For Your Stage: 2026-27 Picks for Community Theatre

Still finalizing your lineup for the upcoming community theatre season? Check out this selection of plays and musicals for fresh ideas. From classics to brand-new works, this list has something for every theatre, including gut-busting comedies, heart-stopping dramas and crowd-pleasing musicals.

PLAYS

A Distinct Society by Kareem Fahmy (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 2w, 3m)
Nothing much ever happens in the sleepy Haskell Free Library that straddles the border of Vermont and Quebec. But when an Iranian father and daughter, separated by the “Muslim ban,” begin using the library as a meeting place, the French-Canadian librarian, an American border patrol agent and a local teenager find their quiet lives suddenly full of excitement and consequence. Inspired by true events, A Distinct Society is a touching and funny play about the many things – family, food, art, love and politics – that can either divide or unite us.

Alabama Story by Kenneth Jones (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 2w, 4m)
As the Civil Rights movement is brewing, a controversial children’s book about a black rabbit marrying a white rabbit stirs the passions of a segregationist state senator and a no-nonsense state librarian in 1959 Montgomery, Alabama. Political foes, star-crossed lovers and one feisty children’s author inhabit the same page in a play that brims with humor, heartbreak and hope. 

Cambodian Rock Band by Lauren Yee (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 1w, 3m, 2 any gender)
A story filled with horror, humor, pathos and songs by the best unknown rock band in Cambodia! In 1978, Chum fled Cambodia and narrowly escaped the murderous Khmer Rouge regime. Thirty years later, he returns in search of his wayward daughter, Neary. As the play jumps back and forth in time, thrilling mystery meets rock concert until both father and daughter are forced to face the music of the past. 

Cephianne’s Reflection by Mallory Raven-Ellen Backstrom (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 5w, 4m)
For hundreds of years, the inhabitants of the invisible Ma Isle have journeyed into the wilderness when they come of age and emerged gifted with special abilities… Until Cephianne, the youngest child of their immortal matriarch, fails her seeking ritual – emerging from the woods unchanged – and finds an enthralling man in her mirror. This contemporary fairy tale is penned in homage to the Gullah dialect and the colorful culture found off the coast of Georgia, where the descendants of enslaved peoples turn pain into power. 

Clarence Darrow by David Rintels (US)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 1m)
In this dynamic one-man Broadway show, the groundbreaking attorney addresses his personal life and contemporary events, reviewing much of America’s legal history with salty humor, courtroom gusto, and human relish.

Clue: The British Invasion by Maurice Gran, Laurence Marks and Yoni Weiss (US) 
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 3w, 6m) 
The thrilling dinner party you love, back with a British rock ’n’ roll flair! Set in London in the swinging ’60s, Clue: The British Invasion is a brand-new twist on the iconic board game. This time, a rock star named Rick Black is found dead at the listening party for his new album, leading to a mod, madcap whodunit. 

Community Garden by Justin Borak (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 5w, 6m, 7 any gender)
This series of heartfelt and humorous vignettes digs into the ways taking care of the environment helps people take care of each other. Newbie Ralph doesn’t quite know what to expect during his first volunteer shift at Chicago’s Uptown City Gardens. As the vibrant, bustling community passes through the green space, checking on their plants, composting their food scraps, meeting up with friends and – surprisingly often – falling in love, Ralph begins to believe that the garden is magic. 

Dearly Beloved by Jones Hope Wooten (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 7w, 4m)
Hilarity, Texas style! An over-the-top wedding, three feuding sisters and a church full of small-town eccentrics. What could possibly go wrong? In this fast-paced, laugh-a-minute comedy, the Futrelle sisters of Fayro, Texas – Frankie, Twink and their estranged sister, Honey Raye – pull off a wild family celebration.

2017 Public Theater production of Latin History for Morons (Joan Marcus)

Exhibit This! The Museum Comedies by Luigi Januzzi (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 3w, 2m, expandable to 30+)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art comes to life in this fast-paced series of seven comedic plays and six monologues based on more than fifty exhibits at the world-famous museum. Paintings, sculptures, antiquities and fertility gods emerge from their molds and frames. Mix in some artists, guards, critics, lovers, curators and one very special night, and you have this new comedic hit. In fact, even the artwork speaks to the audience! Using a variety of theatrical styles and rhythms on a single set, it can be done with three women and two men or with 36 actors. 

