HERE Arts Center Unveils Winter & Spring 2026 Programming

HERE Arts Center will expand its Spring 2026 programming with the HARP world premiere of Dream Feed by The HawtPlates as part of the Under the Radar Festival, the return of Puppetopia in February, and the world premiere of James Scruggs’ participatory piece Off the Record: Acts of Restorative Justice, created with Thomas Giovanni. The programming joins previously announced winter offerings across HERE’s spaces. HERE members will receive priority access to tickets and events.

Co-Directors Jesse Cameron Alick, Annalisa Dias, Lanxing Fu, and Lauren Miller said, “At a time when artistic freedom is increasingly restricted and repressed, it feels incredibly meaningful to support the limitless visions of artists who are reconstructing the world we live in while staying rooted in curiosity, hope, and wonder. As we dream forward into HERE's future, we couldn't be more thrilled to deepen relationships with artists who have long been a part of HERE's creative ecosystem and seed relationships with artists who will make their HERE debut this Spring.”

WINTER LINEUP

THE PEARL

December 3–7, 2025 — Dorothy B. Williams Theater
Hosted by HERE Arts Center
Directed by Soroush Taheri
Written by Ghotbeddin Sadeghi
Performed by Maneli Hosseinpour, Soroush Taheri Aval, Yasha Khozoui, Oyku Guven

The Pearl is a historical play that reimagines the Mongol invasion of Iran through the perspective of women, focusing on resilience and survival.

BUM BUM (OR, THIS FARCE HAS AUTISM)

December 4–14, 2025 — Mainstage Theater
Presented by EPIC Players
Written by Dave Osmundsen

EPIC Players will present the world premiere of Dave Osmundsen’s comedy, performed by a neurodivergent ensemble and addressing representations of neurodivergence in media.

QING BAI: INNOCENCE (LEGEND OF THE WHITE SNAKE)

December 12–14, 2025 — Dorothy B. Williams Theater
Written and Directed by Tara P. Nyingjè, with Ophelia He

This experimental piece reimagines the Chinese legend through movement and ritual, performed in Mandarin with English subtitles.

PUPPET PARLOR

December 17–19, 2025 — Dorothy B. Williams Theater
Curated by Basil Twist

The annual puppetry showcase will return with artists including Joey Arias, Tau Bennett, Sophie Becker, and live music by Jono Mainelli.

JANUARY IN NYC FESTIVAL SHOWCASES

January 9–11, 2026 — Dorothy B. Williams Theater and Edge Space

HERE will present work from Official Puppet Business (Bill’s 44th) and Kat Mustatea (The Mutables) as part of the January festival lineup.

DREAM FEED

January 9–25, 2026 — Mainstage Theater
A HARP World Premiere
Written and Performed by The HawtPlates
Directed by Phillip Howze

Dream Feed, a 2023 HARP commission co-commissioned by Under the Radar, will make its world premiere as a live vocal concept album exploring dreaming and memory.

ANY MINUTE NOW

January 15 – February 1, 2026 — Dorothy B. Williams Theater
Written by Alix Sobler
Directed by Peter Jay Fernandez
Starring Alison Cimmet, Jess Gabor, Jay O. Sanders

The play follows a family confronting past choices amid reality-bending circumstances.

PUPPETOPIA

February 17 – March 1, 2026 — Mainstage and Dorothy B. Williams Theaters
Curated by Barbara Busackino and Basil Twist

HERE’s puppetry festival will return with premieres including PARCHED by Official Puppet Business and RUBY & CHARLIE by Jessica Simon & Co.

SPRING LINEUP

ENTANGLED: 12 SCENES IN A CIRCLE K OFF THE I-40 IN NEW MEXICO

March 10–29, 2026 — Mainstage Theater
Conceived by SOCIETY
Written by Mona Mansour and Emily Zemba
Directed by Scott Illingworth

Set in a shifting reality inside a Southwest gas station, the piece investigates free will and quantum science.

DEAR JOHN

March 5–19, 2026 — Dorothy B. Williams Theater
Created & Performed by Rachel Lin
Directed by Tara Elliott

A solo documentary theatre work that incorporates letters, interviews, and digital correspondence to explore personal history.

OFF THE RECORD: ACTS OF RESTORATIVE JUSTICE

April 3–19, 2026 — Mainstage Theater
By James Scruggs, in collaboration with Thomas Giovanni
A HERE World Premiere

A participatory theatrical intervention offering space for audiences and individuals with active criminal records to engage with criminal justice attorneys.

THE MENOPAUSE MONOLOGUES

April 30 – May 3, 2026 — Mainstage Theater
Created by Carrie Vanhouten
Produced by Lulu Braunstein
Directed by Lisa Anne Morrison

A multidisciplinary work centering lived experiences of menopause, with each performance followed by a Q&A with a certified menopause specialist.

CONSTANCE: A CONFESSION

May 13–16, 2026 — Mainstage Theater
Produced by Experiments in Opera

Developed in the EiO Writers’ Room, the opera follows its title character through a series of transformations involving psychic work, wellness culture, and online influence.

CRIMINAL QUEERNESS FESTIVAL 2026

June 2026 — Mainstage Theater
Co-produced by National Queer Theater and HERE Arts Center

The annual festival will present new works by artists from countries where queerness is criminalized or censored.

Colt Coeur presents the World Premiere of

CAMPING

June 2026 — Dorothy B. Williams Theater
By Victoria Lynne Barclay
Directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt

This is a love story. It’s hands that smell of Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue after days spent clutching fistfulls of her hair. It’s the rain hitting the earth in a way that reminds you of blood, that makes you think the world's holding a knife to your underwear. It’s the spins. It’s running out of air because you gulped too much of it while you were sobbing. It’s waking up hot and sticky. It’s desperately falling in love with your best friend inside a camping tent while everything outside rages.

ABOUT HERE ARTS CENTER