Alliance Theatre Reveals 2026/27 Season - ALICE IN NEVERLAND World Premiere and More
The season will also feature the world premiere musical Like Father, and more.
Alliance Theatre has unveiled its 58th season. The 2026/27 season will feature twelve productions on three stages including five world premieres, four musicals, and four productions for youth and families. The Alliance’s Bernhardt Theatre for the Very Young season will include four additional productions designed for infants and toddlers who are newborn through 5 years old.
PURPOSE
The 58th season will begin this fall on the Coca-Cola Stage with Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning play PURPOSE (Aug 28 – Sep 20, 2026).
CARMELA FULL OF WISHES
On the Goizueta Stage for Youth & Families, the Alliance will produce CARMELA FULL OF WISHES (Sep 1 – 27, 2026). Inspired by the award-winning picture book by Matt de la Peña, CARMELA FULL OF WISHES is a lyrical and heartfelt story celebrating family, imagination, and the beauty of everyday life in a vibrant Latino community. With music, movement, and vivid storytelling, this production invites audiences of all ages to celebrate heritage, resilience, and the power of a single wish.
MEXODUS
On the Coca-Cola Stage, Alliance will present the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway musical, MEXODUS (Oct 2 – 16, 2026). Written by Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, MEXODUS is a thrilling hip-hop musical that uncovers a hidden chapter of American history – when thousands of enslaved people fled across the Rio Grande to freedom in Mexico. Described as “an electrifying theatrical experience” (The New York Times) and “bursting with infectious, buoyant energy” (New York Theatre Guide), MEXODUS blends live-looped music, storytelling, and raw theatricality to follow a freedom seeker and an unlikely ally forging a bond that transcends borders.
LIKE FATHER
On the Hertz Stage, Alliance will produce the world premiere musical thriller, LIKE FATHER (Oct 8 – Nov 15, 2026), by Jacob Ryan Smith & Caroline Pernick with direction by Tinashe Kajese-Bolden (Covenant, The Preacher’s Wife). Driven by a bold, innovative folk-pop score, LIKE FATHER explores legacy, identity, and the cost of obsession, inspired by the loved ones left in the wake of infamous serial killers—and by the true-crime industry’s meteoric rise to over 250 million listeners worldwide. LIKE FATHER was a semi-finalist at The National Music Theater Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center and emerged as the winner of the inaugural Open Jar Broadway Shark Tank.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
For the holidays, Alliance will present the 37th production of the Dickens classic, A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Nov 14 – Dec 27, 2026) on The Coca-Cola Stage. Brought to life with stunning visuals, beautiful live music, and a richly imagined world of characters, this timeless story of redemption is filled with heart, wonder, and festive spirit. Alliance Theatre's A Christmas Carol, adapted by David H. Bell and directed by Amanda Watkins with original direction by Leora Morris, is an unforgettable holiday experience for audiences of all ages.
LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE: THE MUSICAL
In January 2027 on the Goizueta Stage, the Alliance will produce a new production of LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE: THE MUSICAL (Jan 23 – Feb 14, 2027). Inspired by Bernard Waber’s beloved picture books and the motion picture of the same name, this lively musical stage adaptation features songs written for the film by EGOT-winning songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (The Greatest Showman, Dear Evan Hansen, La La Land) with Mark Sonnenblick (Academy and Grammy Award-winner for KPop Demon Hunters), Ari Afsar, Emily Xu Hall, and Joriah Kwamé. A celebration for all ages, LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE: THE MUSICAL is packed with humor, heart, and showstopping tunes that will have audiences roaring along. LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE is produced by special arrangement with Third Wish Productions.
MISEDUCATED
The Alliance will produce the world-premiere play, MISEDUCATED (Jan 27 – Feb 21, 2027), on the Hertz Stage. Based on Brandon P. Fleming’s memoir and written by Rudi Goblen, MISEDUCATED is an electrifying theatrical experience that follows a debate coach as he guides his students toward a high-stakes Harvard competition. As they prepare, Brandon is pulled into a surreal debate with the universe, where his past and present collide with urgent questions of resilience, identity, and second chances. Through debate, music, and spoken word, MISEDUCATED reveals the transformative power of mentorship and the courage it takes to claim your voice.
ALICE IN NEVERLAND
On the Coca-Cola Stage, Alliance will produce the spectacular world premiere musical ALICE IN NEVERLAND (Feb 20 – Apr 4, 2027) – a sequel to Alice in Wonderland and a prequel to Peter Pan. With book, music and lyrics by Phil Kenny and Reston Williams, choreography by Dominique Kelley, and direction by Catie Davis, ALICE IN NEVERLAND is a sweeping new musical that explores the magic of reclaiming childhood—and the sacrifice required to never grow up.
DICTIONARY OF THE VULGAR TONGUE
On the Hertz Stage, the Alliance will produce the world-premiere play, DICTIONARY OF THE VULGAR TONGUE (Mar 25 – Apr 25, 2027) by Alanna Coby with direction by Tinashe Kajese-Bolden. A sharp, ferocious satire that spans three centuries, DICTIONARY OF THE VULGAR TONGUE interrogates who gets to speak, who gets believed, and how “good intentions” become instruments of power. Blisteringly funny and deeply unsettling, DICTIONARY OF THE VULGAR TONGUE exposes the violence embedded in our shared language, the fragile line between compassion and control, and the cost of a world where women’s choices are endlessly discussed but rarely honored. DICTIONARY OF THE VULGAR TONGUE has been recognized as a finalist of the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition, the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference, and the Princess Grace Awards.