Fat Ham by James Ijames (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 3w, 4m)
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright James Ijames reinvents Shakespeare’s masterpiece Hamlet with this new Broadway hit, a delectable comic tragedy. Juicy is a queer, Southern college kid, already grappling with some serious questions of identity, when the ghost of his father shows up in their backyard, demanding that Juicy avenge his murder. From an uproarious family barbecue emerges a compelling examination of love and loss, pain and joy. 

Hollywood, Nebraska by Kenneth Jones (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 4w, 2m)
Two 40-something actresses have returned to their once-thriving hometown in rural Nebraska. Jane is in from Los Angeles to check on her ailing mom, Alma. Andrea’s back from New York City to bury her father. Distracted by two charismatic local men, the old friends navigate complicated feelings about their careers, love and loss. Hollywood, Nebraska is a hope-filled, tears-and-laughter comedy about small towns and big dreams, parents and children, the urge to be creative, and the ache – and joy – of coming home. 

Jaja’s African Hair Braiding by Jocelyn Bioh (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 9w, 1m)
This heartwarming, award-winning play tells the stories of a community of vibrant Black craftswomen at Jaja’s African Hair Braiding in Harlem – all of whom shine with lived-in warmth and detail – with delicacy and dignity. A show for anyone who’s ever had braids or wondered about these pillars of the Black community. 

Latin History for Morons by John Leguizamo (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 1 any gender or flexible casting)
When John takes a peek at his son’s history textbooks, he is shocked to find… well, nothing, at least when it comes to the impact of Latin culture over thousands of years. Excited to share his heritage with his son, John dives deep, exploring everything from the Mayans to modern-day heroes. To be performed by one person or an ensemble, this zippy, irreverent and laugh-out-loud investigation of the past will make you take a second look at the present. 

Lottery Day by Ike Holter (US)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 5w, 5m)
The final play in Ike Holter’s Rightlynd saga, Lottery Day finds the matriarch of the neighborhood, Mallory, throwing a blowout party that brings together many of the characters from previous plays in the series. As Mallory reveals that her newly created holiday, Lottery Day, is the cause for celebration, the group discovers that their ties to each other, the community they love, and even their own morals get tested in ways that they could never expect. What is the price of gentrification? What is the price of letting go? And does everyone have a price?

Lovers and Other Strangers by Renée Taylor and Joseph Bologna (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 6w, 6m)
A hit on Broadway and later on film, this raucous yet touching romantic comedy explores love through a series of comic vignettes set throughout New York City. Johnny and Wilma have been married so long that they can’t remember who starts what; Mike and Susan stress out on the eve of their wedding, and Bea and Frank, a long-married couple, fight to save their son’s marriage by confessing to their own failures.

Open by Crystal Skillman (US)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 1w or 1gnc)
Open is a magic act that reveals itself to be a resurrection. A woman called the Magician presents a myriad of tricks for our entertainment, yet her performance seems to be attempting the impossible: to save the life of her partner, Jenny. But is our faith in her illusions enough to rewrite the past? The clock is ticking, the show must go on, and, as impossible as it may seem, this Magician’s act may be our last hope against a world filled with intolerance and hate. 

2009 Manhattan Theatre Club production of The Royal Family (Joan Marcus)

Prowess by Ike Holter (US)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 1w, 3m)
Summer in Chicago: Temperatures flare, shootings spike and the city is stuck in status quo. After Zora experiences a violent run-in on the L, she and a ragtag group of vigilante citizens decide they have had enough of the senseless violence in the fictional 51st Ward. Realizing that they are the only people that can save themselves, they begin a training regimen and crime-fighting crusade that makes more demands of their friendships, relationships and physical and mental strength and endurance than they thought possible. With fight sequences and loads of grit and spirit, Prowess tests the limits of how one makes the world right.

The Courtroom: A Reenactment of One Woman’s Deportation Proceedings by Arian Moayed (US)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 5w, 4m)
Elizabeth Keathley immigrated to the United States from the Philippines to begin a bright new chapter of her life, but one mistake lands her in a dark nightmare: deportation proceedings. Intimate and vivid, this re-enactment of Elizabeth’s case uses the verbatim text of the real court transcripts.

The Lehman Trilogy by Stefano Massini and Ben Power (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 3m)
Weaving together nearly two centuries of family history, this epic theatrical event – winner of five Tony Awards, including Best Play – charts the humble beginnings, outrageous successes and devastating failure of the financial institution that would ultimately bring the global economy to its knees. 

