Local Theater Company unveils 16th season with two world premieres

Boulder company’s 2026-27 lineup features Ian August’s ‘Drag Queen Magic,’ Alex Riad’s ‘Faster Horses’ and the return of Local Listens.

Local Theater Company will present two world premieres in its 2026-27 season, along with the return of its community-inspired new play initiative Local Listens, several fundraising events and its annual new play festival, Local Lab.

The Boulder-based company’s 16th season opens in October with Ian August’s Drag Queen Magic, directed by M. Graham Smith and presented in partnership with the Denver JCC’s Mizel Arts and Culture Center. The production runs Oct. 1-17 at the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder before transferring to the Mizel Arts and Culture Center in Denver Oct. 30-Nov. 1.

The comedy follows drag queen Letta Celebrate, who spends her days lip-syncing Lady Gaga at birthdays, weddings and the occasional bar mitzvah. When a mysterious woman named Nancy asks for help after losing everything, Letta finds herself desperate to save her — or be doomed to relive the same day over and over.

The second world premiere, Alex Riad’s Faster Horses, runs Feb. 18-March 13, 2027, at the Dairy Arts Center, directed by Local Theater Company associate artist Heidi Schmidt. The comedy follows two women who, exhausted by working in male-dominated tech companies, decide to launch their own app. As the collaboration deepens, cracks emerge in their friendship — forcing them to confront whether they are becoming the kind of soulless startup they set out to challenge. Faster Horses was featured in last year’s Local Lab.

Local Listens: Home

The season begins with the third year of Local Listens, a community-inspired initiative that focuses on a single social issue. This year’s topic is housing in Boulder County. Throughout the summer and fall, Local Theater Company will host facilitated story circles in partnership with All Roads shelter, the Coalition of Manufactured Home Owners in Boulder (C-MOB), the Boulder Chamber and Create Boulder. Commissioned playwrights will transform stories shared during those conversations into short plays, presented as staged readings in spring 2027.

Last season’s Local Listens: Queer Lineage gathered stories from LGBTQ+ individuals ages 19-92.

Fundraisers and events

The company will host Casino Night on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, at The Spark in Boulder. The fundraiser features blackjack, poker, craps and roulette with professional dealers. Admission includes a starter chip voucher, drink ticket and hors d’oeuvres.

The annual December Spectacular returns to eTown Hall on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2026, kicking off Colorado Gives Day. Previous editions have featured GerRee Hinshaw’s Raised on Ronstadt and Ian August’s Drag Queen Magic.

An Oscars Watch Party and Game Night follows on March 14, 2027, at The Spark, with movie trivia, Oscar ballots, prizes and snacks.

Local Lab 16

Local Lab 16, the company’s annual new play festival, runs April 16-18, 2027, at the Nomad Playhouse in Boulder. The festival will feature three staged readings of new plays, a playwrights panel, community events, parties and a community hike. Selected playwrights will be announced in fall 2026.

The season concludes in May with staged readings of the Local Listens: Home plays. The date has not been announced.

Leadership

Local Theater Company’s leadership team includes Executive Director Misha S. Zimmerman, Co-Artistic Director for Production & Education Nick Chase and Co-Artistic Director for New Plays & Engagement Betty Hart.

More information is available at localtheaterco.org.