Central Florida’s leading professional regional theater returns with an eight-show season of “Passion & Pulitzers” following building renovations of the Lowndes Shakespeare Center

ORLANDO, Fla. — Two Pulitzer Prize-winning plays, a popular annual holiday tradition, and Shakespeare’s most famous love story will highlight Orlando Shakes’ 2025-2026 season, it was announced today.

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.

Our 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 our first children’s show of the season, The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show, begins in October. Our annual holiday tradition of A Christmas Carol closes out calendar year 2025 with performances from late-November through Christmas Eve.

We kick off 2026 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. Our season ends in April 2026 with our 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 our final children’s show, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

PlayFest, our 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 our Concert Series brings regionally-and-nationally-known entertainers to our 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.

2025-2026 titles and dates, as well as renewal and on-sale dates, are subject to change. 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 our annual fundraising extravaganza – Sunday, March 22, 2026.

All shows are subject to rights pending and/or changes in production schedules.

ABOUT ORLANDO SHAKES

Currently in its 36th season, Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF is Central Florida’s leading non-profit professional theater, featuring classic, contemporary, and children’s plays at the John & Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center. Conveniently located in Loch Haven Cultural Park, just minutes from the heart of Orlando’s Mills 50 and Ivanhoe Village Main Street entertainment districts, Orlando Shakes is one of the region’s top date-night destinations. Visit OrlandoShakes.org to learn more about our annual Signature Series, Children’s Series, PlayFest, concert series, and immersive educational programming.

** Orlando Shakes is sponsored in part by the City of Orlando, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the State of Florida. Orlando Shakes is funded in part by Orange County Government through the Arts & Cultural Affairs Program. Orlando Shakes is supported by United Arts of Central Florida, host of OrlandoAtPlay.com and UAArtsEd.com. **

The mission of Orlando Shakes is to enrich our community with engaging professional theater, inspiring educational experiences, and thought-provoking new plays.

“We are such stuff as dreams are made on.” – The Tempest