Harbinger Theatre Unveils Fifth Season Of Capital Region Premieres For 2026

Harbinger Theatre has announced its fifth full season, featuring four Capital Region premieres to be presented across multiple venues in 2026. The season continues the company’s founding mission to introduce new and underrepresented playwrights to local audiences, with all four productions making their regional debut.

The 2026 season is notably female-centric, offering more roles for women than men and welcoming two new directors, Linda Shirey and Rachel Stewart. Three of the featured playwrights—Emily Feldman, Steve Lawson, and Amanda Whittington—have not previously been produced in the Capital Region. Performances will take place in Schenectady, Troy, Albany, and Averill Park.

Harbinger co-founder Patrick White said the company is committed to creating impactful, affordable theatre that engages with themes of community, responsibility, self-fulfillment, and the reasons people persist through difficult times.

The season opens in April with A DISTANT COUNTRY CALLED YOUTH by Steve Lawson, directed by Linda Shirey. Adapted from the letters of Tennessee Williams, the one-man play traces Williams’s formative years from boyhood through the opening of The Glass Menagerie. Starring Patrick White, the production uses Williams’s personal correspondence to explore the development of his artistic voice. Performances will run April 23 through May 3 at The Mopco Improv Theatre.

In June, Harbinger will present LADIES’ DAY by Amanda Whittington, directed by Rachel Stewart. The comedy follows four women working at a fish-filleting factory whose lives shift during a day at the races. The play explores friendship, rebellion, and self-empowerment as the characters navigate changing fortunes and long-held frustrations. Performances will take place June 12 through June 19 at James Meader Little Theatre.

The September production will be DOWNSTATE by Bruce Norris, directed by Patrick White. Set in a group home for men convicted of sex crimes, the play examines accountability, punishment, and the limits of compassion when a survivor confronts his abuser. Performances will run September 17 through September 26 at Albany Barn.

The season concludes in November with THE BEST WE COULD (A FAMILY TRAGEDY) by Emily Feldman, directed by Berkie Award winner Chris Foster. The play centers on a father and daughter whose road trip becomes an emotional reckoning, revealing buried family truths and unresolved conflicts. Performances will take place November 13 through November 22 at Sand Lake Center for the Arts.

All Harbinger Theatre tickets for the 2026 season are priced at $15. Flex subscriptions, offering four tickets for $50, are also available.