Caroline Simpson News

Playhouse on the Square will stage JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR April 24 through May 17, 2026, directed by Claire D. Kolheim, with Marvin Holt as Jesus and Braxton Gilliland as Judas.

The beloved musical SEUSSICAL will return to The Circuit Playhouse, bringing Dr. Seuss's characters to life on stage once more. Performances run March 13th - April 12th, 2026.

Forest High and the Glitch in the System, the new sci-fi musical from Adam Spedding and Bray Jeffrey, makes its world premiere Off-Broadway at the Players Theater this Spring.

Playhouse on the Square will present The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, with Music and Lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg, background music by Herbert Stothart. Learn more here!

An incredible true story of the 7,000 stranded passengers forced to land in a small town in Newfoundland due to the emergency closure of US airspace on 9/11/2001.

Playhouse on the Square will present A Bronx Tale The Musical beginning in June. the musical features a book by Chazz Palminteri, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater.

Seussical TYA is a beloved musical that captures the essence of Dr. Seuss's characters in a magical production by Tony winners Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty.

Playhouse on the Square will present Parade next month. With a book by Alfred Uhry, and music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, the show was co-conceived and directed on Broadway by Harold Prince.

What did our critic think of THE WIZARD OF OZ at Playhouse On The Square running through December 22?

WAITRESS will be performed at Playhouse on the Square starting August 15th, 2024. This musical, featuring music by Sara Bareilles, tells the story of Jenna, a waitress and expert pie maker.

Join us on a magical journey down the yellow brick road with 'THE WIZARD OF OZ' at Playhouse on the Square! Experience the beloved classic brought to life on stage. Don't miss this enchanting production!

What did our critic think of SISTER ACT at Theatre Memphis? For those of an older generation, did you ever look back at sitcoms from the 1970’s and wish they were set to music? Did you ever wish Fred Sanford (from “Sanford and Son”) or Squiggy (from “Laverne and Shirley) broke out into song to better share their deeper wants and desires?

The Circuit Playhouse, in partnership with Show Sponsors Art and Nancy Graesser along with Sharon Younger Circuit Playhouse, Inc. Super Sponsor Dr. Thomas Ratliff, presents the regional premiere of James Graham’s Tony-nominated play, INK, written by James Graham.

Due in part to grants from the Tennessee Arts Commission, The Jeniam Foundation, and Arts Memphis Playhouse on the Square will be offering live streaming of the upcoming world premiere performances of The Goodbye Levee.

Playhouse on the Square, in partnership with NewWorks@TheWorks series sponsor, Gene and Carol Katz and super sponsor Dr. Thomas Ratliff will present the world premiere of an audience interactive comedy facing mental health head on.

Playhouse on the Square, in partnership with NewWorks@TheWorks series sponsor, Gene and Carol Katz and super sponsor Dr. Thomas Ratliff will present the world premiere of an audience interactive comedy facing mental health head on.

I pride myself on not being a paranoid person. I really don't want to become a conspiracy theorist (seems like a lot of work). I like to believe the world is basically safe and that people are inherently good and trustworthy. When I see some people argue that 9/11 was a government plot to...actually, I never understood what or why the government wanted to kill so many Americans, but I recall thinking the explanation sounded like a devilishly grand, yet unlikely 'scheme' for mayhem. However, when a friend recently posted a meme on Facebook showing that CNN and MSNBC were recognizing Pfizer as one of their sponsors, I felt a twinge of panic. So, is Pfizer giving money to CNN to get its newscasters to tell people to get the Pfizer Covid vaccine so that the government will give more money to Pfizer? WHAT?!? Is there really an evil ploy at work here? How could I have been so naïve? Is our American system and way of life corrupt and driven by cold, hard cash? Yes, and definitely yes.

After a 17-month pandemic-induced hiatus, Playhouse on the Square has finally opened its doors again to an in-person audience with its season premiere of DAYS OF RAGE (now through September 19th). But just when we thought it was safe to congregate again, Shelby County is now wrestling with the ongoing challenges of the latest COVID Delta Variant and theatres across the Mid-South find themselves scrambling to figure out how to present much-needed live theatre without killing anyone. For now, Playhouse seems content to socially distance the audience, while still allowing the actors to perform without masks or shields. Memphis theatres may have thought they were at the end of this nightmare, but, in many ways, it feels like they are right back at the beginning.

Playhouse on the Square will open its main stage with Days of Rage by Steven Levenson.

Playhouse on the Square, in partnership with Donna Sue and Wayne Shannon and super sponsor Dr. Thomas Ratliff, is proud to present the World Premiere and winner of the 2018 NewWorks@TheWorks Playwriting competition.  This is the first installation of our 2019-2020 POTS@TheWorks series.