吃瓜网

A New Play Experience Second-To-None!

Big News About Theatre Lab鈥檚 Next Decade of New Plays

Since 2015, Theatre Lab has made its home in an unused cafeteria space in Parliament Hall, a dormitory for FAU students. Over the past decade, Theatre Lab presented more than 30 full productions and more than 100 developmental readings of new plays 鈥� despite the obvious limitations of producing in a space which was never designed to be a working theater.

鈥淭heatre Lab always understood that this was a temporary situation and that, as we grew along with the University, the time would eventually come to move operations to a more suitable facility,鈥� said Louis Tyrrell, Founding Director. With the expansion of the east side of campus, including the construction of a new dormitory set to house over 600 students, the need to accommodate Student Life 鈥� an absolute priority of any University 鈥� combined with Theatre Lab鈥檚 own visions for the future, means the time for that change has come.

With the full support of the Department of Theatre & Dance, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts & Letters, and the University, beginning in the 2026/27 season, Theatre Lab will produce out of the Marleen Forkas Studio One Theatre. Over the next few seasons, Theatre Lab will share space with the Department of Theatre & Dance as a new permanent home is developed, right here, on the Boca Raton campus.

鈥淭his is an incredibly exciting step in our organization鈥檚 growth. Theatre Lab will continue to provide a 鈥榥ew play experience second-to-none鈥� alongside our robust educational outreach programming as we deepen our engagement with and provide even more opportunities for students to work with the professional resident company on campus,鈥� continued Tyrrell. Additionally, Theatre Lab will gain the equipment, facilities, and audience capacity to further enhance the caliber and scope of their work.

鈥淲e are all deeply grateful for Theatre Lab鈥檚 invaluable addition to our college and programs,鈥� said Michael Horswell, Dean of the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts & Letters. 鈥淭heir work here in our community and budding national reputation have also helped to raise the profile of our programs and we are very excited about the amazing opportunities this collaboration will generate.鈥�

鈥湷怨贤� is entering a period of incredible growth and looking ahead to an even brighter future,鈥� said Adam Hasner, President of 吃瓜网 Atlantic. 鈥淲e recognize the undeniable benefits Theatre Lab has brought to our campus and students over their first decade. As we envision the future of the university and develop our new strategic plan, we look forward to working together to support the performing arts with state-of-the-art facilities in the years ahead.鈥�

鈥淭heatre Lab faithful can expect a few minor adjustments to our standard season calendar, but our mission of 鈥渋nspiring, developing, and producing new work, artists, and artists for the American Theatre鈥� remains unchanged,鈥� shared Matt Stabile, Producing Artistic Director. 鈥淭heatre Lab is as financially, culturally, and artistically sound as ever and eagerly anticipating the wonderful opportunities ahead in this next stage of our existence. We look forward to expanding existing partnerships 鈥� including the continued growth of the annual Owl New Play Festival, presented in partnership with the Department of Theatre & Dance 鈥� and welcoming even more audience members to our productions as we continue to establish Theatre Lab and FAU as the premiere location for new plays in the Southeast and, eventually, the nation.鈥�

2026 / 2027 Season

Coming soon:

Joanna Castle Miller鈥檚 Bad Faith Trilogy听

Written and performed by Joanna Castle Miller

Directed by Matt Stabile

December 5-20, 2026

Raised within fundamentalist Christian nationalism, Joanna was given a clear script for identity and acceptance. Joanna Castle Miller鈥檚 Bad Faith Trilogy traces the process of questioning, dismantling, and ultimately rewriting that script, culminating in a life that stands in stark contrast to where it began. Performed by the playwright in rep, this trilogy explores the lure of Christian Nationalism, the punishment of women and girls, and the playwright's discovery of Judaism as a new way to understand the world. At a time of deepening divisions, how can we challenge the cultural and ideological forces that shape our lives and attempt to contain us? And how can we help others find their own path to a freer, more openhearted life?

After producing the world premieres of two of her plays earlier this year, we鈥檙e thrilled to welcome this incredible playwright/performer back to Theatre Lab to kick off our 26-27 MainStage season! Theatre Lab faithful will be the first audiences to enjoy the full trilogy, in the order it is meant to be experienced, before it lands on stages throughout the country (and beyond). All three shows will run in rep - beginning with the newest play, VIRGINIA, and followed by re-imagined versions of both of last season鈥檚 productions of INFERNA and CONVERSA.

