Theater News

Austin's Zach Theater announces 2026-27 season

Zach Theater's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is one of the nostalgic productions coming up in the 2026-2027 season.

Photo by Kirk Tuck

Texas' longest-running professional theater is located right here in Austin, and it's adding another season to its long legacy. Productions coming up in 2026 and 2027 at the Zach Theater include works about freedom, a classic mystery, and a handful of family-focused, nostalgic stories.

Works this season are notable for their accessibility to wide audiences, including The Color Purple and an adaptation of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. But one commitment that will span the next three seasons is notable for its breadth. Zach is introducing audiences to the new play Liberation by Bess Wohl, which this year won a Pulitzer Prize and five 2026 Tony Awards. It kicks off a trilogy — one production per season — curated to show off "works by remarkable female playwrights."

"These stories bridge generations," said producing artistic director Dave Steakley in a press release. "Stories about women who refused to wait their turn, who stepped forward, and who changed the narrative because they had to. These plays shine a light on both how far we've come, and how far we can all go together."

Here's what viewers can expect from Zach's 2026-2027 season. Descriptions are shortened from press materials.

Fall 2026 to Winter 2027: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe — Step through the wardrobe and enter Narnia, a frozen world full of magic, adventure, and Turkish delight. In this highly imaginative adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ classic tale, two actors bring four siblings, the noble lion Aslan, The White Witch, and an entire kingdom locked in winter to life onstage. Join Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie on a daring journey to defeat the White Witch and break her curse on Narnia. Full of theatrical magic and boundless creativity, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe invites you to shine your light, radiate kindness, and watch the darkness melt away.
November and December, 2026: A Christmas Carol — Zach's beloved take on A Christmas Carol returns to light up the stage with dazzling pop music, infectious energy, and unbridled joy. Dickens' timeless tale of a lonely miser who’s visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve gets a glow-up in this bold musical adaptation. (Holiday add-on)
November and December, 2026: A Charlie Brown Christmas — The Peanuts crew returns after a sold-out run last season! Charlie Brown’s search for the true meaning of Christmas unfolds with a little help from Snoopy, Linus, and the whole Peanuts posse, set to Vince Guaraldi’s unforgettable jazz score. (Holiday add-on)
Winter 2027: Peter Pan Goes Wrong — From the Tony Award-winning creators of The Play That Goes Wrong, this hilarious show launches into action from the moment the lights come up… and immediately goes off the rails. With casting disputes, wardrobe malfunctions, and collapsing sets, the journey to Neverland veers wildly off course in this laugh-out-loud spectacle.
Spring 2027: The Color Purple — Both a Tony and Grammy Award-winner, The Color Purple is a poignant and transformative story about bringing light back into your life. Based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Celie’s unforgettable journey unfolds over four decades in the American South as she faces hardship with grace, courage, and a growing resolve to reclaim her life.
Spring 2027: Go Dog Go! • Ve Perro ¡Ve! — Fetch your sense of adventure and follow these delightful dogs as they swim, play ball, and make their way to la gran fiesta de perros, all in a vibrant blend of English y Español. Like a pop-up book leaping off the page, Go, Dog. Go! | Ve Perro ¡Ve! is a bilingual celebration of música, color, e idioma. (Season add-on)
Summer 2027: Liberation — Liberation follows a daughter as she pieces together her mother's past. Discovering that her mother was part of a 1970s women’s revolutionary group determined to change their lives (and the world), she grapples with the fact that their work is hilariously, and upsettingly, unfinished.
Summer 2027: Disney's The Little Mermaid — Disney’s iconic tale comes to life with breathtaking aerialists in this under-the-sea spectacle, where actors swim, soar, and swirl through the air on silks. Join Ariel, Flounder, Sebastian, and the evil sea witch Ursula on a thrilling journey as a brave little mermaid trades her fins for feet.
Summer 2027: Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None — Ten strangers, one island, no way out. We're serving up another delicious Agatha Christie whodunit this season, based on the best-selling mystery novel of all time. As a storm rolls in, guests meet their demise one by one, each death following a chilling rhyme and leaving the survivors scrambling to uncover who’s next, and who’s behind it all.