WINNIE-THE-POOH
On the Goizueta Stage, the Alliance will produce a new adaptation of WINNIE-THE-POOH (Apr 10 – June 20, 2027) in honor of Pooh’s 100th Birthday. The new adaptation by Brendan Pelsue (A Tale of Two Cities), follows the unexpected adventures of Pooh and his friends – Piglet, Rabbit, Owl, Eeyore, and Christopher Robin – as they discover that even the smallest moments can be extraordinary. Tender, funny, and deeply nostalgic, this theatrical journey celebrates imagination, friendship, and the quiet beauty of “doing nothing” – reminding us that even as life moves forward, there is always a place where we can return and always time for play.
JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN
The season will close on the Coca-Cola Stage with the Tony-nominated play, JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN (May 14 – June 6, 2027). Described as “an American classic in the making” (New York Theatre Guide) and “vital, hilarious, [and] thrilling,” (The New York Times) the critically acclaimed play by Georgia native and frequent Alliance Theatre collaborator Kimberly Belflower makes its Atlanta debut. Full of pop music, biting humor, and emotional honesty, Kimberly Belflower’s electrifying play John Proctor is the Villain captures the messy brilliance of teenage girlhood – and the moment when a generation decides to rewrite the narrative.
The Alliance Theatre’s Bernhardt Theatre for the Very Young
The Alliance Theatre’s Bernhardt Theatre for the Very Young will produce four plays developed specifically for children who are newborn through five years old and their caregivers. These productions include ALL SMILES (Sep 12 – Nov 8, 2026), a sensory friendly experience developed in partnership with the Marcus Autism Center that celebrates all the ways we express our emotions; the holiday celebration (KNOCK, KNOCK) (Nov 14 – Dec 23, 2026), discovering the mix of festive traditions observed by the residents of the same apartment building; THE BIRTHDAY OF THE WORLD (Jan 23 – Feb 14, 2027) based on the book by Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen; and DINOSAUR (Feb 20 – Apr 18, 2027), an epic dino-tastic adventure that will leave little ones laughing and roaring for more.
NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT
In addition to the five world premieres in the season this year, the Alliance will continue its important work developing new plays through its Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition and its Reiser Atlanta Artists Lab.
As previously announced, the winner of the 23rd Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition is THE RED MAN by JuCoby Johnson. THE RED MAN will have its world premiere on the Hertz Stage in the 2027/28 season. The finalists of the Competition will receive a developmental workshop and presentation as part of the 2027 Alliance/Kendeda Week. These finalists are:
THE FIFTH OF NOVEMBER by Nora Brigid Monahan, CUNY Hunter College
8½ COLLISIONS by Danielle Keiko Eyer, New York University
VULTURINE by Matt Thekkethala, University of Texas at Austin
WATER AEROBICS WITH CHRISTOPHER, 8:30 AM by Helen Gallagher, Brooklyn College
The Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition solicits plays from the leading MFA graduate programs in the United States and then conducts a rigorous selection process to find four finalists and one winning play. The judges for the 23rd competition include playwright, theater director, and MacArthur “Genius” Luis Alfaro; award-winning playwright York Walker; and director and educator Nicole A. Watson.
Reiser Atlanta Artists Lab
The Alliance has also revealed three projects selected for development in Round 12 of the Reiser Atlanta Artists Lab. These lab projects will be presented in free performances in the Spring of 2027.
A NIGHT AT THE SWEET GUM HEAD, Artists: Connor Lyons, Alex Franco, and Martin Padgett—In the electric and intimate theatrical adaptation of “A Night at the Sweet Gum Head”, 1970s gay Atlanta comes to vibrant life through the stories of its bedazzling drag clubs and burgeoning rights activism—and the people that made it all happen. Sometimes, to find out who you really are, you need to become someone else.
LOST IN TRANSLATION – MOM MUST DIE, Artists: Suehyla El-Attar Young, Reay Maxwell, Sarah Beth Hester— Telling the true story of a mother’s prolonged death in an Egyptian hospital, this live performance uses actors, puppetry, and sound design and examines the fight to honor a loved one's end-of-life wishes in a foreign country's ICU, all while navigating cultural, religious, and familial conflict; bringing forth the questions of love, duty, and the truth of letting go.
MONARCHS, Artists: Kelundra Smith, Jade Lambert-Smith, and JL Reed— In 1935, during the Great Migration, John and Mae Monarch are leaving sharecropping in rural Mississippi for a new life in Chicago, only to discover that life in the North is not quite as they thought it would be. The couple and their growing family strive to hold steadfast to their dreams and each other as the harsh realities of a changing nation try to get the best of them.
The Round 12 cohort was selected by a panel of five artistic leaders, including Christopher Moses and Tinashe Kajese-Bolden (Alliance Theatre), Caitlin Hargraves (Theater Emory, Cafecito Productions), Angela Farr Schiller (Round 4 Reiser Lab Artist), and Danielle De Matteo (SheNYC Arts).
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