Olympic Theatre Arts unveiled its lineup of shows for 2026 at its annual members’ meeting held at the theater on North Sequim Avenue on Saturday, Oct. 11.
Plenty of comedy is in store for theater-lovers, the laughs mixed with music, suspense — even tragedy and horror.
Those who may want to audition for next year’s shows should keep an eye on the theatre’s website, olympictheatrearts.org. Information about tryouts will be posted on the auditions tab.
Tickets for OTA performances are $15 and $20.
Image courtesy of OTA/
Here is the 2026 lineup:
Feb. 6-22
“IT’S NOT ABOUT THE HOOD – BERNIE’S TALE”
by Shannon Cosgrove
Comedy with music
(Gathering Hall)
The Panto returns to OTA for its second season bringing with it laughs, fractured fairytales, audience interaction, and nonsensical fun.
The story focuses on a smashup of Little Red Riding Hood with Hansel and Gretel as Bernie Riding-Hood enters the foreboding forest to find her lost hood and estranged grandmother, only to be encountered by overly aged siblings roaming the woods hungry for treats.
A gang of self-righteous squirrels and an enterprising wolf enter the picture wreaking havoc on all.
Image courtesy of OTA/
Feb. 27-March 15
“WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?”
by Edward Albee
Comedy
George, a professor at a small college, and his wife, Martha, have just returned home drunk from a Saturday night party. Martha announces, amidst general profanity, that she has invited a young couple – an opportunistic new professor at the college and his naive new bride – to stop by for a nightcap.
When they arrive, drinks flow and suddenly inhibitions melt. It becomes clear that Martha is determined to seduce the young professor, and George couldn’t care less. But underneath the edgy banter, which is crossfired between both couples, lurks an undercurrent of tragedy and despair.
George and Martha’s inhuman bitterness toward one another is provoked by the enormous personal sadness that they have pledged to keep to themselves – a secret that has seemingly been the foundation for their relationship.
In the end, the mystery in which the distressed George and Martha have taken refuge is exposed, once and for all revealing the degrading mess they have made of their lives.
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April 10-26
“THE ODD COUPLE”
by Neil Simon
Comedy
This classic comedy opens on a friendly card game in the untidy apartment of divorced Oscar Madison. And if the mess is any indication, it’s no wonder that his wife left him. Late to arrive is Felix Ungar, who has just been separated from his wife. Fastidious, depressed and tense, Felix seems suicidal. But as the play progresses, Oscar becomes the one with murder on his mind when the clean freak and the slob ultimately decide to room together.
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May 22-June 14
“URINETOWN”
by Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis
Musical comedy
In a Gotham-like city, a terrible water shortage, caused by a 20-year draught, has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. The citizens must use public amenities, regulated by a single malevolent company that profits by charging admission for one of humanity’s most basic needs.
Amid the people, a hero decides that he’s had enough and plans a revolution to lead them all to freedom.
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July 10-26
“LAVENDER MELODRAMA”
by David Herbelin
Melodrama
Boo the villain, cheer the hero and sigh for the damsel in distress in this over-the-top melodrama comedy that tells the tale of lavender in Sequim. Everything Sequim and the Olympic Peninsula is fair game in this show, now in its fifth year, that is loved by tourists and locals alike.
Aug. 28-Sept. 13
“THE 39 STEPS”
by Patrick Barlow
Comedy/Suspense
A man with a boring life meets a woman with a thick accent who says she’s a spy. When he takes her home, she is murdered. Soon, a mysterious organization called “The 39 Steps” is hot on the man’s trail in a nationwide manhunt that climaxes in a death-defying finale.
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Oct. 9-25
“EMILY BRONTE, TEENAGE NECROMANCER”
by Don Zolidis
Horror comedy
On the moors in Northern England in 1835, a terrifying phantom has appeared at the Roe Head School for Girls, terrorizing its students and driving the school near to extinction.
It’s up to star pupil Emily Bronte, and her sisters Anne and Charlotte, to discern the true nature of the haunting, using their unique talents – which happen to include necromancy, the practice of magic involving communication with the dead to foretell future events and discover hidden knowledge.
This show is a gothic, humorous ride through English literature that needs magic, ghosts and fog. It features an undead goose, a lovesick ghost, and a talking meat pudding.
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Nov. 13-22
“NEW WORKS SHOWCASE”
by local authors
(Gathering Hall)
Olympic Theatre Arts Center’s annual “New Works Showcase” is a series of original, short plays written by local playwrights.
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Dec. 4-20
“CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAYS”
by Cindy Marcus and Flip Kobler
Holiday comedy
After a blizzard shuts down the roads on Christmas Eve eve, a motley crew of travelers find themselves stranded at the local community center. From the lovelorn drama teacher with a bus full of students, to the quarrelsome couple on the way to their wedding, to the over-eager sheriff ready for some real criminal action, everyone has their own troubles to untangle.
To have a happy holiday, they’re going to need a miracle – or seven, to be exact. This play is a spirited and heartwarming comedy with a dash of Christmas magic.
