The Arden Theatre Company announced its 2026-2027 mainstage season, featuring a lineup of Tony Award-winning musicals, a Pulitzer Prize-winning drama and a highly anticipated regional premiere.
The five-show season features several prominent Philadelphia directors and actors.
“From reimagined songs by Bob Dylan to Pulitzer Prize-winning drama and a Broadway hit making its Philadelphia premiere, the upcoming season reflects the breadth of storytelling on Arden’s stages,” the company said in a statement.
The season opens Sept. 24 with “Girl from the North Country,” written by Conor McPherson and featuring the music of Bob Dylan. Directed by Terrence J. Nolen, the Tony Award-winning musical is set in a Duluth, Minnesota, boarding house during the Great Depression and runs through Oct. 25. Opening Night: Wednesday, September 30 at 7 p.m.
On Oct. 29, the Arden will present Suzan-Lori Parks’ Pulitzer Prize-winning drama “Topdog/Underdog,” a co-production with People’s Light. Directed by Amina Robinson, the production stars Barrymore Award-winner Akeem Davis as one of two brothers locked in a psychological cycle of rivalry and street cons. The show runs through Dec. 13. Opening night is scheduled for Wednesday, November 4 at 7 p.m.
The new year begins with Karen Zacarías’ comedy “Native Gardens,” running Jan. 21 through March 7, 2027. Directed by Brett Ashley Robinson, the play follows two neighboring couples whose minor dispute over a backyard fence line escalates into a clash over class, taste and culture. Opening night is Jan. 27, 2027.
The theater will host the Philadelphia premiere of “John Proctor is the Villain” starting Feb. 25, 2027. Written by Kimberly Belflower and directed by Rebecca Wright, the play follows rural Georgia high school students whose examination of “The Crucible” sparks a modern reexamination of power and scandal. The production runs through March 28, 2027. Opening night is Wednesday, March 3 at 7 p.m.
The mainstage season concludes with the five-time Tony Award-winning Best Musical “Kimberly Akimbo,” running May 13 through June 13, 2027. Directed by Nolen, with a book by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori, the show chronicles a teenager who navigates family dysfunction, first love and unexpected challenges while dealing with a rare condition that causes her to age rapidly. Opening night is scheduled for May 19, 2027.
Subscription packages are currently on sale. Subscribers receive up to 40% off single ticket prices, alongside perks including free ticket exchanges and local parking discounts.
Theater officials noted that all programming and production dates are subject to change.