Fall may not feel like it’s approaching, but word that local theater companies are swinging back into action is a sign that it’s not far off. Below is what we’ve heard (so far) is in store for this season:
Palm Canyon Theatre will kick off its season by presenting the classic musical “Brigadoon” from Sep. 15 to 24.
- Key details: “Brigadoon” tells the story of two Americans who discover a mythical Scottish village that comes to life once every 100 years. Showtimes and ticket prices can be found here.
- Looking ahead: “Steel Magnolias” is coming to the stage from Oct. 6 to 15, “Rent” will be performed from Oct. 27 to Nov. 12 and rounding out the year will be “Elf” from Dec. 1 to 17. Check out their website for the half dozen other shows on offer starting next year.
Dezart Performs is entering its 16th season featuring a Pulitzer finalist, Drama Critics Circle Award winner, and the first Broadway play written by a Native American.
- Key details: The season will kick off on Nov. 3 with “The Thanksgiving Play” by Larissa FastHorse, a comedy that satirizes the clash between good intentions and absurd assumptions. FastHorse, a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of the Lakota People, is the first Native American playwright to have a show produced on Broadway.
- Looking ahead: Running Jan. 19 through 28 is “What The Constitution Means to Me,” followed by “A Case For The Existence of God” starting March 1. The season concludes April 12 through 21 with “Mr. Parker,” a drama by Michael McKeever about a widower adjusting to a newly single life.
- Zoom in: All performances take place at the Pearl McManus Theater (at the historic Palm Springs Woman’s Club), 314 S Cahuilla Road in Downtown Palm Springs. Ticket prices are $48 – $55 and may be purchased online at www.dezartperforms.org or by calling 760-322-0179.
Desert Ensemble Theatre is entering its 13th season and has unveiled its lineup, which includes two world premiers from local playwrights.
- Key details: “Collective Rage” will be performed over two weekends in November, from Nov. 10 to 12 and Nov. 17 to 19. “The Lifespan of a Fact” will run from Jan. 26 to 28 and Feb. 2 to 4. Tickets for all the shows can be purchased online here.
- Of note: Plays written by local playwrights – “Ellie” and “Sherlock Holmes Confidential” – will run in March and April, respectively.
Coachella Valley Repertory’s 2023-2024 season has a lineup of five different shows.
- Key details: The season kicks off with the west coast premier of the reimagined and “re-gendered” adaptation, “The Fantasticks – A Love Story Reimagined,” from Nov. 1 to Nov. 12 and the world premiere of “Summer Session with the Bones Brigade,” in December from Dec. 6 to 17.
- Coming soon: Next year, “Cabaret” will be performed from Jan. 24 to Feb. 4, “POTUS” from Feb. 28 to March 10 and “Nice Work if You Can Get It” from Apr. 10 to Apr. 20. Tickets for all the shows can be purchased online here.
- Worth noting: In addition to its usual slate of performances, CV Rep is offering playwrights a chance to have their works receive a fully professional world premiere in their “Origins – Emergence Reimagined” new works program.
- Details: Four scripts will be chosen for development, critique, and staged readings with one play receiving a fully staged world premiere in the upcoming season.
Further east, Desert Theatreworks in Indio will showcase seven plays during its upcoming season.
- Key details: “Lend Me a Tenor” will be performed from Oct. 6 to Oct. 29, “Kinky Boots” from Nov. 3 to Nov. 26, and “A Christmas Story” from Dec. 1 to Dec. 21. Tickets for all the shows can be purchased online here.
- Coming soon: Starting next year, Desert Theatreworks will perform “Gilligan’s Island – The Musical,” “Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite,” “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” and “Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird.”
