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It’s time to mark your calendars, buy your tickets, and get ready for the upcoming Mainstage season at Gilbert Theater. This year’s season is titled “Home Is Where the Heart Is”, exploring the meaning of family, relationships, love, loss, belonging and the places we call home. A mix of award-winning contemporary productions and classics, there will be something for everyone, featuring two musicals and the production that made the legendary Tennessee Williams famous. 

Kicking off the season is the Tony Award-winning musical comedy, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee by Rachel Sheinkin. This is a hilarious story that centers around six middle-schoolers competing in a renowned championship spelling bee, with a slight twist and the help of some volunteer audience members. Directed by the talented Malissa Borden, this musical brings an adult cast back to their pre-teen years for a wild race to be crowned the spelling bee champ. Audiences will be laughing and singing by the end of the show. 

Bringing in the holiday season this year is It's A Wonderful Life - Radio Play by Joe Landry. The production is a stage adaptation and reimagining of the beloved holiday movie about a man and the impact he has on his community. Set in a radio station, this small ensemble production pushes cast members to explore a wide range of characters vocally. It’s sure to get the entire family in the holiday season spirit. 

The first production of 2027 will be Crimes of the Heart and will be directed by former Artistic Director and Gilbert regular, Robyne Parrish. Set in the Deep South, this Southern-Gothic play is about Mississippi-born sisters Lenny, Meg and Babe, who all return to their childhood home, face old demons, heal old wounds, and deepen their bond as sisters. 

Tennessee Williams ' The Glass Menagerie is the next in the season lineup. A semi-autobiographical play set in the 1930s, this story follows a moment in the life of the Wingfield family. Considered a “memory play,” this production is filled with dream-like lighting and music to give the feeling of a memory, exaggerated, dreamlike and nostalgic. The play centers around Tom, the narrator, and his pressure to find his sister, Laura, a male suitor at the request of their mother, Amanda. 

Closing out the 2026-2027 Mainstage season on a powerful note and aligning with this year’s theme is the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Next to Normal by Brian Yorkey. This rock musical follows a family as the matriarch suffers from bipolar disorder. It explores mental health, grief and the definition of “normal.” Featuring electrifying scores and powerful and meaningful dialogue, this is a can’t-miss season closer. 

Artistic Director Matt Lamb is excited about the upcoming season and the productions that were chosen, saying, “This season, our productions are reminding us that home isn't always perfect. It isn't always safe, simple, or whole. It is somewhere we can return to heal, remember, and reconnect. We invite you to look for the heart in each production." 

For more information about the 2026-2027 Mainstage Season, purchase season passes or volunteer, visit online at GilbertTheater.com or call 910-678-7186.