Central Florida’s leading professional regional theater returns with an eight-show season following building renovations of the Lowndes Shakespeare Center.
Two Pulitzer Prize-winning plays, a popular annual holiday tradition, and Shakespeare’s most famous love story will highlight Orlando Shakes’ 2025-2026 season.
Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF, Central Florida’s premiere professional regional theater, will feature five productions as part of its Signature Series, two children’s shows, and its Christmas time audience favorite, A Christmas Carol.
“While we shortened our current (36th) season due to building renovations that impacted the entire Center, we are so excited to come back bigger and better in 2025-26, with a lineup of passion and Pulitzers” said Jim Helsinger, who will be entering his 31st season as artistic director with Orlando Shakes.
The 2025-2026 mainstage season will kick off in August with Anna in the Tropics, the Pulitzer Prize winning drama of love, longing and betrayal set in a Cuban cigar factory in Ybor City, 1929.
In September, the ‘fang-tastic,’ hilarious Off-Broadway hit, Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors opens and runs through Halloween, while the first children’s show of the season, The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show, begins in October.
The Orlando Shakes annual holiday tradition of A Christmas Carol closes out calendar year 2025 with performances from late-November through Christmas Eve.
2026 kicks off in January with Shakespeare’s tragic story about forbidden love, Romeo and Juliet, followed by the Pulitzer Prize-winning sizzling cookout comedy, Fat Ham, an uproarious southern-fried take on Hamlet. in March. the season ends in April 2026 with the popular Fire and Reign series, a Bare Bard / Original Practices production of the Wars of the Roses, Henry VI Part 3: The Rise of Richard, and the final children’s show, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
PlayFest, Orlando Shake's popular two weekend festival of new plays that features several readings of raw, unproduced works, also returns to Orlando Shakes the weekends of October 31-November 2 and November 7-9. And the Concert Series brings regionally-and-nationally-known entertainers to the Margeson Theater stage with four weekend performances throughout the season, including a special Valentine’s weekend schedule of events. (Concert Series details to be released soon.)
“Presenting such an incredible season is so uplifting,” said executive director Cheryl Collins. “With such a fun combination of award-winning dramas and comedies, love stories, fun children’s productions and a sensational holiday classic, we truly will have something for everybody to enjoy.”
Current Orlando Shakes Signature Series subscribers can currently renew subscriptions in-person at their scheduled performance during Welcome to Matteson!, or by calling the Box Office at 407-447-1700. New subscriptions will go on sale in May, as will single tickets and Choose Your Own packages.
Additional information about the season, including creative teams and casting, will be announced at a later date.
Orlando Shakes’ 37th Season | 2025-26
SIGNATURE SERIES
ANNA IN THE TROPICS
By Nilo Cruz
August 27 – September 21, 2025
DRACULA: A COMEDY OF TERRORS
By Gordon Greenberg & Steve Rosen
September 24 – November 2, 2025
ROMEO & JULIET
By William Shakespeare
January 14 – February 8, 2026
FAT HAM
By James Ijames
March 4 – March 29
HENRY VI PART 3: THE RISE OF RICHARD
By William Shakespeare
April 1 – 19, 2026
CHILDREN’S SERIES
THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR SHOW
Based on four of Eric Carle’s timeless stories
October 14 – November 9, 2025
DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS!
Based on the book by Mo Willems
April 14 – May 8, 2026
SPECIAL PRODUCTIONS AND EVENTS
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
By Charles Dickens | Adapted by Jim Helsinger
November 26 – December 24, 2025
MASSEY SERVICES OPENING NIGHTS
Every opening Friday night of the season becomes a not-to-miss party starting 90 minutes before the curtain goes up! Featuring a live musical guest, a delicious restaurant partner for small bites, and an exclusive pre-show chat with each production’s creative team. Entering its fourth season as a staple of Orlando Shakes’ Opening Nights, the party continues bigger and better in our 37th season.
37TH SEASON GALA
Save the date now for the Orlando Shake's annual fundraising extravaganza – Sunday, March 22, 2026.
For more details, click here.
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