The Indiana Repertory Theatre’s (IRT) 53rd season is bringing Hoosiers a lineup of Pulitzer Prize-winning shows — including an August Wilson play and the regional premiere of the Broadway musical “Come From Away.”
The IRT’s 2025-26 season will present six shows, supported by 30-year season sponsor OneAmerica FinancialSM, from Sept. 16, 2025-May 10, 2026.
“From deeply moving dramas and new stories to thrilling performances and a heartwarming musical, this lineup promises to challenge perspectives, spark important conversations and create lasting memories,” Benjamin Hanna, IRT’s Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director, said in a statement. “On behalf of the entire IRT team, I hope audiences will join us next season for a journey of discovery, laughter, exploration and most importantly, community.”
Opening the season in the fall is the suspenseful comedy “The 39 Steps.” Adapted by Patrick Barlow from the popular Alfred Hitchcock movie, the show features four actors who take on the roles of more than 40 characters, navigating a thriller romance full of quick changes and plot twists.
Following “The 39 Steps” comes a play with music about rock ‘n’ roll superstar Sister Rosetta Tharp. “Marie and Rosetta” will be presented on the Janet Allen stage and tells the story of Tharpe’s unlikely partnership with Marie Knight and one of the most influential teams in music history, according to a press release.
READ MORE: Jazz Appreciation Month: The Jazz Kitchen celebrates 31 years
Just in time for the holidays, the IRT will present its annual tradition with “Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol” on the OneAmerica Financial Stage before ringing in the New Year with an IRT premiere of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.”
Set in a Pittsburg boarding house in 1911, Wilson’s spiritual drama wrestles with themes of heritage and identity as it follows descendants of the formerly enslaved who have come North seeking new jobs, lives and beginnings.
Sanaz Toossi’s “English” is the second Pulitzer Prize-winning play the IRT is producing in its 53rd season. The play is a newer work exploring the “complexities of language, immigration, identity, belonging and the experiences of those learning a new language,” according to a press release. Showing on the Janet Allen Stage, “English” follows four adults preparing for an English exam in a classroom in Iran.
The IRT is producing a musical for the third year in a row; closing out the season is the regional premiere of the American hit musical “Come From Away.” The show, which only recently closed on Broadway, details the story of the small town of Gander, Newfoundland and the 7,000 stranded air passengers who landed there following the events of Sept. 11, 2001.
“As always, we are looking forward to welcoming audiences from Indianapolis and beyond into our space to share in a season of powerful storytelling and community connection,” Managing Director Suzanne Sweeney said in a statement. “We are grateful to our supporters, donors and partners for helping us create another year of transformative experiences through live theatre.”
Seasons ticket memberships are available now. Build Your Own packages and single tickets go on sale beginning in the summer. To learn more or purchase tickets, visit irtlive.com.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe graduated with a degree in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and her previous work includes freelancing for Indy Maven, Assistant Arts & Life Editor for The Lantern, and editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Chloe enjoys covering all things arts and culture — from local music, visual art, dance, theater and film, as well as minority-owned businesses. In her free time, Chloe enjoys reading, cooking and keeping her plants alive.
 53rd season is bringing Hoosiers a lineup of Pulitzer Prize-winning shows — including an August Wilson play and the regional premiere of the Broadway musical “Come From Away.”){kind=link}