San Jose's Playful People Productions Reveals 2025-26 Season

San Jose's Playful People Productions has announced its 15th Anniversary, 2025—26 season: live stage productions of musicals old and new, laugh-out-loud comedies, and flights of fancy; plus, the first home-school casts for a Playful People Productions show in a decade. With its founding principles of inclusion, positivity, and individual support, Playful People promises a season of creative joy for children and adults alike. 

First up in the new season is a production of Disney's Moana JR, suitable for ages five to eleven. This thrilling and heartwarming coming-of-age story, with a book by award-winning composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa'i, and Mark Mancina (lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Opetaia Foa'i), follows the strong-willed Moana as she sets sail across the Pacific to save her village. Moana and the legendary demigod Maui embark on an epic journey of self-discovery and camaraderie as both learn to harness the power that lies within. With empowering messages of bravery and selflessness, Disney's Moana JR. is sure to bring out the hero within each of us. This show will also be open to home-schooled children, who will rehearse Monday and Wednesday mornings, with some Saturdays. Registration opens June 27, and auditions will be held August 11—13. Rehearsals begin August 25, and performances are October 17—19.

Following Moana is Disney's Newsies!, suitable for ages 11 and up. Set in turn-of-the century New York City and based on the real-life Newsboys Strike of 1899, Newsies! is the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a band of teenaged "newsies," with a book by Harvey Fierstein, music by Alan Menken, and lyrics by Jack Feldman. When titans of publishing raise distribution prices at the newsboys’ expense, Jack rallies newsies from across the city to strike against the unfair conditions and fight for what's right! Registration for Disney's Newsies! opens June 27, with auditions August 11—14. Rehearsals begin August 25 with performances November 8—16.

In the new year, Playful People Productions will start work on The One Act Play That Goes Wrong by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields of Mischief Theatre Company, for ages 16 and up. With a shorter running time, this show offers all the madcap fun of a hapless theater company bungling a murder mystery with missed lines, bungled entrances, and falling props. This one act, which won Best New Comedy at the 2015 Laurence Olivier Awards, was the original from which the full-length, Tony Award-winning The Play That Goes Wrong was born. With auditions held January 7—8, rehearsals will begin in January for a production that hits the stage in March.

Also auditioning in January is Between the Lines JR, a musical based on the young adult novel of the same name by Jodi Picoult and her daughter Samantha van Leer, with music and lyrics by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson, and a book by Timothy Allen McDonald. Delilah, a loner, hates school as much as she loves books: especially one particular fairy tale she found in the library. To Delilah, though, this fairy tale is more than just words on the page. Sure, there’s a handsome prince, a castle, and an evil villain, but it feels as if there’s something deeper going on. And one day, this Prince Charming is not just a one-dimensional character in a book but a real live human being, and a certain loner has caught his eye. But they’re from two different worlds, and how can it ever possibly work? Suitable for ages 12—17, Between The Lines JR auditions will be held January 19—22, with rehearsals beginning February 2, and performing April 10—12.

The final show of the season will be Willy Wonka JR, with music and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, adapted for the stage by Leslie Bricusse and Timothy Allen McDonald, based on the book Charlie and The Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. Willy Wonka JR follows enigmatic candy manufacturer Willy Wonka as he stages a contest by hiding golden tickets in five of his scrumptious candy bars. Whomever comes up with these tickets will win a free tour of the Wonka factory, as well as a lifetime supply of candy. Four of the five winning children are insufferable brats, but the fifth is a likable young lad named Charlie Bucket, who takes the tour in the company of his equally amiable grandfather. The children must learn to follow Mr. Wonka's rules in the factory — or suffer the consequences. Suitable for ages four to twelve, Willy Wonka JR auditions will be March 2—5, with rehearsals beginning March 16 and performances May 15—24.

Also in the new season will be an Enchanted Masquerade, a fundraising event held at Saratoga Foothill Club on September 27.

Playful People Productions was first founded in 2010 as a positive, inclusive, family-focused theatre company, and has operated as a 501(c)3 nonprofit since 2017. While initially providing classes, camps, and shows for kids, the company has grown to offer similar classes for adults, and stages multi-generational performances where family members can perform together.

San Francisco / Bay Area Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. URINETOWN (Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble)

16.8% of votes

2. THE DAY THE SKY TURNED ORANGE (San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company / Z Space)

9.2% of votes

3. SWEENEY TODD (Cabrillo Stage)

8.7% of votes

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