It’s been a tough year for artists. The termination of previously awarded National Endowment for the Arts grants feels like an attempt of the current administration to regress the country to a time before the NEA’s establishment in 1965, or maybe even earlier (the era of kings?). Local theaters are also looking back, presenting seasons full of historical dramas and revisited classics. While such fare is a reliable staple in theater, this season feels more pointed, fueled by a hunger for stories about people falling in love and making art amidst plagues, patriarchy and racism.
On the bright side, local theater is upstaging New York City in one respect. Several NYC theaters received backlash for announcing seasons with no women playwrights; Rochester stages are presenting works by some of the finest in the industry.
Among them is Sarah Ruhl, whose “In the Next Room (or the Vibrator Play)” – yes, that kind of vibrator – will run at Blackfriars Theatre under the direction of Patricia Lewis Browne from Oct. 24 – Nov. 9. Inspired by the early innovations of electricity, the play follows the patients and family of a doctor who treats “hysteria” in women. (Parents should be aware this provocative comedy reaches “Bridgerton” season one levels of sexually explicit content.) blackfriars.org
Travel a little further back in history, to a time when interesting women were called witches, not hysterical. Penfield Players presents “Witch” by Jen Silverman and directed by Jesika Barnes, a reworking of a 1621 drama about a devil bargaining for souls in an English village. The supernatural vibes are right for spooky season, though the play asks broader questions that haunt year round, such as: how much is a soul worth? How do you find hope when the whole world needs a do-over? Mull it over at the Penfield Community Center from Oct. 24 – Nov. 11. penfieldplayers.org
The Rochester Community Players supplement their usual Shakespeare offerings with a play about staging the Bard, “The African Company Presents Richard III” by Carlyle Brown. This 1988 drama is based on the true story of the first Black American theater troupe to put on a production of the historical tragedy. Art isn’t easy, especially when bumping up against white supremacy in 1821 America. In collaboration with {theater}+{náfsi} and helmed by seasoned Sankofa director Reuben J. Tapp, you can catch it at MuCCC from Oct. 3 – 11. rochestercommunityplayers.org
It’s no coincidence that multiple troupes are drawn to plays about making art in troubled times. For more theater about theater, check out Out of Pocket, Inc.’s production of “The Amateurs” by Jordan Harrison, a dark comedy playing at MuCCC from Oct. 31 – Nov. 8 under the direction of John Jaeger. A medieval acting troupe put on a pageant play about the biblical tale of Noah’s ark, though a meta-theatrical twist connects their Black Plague to the AIDS crisis. outofpocketinc.com
If you’ve had enough of the self-referential and want a more straightforward drama, “Sancocho” at Geva Theatre Center might be your taste. This new play about Puerto Rican sisters mixes appetizing ingredients: family tension, secrets revealed and homemade stew. Penned by former Geva dramaturg Christin Eve Cato and fresh from a critically acclaimed Off-Broadway run, it plays Oct. 14 – Nov. 23. gevatheatre.org
It’s hard to find a “Romeo & Juliet” take that hasn’t already been done to death. Or maybe it’s not that hard. Maybe you just need Juliet to, instead of dying, greet Romeo’s corpse with a rendition of the Britney Spears bop “…Baby One More Time” and take it from there. The exuberant, queer Shakespeare-remixed jukebox musical “& Juliet” is part of RBTL’s 2025-26 season at West Herr Auditorium Theatre Dec. 9 – 14. Penned by “Schitt’s Creek” writer David West Read with songs by 1990s pop hits songwriter Max Martin (think Britney and boy bands), it’s sure to be a wild ride. rbtl.org
For feel-good escapism, The Company Theatre presents a new devised adaptation of “Persuasion,” Jane Austen’s final book and the second-chance romance trope at its finest. Can two former flames be persuaded to find their way back to each other? It’s directed by Carl Del Buono, who’s known for adding an offbeat flair to familiar works, with a holiday run Dec. 5 – 21. thecompanytheatreroc.org
