Subscribe to Season 50
Join us as we celebrate Penumbra’s landmark 50th Season, Sacred Fire.
A Season 50 subscription is the best way to experience this historic year while saving up to 20% and securing your seats before public sales begin.
Subscribe
Receive a 20% discount on all four mainstage productions: Mothership, Black Nativity, Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous, and But Beautiful with a 4-Play Package.
Receive a 15% discount on Mothership, Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous, and But Beautiful with a 3-Play Package.
Single and group tickets go on sale July 15, 2026. Student and Senior pricing is available for eligible performances.
To order, visit penumbratheatre.org or contact Patron Services at 651.224.3180 or boxoffice@penumbratheatre.org.
Mainstage Lineup
Written by
Resmaa Menakem and Kristen Adele Calhoun
Directed by
Candis C. Jones
Mothership
September 10 through October 4, 2026
In a not-too-distant future, humans are forced to flee a broken planet. Five souls board a ship traveling into the unknown, shedding everything of their former lives. Their journey is shepherded by a sentient ship that urges each passenger toward a necessary and sometimes painful transformation. An Afro-futuristic parable from healer and bestselling author Resmaa Menakem (My Grandmother’s Hands) and award-winning playwright Kristen Calhoun (Black Cypress Bayou), Mothership asks how far we must go to retrieve our truest selves.
Written by
Langston Hughes
Directed by
Lou Bellamy
Black Nativity
December 3 through December 24, 2026
Our beloved holiday musical is back! Reimagined for its 34th year, Hughes’ Christmas story dazzles with musical traditions from across the African diaspora, electrifying choreography, and rich visual iconography from long-time company member Seitu Ken Jones. Bring your loved ones to celebrate what it means to care for the oppressed and hold onto hope, even on the darkest of nights.
A co-production with Yellow Tree Theatre
Written by
Pearl Cleage
Directed by
Austene Van
Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous
February 25 through March 21, 2027
A grand dame of the theatre is returning to the U.S. for a career-defining comeback after decades abroad. Instead of a warm welcome, she finds herself usurped by a young performer stepping into her most famous role. This collision with a rival challenges her legacy, her politics, and her sense of self… and soon pulls her into a future bright with possibility. Ultimately, the women realize rivalry is not as satisfying as sisterhood. From playwright Pearl Cleage (What Looks Like Crazy On An Ordinary Day), a jubilant meditation on ambition, friendship, and aging gracefully.
Written by
Harrison David Rivers
Based on the book by
Geoff Dyer
Directed by
Lou Bellamy
But Beautiful
May 20 through June 13, 2027
A horn player looks back on an archetypal jazz life: the flashes of genius, dark episodes, and friendships with greats like Lester Young and Thelonious Monk. Adapting Geoff Dyer’s landmark novel, playwright Harrison David Rivers (This Bitter Earth, Weathering) explores the twentieth century’s defining genre through the minds of those who made it. His evocative memory play mirrors the rhythm of the music itself, creating an impressionistic tapestry of the jazz world, its mysteries, and personalities.
Read Banned Books!
Defend free expression of ideas and identities.
Across the U.S., “challenging” literature is disappearing from schools and libraries, with stories about diverse identities and vulnerable groups in the crosshairs. In our new Banned Book Club, we’re spending a year with a few of these books, which represent American history and our nation’s diverse people and communities with love, humor, and honesty.
This fall we’ll announce a selection of children’s and adult titles for the 2026–2027 season. At live and virtual gatherings, readers will convene to discuss the stories with help from our actors and facilitators.
Look for Banned Book selections on September 1, then join us to celebrate stories that need to be told — now more than ever.
PRIDE Curriculum
Positive Racial Identity Development and Empowerment
Penumbra created PRIDE to extend our nearly 50-year artistic legacy to the youth of Minnesota. Our PRIDE curriculum leverages the tools of creative practice to build community, foster belonging, deepen cultural awareness, and help students develop a strong, responsive sense of self.
Penumbra is seeking educational partners to collaborate in this uniquely art-based, somatic, and play-driven learning approach.
Let’s Talk: Panel Conversation Series
Community in conversation.
For more than a decade, Penumbra’s Let’s Talk Series has created space for compassionate and challenging conversations about wide-ranging topics that affect our community, from racial healing to community health. Hosted by Sarah Bellamy, each event begins at 7:00 PM with a 90-minute presentation and discussion.
Key Dates
July 15, 2026: Public Season Announcement and Single Ticket Onsale
Single tickets and group reservations become available for all Season 50 productions and events.
September 1, 2026: Additional Programs Announcement
Penumbra will announce additional anniversary programming, special events, community gatherings, and opportunities to celebrate 50 years of Black cultural expression and artistic impact.
Support
Join Us in Carrying the Flame Forward
As Penumbra enters its next chapter, we invite our community to help sustain the work that has illuminated, challenged, and transformed lives for five decades. Through philanthropy, sponsorship, or community partnership, you can help ensure that Black artistic excellence, racial healing, and cultural stewardship continue to thrive for generations to come.