Fall 2026 Arts Roundup, Part 1: Theater

The University’s theater community is staging many exciting shows this semester. The University’s Theater Department, Spike Tape, and SHADES are currently preparing an eclectic mix of performances, from murder mysteries to musicals to full-on horror shows.

Spike Tape, the University’s largest student-run theater organization, is producing six shows this semester: “The Storm Play,” “Clue,” “Accidental Death of an Anarchist,” “House of Stars,” “Bug,” and “Cabaret.”

“The Storm Play” is an original one-act play written and directed by Freya Grant ’29. Set in Vermont, the play will premiere Oct. 22 and 23 in the Patricelli ’92 Theater. “‘The Storm Play’ explores loss, queer love, & a mysterious holiness,” a blurb from the Spike Tape website reads.

“Clue” is a stage adaptation of the cult-classic 1985 film of the same name. It is based on the popular 1949 board game.

“This comedy involves six anonymous dinner guests who have all been mysteriously blackmailed, as they try to unravel a hilarious murder mystery with the charge led by the eccentric butler, Wadsworth,” the synopsis from the Spike Tape website reads. “Clue” is directed by David Flatau-Jones ’27 and will premiere Oct. 30 and 31 at Russell House.

“Accidental Death of an Anarchist” is a farcical 1970 play written by acclaimed Italian playwright Dario Fo. Directed by HarEl Shrem ’29, it will premiere Nov. 6 and 7 at Russell House.

“With fourth wall breaks, disguises, irony, and even slapstick, the play comically tells the story and poses important questions about the lengths those in authority will go to maintain their version of the truth, and the choices we have to make about sacrificing the status quo for the greater good,” Spike Tape’s website reads.

“House of Stars” is an original musical written and directed by Anastasia Zhu ’29, premiering Nov. 13 and 14 at the WestCo Cafe.

“After the passing of a trans elder, 5 trans women inherit the house and scramble to make ends meet amidst 2026 pressures both materially and emotionally,” a description from the Spike Tape website reads. “Through hardships and struggles, they make their dreams a reality against all odds!”

“Bug,” a dark psychological play written by Tracy Letts in 1996 and famously adapted for the big screen by acclaimed “The Exorcist” director William Friedkin, will premiere Nov. 20 and 21 at the WestCo Cafe. This production will be directed by Gryphon Magnus ’28 and Gabriella Hoefner ’29. The play follows a lonely waitress grappling with the disappearance of her son and her abusive relationship with her ex-husband. She meets Peter, an intense and mysterious drifter, and the two begin a vulnerable and paranoia-filled relationship.

“Cabaret,” the Tony Award-winning 1966 musical, will open Dec. 4 and 5 at the WestCo Cafe and will be directed by Simon Sidney ’27 and Gabrielle Walker ’28. The show follows American author Cliff Bradshaw and Sally Bowles, a delusional yet ambitious cabaret singer, as they begin a complicated, chaotic relationship against the backdrop of 1930s Germany, with fascism growing more omnipresent as the play progresses.

SHADES, a student theater organization focused on empowering the voices of people of color, is putting on three shows this semester: “Why Won’t You Marry Me, Tomura Shigaraki,” “Thrill Me,” and “Brilliant Traces.” 

“Why Won’t You Marry Me, Tomura Shigaraki,” a play written by Osato Oronsaye ’29 and directed by Kendra Williams ’29, follows a 14-year-old girl obsessed with her anime muse, Tomura Shigaraki. One day, Shigaraki comes to life, and we watch as the relationship becomes more toxic than helpful. The play will premiere Nov. 6 and 7, with no location currently specified.

“Thrill Me,” a musical written by Stephen Dolginoff and directed by Rachel Duan ’29, will premiere Nov. 13 and 14. The show follows the tumultuous relationship between the infamous murderous duo Leopold and Loeb, who kidnapped and killed 14-year-old Bobby Franks in Chicago in 1924. The case was dubbed the “Crime of the Century” because of the killers’ intellect and the seemingly motiveless nature of the crime.

“Brilliant Traces,” directed by Kekoa Dowsett ’28, will premiere Nov. 20 and 21. Originally written by acclaimed playwright Cindy Lou Johnson, the play follows a reclusive hermit, Henry Harry, whose life is forever changed when a runaway bride, escaping her upcoming marriage, bursts through his door on a wintry, blizzard-filled day. The two begin a raw, intimate relationship as they discuss their past traumas, regrets, dreams, and demons.

The University’s Theater Department will also premiere one mainstage production: “WE ARE HERE,” directed by Professor of Theater Marcela Oteíza. Performances will take place Nov. 12, 13, and 14 in the newly constructed Fries Arts Building.

“‘WE ARE HERE’ is an immersive performance that transforms participants into co-creators of a live, unfolding event,” a blurb from the University’s Center for the Arts website reads. “Guided by sound and shared instructions, audiences will move through space together, forming temporary assemblies, unexpected alliances, and evolving narratives.”

Additionally, the University’s Theater Department will present “The Brother’s Size,” a senior thesis directed by Isabella Polyn ’27. The play, written by esteemed playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney, will premiere Dec. 9, 10, and 11 at the Patricelli ’92 Theater. “The piece bridges the world of Yoruba deities with a modern tale challenging what freedom looks like under mass incarceration,” a summary from the University’s theater website reads. 

Brendan Kelso can be reached at bkelso@wesleyan.edu.