DAPHNE'S DIVE, A SHERLOCK CAROL, and More Set for Dobama Theatre 2026/27 Season

Dobama, Cleveland’s Off-Broadway Theatre, has announced its 2026/27 Season; a line-up of five new plays that are Cleveland, Regional, and World Premieres. All performances will be held in the Donald A. Bianchi Theatre at Dobama Theatre in the new Cedar Lee Arts District of Cleveland Heights.

Daphne's Dive

The season will kick off on September 24, 2026 with DAPHNE’S DIVE by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Quiara Allegría Hudes. This moving and heartfelt comedy from the book writer of the hit Broadway musical In the Heights will be directed by Juliana Frey-Méndez. It’s the story of the patrons of a local bar where everyone knows your name - and your business. The regulars at Daphne’s Dive are a band of outsiders; among them an offbeat artist, eccentric activist, ambitious businessman, retired biker, abandoned teenager, and Daphne’s vivacious sister. The troubles and triumphs of these patrons of Daphne’s Dive come alive onstage as they talk, drink, and dance their way through life together. At times reminiscent of the television comedies of an earlier era, this fantastic play is about creating community and finding family, giving a glimpse into the lives of seven friends over the course of twenty years.

A Sherlock Carol

During the holiday season, audiences can expect comedy, capers, and carols in playwright Mark Shanahan’s marvelous, crowd-pleasing adventure A SHERLOCK CAROL. When a grown-up Tiny Tim calls on Sherlock Holmes to investigate the mysterious death of Ebenezer Scrooge, two literary legends collide on the snowy streets of London. This wildly inventive play directed by Erin E. Dolan is sure to warm even the coldest heart in an experience that features six actors playing dozens of parts. A New York Times Critic’s Pick and international sensation, this joyous show has delightful surprises around every corner.

The game’s afoot beginning December 3rd in this holiday mashup of Dickens and Doyle that blends mystery, music, humor, and heart in a witty and wondrous theatrical event for the whole family.

Walden

The season continues in 2027 with Amy Berryman’s extraordinary new play WALDEN, directed by Dobama Artistic Director Nathan Motta. In the near future, Stella has created a new life with her fiancé Bryan in a remote cabin in the woods. When her sister Cassie comes to visit after a year-long Moon mission, the reunited siblings must find a way to heal old family wounds. But as the sisters reconnect, humanity’s fate hangs in the balance and they ultimately must choose between life on a volatile Earth or pursuing an uncertain future in space. With vibrant characters and rife with emotion, this script wrestles with the gravitational pulls of duty, desire, and hope. A 2025 Outer Critics’ Circle and Drama League nominee, this play is sure to have audiences thinking long after they leave the theatre. Patrons can escape the cold this winter to visit the lush greenery of WALDEN when it lands on the Dobama Theatre stage on January 28, 2027.

Mary Jane

Coming in March 2027 is Amy Herzog's profound and heartstirring MARY JANE. Captivating, affecting, and compassionate, this is the story of a single mother in an impossible situation. Faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, Mary Jane relies on unflagging optimism, a sense of humor, and the wisdom of the women around her to take on each new day. Armed with inner strength and the unwavering support of her makeshift family, an undeterred Mary Jane bravely searches for the glimmers of hope that will see her through. One of the most celebrated plays in recent memory, this script won Obie and Drama Critics' awards for Best Play and playwriting in 2018 and received four Tony nominations for the 2024 Broadway production. The title role has attracted such talent as Carrie Coon and Rachel McAdams, and the playwright is both a Tony Award winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist. This poignant and moving slice-of-life play directed by Leighann Delorenzo opens in March 2027 at Dobama Theatre.

Netta & Ru

Dobama's 26/27 season concludes with the World Premiere production of NETTA & RU - a new script from celebrated playwright Lisa Langford. A Southern Gothic with elements of both mystery and historical fiction, this thrilling theatrical experience directed by Chennelle Bryant-Harris is inspired by actual events and is set in Montgomery, Alabama during the historic bus boycott. Ruby is a sensual hoodoo practitioner who, since her mother's death, has lost her magic. Netta is her devout, newly engaged play-sister with aspirations of climbing the social ladder. As the Civil Rights movement ignites around them, these sisters have their bond tested by infidelities, grief, and crises of faith. But when a murder brings a stranger to town, Netta and Ru find themselves caught between personal discovery and the fight of their lives. Recently awarded first runner up for the prestigious Stanley Drama Award, audiences will not want to miss the World Premiere of NETTA & RU when it debuts on April 22, 2027.

"Next season is an eclectic line-up of plays that will be joyful, moving, and entertaining theatrical experiences for Dobama audiences", says Artistic Director Nathan Motta. "These are engaging and timely stories that reflect the community we share and the world around us."

Dobama will continue other core programming, including the Young Playwrights' Program - culminating with the 49th Annual Marilyn Bianchi Kids' Playwriting Festival in June 2027. The FOCUS Program (Fostering Opportunity for Communities Underserved on the Stage) will enter its fifth full season as an apprenticeship program for early career theatre designers from underrepresented communities in an effort to provide opportunity, training, mentorship, and networking. Readings of new work in development from writers in The Playwrights' GYM will occur throughout the season as well.

The theatre will also continue the groundbreaking Full Circle program. This important initiative centers partnerships with community organizations and individuals from Northeast Ohio who have a mission or lived experience connected to the themes explored in the plays we produce. Through the Full Circle program, these members of our shared community collaborate as consultants during the rehearsal process to ensure authenticity, and participate in expanded audience engagement events during the run of each production to provide real-world context and awareness.

Additionally, Dobama will mount the 6th Annual Heights Halloween Festival on October 24, 2026 from 3pm-6pm in the newly established Cedar Lee Arts District of Cleveland Heights. The event will feature costumed character meet-n-greets, music, games, and a candy crawl. Memberships for the 26/27 Season will be available beginning April 7, 2026. Memberships are $198 ($168 for Young Professionals under 40) and can be purchased by calling the Box Office at 216.932.3396 or by visiting dobama.org. Single tickets will go on sale on August 4th. Dobama Members may reserve seats prior to single tickets going on sale.