(RED BANK, NJ) -- The award-winning Two River Theater has announced a bold 2026/2027 Season, showcasing unforgettable storytelling with a powerful American classic, an intimate new comedy, and two World Premieres—including a dazzling new musical.
August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning The Piano Lesson opens the season, in which the Charles family fights over the fate of their prized heirloom. Next up is the emotional comedy Stir, about two siblings reconnecting from across the country to cook a beloved family recipe. A legend comes alive in the third production of the season, the Broadway-aimed Loch Ness. Breathtaking visuals and haunting music are hallmarks of this dazzling World Premiere musical. The season concludes with Trip Around the Sun, a riotous and bittersweet World Premiere from one of America's most promising playwrights, about the big night before long-married retirees depart their Jimmy Buffett-themed retirement community for a birthday cruise.
Additionally, the season will include the return of the fan favorite Education program A Little Shakespeare with The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
"Daffodils are poking up, spring is almost sprung, and as the world outside begins anew, Two River is thrilled to share our 2026–27 Season with you," says Artistic Director Justin Waldman. "From our eighth production in August Wilson's The American Century Cycle, The Piano Lesson, to Stir, the eighth play to emerge from our Crossing Borders (Cruzando Fronteras) Festival; from the 14th year of A Little Shakespeare with The Two Gentlemen of Verona, to two major World Premieres, Loch Ness: A New Musical and Trip Around the Sun, there is a bounty of world-class storytelling in store for you. Like the greening earth around us, there is so much beauty on display. We hope to nourish your soul with classics, let humanity flourish through new stories, and provide a feast for all your senses with music, aerialists, puppetry, and even black beans. We invite everyone in Monmouth County and beyond to gather with us and share in the joy."
2026/27 ticket subscriptions are now on sale. Renew or purchase online or by calling the Box Office at 732.345.1400. Subscribers enjoy savings of up to 41% off regular ticket prices, the ability to keep their same seats each season with priority for upgrades, and unlimited free ticket exchanges within the same production and additional perks.
As a reflection of its ongoing commitment to affordability, Two River is proud to unveil new, lower ticket prices. Starting this fall, individual tickets for preview performances begin at only $45 including fees. Discounts will be available for senior citizens, students, people under 35, and Blue Star families. Subscription packages for all four plays start as low as $32.50 per ticket, offering savings as high as 41% off full-priced single tickets.
And in response to feedback from audiences, all matinee performances of the four main season plays will begin at 2:00pm and all evening performances will begin at 7:30pm.
TWO RIVER THEATER 2026/2027 SEASON:
August Wilson's The Piano Lesson| September 12 – October 4, 2026. Directed by Francois Battiste. August Wilson's epic The Piano Lesson pits brother against sister as the Charles family fights over the fate of their prized heirloom—a hand-carved piano. One wants to get rich off its sale, the other will do anything to keep it in the family. In this Pulitzer Prize-winner, the ghosts of the past battle against the promise of the future.
Stir | October 31 – November 22,2026 (EAST COAST PREMIERE) Written by Melinda Lopez & Joel Perez; Directed by Eddie Torres. Join us in the kitchen as two siblings piece together their mother's beloved black bean recipe. Secrets simmer and memories are on the menu as they reconnect from across the country. Stir is a fork-tender comedy that will excite your taste buds and leave you hungry for more.
Loch Ness: A New Musical | March 10 – April 4, 2027 (WORLD PREMIERE) Music by Marshall Pailet; Lyrics by A.D. Penedo; Book by Sandy Rustin; Choreography by Misha Shields; Directed by Marshall Pailet. Awaken the myth of Loch Ness, a spellbinding World Premiere musical that weaves adventure and fantasy into an unforgettable journey that will take your breath away. Follow Haley, a spirited Scottish girl as she dives into the misty waters searching for truth and connection. Dazzling visuals swirl and a vibrant score soars, when the legend comes alive!
Trip Around The Sun | June 5–27, 2027 (WORLD PREMIERE) Written by Jake Brasch; Directed by Shelley Butler. Life is good for Phil and Suze in their Florida retirement community. They fill their days with virgin margaritas and Jimmy Buffett karaoke. But the night before Suze's big birthday cruise, Phil decides to shake things up one last time. Trip Around the Sun is a hilarious and bittersweet World Premiere by one of America's most promising playwrights.
A LITTLE SHAKESPEARE: THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA | MAY 1–8, 2027. Written by William Shakespeare; Adapted and Directed by Illana Stein. Best friends forever, Proteus and Valentine, think they've got it made until they both fall in love with the same person. Uh-oh. Mistaken identities, foolish suitors, outlandish outlaws, and one crabby dog run wild in the Bard's first romantic comedy. Now in its 14th year, A Little Shakespeare immerses young artists in the playwright's work through an adaptation directed and designed by professional artists and performed and supported backstage by high school students.
Two River Theater's 2026/27 Season Sponsor is Hackensack Meridian Riverview Medical Center.
For the 2026/27 season, Two River Theater is funded in part by public support through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, the State of New Jersey, and the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners. Additional season support comes from Monmouth University.
Award-winning Two River Theater, located in Red Bank, New Jersey, is where bold stories inspire imagination and connection. Each season, the theater produces a mix of new plays, reimagined classics, and musicals, along with new work development, education programs for young people, and community engagement events that bring people of all ages together.
Across its 80,000-square-foot campus, more than 20,000 students, families, and theater lovers experience Two River's acclaimed productions each year on its two stages: the 343-seat Joan and Robert Rechnitz Theater and the flexible 110-seat Marion Huber Theater. The theater also houses state-of-the-art scenic, costume, and property shops.
Two River has launched productions that have reached international audiences, including Be More Chill by Tony Award®nominees Joe Iconis and Joe Tracz—the theater's first Broadway production—which went on to play in London's West End and Japan. Recognized by USA TODAY as one of the "10 Great Places to See a Play," Two River Theater is led by Artistic Director Justin Waldman and Managing Director Nora DeVeau-Rosen.
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