A season of laughs for Tacoma Little Theatre
Tacoma Little Theatre announces its 108th season with seven new comedies.
By Rylee Morrow
Nestled in the heart of Stadium District, Tacoma Little Theatre (TLT) serves as one of the hubs for live theatre in Tacoma. Since 1919, TLT has made its mission to be a space where local arts can thrive. Over a century later, TLT unveiled its 108th season, and the 2026-2027 shows promise to continue the tradition of exceptional theatre.
The selections for this season are:
- “The Outsider” by Paul Slade Smith (Aug. 28 – Sep. 13, 2026)
- “Arsenic and Old Lace” by Joesph Kesselring (Oct. 16 – Nov. 1, 2026)
- “Hallmarked” by Michael D. Fox, Cameron Dietlein, Dawn Dietlein and Quinn Dietlein (Dec. 4 – Dec. 27, 2026)
- “Dot” by Colman Domingo (Feb. 5 – Feb. 21, 2027)
- “Urinetown” by Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann (Mar. 26 – Apr. 18, 2027)
- “The Importance of Being Ernest” by Oscar Wilde (May 21 – Jun. 6, 2027)
- “The Play that Goes Wrong” by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields (Jul. 9 – Aug. 1, 2027)
I spoke with the managing artistic director, Chris Serface, to get some more insight into how the show selection process works each season.
“We are looking for the theatre that people want to see, and the theatre that people don’t know they want to see.” Serface said. And while it is not always an easy process to narrow the season’s shows down and ensure that production rights are approved, TLT always manages to accomplish this goal.
For this season, there was a specific goal in mind. While it seems like each day brings new tension in society, TLT wanted to take this season to only show comedies. Serface specified that they wanted shows that would make people happy and let them feel good about the world. When looking at the selected shows, they seemed to do just that.
“Arsenic and Old Lace”, “The Importance of Being Earnest” and “The Play That Goes Wrong” are all classic comedies. Filled with quips, slapstick and antics that are ultimately all in good fun, these shows allow the audience to escape into a more lighthearted portrayal of the world.
However, some of these comedies still strive to take a deeper look at the world. TLT just closed its first show of the season, “The Outsider”, which uses comedy to comment on the shortcomings of general government. “Dot” is a touching family comedy that also deals with the heartache of those you love aging and needing to move forward with life. One of the two musicals that TLT is producing this season is “Urinetown”. While this Tony Award Winning musical is hilarious, it is ultimately a satire, using an over-the-top scenario to reflect what happens when the government gets too powerful. All of these are still comedic, but they show that comedy can serve another purpose besides laughter.
Serface named the other musical from this season, “Hallmarked”, as the show he is most looking forward to seeing this year. “Hallmarked” will serve as their holiday show for this season, but there is something extra special about this one. It is a brand-new musical, only having been performed a couple of times across the country, and TLT has the honor of being its west coast premiere. Serface promises that it will be a delight whether you love classic Hallmark movies or not.
Addie Stewart is a longtime patron of TLT. She has loved attending shows at TLT in the past and plans to continue to do so for this season. “They are just a little haven in our community.” Stewart said, in reference to appreciating the work that TLT has done for the arts scene in Tacoma, especially through their work with UW Tacoma.
Stewart named “Urinetown” as the show that she is most excited to see, since she has seen it once before and is interested in TLT’s spin on it. She explained it introduces heavier topics in a very comedic way. “You sit there and you laugh and you’re involved, and then you come out of it and you go, ‘Wow, that’s kind of really relevant when you think about it.’” This kind of messaging calls back to what TLT was aiming to do with their comedic season.
While audiences are extremely crucial to theatre, these productions cannot come to life without those who are willing to be up there on the stage. Lillian Taylor has been involved as a performer in TLT for a couple of years and is hoping to audition to be a part of this season. She is especially drawn to “The Play That Goes Wrong” due to its hilarity and reliance on physical comedy.
“The people there have always been extremely supportive and kind.” Taylor said when asked why she enjoys working with TLT. “I did one of their camps a couple of years ago, and it was one of the best experiences I’ve had in theatre, so I always want to come back and do more with them.”
Taylor believes that local theatre is important because it introduces people to an artform that tends to be inaccessible on professional levels. “Art is always crucial to communities, no matter what it is.” She added. “It’s important to see people in your community do cool things.”
Local arts cannot continue to thrive without community engagement. Whether going to see a show or participating in the production itself, it is the people that bring theatre to life.
“The Outsider”, directed by Jed Slaughter, just finished a very successful run as the opening show for this season. The next show in the lineup, “Arsenic and Old Lace,” directed by Christopher Nardine, will make its debut on Oct. 16 and run until Nov. 1. Casting and rehearsals are already underway for the next two shows, but auditions for “Dot” directed by Jalen C. Penn will run from Oct. 25 – Oct. 27. Visit TLT’s website for more season information.
