(SUMMIT, NJ) -- Vivid Stage, in residence at Oakes Center in Summit, is excited to announce a season of world premieres and unique experiences in 2025-2026. Two mainstage productions will be new works, contemporary plays that use both comedy and drama to dive into today's world and how we are living in it. The rest of the season is alive with improv, variety, readings, and some surprise pop-up events in unconventional places.

At the same time, a full season of The Flip Side Improv classes for adults is offered all year long. Vivid also offers improv training for corporations and non-profit organizations in such subjects as teambuilding, creativity and communication.

World Premiere productions include The Mighty Four by Catherine Butterfield and Etiquette by David Lee White. The season also includes A Very Special Special (Holiday Variety Show), Mad Love (Fundraising Gala), Meet The Artist New Play Reading Series in May, and Summer Solos Play Reading Series in July.

Season passes may be purchased that provide substantial discounts to all events, and special rates for groups are also available. The theatre at Oakes Center is wheelchair accessible, and such access services as large print scripts, assistive listening devices, and audio description will be available by prior arrangement throughout the season.

Unless otherwise specified, performances will be held at Oakes Center (120 Morris Avenue) in Summit, New Jersey.  For more information and tickets for any of Vivid Stage’s programs, please call 908-514-9654, and visit www.vividstage.org.

VIVID STAGE 2025-2026 SEASON INCLUDES:

THE FLIP SIDE @ THE MADISON COMMUNITY CENTER (Improv Comedy). September 5 & November 1, 2025; January 3, March 7, May 9, July 11, 2026. Based on improv techniques created by The Groundlings, Upright Citizens' Brigade and The Magnet, The Flip Side offers a unique spin on short-form improv, taking audience input to create instant scenes that are both unexpected and hilarious. No two shows are alike, and the most important ingredient in every show is the audience.

The Mighty Four by Catherine Butterfield @ OAKES CENTER (A World Premiere Production) from October 2-12, 2025. The lives of a prominent liberal couple are upended when their son commits a horrific act of racial violence that is caught on video and goes viral. To their horror, the boy is embraced and made famous by the far right. The other half of The Mighty Four are two old friends whose son has become an activist on the left. Can they remain friends under the circumstances? And how far do you go to protect a child whose actions you abhor? 

A Very Special Special @ OAKES CENTER (Holiday Variety Show) on December 6, 2025. The least serious - but most special - way to celebrate the holidays is back, and better than ever! The Vivid Company and their friends will entertain with holiday songs, comic sketches and improv, and lots of good old-fashioned fun.

MAD LOVE @ OAKES CENTER (Fundraising Gala) on February 14, 2026. Vivid Stage's annual fundraising party, where the company and our audience mingle to celebrate the company we love. We'll gather to share good food, fellowship and entertainment.

Etiquette by David Lee White @ OAKES CENTER (A World Premiere Production) from April 9-19, 2026. It’s the Fall of 2021 and the Cellar Theatre is back in production after a year of Zoom programming. When Lauren Ellis, the lead actress in the Cellar’s production of the American classic “Midnight Cicadas,” spots an audience member filming the show with his phone, Lauren strikes back – stopping the show and refusing to perform. A video of the incident goes viral, bringing the Cellar praise for speaking out against poor theatre etiquette. But then online comments turn contentious, and the overworked and underpaid staff suddenly have to navigate diva tantrums, illegal vaping and the Cellar’s problematic history.

MEET THE ARTIST @ SUMMIT COMMUNITY CENTER (New Play Readings) - May 6, 13, 20 & 27, 2026. The new play reading series is a chance for the audience to participate in the development of new works, both to hear the plays read by professional actors and also to discuss the projects with the playwright, director and actors afterward. There will be an opportunity for the audience to provide feedback to the team after every performance. 

SUMMER SOLOS @ VISUAL ARTS CENTER OF NEW JERSEY (Weekly Play Readings) - July 8, 15, 22 & 29, 2026. In its thirteenth year, the series provides audiences with an opportunity for entertainment at an affordable price, while also introducing them to highly personal works performed in an intimate setting by professional actors.

OTHER PROGRAMS:

Vivid Dreamers, the three-week summer program for students entering grades 5-12, will culminate in its annual production on Friday, July 24, an original family show that always draws on the creativity of its young actors to shape the piece.  Each year, the youth company creates a one-of-a-kind piece that has ranged from fairytale quest to Shakespeare adaptation to musical revue.

Throughout the year, Vivid Stage offers internships for high school and college students and many volunteer opportunities. In addition, the theatre provides a menu of outreach programs for students and seniors that travel to other venues. All of Vivid’s activities center on the collaborative nature of theatre and creating a comfortable environment for artists and audiences of all ages to explore and grow together.

The company’s work is supported by grants from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the Summit Foundation, The Shubert Foundation and several other private, corporate and individual donors that believe in the power of the arts to bring people together and promote understanding between them.

Vivid Stage was founded in 1994 as Dreamcatcher Rep, and is a non-profit professional ensemble of actors who build community with the audience by sharing contemporary, life-affirming stories that challenge, energize and entertain. Their work has at its heart a belief in the essential goodness of people and the power of live performance to connect people through our shared humanity. They expose theatregoers to ideas and lives like and unlike their own with the intention of awakening their imaginations and creating empathy for others. They deepen the experience of all our patrons with personal contact through receptions, talkbacks, and interactive programs.

The company’s activities include mainstage productions, improvisational comedy and cabarets, new play readings, works in a variety of media, and a menu of educational and senior outreach programs.

Vivid Stage’s programs are funded by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, the Shubert and Summit Foundations and many other corporations, foundations and individuals. Vivid Stage is an Equity Producing member of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.

Vivid Stage, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) corporation, incorporated under the laws of the State of New Jersey.