The Royal Family by Edna Ferber and George S. Kaufman (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 6w, 11m)
A bittersweet ode to Broadway’s lasting charms, Kaufman and Ferber’s classic comedy portrays the offstage antics of the Cavendish clan, the most famous theatrical family on Broadway. 

The Savannah Sipping Society by Jones Hope Wooten (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 4w)
In this laugh-out-loud comedy, four Southern women – each facing major life changes – form an unexpected bond over happy hour and heartache. As they navigate career setbacks, loss, betrayal and reinvention, they find friendship, fun and a fresh start. Full of humor, misadventures and Southern charm, this Jones Hope Wooten favorite proves it’s never too late to reclaim your joy – or make new old friends. 

The Spoon River Project by Tom Andolora and Edgar Lee Masters (US)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 5w, 6m, flexible casting)
In this beautifully haunting play based on Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology, the former residents of Spoon River examine life and the longing for what might have been. 

Tracy Jones by Stephen Kaplan (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 3w, 1m)
Tracy Jones has rented out the back “party room” of Jones Street Bar and Grill – she’s throwing a party to which she’s invited every woman in the U.S. who is also named Tracy Jones. Tracy Jones has been sitting for over an hour alone, nursing her Diet Coke, waiting for any other Tracy Joneses to show up. Tracy Jones’s epic loneliness is about to be tested beyond anything she ever imagined. 

We Had a World by Joshua Harmon (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 2w, 1m)
In this searing, funny and deeply personal play, playwright Joshua Harmon recreates 30 years of family fights, monstrous behavior, enormous cruelty and enduring love. A dying woman calls her grandson and asks him to write a play about their family. “But I want you to promise me something,” she says. “Make it as bitter and vitriolic as possible.”

2025 New York City Center production of Bat Boy: The Musical (Joan Marcus)

MUSICALS

35mm: A Musical Exhibition by Ryan Scott Oliver (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical / 2w, 3m, expandable casting)
Can a picture inspire a song or fifteen? In 35mm, each photo creates a unique song, moments frozen in time; a glimmer of a life unfolding, a glimpse of something happening. A stunning new multimedia musical which explores a groundbreaking new concept in musical theatre. 

A Night with Janis Joplin by Randy Johnson (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 5w)
The voice, the music, the legend. From her humble beginnings in Port Arthur, Texas to worldwide stardom, Janis reminisces about how music became the love of her life. Told through a series of songs by the Chantels and Joplinaires, duets with masters of the blues, and featuring Janis’s biggest hits “Piece of My Heart,” “Me and Bobby McGee” and more, this powerhouse musical will have you rocking out and leaving the theatre with your heart full. 

A Strange Loop by Michael R. Jackson (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 1w, 6m)
Meet Usher: a Black, queer writer writing a musical about a Black, queer writer writing a musical about a Black, queer writer. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical, Michael R. Jackson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning, blisteringly funny masterwork exposes the heart and soul of a young artist grappling with desires, identity and instincts he both loves and loathes. Bold and heartfelt in its truth-telling, A Strange Loop is the big, Black and queer-ass Great American Musical for all!  

Bat Boy: The Musical by Keythe Farley, Brian Flemming and Laurence O’Keefe (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dark Comedy / 2w, 6m + ensemble)
Based on a story in The Weekly World News, Bat Boy: The Musical is a musical comedy/horror show about a half-boy/half-bat creature who is discovered in a cave near Hope Falls, West Virginia. For lack of a better solution, the local sheriff brings Bat Boy to the home of the town veterinarian, Dr. Parker, where he is eventually accepted as a member of the family and taught to act like a “normal” boy by the veterinarian’s wife, Meredith, and teenage daughter, Shelley. Bat Boy is happy with his new life and may even be in love, but he carries a dark secret, and chaos comes when the narrow-minded people of Hope Falls turn on him. 

Cowardy Custard by Noël Coward, Gerald Frow, Alan Strachan and Wendy Toye (US/UK)
(Musical Revue, Comedy / 6w, 6m)
An immense success in London, this imaginative and innovative revue of Noël Coward’s words, music and sketches is a kaleidoscopic glimpse of Coward’s brilliance. Originally presented by 12 performers, the show can employ a cast of any size.