Season subscriptions for the upcoming season (starting at $229) are available now at zachtheater.org. Single tickets will go on sale this summer. Unlimited subscriptions are available via the Zach XP program ($39 per month), and theater-goers still have time to see the following shows before the current season ends: Charlotte’s Web, Dear Evan Hansen, Annie, Sally and Tom, and Come From Away. Zach XP members also get early access to reserve seats for the 2026-2027 season.

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ART FOR ALL

Affordable Art Fair brings fine art priced as low as $100 to Austin

Photo courtesy of Affordable Art Fair Austin

“DESERT MATRIX,” an oil-on-canvas work by artist Brooks Anderson, will be featured through Washington Gallery at this year’s Affordable Art Fair Austin. The piece uses an aerial perspective and geometric forms to depict a sun-washed desert landscape.

The Affordable Art Fair Austin will return to Palmer Events Center from May 14-17, showcasing 55 galleries and thousands of contemporary artworks. The annual event makes the art world more approachable for first-time collectors, young renters and homeowners looking for high-quality decor, and more, including the merely “art-curious."

Founded in London in 1999 by art entrepreneur Will Ramsay, the international fair is now in its second year in Austin. The fair is centered on accessibility, positioning itself as an entry point into contemporary art collecting for casual buyers, younger audiences, and longtime art fans alike. Works on display will range from contemporary paintings and sculpture to photography, ceramics, printmaking, and mixed-media pieces, with prices spanning roughly $100 to $12,000.

In addition to browsing artwork, visitors will be able to attend panel discussions, guided tours, workshops, and family programming intended to demystify the art-buying process and encourage conversation between artists, galleries, and attendees. The event will also include evening “Art After Hours” programming on Friday and Saturday evenings, as well as family hours over the weekend.

General admission tickets start at $24.22, with discounted admission for students, military members, veterans, and seniors costing $18.49. Family passes are priced at $42.55, and children 16 and under can attend for free with advance registration. The fair is also offering “Art After Hours” tickets ($35.68) for its evening programming and an all-access pass ($58.61) that includes entry to the private preview event.

Fair organizers are also highlighting several standout works and artists ahead of opening weekend. Fair director Cori Teague singled out pieces ranging from bold contemporary abstracts and layered mixed-media works to sculptural ceramics and figurative paintings, reflecting the fair’s wide mix of styles and price points. Her selections include works by artists such as Abbey Engrav, Laurie Carswell, Isabelle Menin, and Sara Huxley.

“Rome ou la Tentation du passé #1,” a large-scale fine art print by Isabelle Menin presented through Muriel Guépin Gallery, layers florals and painterly textures into a dreamlike composition that explores memory and the classical past.Photo courtesy of Affordable Art Fair Austin

The event also leans into Austin’s decades-long blend of music, culture, and visual art. Longtime Austin musician Bob Schneider will participate in the fair for the first time, showcasing visual artwork through Wexel Art Gallery. Schneider said Austin’s creative culture helped shape both his music and visual art practice after moving to Austin in 1989. He then with printmaking through Flatbed Center for Contemporary Printmaking.

Bob Schhneider art piece A visual artwork by Bob Schneider, who is participating in Affordable Art Fair Austin through Wexel Art Gallery.Photo courtesy of Affordable Art Fair

“What defines Austin, at its core, is that it gives you permission to create for art’s sake rather than for commerce,” Schneider said in a Q&A with Affordable Art Fair provided to media. “Austin has always offered something different — a genuine openness and freedom that I’ve never taken for granted.”

The fair will also feature a strong Texas gallery presence, including longtime Austin institutions such as Flatbed, Yard Dog, Wally Workman Gallery, and Davis Gallery & Framing, alongside regional and international exhibitors.

Affordable Art Fair Austin begins with a private preview on Thursday, May 14, from 6-10 pm. General admission opens Friday, May 15, at noon and continues through Sunday, May 17. Tickets and additional programming details are available through the fair’s official website.

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