On Sunday, December 20th, Theatre Lab will take on the theatrical feat of presenting the entirety of Joanna Castle Miller鈥檚 Bad Faith Trilogy in one day! You鈥檙e invited to join us for this Theatrical Marathon!

11:00am: Pre-Race Snacks- Before we begin, guests will enjoy a continental breakfast in our Theatre Lab Lounge above the Marleen Forkas Studio One lobby area.

12:00pm: VIRGINIA 听

1:30pm: Refuel & Reflect- Stick around for the 90 minutes between performances! We鈥檙e offering mid-race snacks and the chance to connect with your fellow patrons in the lobby and lounge areas.

3:00pm: INFERNA

4:30pm: Dinner break-Take in a meal at one of the fantastic area restaurants. Please be sure to book your reservations well in advance as this is the height of the holiday & tourist season and tables will fill up quickly.

6pm: Home-Stretch Reception- Return to Theatre Lab Lounge for some snacks and beverages before the final show.

7pm: CONVERSA

8:30pm: A Celebration at the Finish Line!- Close out the day with a celebratory toast to the power of incredible storytelling!

The Plays

VIRGINIA

Young Joanna knows America is a white Christian nation, and she plays her part in keeping it that way by staying pure (if you don't count her thoughts about Thomas Jefferson). When her father becomes the 2016 nominee for president for a far-right third party, she decides to make a comedy show about it鈥� and in the process, realizes things might never have been exactly what they seemed.

Performances:

12/6, 3pm; 12/11, 7:30pm; 12/13, 3pm; 12/20, 12pm

*Saturday, November 28th, 2026 Pay What You Choose Preview听

*Friday December 4th, 2026 听Industry Preview

*Saturday, December 5th, 2026 Opening Night Celebration

*Sunday, 听December 6th, 2026 Talkback - Join us for an engaging conversation where Joanna Castle Miller and Dr. Karen Leader discuss metaphors that provide the color, depth, atmosphere, and light in the black and white spaces of VIRGINIA. 听

*Friday, December 11th, 2026 In Company: LGBTQ+ Affinity Nights - Beginning this season, Theatre Lab will offer the newest program, In Company: LGBTQ Affinity Nights. A select performance during the run of each MainStage production will offer discounted tickets for LGBTQ+ focused non-profit partner organizations. pre-show networking receptions, and post-show discussions related to the themes in the work. Designed to engage audiences beyond the stage, In Company seeks to foster a space for shared discovery to build deeper connections and allyship in our community.

*Sunday December 13th, 2026 Talkback - Join us for an engaging conversation between Father Andrew Sherman and Rabbi David Steinhardt for a 听lively and meaningful reflection on some of the themes present in VIRGINIA

INFERNA

Young Joanna desperately wants to be a perfect evangelical and great theatre artist 鈥� and fortunately for her, both seem to work perfectly together. But the mentors she adores aren鈥檛 who they appear to be, and neither are the scripts they've passed down to her. When it all collapses around her, she will have to untangle how religion and theatre actually set her up for disaster, and what it may cost to write herself a new script.

Performances: 12/12, 3pm; 12/18, 7:30pm; 12/20, 3:00pm

*Saturday, December 12th, 2026 Talkback - Join us for a behind-the-scenes discussion with Matt Stabile and Joanna Castle Miller about the development and revision process for INFERNA and the changes made to create this current production.

CONVERSA

Young Joanna knows all the Jewish prayers 鈥� and how they鈥檙e really about Jesus. That鈥檚 because, many years ago, her mother, who wanted to be a rabbi, converted to evangelicalism through Jews for Jesus. As a result, young Joanna learns all the tricks of Christian missions, eventually becoming a missionary herself. But when something ancient draws her away, to the traditions she never learned and histories she never studied, she finds herself in a tiny village where, centuries ago, her father鈥檚 father鈥檚 father faced a similar crossroads and made a very different choice.

