Canadian Stage Artistic Director Brendan Healy and Executive Director Monica Esteves today announce the organization’s 26.27 season - a bold and expansive line-up that brings major Canadian icons back to the stage, places leading playwrights at the centre of their own work and activates four distinct stages across Toronto with an extraordinary range of theatrical experiences. Spanning exciting new and refreshed Canadian works, landmark musicals, outdoor Shakespeare, satire, and beloved family traditions, the season underscores Canadian Stage’s singular role as a company that offers the full spectrum of theatre in one subscription.

Building on a year of record audience enthusiasm and critical acclaim — with productions such as Slave Play, A Doll’s House, and the World Premiere of Erin Shields’s You, Always — the 26.27 season carries that momentum forward with even greater scale and ambition.

Anchored by marquee productions at the Bluma Appel Theatre welcoming Canadian icons Paul Gross and Ann-Marie MacDonald back to the stage, the season also features playwrights Keith Barker and Kate Hennig, who - like MacDonald- step into their own work as performers. The season reflects a remarkable throughline: Canada’s leading playwrights and performers choosing Canadian Stage as the place to premiere, revisit, and deepen their work, reaffirming the company as a vital home for artists at every stage of their career.

From outdoor Shakespeare to the glittering decadence of CABARET, from biting corporate satire to intimate new Canadian drama, the 26.27 season is animated by stories of courage and risk–the risks we take for love, for forgiveness, for reinvention, and for connection. In a world filled with division and uncertainty, Canadian Stage continues to offer something essential: shared spaces where people of all ages and stages can gather to laugh, consider urgent ideas, be moved, and experience the extraordinary connection that only live theatre can create.

Season Highlights at a Glance:

 • 25 years since she last stepped into the role, Ann-Marie MacDonald stars in a newly adapted version of her beloved, timeless classic GOODNIGHT DESDEMONA (GOOD MORNING JULIET)

 • Sara Farb and Allan Louis star in a major new all-Canadian production of CABARET directed and choreographed by Kimberly Rampersad

 • Paul Gross reunites with Canadian Stage Artistic Director Brendan Healy for CREDITORS

 • Michael Healey’s sensational ROGERS V. ROGERS returns following its phenomenal sold-out premiere at Crow’s Theatre

 • World Premiere of Kate Hennig’s SEX IN THE ‘80s and Toronto Premiere of Keith Barker’s RAISED BY WOMEN

 • Annual Toronto favourites, Dream in High Park and the Holiday Panto return to delight audiences of all ages

“This season places extraordinary Canadian artists front and centre — the storytellers shaping our cultural experiences,” said Canadian Stage Artistic Director Brendan Healy. “We’re welcoming iconic artists back to our stages while championing bold new work that speaks directly to the current moment. Canadian Stage is where legacy and ambition meet — where leading artists reignite canonical works and new stories take centre stage.”

Healy adds: “In a time that feels increasingly fragmented and uncertain, theatre offers something rare and needed: the chance to gather in the same room and experience something together. These plays dive into desire, ambition, seduction, betrayal, resistance and the thrilling and sometimes dangerous ways we try to connect with one another. It’s a season about courage — the courage to step fully into life, to risk vulnerability, and to remember that even in uneasy times, laughter, longing, and love endure.”

In addition to 25.26 benchmarks Slave Play, A Doll’s House and You, Always, audiences equally responded with record enthusiasm to the 2025 Dream in High Park presentation of Romeo & Juliet and the 2025 Panto, Robin Hood, furthering the development of new multi-generational audiences in Toronto. Across its season, Canadian Stage continues to build a pathway for a lifetime of theatre engagement — from a child’s first Panto to a major premiere at the Bluma Appel Theatre.

“In the years since the pandemic, we have seen encouraging and sustained growth in our audiences, not only welcoming new theatregoers but seeing more people return again and again,” said Executive Director Monica Esteves. “That tells us something important. When you offer audiences a wide range of experiences, they respond. With four distinct stages and an unusually broad spectrum of programming, Canadian Stage is uniquely positioned to introduce people to many different styles of theatre, from large-scale spectacle to intimate new work, all within one organization”.