Finn by Christopher Dimond, Michael Kooman and Chris Nee (US/UK)
(Short Musical, Comedy / 4w, 3m + ensemble)
Hilarious and heartwarming, this underwater musical chronicles the coming-of-age journey of Finn, a young shark who dreams of following in his family’s footsteps by joining the prestigious Shark Guard. As Finn faces the challenges of growing up and following his heart, his musical story becomes a magical journey of self-discovery, friendship and adventure. Explores the depths of the brilliant and beautiful ocean with quirky sea creatures and catchy tunes in this deeply moving, vibrant show for any audience. 

Five Golden Rings: A Greeting Card Channel Holiday Musical by Stephen Garvey and David Abbinanti (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 3w, 3m + ensemble)
Everything you want (and expect) in a cable-TV Christmas movie, from flannel shirts to flirtatious snowball fights to overt product-placement, mixed with fun songs and a lot of holiday cheer! A business exec from “the big city” gets snowed in at a quaint Vermont B&B for Christmas and begins to fall for its non-threateningly rugged owner. The issue: it’s the very B&B her company is supposed to take over! 

2018 Broadway production of Summer: The Donna Summer Musical (Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)

Ghost Brothers of Darkland County by Stephen King and John Mellencamp (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 2w, 6m)
A blues-inflected country score by legend John Mellencamp and a claustrophobic, refractured parable from the master of thriller Stephen King combine to create this spooky, cautionary tale. In an eerie cabin in the woods, a young couple comes across its caretaker, the Troubador, who reveals to them an almost biblically violent story that took place in that very house, about a set of brothers who were in love with the same woman and the ensuing rivalry that sparked between them.

Ghost Quartet by Dave Malloy (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 2w, 2m)
This hauntingly beautiful song cycle from the composer of Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 is an intoxicating musical of love, loss and spirits – both the spectral and alcoholic kind. After being betrayed by her lover, Rose seeks vengeance, and a passing bear offers an answer, sending her on a kaleidoscopic journey spanning continents, centuries and the cosmos. A story about stories – how we tell them, how we hear them, and how they evolve, intertwine and draw us in. 

High Fidelity by Amanda Green, Tom Kitt and David Lindsay-Abaire (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 9w, 5m + ensemble)
Based on the bestselling novel by Nick Hornby, High Fidelity follows Brooklyn record store owner Rob, who, after finding himself unexpectedly dumped, takes a music-filled turn toward the introspective. Struggling to discover how his relationship failed, Rob strives to change his life to win back his sweetheart, Laura. With memorable characters and a pulsating rock ’n’ roll score, this homage to music geek culture explores love, heartbreak and the power of the perfect soundtrack. 

Love, Linda (The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter) music and lyrics by Cole Porter, book by Stevie Holland with Gary William Friendman (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 1w)
In this sensational show, Linda Lee Thomas recounts her life’s journey with Cole Porter. Though Porter was gay, their companionship lasted through 35 years of a spectacular, glamour-filled marriage. The music of Cole Porter weaves through compelling narrative, examining the darker sides of their life, while also celebrating the deep love in their unconventional relationship. 

Meet Me in St. Louis by Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane & Hugh Wheeler (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 7w, 5m)
This stage adaptation of 1944 film Meet Me in St. Louis is a wholesome and enchanting portrait of a turn-of-the-century American family. The Smith family eagerly anticipates the opening of the 1904 World’s Fair. Over the course of a year, the family’s mutual respect, tempered with good-natured humor, helps them through romance, opportunity and heartbreaks. 

Motherhood: The Musical by Sue Fabisch-Errico (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 4w)
Having a baby is just the beginning… motherhood is for life. In this charming, original 90-minute musical, four women share their insights, challenges and pleasures at a baby shower. Amy is a soon-to-be first-time mom; Brooke, a hard-working lawyer; Barb, a stressed-out mother of five; and Tina, a single mom seeking to balance work, her family and her divorce. This funny yet loving look at being a mom at any age is about climbing the emotional mountain – only to find that there’s laundry at the top.

Pete the Cat by Sarah Hammond, Will Aronson, Kimberly Dean and James Dean (US/UK)
(Short Musical, Comedy / 2w, 3m)
Everybody’s favorite guitar-playing cat takes his buddy Jimmy on a global adventure in this crowd-pleasing musical based on the hit book series. Groovy Pete the Cat and Jimmy Biddle, the most organized second grader on planet Earth, set out on a mission to help Jimmy conquer second grade art. Along the way, they both learn a little something new about inspiration. 

