Touchstone Theatre Reveals 2026-27 Season Lineup

Touchstone Theatre is gearing up for their 2026-27 season, featuring brand new original performances, their annual theatrical staples, and several community storytelling experiences. The season runs from September 1 to June 30 at their intimate 77-seat venue on the Southside of Bethlehem, as well as other locations throughout the Lehigh Valley. Attendance is free or Pay-What-You-Will for many events; select events have an admission fee. This season includes work by the Touchstone Ensemble, local artists and organizers, and acclaimed guest artists from beyond the Lehigh Valley.

The centerpiece of this season is Touchstone's multi-year storytelling initiative, I Remember This Spot, which is part of their ongoing community-centric programming series, UnBound Year-Round. I Remember This Spot is a community storytelling project that explores the relationship between place and time by collecting the personal memories that make Bethlehem more than a city on a map. From story-gatherings, oral histories, archival deep dives, and man-on-the-street interviews, the stories of place will spring to life in an interactive geo-located app specific to different neighborhoods throughout Bethlehem. “Seeing this city through other people's eyes can help us not only feel more connected to each other, but more rooted to the place itself,” says Ensemble Member Mary Wright. “As each story gets added, the community begins to recognize itself more and more.” 

A sampling of the delights you can expect from this year's season include The Poisoner, a neo-noir thriller about the deception, abuse of power, and utter negligence of early 2000s Midwestern water politics; The Southside Experience, a multi-media performance created by weaving together archival photos, music, and the personal stories of people who have lived, worked, and loved on the south side of the Lehigh River; and, Touchstone's 27th annual and much-loved Christmas City Follies, a one-of-a-kind homegrown holiday show featuring spirited songs, Santa-sized surprises, and more! 

THE POISONER | UnBound Year-Round

September 17-19, 8-9:30pm | Touchstone Theatre

A limited-run touring production directed by two-time Obie Award-winning director Lee Sunday Evans. This neo-noir thriller is driven by a determined journalist who returns to his hometown and uncovers more than he bargained for as he unravels the deception, abuse of power, and utter negligence of early 2000s Midwestern water politics. Tickets: Adult - $35, Seniors/Students - $25, Spotlight Series - $50.

5 | UnBound Year-Round

Friday, September 25 & Saturday, September 26, 7-9pm | Touchstone Theatre

An evening of five short Spanish-language plays written by prominent local playwright José Díaz. These allegorical stories include a meeting between a psychiatric counselor and a former model, a nun grappling with an existential crisis, and the widow of a powerful man reading his will on national television, causing a stir with shocking confessions. FREE EVENT; performance is in Spanish.

STILL HERE | MFA Project

Saturday, October 3, 2-3pm & 8-9pm | Touchstone Theatre
A community-based performance created by Touchstone Theatre/Moravian University MFA student Anisa Hosseini, featuring a collection of stories told by people who have lost someone significant in their lives. This verbatim piece attempts to answer the question: In what ways do those we've lost live on? Tickets: Pay-What-You-Will.

MILKDRUNK | UnBound Year-Round

October 7-10, 8-9pm | Touchstone Theatre

An original one-woman show by Washington, D.C.-based playwright and performer Cathleen O'Malley. Crackling with humour, physicality, and searing vulnerability, O'Malley tears back the (damp) curtain on childbirth, milk, and what it takes to be a mother mammal in a modern world. Tickets: Adult - $35, Seniors/Students - $25, Spotlight Series - $50.

FALL STORY CABARET | UnBound Year-Round

Thursday, November 12, 7-8:30pm | Godfrey Daniels
An evening of personal stories hosted by Touchstone Ensemble Member and professional storyteller Mary Wright. Like the long-running New York City (and beyond) spoken-word event, “The Moth,” this live storytelling performance features local professionals and an open-mic portion. Tickets: Pay-What-You-Will.

CHRISTMAS CITY FOLLIES XXVII

December 3-20, Thursdays-Saturdays @ 8pm, Sundays @ 2pm. Additional shows: December 12 & 19 @ 2pm & December 16 @ 8pm | Touchstone Theatre

A theatrical extravaganza made from scratch just for you! Featuring spirited songs, Santa-sized surprises, and more, this one-of-a-kind homegrown holiday variety show has something for everyone! Tickets: Adult - $35, Seniors/Students - $25.

WHEN I PUT ON YOUR GLOVE

January 28-31, 8-9:30pm | Touchstone Theatre

A puppetry, dance, and spoken word piece that explores a daughter's relationship to her father's work, building upon a premise that puppets are containers of memory. In it, a daughter explores what it means for her to slip into her father's art – and not just the form, but the actual pieces. Tickets: Adult - $35, Seniors/Students - $25, Spotlight Series - $50.

WINTER STORY CABARET | UnBound Year-Round

Friday, February 20, 7-8:30pm | Godfrey Daniels
An evening of personal stories hosted by Touchstone Ensemble Member and professional storyteller Mary Wright. Like the long-running New York City (and beyond) spoken-word event, “The Moth,” this live storytelling performance features local professionals and an open-mic portion. Tickets: Pay-What-You-Will.

THE SOUTHSIDE EXPERIENCE | UnBound Year-Round

March 4-14, Thursdays-Saturdays @ 8pm, Sundays @ 2pm | Touchstone Theatre

Twenty five years ago, Touchstone Theatre produced The Southside Experience, a multimedia live theater production celebrating 100 years of history of the Southside of Bethlehem as told by the real stories of the people who lived it. Touchstone returns to this seminal work in its ongoing exploration of creative place-making through the stories of ordinary people, the heartbeat of a community. Tickets: Adult - $35, Seniors/Students - $25.

UNTITLED JOSE DÍAZ PLAY | UnBound Year-Round

Friday, March 19 & Saturday, March 20, 7-9pm | Touchstone Theatre

A Spanish-language playreading by prominent local playwright José Díaz. A new creation by The José Díaz Experimental Theater set in the style of a 1960s radio play or “radionovela.” FREE EVENT; performance is in Spanish.

MFA THESIS PROJECTS | MFA Project

April 2027 | Touchstone Theatre

A series of original performances created by our 2025-27 MFA students! In the past, this has featured everything from a podcast about sports relocation to an audio tour through Zion National Park, to a workshop for children about setting boundaries, to a politically motivated drag performance. So, stay tuned to learn more about what wonderful creative endeavors await!

BOMBAZO | UnBound Year-Round

Saturday, May 1, 3-6pm | Touchstone Theatre's Barrio Stage

Join us for a participatory celebration of Latinx culture: a community jam session, or bombazo! Bring your musical instruments, or borrow one of ours. This night of jams led by local Latinx musicians is a showcase for individuals and community groups alike. FREE EVENT; come one, come all!

THE 22ND ANNUAL YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS' FESTIVAL

Sunday, May 16, 3pm | The Northeast Middle School Theatre

Dive into a world of imagination and wonder as Touchstone Theatre brings to life brand-new plays written by local elementary and middle school students; each one lovingly designed, produced, and performed by Touchstone's finest. Tickets: $15.

I REMEMBER THIS SPOT LAUNCH PARTY | UnBound Year-Round

Spring 2027 | Touchstone Theatre

Touchstone Theatre will officially launch its I Remember This Spot App in Spring 2027, at a block-party style celebration in the theater's own backyard. With music and food from local vendors, we invite the community to come together and cheers to the beauty and power that is the Southside.

FRESH VOICES | MFA Project

Friday, June 4 & Saturday, June 5 | Touchstone Theatre

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