“I’m not an artist, but theatre has profoundly shaped my own life”, continues Esteves. “Being exposed to different kinds of stories and ways of thinking as a young person expanded how I saw the world and what I believed was possible. At Canadian Stage, we believe our responsibility is to create the conditions for that kind of discovery and to ensure more people in the GTA can experience theatre not just as entertainment, but as something that enriches their lives.”

As always, the 26.27 Canadian Stage season gets underway with the evergreen Toronto tradition Dream in High Park, now in its 43rd year, presenting Shakespeare’s most beloved romantic comedy, TWELFTH NIGHT. Directed by Gregory Prest, the production stars Caroline Toal (Anne of Green Gables/Stratford Festival) as Viola with an electric ensemble including Ghazal Azarbad, Alicia Barban, Ori Black, Farhang Ghajar, Ray Jacildo, Justin Otto, Rick Roberts, Navtej Sandhu, Mike Shara, Deivan Steele and Steven Sutcliffe.

Toronto’s favourite all-ages holiday theatre tradition – the Panto – returns to the historic Elgin & Winter Garden Theatre Centre in Canadian Stage’s third year at the helm of Ross Petty’s legendary 25-year legacy. This year’s World Premiere of CINDERELLA, written by veteran Panto scribe Matt Murray, directed by Mary Francis Moore, stars acclaimed musical theatre performer Stephanie Sy (Next To Normal/Mirvish), who last stepped on the Panto stage in 2022 for Peter’s Final Flight. Comedian and social media icon Mitch Wood makes his Panto debut as Cinderella’s fairy godmother, Fairy Bum, taking on the traditional comic role of the Dame, a cornerstone of pantomime theatre.

The 26.27 Bluma season gets underway this fall with a thrilling celebration of Canadian theatre legacy – an all-new production of the brilliant, subversive, and irresistibly funny GOODNIGHT DESDEMONA (GOOD MORNING JULIET). Updated by and starring Ann-Marie MacDonald herself, who last performed the play 25 years ago on the Bluma Stage, the production is directed by Alisa Palmer with Praneet Akilla, Jessica B. Hill, Mike Shara and Caroline Toal joining MacDonald on stage as the play nears its 40th anniversary. In the new year, the Bluma is transformed into the infamous Kit Kat Club for a thrilling new production of the gritty and glittering CABARET, directed and choreographed by Kimberley Rampersad and starring Sara Farb (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child/Broadway) as Sally Bowles and Allan Louis (My Fair Lady/Shaw Festival) as the notorious Emcee. In the spring, Canadian Stage Artistic Director Brendan Healy concludes his critically acclaimed ‘marriage trilogy’ with Jen Silverman’s buzzy adaptation of August Strindberg’s CREDITORS. One of Canada’s most beloved performers, Paul Gross, who starred in Healy’s 2025 singular production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? returns to Canadian Stage for this benchmark production, alongside Gregory Prest and Kristen Thomson.

The 26.27 Berkeley season kicks off this fall with Canadian premiere of Alice Childress’s vibrant exploration of the Black experience in 1964 America, WINE IN THE WILDERNESS. Canadian Stage Associate Artistic Director Jordan Laffrenier, whose production of Slave Play kicked off 25.26 to great acclaim, directs this rarely staged masterpiece starring Mazin Elsadig (Topdog/Underdog at Canadian Stage) and Virgilia Griffith (Fat Ham/Canadian Stage). In November, Canadian Stage partners with Crow’s Theatre to bring one of the hottest and hardest-to-get tickets of the 25.26 season, Michael Healey’s ROGERS V. ROGERS, back by popular demand. Actor Tom Rooney (Macbeth/Stratford Festival) resumes his astonishing, tour-de-force performance in this outrageous satire of ambition and corporate power. 

In the new year, the multi-award-winning actor, playwright, and director Kate Hennig (The Virgin Trial/Stratford Festival), stars alongside Oliver Dennis, Jacob MacInnis and Heeyun Parkin the World Premiere of her new play SEX IN THE ‘80s, directed by Tanja Jacobs. A hilarious and heartwarming comedy of generational clashes and post #MeToo office politics, Hennig’s newest work considers how much and how little has changed since the gaudy ‘80s. Keith Barker’s RAISED BY WOMEN closes out the Berkeley season. This one-man, stand-up inspired piece looks back at Keith’s upbringing by formidable women in Northern Ontario and the complicated legacy of an absentee father.

