BEST FOR BABY World Premiere and More Set for Chautauqua Theater Company 2026 Season
The Motions by Zora Howard and Ahoy-Hoy will headline a season of six new works at Chautauqua Institution.
CHAUTAUQUA, N.Y. - Chautauqua Theater Company (CTC), the professional theater company of Chautauqua Institution, is proud to announce its full 2026 season featuring fully produced productions, new play readings and the expansion of its FutureNow program to includes two staged new play workshops. Anchored by two mainstage productions - a CTC commissioned world premiere and the remount of a classic solo piece - the season expands its legacy of developing new work and training the next generation of theater artists.
This summer, CTC will present six new works at varying stages of development, offering audiences a unique opportunity to engage with new plays from page to stage. The 2026 New Play Workshop (NPW) music stand readings feature Ahoy-Hoy: A Play About That Relatable Feeling When Someone Invents the Telephone Three Hours Before You Do by Jenny Stafford, CTC's commission The Motions by Zora Howard and William Shakespeare's As You Like It, adapted by Peter Andersen with original music by Bandits on the Run. These NPWs are made possible in part by a generous grant from the Roe Green Foundation, whose visionary support continues to deepen CTC's capacity for new work development. That partnership will come to life in a new way this season with the opening of the Roe Green Theater Center in June 2026. Designed as a dedicated home for new play development, rehearsals, performances and training the next generation of theater artists, the new facility expands CTC's ability to support artists from early exploration through fully realized production, while strengthening the company's role as a national incubator for new American theater.
In an expanded partnership with The Drama League, CTC will grow its student fellowship program this summer with its inaugural class of Playwrighting Fellows. Two pairs of directing/playwrighting fellows will be in residence to develop their FutureNow New Play Labs (NPL) in two-week workshops that culminate in staged, semi-designed performances. These NPLs will be designed by CTC's Design Fellows and performed by the Acting Conservatory.
"As we move into 2026, we're building a season that invites audiences into the full ecosystem of new play development at CTC - from early-stage exploration through fully realized productions, and now through entirely new pathways of development with our FutureNow New Play Labs," said Producing Artistic Director Jade King Carroll. "With the long-anticipated opening of the Roe Green Theater Center, we're deepening the ways artists can create, experiment and refine their work in community with one another. This season also brings audiences closer than ever to that process, including our Industry Weekend, when four distinct plays can be experienced in a single day, offering a rare, immersive look at work in multiple stages of becoming. At a moment when the nation is reflecting on America at 250, this season engages with the complexity, humor, music and multigenerational storytelling that continue to shape the American theater and the American experience."
CTC is also excited to welcome five commissioned writers to the grounds this summer. Playwright Theresa Rebeck will be in her first residency at Chautauqua, marking the start of a three-year process with her new project. Rebeck's new play, currently titled Elevator, is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Sarah Burgess will also visit for her first summer with CTC to work on Untitled Central Valley Play, which CTC is supporting with a finishing commission. For their second summer in residence, Kwame Alexander, Candrice Jones and Christopher Jackson will continue development on CTC's commission of Alexander's novel The Crossover into a new musical. This summer, this team will also appear on the stage of Chautauqua Amphitheater for a special conversation led by Jade King Carroll, who is directing the project, about the musical's continued development.
CTC will kick off its mainstage season with its own commission and world premiere of Sharyn Rothstein's Best for Baby, directed by Obie award-winner Oliver Butler. A Big American Play ripped straight from the headlines, Best for Baby is equal parts showbiz spectacle and intimate human storytelling, brought to you by a sensational comedic ensemble of professional guest artists - featuring Broadway actor Crystal Dickinson - alongside members of CTC's beloved conservatory.
Butler is joined by a distinguished design team: Brittany Vasta (Scenic), Rodrigo Muñoz (Costume), Amith Chandrashaker (Lighting), Christopher Darbassie (Sound) and John Narun (Projections). Production Stage Manager Jennifer Rae Moore, Dramaturg Liz Frankel and Fight Director Rick Sordelet complete the team.
CTC's Producing Artistic Director Jade King Carroll will direct August Wilson's classic solo piece, How I Learned What I Learned. Lance Nichols is set to play Wilson in this tour-de-force memoir, inviting audiences into the dynamic world that shaped both the man and the master playwright. Nichols has appeared on stage in several other works by Wilson and has built a strong career in television and film, having appeared in the HBO series "Treme," "Queen of the South," "Into the Badlands," "The Chosen" and "House of Cards."
Joining Carroll for How I Learned What I Learned are Scenic Designer Anita Stewart, Costume Designer Loyce Arthur, Lighting Designer Jeanette Yew, Sound Designer Germàn Martinez and Production Stage Manager Denise Cardarelli.
With a season that balances daring new workshops and powerful mainstage productions, CTC continues to solidify its place as a vital incubator for the future of American theater. From thought-provoking premieres to transformative reimaginings of contemporary classics, CTC invites audiences to experience bold storytelling, celebrate artistic collaboration and be part of the creative journey from page to stage.
Tickets for the 2026 season are on sale now at tickets.chq.org. Patrons who purchase tickets to both mainstage productions and all three New Play Workshops before 11:59 p.m. on June 2 will receive 15% off their purchase. Patrons who purchase tickets to both FutureNow New Play Labs and the Conservatory Improv Night before 11:59 p.m. on June 2 will also receive 15% off their purchase.
In keeping with its commitment to access and inclusion, CTC will again offer the Pick Your Price program for select Saturday mainstage performances. This initiative empowers audience members to choose a ticket price that aligns with their budget - whether that means paying less or contributing more in support of the theater.
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