Actors Theatre of Louisville Announces 2026-2027 Season Featuring an award-winning drama and returning seasonal favorites

Press Release Actors Theatre

Actors Theatre of Louisville has announced its 2026–2027 season, featuring productions and programs across the Pamela Brown Auditorium, Bingham Theatre, and Main Street Complex. The season includes Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery (September 9–27, 2026), Dead as a Dodo (October 14–November 1, 2026), A Christmas Carol (November 28–December 20, 2026), Primary Trust (February 17–28, 2027), and the return of the Storytelling Revolution Festival (April 1–11, 2027). Additional offerings includeTheatre for the Very Young programming, public learning opportunities, and summer theatre camps for students. Memberships, subscriptions, and select tickets are available now at actorstheatre.org.

“We are stepping into this next chapter with so much joy,” said Amelia Acosta Powell, Artistic Director of Actors Theatre of Louisville. “What excites us most is that there is something in this lineup for every kind of theatre goer: the person who has been coming for thirty years and the person who has never been at all. We built this season to welcome everyone, and to give them an unforgettable experience.”

Memberships and subscriptions for the 2026–2027 season are now available at actorstheatre.org/membership. Members receive exclusive early access to tickets for all mainstage productions, including last season’s sold out run of A Christmas Carol.

Two subscription packages are also now available. The Opening Night Subscription includes reserved opening night seats for every mainstage production, invitations to opening night receptions, priority exchanges and booking, and a Green Membership. The Sunday Matinee Subscription includes first Sunday matinee seats for every mainstage production, priority exchanges and booking, waived ticketing fees on exchanges, and a Green Membership.

Individual memberships range from a free Green tier to Gold Flex. Corporate memberships are also available. Visit actorstheatre.org/membership or contact the box office at boxoffice@actorstheatre.org or (502) 584-1205 for details.[AP1] [CH2] 

Learning and Creative Engagement Programs

The work of Actors Theatre extends well beyond its stages. The theatre offers hands-on opportunities for artists and curious community members of all ages to build new skills, explore creativity, and connect with the craft of theatre-making. This season’s initial offerings include:

Stagecraft Tools for the Apocalypse

Theatre Skills for Survival, Sustainability, and Maintaining Joy[AP3] [CR4] 

Built on a simple premise — that the skills used to make theatre can also help make a life — Stagecraft Tools for the Apocalypse is a hands-on workshop series open to the public. Each session teaches a practical theatrical craft in a welcoming environment where no experience is required, and curiosity is the only prerequisite.

The series kicks off Sunday, June 14 with Upholstery Basics, where participants will learn to strip, rebuild, and re-cover furniture from the ground up.

The full lineup spans an intentionally eclectic range:

·      August 7–9 — Adult Musical Theatre Camp

·      October 18 — Puppet Workshop

·      December 13 — Sustainable Gifting

·      February 14, 2027 — Electrics Basics

Tickets start at just $10 for members of Actors Theatre or the Louisville Tool Library, and $20 for non-members. Space is limited. Learn more at actorstheatre.org.

Summer Theatre Camps

For middle and high school students

Launching July 2026 — returning July 2027

10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday [AP5] | $300 per week

This summer, Actors Theatre launches its first-ever Summer Theatre Camps — four weeks of professional, hands-on training for middle and high school students, led by working local theatre artists. Each week is self-contained, allowing students to attend one session or all four, with each culminating in a sharing on an Actors Theatre stage.

July 6–10 — Audition Techniques for Theatre

July 13–17 — Epic Voices / Epic Battles: Stage Combat and Vocal Production

July 20–24 — New Voices Playwriting

July 27–31 — Technical Theatre and Design

Students who attend all four weeks receive $200 off total enrollment. Financial assistance is available; contact lace@actorstheatre.org for details.

Already booked a different camp for this July? Summer camps will return in July 2027.