The 26.27 season launches ches March 20, with current subscribers receiving an exclusive four-day priority window to renew their passes. New subscriptions become available on March 24, with single tickets going on sale June 1. For more information about the Canadian Stage 26.27 season, visit www.canadianstage.com.

THE CANADIAN STAGE 26.27 SEASON:

TWELFTH NIGHT

Written by William Shakespeare

Directed by Gregory Prest

July 12 – September 6, 2026 (Opening Night: July 16) in the High Park Amphitheatre

A Canadian Stage Production

Under the open sky of Toronto’s iconic High Park, Shakespeare’s beloved romantic comedy comes to life. When Viola is shipwrecked and disguises herself as a man, she sets off a whirlwind of mistaken identities, mischievous schemes, and tangled romances.

As disguises unravel and hearts collide, Twelfth Night delivers laughter, music, and the joyful chaos of love. Pack a picnic, gather your friends, and enjoy a summer night of theatre under the stars.

Featuring Ghazal Azarbad, Alicia Barban, Ori Black, Farhang Ghajar, Ray Jacildo, Justin Otto, Rick Roberts, Navtej Sandhu, Mike Shara, Deivan Steele, Steven Sutcliffe and Caroline Toal.

* * *

WINE IN THE WILDERNESS

Written by Alice Childress

Directed by Jordan Laffrenier

September 19 – October 4, 2026 (Opening Night: September 24) 

at the Marilyn & Charles Baillie Theatre

A Canadian Stage Production

Harlem, 1964. As riots unfold outside, painter Bill Jameson is inside his apartment putting the final touches on a portrait series about Black womanhood. When Tommy is brought in to model, her presence begins to reveal the quiet hierarchies shaping the evening. As drinks are poured and conversation loosens, the group is forced to reckon with how easy it is to repeat the very judgments they hope to rise above.

By turns funny, intimate, and piercingly intelligent, Wine in the Wilderness is a landmark work. Directed by Jordan Laffrenier, whose searing production of Slave Play was a highlight of last season, this revival brings fresh urgency and emotional precision to Alice Childress’ razor-sharp portrait of seeing and being seen.

Featuring Mazin Elsadig, Virgilia Griffith, Andrew Moodie and L.A. Sweeney.

* * *

GOODNIGHT DESDEMONA (GOOD MORNING JULIET)

Written by and starring Ann-Marie MacDonald

Directed by Alisa Palmer

November 6 – 22, 2026 (Opening Night: November 11) at the Bluma Appel Theatre

A Canadian Stage Production

To celebrate the approaching 40th anniversary of her landmark play, acclaimed novelist and playwright Ann-Marie MacDonald steps into the spotlight as Constance Ledbelly, the overlooked academic who tumbles headlong into Shakespeare’s worlds and discovers that the heroines (and even Constance herself) may be capable of far more than anyone imagined.

At once wildly funny and moving, this Canadian classic unleashes Desdemona and Juliet as fierce forces of their own destiny and reminds us that sometimes the bravest act is claiming your own story.

Featuring Ann-Marie MacDonald, Praneet Akilla, Jessica B. Hill, Mike Shara and Caroline Toal.

* * *

ROGERS V. ROGERS

Adapted for the stage by Michael Healey Based on Rogers v. Rogers: The Battle for Control of Canada’s Telecom Empire by Alexandra Posadzki

Directed by Chris Abraham

November 8 – December 6, 2026 (Opening Night: November 12) 

at the Marilyn & Charles Baillie Theatre

A Crow’s Theatre production, presented with Canadian Stage

Telecom tycoon Ted Rogers built an empire turning Canada’s airwaves into cash. Now his son Edward, long dismissed by his father, is fighting for control of the family business. Meanwhile, shrewd public servant Matthew Boswell is determined to derail Rogers’ billion-dollar takeover of Shaw Communications.

From award-winning playwright Michael Healey (The Master Plan, The Drawer Boy) and starring Tom Rooney (Fifteen Dogs, Uncle Vanya) comes a story of outsized ambition, personal grudges, and corporate power.

