Your (non-Fringe) guide to September 2026 Philly theater

A non-Fringe show with a Fringey vibe is This Should Never Be a Musical from 1812 Productions (September 4-27 at the Arden’s Arcadia Stage). Described as an “improvised reality show,” the performers will nightly request that audience members supply ideas for outlandish theatrical fare, around which they will create bespoke scenes that promise maximum silliness. 1812 co-founder Jennifer Childs co-directs with veteran local improv performer Mary Carpenter. Look out for my BSR review.

The Lantern, South Camden, and the Wilma

Lantern Theater Company opens its season with the local premiere of Summer, 1976 (September 10-October 11 at St. Stephen’s Theater), the latest offering from Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Auburn (Proof). First seen on Broadway in 2023, the two-hander follows the unlikely friendship of two women moored in an Ohio college town in that bicentennial year. Fifty years after these events, it offers a snapshot of life at a pivotal moment in American history. Grace Gonglewski and McKenna Kerrigan appear under Kate Galvin’s direction. Look out for the BSR review by Walt Maguire.

Meanwhile, across the river, South Camden Theatre Company starts its season and celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with Native Gardens (September 18-October 4) by Karen Zacarías. Natalie Payán makes her directorial debut with SCTC in this satire about Pablo and Tania, newcomers to a wealthy DC neighborhood, and their neighbors, longtime residents Frank and Virginia. A misplaced fence leads to a "hilarious battle over culture, class, entitlement, and taste." The play will land in Philly this winter with a production at the Arden, but SCTC is a much more intimate and affordable setting.

In August, Lindsay Smiling became the sole artistic director of the Wilma Theater, strengthening his 20-year relationship with the Tony-winning theater company. And without missing a beat, he’s back on the boards with the world premiere of Horsegirl & Cowdaddy (September 22-October 4 at the company’s Broad Street venue). The play, by DJ Hills, provides a portrait of trans life in rural Pennsylvania—a part of the LGBTQ experience that too often goes unexplored. Co-produced by SoHo Rep, it will be seen in New York later this season. Look out for the BSR review by Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer.

Bob Dylan, August Wilson, and a cabaret treat

Bob Dylan fans should head to the Arden late in the month for Girl from the North Country (September 24-October 25 at the F. Otto Haas Stage), which refashions the singer’s catalog into a hardscrabble story of Minnesota life during the Great Depression. Written by the acclaimed playwright Conor McPherson (The Weir), this regional premiere includes many local favorites, such as Greg Wood, Sarah Gliko, Maggie Lakis, Scott Greer, and Matteo Scammell. As with the Arden’s memorable production of Once (2018), the actors will double as musicians. Look out for the BSR review by Josh Herren.

Outside the city limits, the Resident Ensemble Players begin their season on the University of Delaware’s campus with August Wilson’s How I Learned What I Learned (September 4-20). The REP, as it’s known, has done well by Wilson in the past; I reviewed a stirring production of Fences for BSR back in 2019. Company member Hassan El-Amin, who starred in that production, returns here to play the great man himself. Our intrepid Delaware correspondent Gail Obenreder will have a review later this month.

Need a break from theater altogether—but still want a Broadway vibe? One of my favorite new traditions, the Cabaret Series at Rittenhouse Grill, launches the fall with an appearance from Tony winner Debbie Gravitte on Monday, September 14. On her night off from the Bobby Darin musical Just in Time, Gravitte returns to Philly, where once upon a time she starred in a rare complete production of Kurt Weill and Alan Jay Lerner’s enchanting musical Love Life. If I could make a request, I’d implore her to sing “Here I’ll Stay” from the neglected score.

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