Previews: COME FROM AWAY Launches Dezart Performs’ Season 19

Dezart Performs’ (dezartperforms.org) launches its 2026-2027 Season with the Tony Award-winning musical COME FROM AWAY, featuring book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, running November 18-December 6, 2026. The season launch coincides with the completion of Phase Two of the adaptive re-use transformation of its Palm Springs home from a former church into the Dezart Playhouse at 605 S. Riverside Drive, Palm Springs.  

Following COME FROM AWAY, the 19th Annual Season continues with the Obie Award-winning play HURRICANE DIANE, by Madeleine George (January 20-February 7, 2027), followed by the 2024 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama PRIMARY TRUST, by Eboni Booth (March 3-March 21, 2027), and closing with THE REMAINS, by multi-award-winning playwright Ken Urban (April 14-May 2, 2027). New Season subscription packages go on sale July 29, 2026.

“This season represents a remarkable milestone for Dezart Performs,” says Founding Artistic Director Michael Shaw. “With an exciting lineup of award-winning plays, contemporary voices, and beloved musicals, along with the completion of Phase Two of the Dezart Playhouse, we are continuing to build a vibrant and lasting home for exceptional theatre in the Coachella Valley.”

SEASON 19

COME FROM AWAY opens the season with the remarkable true story of the people of Gander, Newfoundland, who welcomed thousands of stranded travelers after 38 planes were diverted to their airstrip on September 11, 2001. Featuring book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, the musical celebrates generosity, resilience, humor and the powerful connections that can emerge during times of crisis.

HURRICANE DIANE brings Madeleine George’s Obie Award-winning comedy to Dezart Performs in January. The play reimagines the Greek god Dionysus as Diane, a charismatic gardener who arrives in a suburban neighborhood after a devastating storm, transforming women’s gardens and disrupting their carefully ordered lives.

PRIMARY TRUST, winner of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, follows Kenneth, whose life is built around routine, familiar faces and conversations with his loyal friend, Bert. When a sudden change upends his carefully constructed world, he discovers that friendship, healing and unexpected opportunity may be waiting beyond the limits of his comfort zone.

THE REMAINS, a comedy-drama by Ken Urban and a Charles MacArthur Award for New Play nominee, centers on Theo and Kevin, one of the first legally married same-sex couples in America. During what appears to be an ordinary Sunday dinner, the couple reveals a life-changing decision that challenges their family’s assumptions about love, commitment and what makes a marriage endure.

DEZART PLAYHOUSE

FROM CHURCH TO THEATER - AN ADAPTIVE REUSE

Architect Susan Secoy-Jensen has overseen the transformation of the historic 1957 First Church of Christ, Scientist, a midcentury modern gem designed by Robson Chambers and Albert Frey, into the new Dezart Playhouse.

Phase One, completed in October 2025, included the construction of a fully equipped, state-of-the-art theatre featuring a new stage, lighting grid and electrical infrastructure, along with four dressing rooms and a company breakroom. Phase Two will further enhance the patron and artist experience with the installation of elevated theatre-style seating to improve sightlines, a full-service lobby bar and fully ADA-compliant restrooms supported by new plumbing throughout the building.

The playhouse also features Studio 605, a spacious rehearsal hall equipped with industrial-grade rubber flooring, a wall of dance mirrors and dedicated storage for props, costumes and production equipment. At more than 6,000 square feet, the Dezart Playhouse will serve not only the growing needs of Dezart Performs, but also as a vibrant cultural hub for the Coachella Valley, providing space for performances, community gatherings, educational programs and a wide range of cultural events.

The 2026-2027 Season will also see the expansion of all productions to three-week runs, six performances each week including a Wednesday preview night. Showtimes are Wednesdays at 7:00 PM (first Wednesday is preview night), Thursdays at 7:00 PM (opening night/no show Thanksgiving night), Fridays at 7:00 PM, Saturdays at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM and Sundays at 2:00 PM. The Opening Night performances include an after-show wine and dessert reception where audience members can meet the performers. For more information about the 2026-2027 Season, visit Dezart Performs online at www.dezartperforms.org or by calling (760) 322-0179.

Dezart Performs, Palm Springs’ only Equity theatre and one of Coachella Valley’s preeminent theatre companies, recognizes that the performing arts enrich the life and culture of a community, promote greater understanding, and provoke insightful discussion. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit theatre company, its mission is to provide an artistic home for bold and cutting edge plays, creating an atmosphere of artistic growth for actors, writers and directors who uniquely contribute to the diverse theatrical environment in the Coachella Valley.

More on Dezart Performs

Recent Articles

Previews: COME FROM AWAY Launches Dezart Performs’ Season 19

6/18/2026