Inspired by one of the most dramatic boardroom showdowns in Canadian history, this riveting new drama examines the price of pushing back, the unraveling bonds of kin, and the legacy that money can—and cannot—buy.

Featuring Tom Rooney.

* * *

CINDERELLA (World Premiere)

Written by Matt Murray

Directed by Mary Francis Moore

December 5, 2026 – January 3, 2027 (Opening Night: December 10) 

at The Winter Garden Theatre

A Canadian Stage Production

Think you’ve outgrown the Panto? Think again.

Our new take on Cinderella delivers all the glitter and spectacle of the beloved tradition with a clever, contemporary edge. Packed with infectious pop anthems, sly humour, and spectacular stagecraft, this is a holiday outing designed as much for grown-ups as for kids.

Whether you’re reliving the tradition or discovering it for the first time, this is holiday theatre with wit, style, and a knowing wink.

Featuring Stephanie Sy as Cinderella and Mitch Wood as Fairy Bum.

* * *

SEX IN THE ‘80s (World Premiere)

Written by and starring Kate Hennig

Directed by Tanja Jacobs

January 16 – February 7, 2027 (Opening Night: January 21) 

at the Marilyn & Charles Baillie Theatre

A Canadian Stage Production

They haven’t seen each other since the 1980s. Now two accomplished architects are reunited in a glass-walled Toronto office tower on the eve of a high-stakes competition. Both intend to keep things strictly professional. That proves harder than expected.

As a long-buried chapter of their shared history resurfaces, a polite reunion turns into a pointed, funny sparring match about memory, ambition, and how much the rules have changed. Meanwhile, their twenty-something colleagues look on— and aren’t shy about weighing in.

Smart, topical, and wickedly witty, Sex in the ’80s is a workplace comedy about generational change and the risky business of revisiting the past.

Featuring playwright Kate Hennig and Oliver Dennis, Jacob MacInnis, and Heeyun Park.

* * *

CABARET

Written by John Kander and Fred Ebb

Directed by Kimberley Rampersad

February 13 – 28, 2027 (Opening Night: February 18) at the Bluma Appel Theatre

A Canadian Stage Production

Few musicals feel as essential to revisit—or as urgent to re-examine—as CABARET.

Set in Berlin as the shadows of extremism lengthen, Cabaret invites us into a world of music, seduction, and dangerous denial. Beneath its unforgettable songs lies one of musical theatre’s most incisive examinations of how societies unravel. Not overnight, but slowly, and in plain sight

With a bold new vision by director Kimberley Rampersad, this production invites Toronto audiences to experience Cabaret not as a relic of the past, but as a work of thrilling theatrical intelligence and modern relevance.

Featuring Sara Farb as Sally Bowles and Allan Louis as the Emcee.

* * *

RAISED BY WOMEN

Written by and starring Keith Barker

Directed by Yvette Nolan

March 27 – April 11, 2027 (Opening Night: April 1) at the Marilyn & Charles Baillie Theatre

A Canadian Stage Production

In RAISED BY WOMEN, Métis playwright and performer Keith Barker delivers an intimate, stand-up-inspired solo show that’s as funny as it is searching. With sharp wit and big heart, Keith traces his upbringing by formidable women in Northern Ontario and the complicated legacy of a father who was largely absent but never insignificant.

Moving seamlessly between laughter and reflection, this deeply personal performance finds grace in the mess; proving the funniest stories are often the most true.

* * *

CREDITORS (Canadian Premiere)

Written by August Strindberg, Adapted by Jen Silverman

Directed by Brendan Healy

April 9 – May 2, 2027 (Opening Night: April 14) at the Bluma Appel Theatre

A Canadian Stage Production

At a secluded seaside hotel, a young artist and his magnetic wife find their marriage unsettled by the arrival of a charismatic stranger. What begins as friendly conversation turns into something sharper: a slow, surgical dismantling of certainty, confidence, and love.

In this razor-edged reimagining of Strindberg’s classic, Artistic Director Brendan Healy and an all-star cast transform a classic battle of the sexes into a thrilling psychological chamber piece about ego, authorship, and the stories we tell about ourselves. Seductive, unsettling, and darkly funny, Creditors asks: who owns the narrative and who pays the price?

Featuring Paul Gross, Gregory Prest, and Kristen Thomson.