Theater Works' SHIFTING GEARS Opens Tonight

Theater Works at the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts (PCPA) presents Shifting Gears, a humorous, and touching dramatic comedy about family - opening this Friday night, January 9th.

Shifting Gears is by one of Arizona's most respected contemporary playwrights, Richard Warren, whose works have been produced at theaters nationwide.

In 2013 Theater Works proudly hosted the world premiere of his Burning in the Night, A Hobo's Song, which is being revived for a very limited run next month in collaboration between Theater Works and the Mesa Arts Center.

Shifting Gears is set in 1961, a time when our country was experiencing monumental changes. In 1960, John F. Kennedy became the youngest man ever elected President of the United States, after a hard-fought campaign run on the promise of "seeking a New Frontier". His victory ushered in a fresh era of youth, vigor and stunning social change. In Shifting Gears, Richard Warren reflects the conflicts and changes of the early 1960s within the microcosm of one family caught between the patriarchal "Father Knows Best" ideals of the post-World War II years and the new generation's search for independence and individuality.

The struggle between generations - the old and the new - is a universal theme that resonates today.

Directed by Theater Works' Executive Director Dan Schay, with a vibrant cast of four Arizona actors, Shifting Gears approaches its theme with gentle humor and integrity that will appeal to any generation.

Shifting Gears opens Friday, January 9th and runs through February 1st. To purchase tickets, please call the Theater Works Box Office at 623.815.7930 Monday - Friday 10am to 4pm or visit www.theaterworks.org.

Theater Works, at Peoria Center for the Performing Arts, is in its 29th season of providing exceptional theater to the West Valley. As a destination, it features more than 200 events a year including: live theater, classical concerts, jazz, popular music, dance, comedy, cultural events, festivals, youth and adult education classes and much more. Theater Works is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, call the box office at 623.815.7930 or visit www.theaterworks.org.

2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats

Best Lead Performer in a Musical - Top 3

1. LJ Benet - The Lost Boys, A New Musical

24.2% of votes

2. Joshua Henry - Ragtime

14% of votes

3. Sam Tutty - Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

11.8% of votes

Vote Now! View Live Stats