Little Theatre announces 75th season lineup

Little Theatre of Tuscarawas County will kick off its 75th season in October, celebrating a history of productions, performers and playwrights, including three with Ohio roots.

Beginning this fall, Little Theatre will transition ticketing to Ludus, bringing memberships, donations and ticketing together in one program. Tickets for “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Love/Sick” will still be available through the Performing Arts Center box office at Kent State University at Tuscarawas.

Sponsorships for the 2026-27 season and each show are now available. More information is available online at TheLittleTheatreOnline.org or by email at LittleTheatre@TheLittleTheatreOnline.org. Individual memberships will be available beginning June 1 on the theater’s website.

“We’re excited to welcome four veteran Little Theatre directors to our stage this season, as well as two new directors,” Executive Director Kait Gallagher-Wilsterman said. “We will once again have the opportunity to feature an original production, written and workshopped by our own Little Theatre Original Productions troupe. It is going to be a very exciting year at Little Theatre, and I hope our community will join us.”

Gallagher-Wilsterman said transitioning ticketing providers will be an adjustment for patrons, but more information will be released later this summer regarding in-person and phone sales.

“I cannot thank the Performing Arts Center team enough for assisting us with ticketing for over a decade,” she said. “Their support and guidance has been a catalyst for growth and has made Little Theatre a stronger organization.”

The platinum season sponsor is the I.A. O’Shaughnessy Foundation, while the bronze season sponsor is Anthony Edward Web Design.

The season opens with the musical “Bonnie & Clyde,” directed by Jared Sparks-Lee. Performances are scheduled Oct. 9-11, 16-18 and 23-25, with auditions Aug. 2-3.

The holiday production will be “Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol,” directed by Tucker Gayhart and sponsored by Harrison Auto Parts, NAPA Sugarcreek. Performances are Dec. 4-6 and 11-13, including Saturday and Sunday matinees. Auditions are Oct. 11-12.

The winter production will be the musical “Little Shop of Horrors,” directed by Michael Antonelli. Performances are scheduled Feb. 19-21 and 26-28 and March 5-7, with auditions Dec. 6-7.

The spring production will be “Dial M for Murder,” directed by Don Irven. The play is adapted by Steubenville native Jeffrey Hatcher from the mystery that inspired Alfred Hitchcock’s film. Performances are April 16-18 and 23-25 and April 30-May 2. Auditions are Feb. 21-22.

The summer musical “Anastasia,” directed by Joseph Sheridan and sponsored by Wade Auto Repair and Performance, will run June 18-20 and 25-27 and July 1-3. Auditions are April 18-19.

The season concludes with the summer BlackBox production “Captain Dick Flint and the Orb of Ara-Kem,” written and directed by Shawn Clay. Performances are Aug. 20-22, with auditions June 20-21.

The original sci-fi comedy follows retired space hero Dick Flint as he becomes entangled in an intergalactic mission involving a mysterious artifact, an injured alien pilot and an Evilian ambassador.