Furman Theatre Arts announces 2026-2027 season

The Furman University Department of Theatre Arts has announced its 2026-2027 season. Join Furman Theatre as the university celebrates its bicentennial with Furman Made, a season featuring returning alumni artists, commissioned new work and bold theatrical storytelling.

All shows take place in The Playhouse on campus. Season flex passes and fall single tickets are on sale now. Single ticket prices are $20 general admission, $15 for seniors and $10 for students except for “Furman Fringe Festival,” which has a general admission of $8. A Fringe Pass option gives access to all four Fringe shows for $25.

Furman Theatre Arts Performances
2026-2027

“Theatre/Theater”
by Randall David Cook ’91
directed by Rhett Bryson
Oct. 15-16 and 20-22 at 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 17 and 18 at 2 p.m.
Oct. 23 at 5 p.m. as part of the Fine Arts Homecoming Feature

The drama doesn’t stop when the curtain goes up. Go behind the scenes of a Southern regional theatre company mounting “Romeo and Juliet,” where the real action isn’t always onstage. From box office to backstage, from donor events to dressing rooms, personalities collide, egos bruise, and alliances shift as the production barrels toward opening night. With sharp wit and affectionate insight, this fast-moving comedy captures the beautifully chaotic world of theatre-making, where timing is everything, nothing goes quite as planned and the offstage drama can rival Shakespeare’s own. It’s messy. It’s hilarious. It’s all too real. Run time is approximately 90 minutes. Sponsored by the Furman Humanities Center.

“This Is How You Say I’m Sorry”
by Imani-Grace King ’19
directed by Caroline Jane Davis ’13
Nov. 18-21 at 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 21 and 22 at 2 p.m.

Sometimes love means facing the past…even the parts you’d rather forget. In this cosmic romantic comedy, one deeply flawed man is given an impossible task: apologize to every woman he’s ever hurt before he can be with the person he truly loves. Guided (and occasionally tormented) by an angel and his best friend, he stumbles through awkward confessions, supernatural interventions, unexpected musical moments and revelations he never saw coming. Funny and a little chaotic, “This Is How You Say I’m Sorry” explores love, regret and the terrifying vulnerability of becoming a better person. Run time is approximately 90 minutes. Sponsored by the Communications Studies Department.

“The Beheading of Helene Gillet”
book by Margaret Rose Caterisano
music and lyrics by Elli Caterisano ’18
directed by Maegan McNerney Azar
music directed by Elli Caterisano ’18
Feb. 17-18, 20, 23-25 at 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 19 at 10:30 p.m. (double feature with Furman Music’s Sarah Reese Lyric Theatre)
Feb. 21 at 5 p.m. (double feature with Furman Music’s Sarah Reese Lyric Theatre)

History repeats itself. Loudly. Inspired by true events, “The Beheading of Helene Gillet” reimagines the story of a young woman condemned by a society eager to control her body, her voice and her fate. Set in 17th-century France and pulsing with music, movement and dark theatricality, this haunting new work explores faith, resistance and the extraordinary courage required to survive injustice. Centuries later, its questions remain painfully relevant. Tickets on sale Jan. 1. Run time is approximately 90 minutes. Co-sponsored by the History, Religion, Music, and the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Departments.

“Furman Fringe Festival”
with guest artists and alumni
Regina Wells ’16 (Show A)
Bob Beshere ’03 (Show B)
Jax Pratt ’22 (Show C)
and a devised production by Furman students (Show D)
April 12-18, See ticket page for evening and matinee show times in repertoire.

Bold ideas. Unexpected performances. Anything can happen. The Furman Made season concludes with the inaugural “Furman Fringe Festival,” a celebration of experimentation, collaboration and creative risk. Featuring guest performances by Furman alumni Bob Beshere ’03, Jax Pratt ’22, and Regina Wells ’16, alongside a new student-devised fringe production, this festival embraces theatre at its most immediate, inventive and alive. Blending performance, experimentation and artistic exploration, the “Furman Fringe Festival” invites audiences into a space where emerging ideas take center stage and the unexpected becomes part of the experience. Tickets on sale Jan. 1. Run time for each show is approximately 45 minutes. General Admission $8.

For more information, please contact the Department of Theatre Arts at 864-294-2125, or [email protected].