With the start of a new school year comes a brand new set of productions presented by UB’s Department of Theatre and Dance, and the 2026-27 season looks to be a deeply contemplative yet riveting year of performances.
Some of the stories showcased will poignantly address mature themes, including, but not limited to, unstable family dynamics, violence and various societal issues. While other stories will move more on the flashy and action-packed side.
We’ve organized some of these shows into easy-to-skim categories, and if you see yourself in any of them, you won’t want to miss out on our recommendations.
Development Arc Lover?
“Wolf Play,” directed by Assistant Teaching Professor Janet Werther, aims to explore the effects of adult disputes on a young boy’s mind and body. Instead of utilizing a human actor, the production aptly employs a puppet to represent the boy as he sits at the center of a whirlwind of unfamiliar words and intentions.
“Chrysalis” is part of UB’s Student Directed Series, led by senior acting major Ty Burgess. We follow familiar names like Abel, Andromeda, Selene and Jacob, combining references to different types of mythology. The play explores Abel’s transmasculine identity and the lesser-discussed destructive side of creation.
The Shakespeare Mobile Lab is a touring production that will be performing adapted scenes from Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.” Directed by Assistant Professor Danielle Rosvally, the fall 2026 version will showcase a streamlined re-entry into the popular spring 2026 production.
Geek for Greek Mythology?
Other stories will be more action-packed, like “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical,” directed by Mason Beggs, coming in late November. The mythical production is an adaptation of the best-selling book “The Lightning Thief” by Rick Riordan, and features an all-original rock score.
Director Quest Sky Zeidler’s “Polaroid Stories” presents a hypothetical: What if Greek myths were instead set in the streets of an urban wasteland, fitted with labyrinthine concrete streets and street kids wearing the names of famous Greek figures? With this extreme display of juxtaposition and subversive storytelling, it aims to make you deconstruct how you determine whose stories you value and whose you discard.
Just Dance?
On the dance side, Zodiaque Dance Company (ZDC) will host their annual fall concert in late October, celebrating the troupe’s 52nd fall season since its founding in 1974. ZDC has been UB’s prominent pre-professional dance company for five decades and counting, gracing the stage each year with new and innovative iterations of dance styles, techniques and interpretations.
Just as the air starts to take on a winter chill towards the end of the semester, the Emerging Choreographers Showcase and the MFA Dance Showcase are expected to show at UB Center for the Arts Black Box Theatre and the Katherine Cornell Theatre, respectively.
Blast from the Past or Back to the Future?
Taking a sneak peek into the spring, “2191” and “Cabaret” are notable entries to the season. “2191” is an original work from playwright Bella Poynton debuting in April 2027 that centers on a lone traveler who relies on AI systems to find her lost brother in a drought-ridden wasteland, while grappling with the fact that this same technology brought about the destruction of the world in the first place.
“Cabaret” is a musical theatre classic set in 1930s Berlin, with the beginning echoes of impending Nazism serving as a looming backdrop to the story. This production will be led by Clinical Assistant Professor James Beaudry, the talented director responsible for previous UB productions like “Into the Woods” and “The Pajama Game.”
There are various performances UB has selected for the 2026-27 school year, with even more to come in the following years. For full description and notices, check out UB’s Department of Theatre and Dance website.
Kaden Zhong is the senior arts editor and can be reached at kaden.zhong@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
