THURGOOD, OSLO, and More Set For Portland Playhouse Season 19

Portland Playhouse has announced its 19th season, which includes productions that invite audiences into moments where something real is at stake. Across stories of justice, identity, love, and second chances, Season 19 asks what it takes for human beings to reach one another, and what happens when we do. 

Thurgood

The season begins with a special limited run of George Stevens Jr.'s Thurgood, with just three performances, September 25 through 27, 2026. In a professional production at Adrienne C. Nelson High School in Happy Valley, this powerful show follows the real-life story of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall's fight to reshape the American legal system. Lester Purry (Thurgood Marshall) and Lou Bellamy (Director) return for this revival of the 2022 Playhouse production, bringing their long-standing connection to Thurgood back to the stage at a moment when this underdog story of persistence, conviction, and lasting impact feels as vital as ever.

In addition to public performances, the Playhouse will host student matinees with post-show conversations bringing together artists, students, and scholars to explore theatre, the history of Justice Marshall, and the ongoing question of what justice looks like today. These conversations are designed to create space for young people to engage directly with the ideas in the play and consider their own role in shaping the future. 

Table 17

The Playhouse mainstage opens with Table 17 by Douglas Lyons, running September 30 through November 1, 2026. Set as a dinner between two exes, Jada and Dallas revisit the story of their relationship. Moving between past and present with humor and honesty, we discover the spark, the unraveling, and the question that has hung in the air between them ever since: what if?

Oslo

Next, JT Rogers' Oslo, on stage February 24 through April 4, 2027, brings gripping political intrigue to the stage. This back-channel story of the unlikely diplomats working in secret to broker peace reveals the human relationships at work behind large-scale global change. 

Simply Simone

In Simply Simone, the musical created by David Grapes and Robert Neblett, running April 28 through June 6, 2027, audiences are invited into the life and legacy of songstress and activist Nina Simone. Examining Nina as a character at various stages of her life, this production explores freedom, self-expression, and the courage it takes to live fully and unapologetically. 

A Christmas Carol

This season also welcomes back Portland Playhouse's beloved holiday tradition, A Christmas Carol, running November 22 through December 31, 2026. This reimagined classic returns as a story of joy, redemption, and the possibility of transformation. A Christmas Carol is a season add-on and not included in subscription packages. 

"When we were building this season, these plays started to feel connected in a way I wasn't expecting," says Playhouse Artistic Director Brian Weaver. "We've got five stories about people trying to find each other, trying to hold on, trying to begin again. Whether it's justice, identity, love, or second chances, they all ask the same thing. What happens if you stay? What happens if you don't walk away? That's when something real happens."

2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats

Best Off-Broadway Musical - Top 3

1. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - New World Stages

24% of votes

2. Mexodus - Minetta Lane Theatre

11.4% of votes

3. Bat Boy - City Center

8.6% of votes

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