DETAILED SEASON OFFERINGS AND DESCRIPTIONS

Ken Ludwig’sBaskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery

directed by Amelia Acosta PowellSeptember 9 – 27, 2026

in the Pamela Brown Auditorium

The play’s afoot! Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson tackle one of their most famous cases in this murderously funny adventure, which transforms the classic Gothic thriller The Hound of the Baskervilles into a fast-paced comedy fueled by theatrical invention. Does a phantom hellhound prowl the desolate moors, hunting the heirs of the Baskerville line? Can the intrepid sleuths unravel the twisty secrets of a family curse before it strikes again? Join the fun as our dashing detectives juggle a dizzying web of clues, disguises and deceit while five actors portray dozens of characters swirling through this hilariously madcap investigation.

Wakka Wakka presents Dead as a Dodo

directed by Gwendolyn Warnock and Kirjan Waagewritten by Gwendolyn Warnock and Kirjan Waagewith help from the ensemble

October 14 – November 1, 2026

in the Pamela Brown Auditorium

Don’t miss the return of this Halloween season hit that has dazzled grown-ups and kids alike! Take a journey through the underworld, a dark realm filled with glittering light and mystery where the dead are very much alive. In this fantastical adventure infused with astonishing puppetry, humor, music, and magical visual effects, two skeleton friends, a dodo and a boy, are drawn into the epic battle between existence and extinction as they fight to stay together. Experience this mesmerizing odyssey from the Obie Award-winning company Wakka Wakka, international leaders in stretching the boundaries of theatrical imagination. 

A Christmas Carol

by Charles Dickens adapted by Lavina Jadhwanico-

directed by Amelia Acosta Powell and Emily Tarquin

November 28 – December 20, 2026

in the Pamela Brown Auditorium

After a sold-out new production last winter, Scrooge is back in all of his humbug glory! His disdain for Christmas is no match for visits from enchanting ghosts, a lively ensemble of characters, and the music of the season. Honoring Dickens’ classic tale, this acclaimed adaptation embraces generosity, community, and second chances. Bring your friends and family to Actors Theatre of Louisville for the return of this celebrated staging that has rekindled all the warmth and wonder of a beloved tradition.

Primary Trust

by Eboni Booth directed by Jamil Jude

February 17 – 28, 2027

in the Bingham Theatre

With a mix of compassion and humor, this Pulitzer Prize-winning play tells the story of Kenneth, a man whose life of quiet routine consists of working in a small-town bookstore and sipping mai tais at the local tiki bar. When he suddenly loses his job, Kenneth’s existence is upended, and he starts to face a whole universe of unfamiliar possibilities that he’s long shut out—with transformative and sometimes comical results. Eboni Booth’s heartwarming breakout play is a tale of new beginnings, old friends, and how even small acts of kindness and connection can open up an entire world.

Storytelling Revolution Festival

April 1–11, 2027

throughout Actors Theatre’s Main Street Complex

Come along for another springtime celebration of bold new work as the Storytelling Revolution Festival enters its second year and again fills our stages with the spirit of discovery. Following a remarkable launch last season that brought together adventure-loving audiences and artists from across the region, this vibrant event will again create a space of exploration spanning two weekends. Gather in community to toast the development of imaginative new art and rejoice in an expansive vision of what live theatre can do.

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About Actors Theatre of Louisville

Actors Theatre of Louisville unlocks human potential, builds community, and enriches quality of life by engaging people in theatre that reflects the wonder and complexity of our time. As the State Theatre of Kentucky, Actors Theatre activates experiences across the Commonwealth, uplifting artists and stories that celebrate the spirit of our region.

Through its three key areas of impact—A Community Hub & Space of Belonging, The State Theatre of Kentucky, and Lifelong Learning & Creative Engagement—Actors Theatre creates spaces where everyone can flourish, connect, and learn through the power of art and imagination.

With a rich history of producing groundbreaking work, from timeless classics to contemporary premieres, Actors Theatre continues to champion diverse voices and innovative storytelling.

Learn more at actorstheatre.org