09/11/2026
Welfarewell
by Cat Delaney
directed by Carol M. Rice
January 14-31
Esmeralda Quipp is an 80-year-old actress who can no longer find work. She's behind on her rent, she has no money for food, and her cat just died. When she’s arrested for attempting to bury him in her landlord's yard, she finds a sense of community, not to mention free room and board, within the prison system. But when her well-meaning public defender gets the charges dropped, Esmerelda buys a toy gun at the local dollar store and commits armed robbery. Even though she pleads guilty so she’s sure to be convicted, the system wants to forgive her because of her age and general health, but all she wants is to be imprisoned for life! (comedy)
Surviving Grace
by Trish Vradenburg
directed by Sara Jones
March 4-21
Surviving Grace is a comedy about Alzheimer's. While comedy and Alzheimer's are two words that most people wouldn't think of pairing in the same sentence, this play shows us how, even in the saddest of circumstances and though it may not heal a physical illness, humor can heal the soul. At first glance, the Griswalds seem like a typical middle-class family coping with their mother's illness. Given the opportunity to try an experimental treatment for Alzheimer’s patients, Grace rallies in what at first promises a second chance, as she and her daughter confront old age with laughter and courage. (dramatic comedy)
One Day Only 33
May 1
Our THIRTY-THIRD signature play festival: seven short plays, concept to curtain in JUST ONE DAY! At the Courtyard Theater, just across the breezeway from the Cox Playhouse, and now included in Season Ticket packages!
The Mysterious Disappearance of Agatha Christie
by Arthur M. Jolly
directed by Leigh Wyatt Moore
June 3-19
A murder mystery…without a murder! In 1926, Agatha Christie vanished for eleven days, launching the largest manhunt in UK history. 15,000 volunteers and over 1,000 police officers combed the countryside for her. They were even joined by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, and Dorothy L. Sayers, writer of the Lord Peter Whimsey mysteries. Three of the most celebrated writers of detective stories were caught up in a real-life mystery and here, fact and fiction are woven into a fanciful account of what might have happened, based on the day-by-day reporting of the case by the London Times. WORLD PREMIERE! (mystery)
10-Minute Comedies
July 29 - August 15
It’s back! Winners of our 10-minute comedy contest. Funny stuff from playwrights all over the world! Come vote for your favorite!
Lucky Me
by Robert Caisley
directed by Laura Jennings
September 9-26
Sara's having a bad week. Really bad! The light bulbs in her apartment keep burning out; there's a leak in the roof; the aquarium is full of dead fish; the cat's gone AWOL, and her father -- who chased off her last beau -- is suspicious of Tom, their new neighbor who just brought Sara home from the emergency room on New Year's Eve with a fractured fifth metatarsal. As Tom's attraction to Sara increases, he learns of the bizarre streak of bad luck that's been haunting Sara for years - twenty-two years to be precise. These funny, charming, quirky characters just can't seem to get things right in love. Except when they do. (romantic comedy)
Theatre People, or The Angel Next Door
by Paul Slade Smith
directed by Michael McMillan
November 4-21
Oliver Adams is on the brink of a major success. His novel The Angel Next Door is set to be published, and famous playwrights Charlotte and Arthur Sanders have already adapted it into what’s sure to be a huge Broadway hit starring Margot Bell, the very woman Oliver adores and about whom he has written his novel (though he hasn’t told her yet). When they all converge for a weekend in Newport, Rhode Island, the thin walls of the well-appointed mansion reveal that the angel may not be so angelic, and only the power of theatre can save the play, Oliver’s novel, and perhaps most importantly, his heart. Adapted from Ferenc Molnár’s Play at the Castle. (comedy)
Season tickets are on sale now! https://roverdramawerks.thundertix.com