2018 Broadway production of The Cher Show (Joan Marcus)

Sh-Boom! Life Could Be a Dream by Roger Bean (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 1w, 4m)
Meet Denny and the Dreamers, a fledgling doo-wop singing group preparing to enter the Big Whopper Radio contest to realize their dreams of making it to the big time! Trouble comes in the form of Lois, who arrives to put some polish on the boys. Denny falls in love, Wally falls in line, Eugene falls apart, then along comes handsome heartthrob Duke to send the whole situation spinning. The ’60s hits say it all: “Fools Fall in Love,” “Tears on my Pillow,” “Runaround Sue” and many more.

Summer: The Donna Summer Musical by Colman Domingo, Robert Cary, Des McAnuff, Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder and Paul Jabara (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy/ 6w, 3m plus ensemble)
All hail the Queen of Disco – Summer sheds light on the life of one of the great voices in music history. From gospel choir to disco diva, Donna Summer was an icon, but this thrilling musical also shows how she risked it all to break through barriers and become an inspiration for generations to come. Told through a selection of her finest, flyest hits, Summer is a story that brings everyone to the dance floor. 

The Cher Show by Rick Elice (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 4w, 4m + ensemble)
This powerhouse musical is based on the life of Cherilyn Sarkisian La Piere Bono Allman, or – as her friends call her – Cher! The teenage phenom who crashes by twenty. The glam TV star who quits at the top. The would-be actress with an Oscar. The rock goddess with a hundred million records sold. The legend who’s done it all, still afraid to walk on stage. They’re all here, dressed to kill, belting out all the hits, telling it like it is. And they’re all the star of The Cher Show. 

The Great Christmas Cookie Bake-Off! by Rick Hip-Flores (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 7w, 8m)
This hilarious and heartwarming musical combines the time-honored tradition of Christmas cookies with the ever-popular phenomenon of reality baking competitions. In this musical, eight young cookie chefs have been selected from all over the country to battle it out for first prize at the Cookie Coliseum. Over the course of the competition, feelings of intense rivalry give way to virtues of charity, family and forgiveness, as the chefs learn what really makes for a winning Christmas recipe.

The Marvelous Wonderettes by Roger Bean (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 4w)
This smash off-Broadway hit takes you to the 1958 Springfield High School prom, where four teenage friends have hopes and dreams as big as their crinoline skirts! Featuring over 30 classic ’50s and ’60s hits, The Marvelous Wonderettes will keep you smiling in this must-take musical trip down memory lane. For more adventures with the Wonderettes, visit The Wonderettes Collection (US). 

The Old Man and the Old Moon by PigPen Theatre Co. (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy  /  7 any gender + ensemble)
The Old Man has served as sole caretaker of the moon for as long as he can remember. When his wife, the Old Woman, is drawn away by a mysterious melody sparking memories of their shared past, the Old Man follows her in an imaginative sea-faring epic, encompassing apocalyptic storms, civil wars, leviathans of the deep, and cantankerous ghosts – as well as the fiercest obstacle of all: change. Also available: The Old Man and the Old Moon (Large Cast Edition) (US) 

The People in the Picture by Iris Rainer Dart, Mike Stoller and Artie Butler (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 5w, 5m)
Once the star of Yiddish musical films in Poland between the wars, Raisel is now a grandmother (Bubbie) in ’70s New York. Bubbie longs to tell the stories of her acting troupe’s successes and heroism to her granddaughter Jenny. However her daughter, Red, insists on leaving the past behind, unless Bubbie will talk about the events that have plagued them both since Red’s childhood. 

The Silver Belles by Allyson Currin, Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith, based on an idea by Cathy Alter and Sandra Johnson (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 4w, 2m, 1 any gender)
It’s Golden Girls meets Designing Women with a heaping helping of well-known Christmas tunes and clever new country and western ditties. Christmas without the Silver Belles… just wouldn’t be Christmas! When Oralene, the longtime director of small-town Sylva Ridge’s Christmas Pageant, suddenly passes away, the Silver Belles must come to the rescue! With the spirit of Oralene looking on, the sterling-hued vixens band together, discover their talents and pull out all the stops to keep the beloved pageant alive.

For more great suggestions, check out Community Theatre: Your 2026 Guide to Season Planning or visit Concord Theatricals in the US or UK.