Players' Ring Announces 2026-27 Season, Featuring 'And Then There Were None' & 'Hedda Gabler'

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Season also includes A CASE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD and more.

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The Players Ring has announced its Mainstage Season for 2026-27. The Players Ring is a historic and uniquely intimate 75-seat venue at 105 Marcy Street, right at the edge of beautiful Prescott Park. Donors were invited to an exclusive season preview at the end of May.

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“Seven years into my role at the Players Ring, the process of curating a Season has not become any easier — or any less thrilling,” said Margherita Giacobbi, Executive Director of the Players Ring.

“The practice of soliciting proposals from the community has been part of the Ring since the very beginning in 1992,” she continued. “But today, as the organization has evolved into a producing house committed to consistent excellence, experimentation, plurality, and entertainment, there is much more at stake than simply choosing a compelling script.”

Every year, the theatre holds the so called “Ring-Toss,” a community event where theatre makers – playwrights, directors, performers, producers – have the opportunity to pitch their works and ideas.

This year was no different, with more than 70 submissions received.

“The quality of the writing remains paramount, but we must also have deep confidence in the artists who will bring these productions to life — from directors to casts to designers,” Giacobbi said. “We are extraordinarily fortunate to be surrounded by a local artistic community whose talent rivals what you would see on metropolitan or even international stages.”

Giacobbi said she is always impressed by how clearly artists understand what The Ring's identity is and what it aims to showcase. The difficult part is that many deserving ideas cannot fit into a single Season, which features only eight productions plus the beloved appointment with A Christmas Carol.

“We work hard to cultivate positive relationships with the artists and trust they understand that if it's not this year, there may very well be another opportunity ahead,” she said. “Curating a Season is always an act of alchemy — balancing originality and familiarity, surprise and beloved titles, artistic risk and viability.”

This year, in particular, the staff and board heard loud and clear a desire for levity.

“While we will never abdicate our responsibility to stir reflection and empathy, we leaned toward stories that — we think — will leave audiences with a sense of hope and joy,” Giacobbi said.

Shonni Holmes, Board Member and Chair of the Artistic Committee, works very closely with the ED and CFO to ensure that the seasons are both artistically and fiscally sound. The mission for the Artistic Committee is to honor the history and promote the advancement of The Ring.

“I get to read all the plays — which is the fun part, and crucial for curation,” Holmes said. “The harder part is shortlisting which plays should be considered for the Mainstage. We always start with more contenders than we can accommodate, because things happen, sometimes with highly theatrical behind-the-scenes.”

Holmes said Giacobbi works on reference checks, availability of artists and creative teams, securing rights - if published.

“Then, we often re-read plays, to examine more closely if they honor the vision and mission of The Ring; whether we have parity and representation on and off stage; and if the play is in the appropriate hands to ensure that everyone has what they need to reach their full potential in a safe space.”

The next layer is how all of that aligns with the fiscal impacts and responsibility of an arts organization.

“It is a delicate and challenging process; and frankly, we don't always get exactly what we want or what we've visualized, and neither do all of the artists,” Holmes said. “But we continue to find that, in the end, we're presenting a lineup that sends audiences on a journey of rich storytelling and provides our community with a vital arts and culture experience. Season 35 delivers on that, as we see themes of connection, discovery, and the plurality of journeys, across genres. There will truly be something for everyone.”

The Ring-Works|New Play Lab, Directed by Leslie Pasternack, is a mentorship experience for playwrights with extremely promising scripts that need support to become truly stage-ready.

“Each year, we choose two projects from our season submission pool that demonstrate exciting theatrical vision and a strong point of view,” Pasternack said. “As a professional dramaturg with extensive directing and acting experience, I am privileged to provide one-on-one mentorship to these playwrights through two rounds of revisions which culminate in a staged reading.”

Along the way, the Ring-Works|New Play Lab offers input from its Ring Readers in a Zoom roundtable discussion, and then feedback from the audience at the staged reading.

“It's an intensive amount of resources that we're fortunate to invest in emerging playwrights, which is central to The Ring's mission,” Pasternack said. “And our audiences love the opportunities to be involved in the development process. The group discussions are always well-attended and lively.”

This coming season, the Ring-Works|New Play Lab will be working with Newburyport-based playwright Joshua Faigen on An Empty Sky, which depicts a love relationship struggling to blossom “in a time of political strangeness.” It tenderly grapples with many current themes in an imaginative and humane way.

“Our second play, Ant Wars, is written by Christopher Garvin , of Virginia,” Pasternack said. “A military veteran himself, Garvin has crafted a ‘tragicomic solo play' about a combat veteran obsessed with protecting his kitchen from an ant invasion. Solo work presents specific challenges and pleasures that I'm excited to explore, and we welcome the chance to highlight this fresh voice from the veteran community.”

Players Ring patrons can save with packages of 8, 6 and 4 show subscriptions to the Mainstage productions. Do this by visiting www.playersring.org and click on “Support.”

The Ring takes pride in offering some of the most affordable ticket prices around. It now offers discounted ticket prices for military, veterans, first responders, seniors (65+) and students. It also offers free-for-all “angel seats” on opening weekends. No questions asked, email info@playersring.org to check inventory and reserve tickets or just walk-in for a show (subject to availability).

September 18 – October 11, 2026

An original work of time travel, comedy, and love by G. Matthew Gaskell, directed by Jamie Bradley.

October 23 – November 15, 2026

Agatha Christie's best-selling mystery thriller, set in the 1930s. Directed by Ben Bagley .

November 28 – December 28, 2026

The holiday classic returns in a new reimagined production.

January 8 – 24, 2027

A dark, seductive new work written and directed by Alicia Napolitano.

February 5 – 21, 2027

Henrik Ibsen 's tale of charm, power, and manipulation, adapted by Brian Friel and directed by Fiona DeVito. A New Hampshire premiere.

March 5 – 21, 2027

A deeply human play by Bekah Brunstetter , directed by Monique Peaslee Foote. A New Hampshire premiere.

April 2 – 18, 2027

A fast, physical, wildly funny farce by Kevin P. Kern, directed by David Kaye. An American professional premiere.

April 30 – May 16, 2027

Presented in collaboration with BARDO Theatre Company, this soulful contemporary play by Samuel D. Hunter is directed by Tyler Christie. A New Hampshire premiere.

May 28 – June 20, 2027

A timeless tale adapted by Dwayne Hartford from the beloved novel by Kate DiCamillo, directed by Sam Smith .

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/new-hampshire/article/AND-THEN-THERE-WERE-NONE-HEDDA-GABBLER-THE-CAKE-More-Set-for-Players-Ring-Reveals-2026-27-Season-20260608)._