Exciting Fall Kick-Off for Seattle Theaters in September

Jar of Fat at Theatre Battery (Photo by Luca Le)

September stage productions are going to give you a puzzle to figure out! How are you going to go to all these intriguing, interesting, must-see shows?  There is so much to crunch on… Get out yer calendars!
 
Jar of Fat (world premiere)
9/3/26-9/27/26
Theatre Battery, www.theatrebattery.org
A phantasmagorical, absurdist Korean American tale about the allure and danger entangled with the quest for beauty and thinness. Two Korean American sisters are deemed too fat to fit in their family grave. Will their close bond survive under the pressure of their community and fretful parents, who will spare no effort to make them tinier? By ex-local playwright Seayoung Yim.

From Sleeping Beauty at Noveltease (Photo by Colin Madison Photography)

Much Ado About Nothing
9/10-26/26 (at Theatre Off Jackson)
Noveltease Theatre, www.theatreoffjackson.org
For drag king Benny Dick and nightclub femmecee Beatrice, love is a real drag. Adapted by and co-produced with Jo Jo Stiletto, Noveltease Theatre’s production reimagines the play in the context of queer nightlife in post-Stonewall Seattle in a production filled with witty banter, disco music, and joy. This is not your father’s Shakespeare.
 

Rehearsal pic from Pippin (Photo by Shane Kiwini)

Pippin
9/11/26-10/3/26 (at 12^th Avenue Arts)
Reboot Theatre, www.reboottheatre.org
This staging reframes Pippin as a 1930s traveling tent revival. The Leading Player is a charismatic preacher; the Players are revivalists. The restless son of Charlemagne searches for a life of purpose — testing war, religion, politics, and romance before discovering that meaning may look nothing like what he expected. The show includes the Grammy and Tony Award-winning score featuring Corner of the Sky, Magic to Do, and Morning Glow.
 
Assassins
9/11/26-10/4/26
Red Curtain Foundation for the Arts, https://redcurtainfoundation.org
Assassins lays bare the lives of nine individuals who assassinated or tried to assassinate the President of the United States, in a historical "revuesical" that explores the dark side of the American experience. From John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald, the story bends the rules of time and space, to take audiences on a nightmarish roller coaster ride in which assassins and would-be assassins from different historical periods meet, interact and inspire each other to harrowing acts in the name of the American Dream.
 
Ragtime
Issaquah: 9/15/26-10/18/26
Everett: 10/24/26-11/15/26
Village Theatre, www.villagetheatre.org
In 1902 New York, anything seemed possible. Ragtime is a uniquely compelling exploration of America at the turn of the 20th century, weaving together three unforgettable stories: a daring Harlem pianist, a determined Jewish immigrant, and an affluent society woman. Each navigates a changing world, united by courage, compassion, and belief in the promise of the future. See the locally produced award-winning production.
 
A Chorus Line
9/15-27/26
5^th Avenue Theatre, www.5thavenue.org 
One. Singular. Sensation. A home-grown production with some Broadway talents, A Chorus Line takes stage at the 5th. Packed with iconic songs, electrifying choreography, and moments of raw honesty, this iconic musical celebrates what every Broadway dancer does for love—the sacrifice, courage, passion, and resilience it takes to follow their dreams.
 
Conscience
9/16/26-10/17/26
Taproot Theatre, www.taproottheatre.org
Playwright Joe DiPietro presents Margaret Chase Smith alone on the Senate floor, summoning the courage to speak the truth. As McCarthyism gripped the nation, she issued her Declaration of Conscience—defying fear, rejecting silence, and holding her party publicly accountable. Though her stand came at a personal cost, her voice changed history forever. This powerful and quietly electrifying story still resonates today.
 
The Chinese Lady
9/17/26-10/11/26
ArtsWest and Yun Theatre, www.artswest.org
The true story of Afong Moy, a Chinese woman displayed as a living exhibit in 1800s America. Told in first person from her point of view, she holds nothing back as she recounts a half-century of performing her culture to curious onlookers. Her dreams and aspirations shift with the passing of time as she discovers what it means to reclaim her story. Funny, heartbreaking, and a devastatingly contemporary portrait of America through the eyes of a young Chinese woman.
 
The Goldberg Variations
9/17-19/26
On the Boards, www.ontheboards.org
Clayton Lee explores his childhood obsession with the professional wrestler Bill Goldberg and its lasting impact on him. An dive into power dynamics, sexual desire, and vulnerability that entangles queer sexuality with classical music and professional wrestling. What are the blueprints of sexual desire and fantasy? The audience is invited to confront that very question through an intimate and unfiltered reckoning of his sexual and romantic history.
 
Agatha Christie’s A Murder is Announced
9/18/26-10/11/26
Edmonds Driftwood Theatre, www.edmondsdriftwoodplayers.org
A classic whodunit in which a mysterious newspaper notice predicts a murder at Miss Blacklock’s Victorian home. As unexpected deaths, hidden identities, and tangled motives emerge, the legendary Miss Marple must unravel the truth before the killer strikes again.
 
Hamlet
9/19/26-10/11/16
Union Arts Center, www.unionartscenter.org
A father is dead. A mother has moved on. And a son can feel the lies closing in around him. The court celebrates, the kingdom carries on, but Hamlet is the only one willing to look beneath the surface. The deeper he digs, the more dangerous the truth becomes, and the harder it gets to tell friend from enemy, sanity from madness, justice from revenge. In Shakespeare’s most legendary tragedy, the truth will come out. The question is who will survive it. 
 
Don’t Call It a Journey
9/19/26-11/18/26 (at University Heights)
eSe Teatro, https://www.eseteatro.org/
A solo show built from objects, the inside jokes, the mistranslations between Spanish and English, and the absurd bureaucracy of illness that actually make up a life — and a loss. Told through tape recorders, overhead projectors, a walking stick, and a house full of tchotchkes, this solo performance moves between a Seattle kitchen, a hospital room, and a dreamscape where crabs, hydras, and robins carry what words can't.
 
Eureka Day
9/24/26-11/15/26
Seattle Rep, www.seattlerep.org
At a proudly progressive school where every decision is made by committee, a public health crisis sparks debate and tension. Eureka Day captures the unexpected humor, chaos, and humanity of collective decision-making. It offers a timely reflection on community responsibility, public discourse, and how we show up for one another.
 
Eulogy: or How to Plan Your Own Funeral (and Have Fun Doing It!)
9/24/26-10/11/26
Seattle Rep and Pony World Theatre, www.seattlerep.org
You are invited to the memorial service for Brendan Healy (local playwright). There will be remembrances of his life, his family, and his navigation of American healthcare–plus pictures of puppies. The eulogy will be delivered by...Brendan Healy. In this new show, a local playwright shares insights on life with a terminal illness and offers tips for planning your own funeral. Join us for this life-affirming story about the journey we must all take eventually. In lieu of flowers, you're encouraged to sing a song you love, bake your sister her favorite cake, or bring all your family and friends.
 
Linda Vista
9/25/26-10/11/26
SecondStory Rep, www.secondstoryrep.org
From Tracy Letts, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of August: Osage County comes a sharp, fiercely cynical, and brutally funny look at midlife regression. Meet Wheeler: a misanthropic, 50-year-old former photographer deflated into a bitter camera repairman. Newly divorced and crashing headfirst into a severe existential crisis, he moves into San Diego’s Linda Vista neighborhood to start over. What follows is an unfiltered, hilarious, and unapologetic portrait of self-sabotage, toxic masculinity, and a man who is desperately—and messily—fighting his own worst instincts to finally grow up.

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