimberly Suskind, Director of Education at Players Circle Theater and instructor of Ready, Set, Act! “A student might arrive feeling nervous, and a few weeks later they’re volunteering to go first or making the whole room laugh. We want to give people the encouragement to try, the training to grow and the freedom to enjoy themselves.”
YOUR DONATION WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Make a Donation.
“A donation to Players Circle Theater is an investment in our community and our vision of putting theater at the heart of public life. Learn more about ways to give and exclusive benefits for our donor family of individual and institutional supporters.”
