SOUTHWEST SHAKESPEARE COMPANY ANNOUNCES DYNAMIC 2026-27 SEASON Southwest Shakespeare Company announces its 2026-27 season, to be performed at its home venue at Mesa Arts Center in downtown Mesa, AZ. The company will produce Richard III, October 10-25, 2026; Whispers In The Dark around Halloween; Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus, November 14-29, 2026; Julius Caesar, February 13-28, 2027; Comedy of Errors, February 19-26, 2027 (which will also tour schools in the fall and spring); and Moliere’s Tartuffe, March 19-April 4, 2027. “Across comedy and tragedy alike, these plays explore the dangerous intersection of ego, ambition, deception, and self-deception, revealing how the human hunger for power, validation, or moral superiority can destabilize families, nations, and even the soul itself,” shares Keath Hall, Southwest Shakespeare’s Artistic Director, about his second year of programming for the company. The mainstage productions will be complemented by student matinees and workshops, the Flachmann Seminars and educational residencies. |
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 | RICHARD III
by William Shakespeare
directed by Beau Heckman
October 11 - 26, 2026
Mesa Arts Center - Nesbitt/Elliott Playhouse A brilliant but ruthless political schemer manipulates, betrays, and murders his way to the English throne, only to be undone by the very ambition that fuels him. The play explores power, propaganda, and moral corruption while offering one of Shakespeare’s most electrifying villains—making it gripping both as psychological drama and political thriller. This production will be classically set, with period costumes and sets and exciting battles. Don’t miss this thrilling exploration of power, morality, and the lengths one man will go to claim the crown. |
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 | WHISPERS IN THE DARK
by Edgar Allen Poe
directed by Elizabeth Broeder
Mesa Arts Center
Classic Macabre Meets Modern Stage: Whispers In The Dark brings Edgar Allen Poe’s Darkest Visions to Life. This October, the veil between the living and the dead grows thin as Southwest Shakespeare Company proudly presents Whispers In The Dark, a theatrical production dedicated to the haunting works of Edgar Allan Poe. Moving beyond simple recitation, Whispers In The Dark transforms Poe’s most iconic gothic stories into a visceral, multi-sensory experience. From the rhythmic heartbeat beneath the floorboards in The Tell-Tale Heart to the claustrophobic dread of The Cask of Amontillado, the production uses inventive staging, haunting soundscapes, and a versatile ensemble cast to explore the fragile psyche of Poe’s most famous narrators.
Sunday October 18th 2pm
Sunday October 25th 2pm (Dia De Los Muertos) |
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 | AMADEUS
by Peter Shaffer
directed by Ron May
November 14 - 29, 2026
Mesa Arts Center - Farnsworth Studio Theatre In Amadeus, the aging composer Salieri recounts his obsessive jealousy of Mozart, whose divine musical genius torments him despite Mozart’s childish behavior. This spellbinding production delves into this tumultuous relationship, set against the backdrop of 18th-century Vienna. The play examines envy, mediocrity versus brilliance, divine inspiration, and the pursuit of immortality through music, while surrounding the audience with Mozart’s extraordinary music and a darkly compelling rivalry. The music will inspire, the irreverence will make you laugh, the intensity will make you shudder. |
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 | JULIUS CAESAR
by William Shakespeare
directed by Keath Hall
February 13 - 28, 2027
Mesa Arts Center - Piper Theatre Southwest Shakespeare Company proudly presents a groundbreaking Japanese-inspired production of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. The story is the original--Roman leaders conspire to assassinate Julius Caesar in the name of saving the republic, only to unleash chaos, civil war, and the rise of a new tyranny. This production fuses the classical Roman drama with an homage to Akira Kurosawa and Quentin Tarantino, in an innovative reimagining that captures the political intrigue and betrayal of Shakespeare’s masterpiece while incorporating elements of Noh and Kabuki performance styles. East meets West in this powerful meditation on political idealism, mob psychology, and how quickly noble intentions can spiral into tragedy.
in repertory with
THE COMEDY OF ERRORS
by William Shakespeare
directed by Steve Abaroa
February 19 - 26, 2027
Mesa Arts Center - Piper Theatre Two sets of identical twins separated at birth accidentally reunite in the same city, triggering a whirlwind of mistaken identities, arrests, jealous spouses, and escalating absurdity. The vaudeville-inspired production is SSC’s 2026-27 educational tour, visiting schools across Arizona. Reimagining the classic farce with slapstick humor, this high-energy version brings the chaos of the original play to life, leaving the audience in stitches. One of Shakespeare’s most purely comic plays, it delivers fast-paced farce while touching on themes of family, belonging, and reunion. |
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 | TARTUFFE
by Moliére
directed by Jerry Ruiz
March 19 - April 4, 2027
Mesa Arts Center - Farnsworth Studio Theatre
Orgon, a wealthy man, becomes blindly and dangerously devoted to Tartuffe, a hypocritical religious fraud who manipulates piety to control the household and seize its fortune. His friends warn him as they navigate the humorous and poignant clash between virtue and vice. First performed in 1664, this razor-sharp satire skewers hypocrisy, blind faith, and social pretension, while remaining hilarious and surprisingly modern. |
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| FLACHMANN SEMINARS Saturdays:
Richard III Oct. 10
Amadeus Nov. 14
Julius Caesar Feb. 13
Tartuffe Mar. 20.
and for Whispers In The Dark, TBA 9AM-Noon, Mesa Arts Center Location: Dobson Lecture Hall at Mesa Arts Center |
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Bard Card FLEX SUBSCRIPTION packages offering great discounts and special opportunities are on sale now and can be purchased at https://www.swshakespeare.org/bard-card. An EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT is available through April 20 enabling NEW BARD CARD PURCHASERS to purchase a Bard Card for $345 (including six flex tickets, Flachmann seminars, discounts on additional ticket purchases and more). As of April 20, Bard Cards revert to the regular price of $370 (still a GREAT deal for a value of over $500!) |
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ABOUT SOUTHWEST SHAKESPEARE COMPANY
For 33 years the Southwest Shakespeare Company has been the standard-bearer for classical theatre in Arizona. Founded on a mission to educate, elevate, entertain, and inspire the communities of the Southwest, the not-for-profit company has transformed itself from a small, inspired group of local artist-educators into a theatrical institution of the American Southwest. The company presents an annual season at Mesa Arts Center in the heart of downtown Mesa. Public performances, student matinees, workshops, tours to schools, and seminars all serve to bring the works of Shakespeare and other classical playwrights or plays adapted from classic literature to today's audiences. For more information about Southwest Shakespeare and its work in the community, visit swshakespeare.org |
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