TRAYF and More Set for Next Act Theatre 2026-27 Season

Next Act Theatre has announced its 2026–27 season, marking the fourth season programmed under Artistic Director Cody Estle and Managing Director Libby Amato.

The season will feature four productions, including a world premiere and the company’s first commissioned new play, two Wisconsin premieres, and a contemporary play returning to Milwaukee for the first time in more than a decade.

Season ticket renewals and new subscriptions went on sale February 9. Single tickets will go on sale July 13, 2026. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Next Act Ticket Office at 414-278-0765 or by visiting www.nextact.org.

2026–27 SEASON LINEUP

TRAYF by Lindsay Joelle
September 16 – October 4, 2026

THE BOYS FROM BARABOO by Heidi Armbruster
December 2 – 20, 2026

IN THE NEXT ROOM or the vibrator play by Sarah Ruhl
February 17 – March 7, 2027

AT THE WAKE OF A DEAD DRAG QUEEN by Terry Guest
April 21 – May 9, 2027

The season opens with the Wisconsin premiere of TRAYF by Lindsay Joelle. Set in 1990s New York City, the play follows Orthodox Jewish teens and best friends Zalmy and Shmuel as they navigate friendship, faith, and the pull of the secular world while traveling in their “Mitzvah Tank” van. Elyse Edelman will make her Next Act directorial debut. The production will feature Rachael Zientek, returning to Next Act, and A.J. Magoon, making his company debut.

Next Act will present its first commissioned new work with the world premiere of THE BOYS FROM BARABOO by Heidi Armbruster. The play traces the rise and fall of the Ringling Brothers, five siblings from Baraboo, Wisconsin, whose circus became a national institution. Directed by Cody Estle, the production will be presented as part of World Premiere Wisconsin, a statewide festival celebrating new plays and musicals.

Following the new year, the company will stage IN THE NEXT ROOM or the vibrator play by Sarah Ruhl. Set in a Victorian household, the play examines intimacy, marriage, and gender roles through the lens of an early medical device used to treat “hysteria.” Laura Rook will make her Next Act directorial debut. The production will feature Elyse Edelman as Sabrina Daldry and Dee Dee Batteast in her Next Act acting debut as Elizabeth. The play received three Tony Award nominations, including Best Play, and this production will mark its first Milwaukee staging in more than a decade.

The season concludes with the Wisconsin premiere of AT THE WAKE OF A DEAD DRAG QUEEN by Terry Guest. Set in rural Georgia in 2004, the play centers on a wake that becomes a reflection on identity, illness, and chosen family within Black queer life. Dee Dee Batteast will direct after appearing earlier in the season.

Additional casting for all four productions will be announced at a later date.