Performances: 12/12 & 12/19, 7:30pm; 12/20, 7:00pm

MainStage Season:

In 1939, Evelyn and Leonard Kirsch, a Jewish-American couple, made an extraordinary decision which would change the lives of generations to come. While millions of Jews were trying to escape Germany, Evelyn and Leonard traveled into Nazi-occupied Europe and made arrangements to take a group of forty children back across an ocean to safety. Facing incredible odds, geopolitical dangers, and intimate personal struggles, this well-intentioned couple finds that doing good often carries an unexpected cost.

The playwright of The Glass Piano (2020) and Last Night In Inwood (2023) returns to Boca for her third production at The Lab! After incredibly successful runs at Alliance Theatre, Theatre J, and Jewish Repertory Theatre, we are proud to present the 吃瓜网 Premiere of this emotionally stirring play inspired by real-life events.

Performances: Thursday-Saturday at 7:30pm, Saturdays & Sundays at 3pm

No Saturday matinee on opening (1/23)

*Saturday, January 20th, 2027 Pay What You Choice Preview听

*Friday January 22th, 2027 听Industry Preview

*Saturday, January 23rd, 2027 Opening Night Celebration

*Friday, January 29th, 2027 听In Company: LGBTQ+ Affinity Nights - Beginning this season, Theatre Lab will offer the newest program, In Company: LGBTQ Affinity Nights. A select performance during the run of each MainStage production will offer discounted tickets for LGBTQ+ focused non-profit partner organizations. pre-show networking receptions, and post-show discussions related to the themes in the work. Designed to engage audiences beyond the stage, In Company seeks to foster a space for shared discovery to build deeper connections and allyship in our community.

Based on the true and only recently unearthed story of Elizebeth Smith Friedman, whose study of Shakespeare uncannily led to a storied career as one of the country鈥檚 first codebreakers, influencing the outcome of two world wars, and (along with her husband) laying the foundation for the science of cryptology and modern encryption techniques used to this day by the NSA, FBI, and CIA. Was it because of her covert work and existence that most Americans had never heard of her? Or did someone bury her contributions in an effort to steal credit for themself?

Ken Weitzman, creator of the non-traditional theatrical experience, The Happiness Gym, which enjoyed the start of its own NNPN Rolling World Premiere at our inaugural Owl New Play Festival, is back for another festival and another world premiere. This epic-tale follows the life and career of one of the first American codebreakers, whose contributions helped the US win WWI and WW2 even though most Americans have never heard of her.

Performances: Thursday-Saturday at 7:30pm, Saturdays & Sundays at 3pm

No Saturday matinee on opening (4/10)

*Saturday, April 7th, 2027 Pay What You Choice Preview听

*Friday April 9th, 2027 Industry Preview

*Saturday, April 4th, 2027 Opening Night Celebration

*Thursday, April 15, 2027 听In Company: LGBTQ+ Affinity Nights - Beginning this season, Theatre Lab will offer the newest program, In Company: LGBTQ Affinity Nights. A select performance during the run of each MainStage production will offer discounted tickets for LGBTQ+ focused non-profit partner organizations. pre-show networking receptions, and post-show discussions related to the themes in the work. Designed to engage audiences beyond the stage, In Company seeks to foster a space for shared discovery to build deeper connections and allyship in our community.

---

Themes & Threads: New Play + Real Life

An Adult Education and Enrichment Initiative

Theatre Lab鈥檚 newest series seeks to engage theatre-goers, area professionals, and anyone interested in a deeper exploration into the new work being presented onstage. Helmed by Director of Education & Outreach, Jill Carr, the series offers lectures, workshops, discussions, and activities adjacent to the themes & topics explored in MainStage productions.

Jewish Migration Pre-WWII

Tuesday January 19, 7pm-8pm

Cost: $15

All about the Owl New Play Festival!听

Tuesday March 23, 7pm-8pm

This is a FREE Event听

Bites & Insights - 听The Matilda Effect: Women Erased from History

Saturday April 17, 11:30am - 2:30pm听

Join us for a lunch and interactive discussion!

Cost: $35

The Owl New Play Festival Keynote Address

Date: Saturday, April 24, 12:00pm-1:30pm

A leading artist in the new play industry shares the importance of new play development. Speaker to be announced in the spring.

Cost: $15

---

Ticket Information:

Packages

MainStage Opening Night Celebration Package: All opening nights (VIRGINIA 12/5/26, Sheltered 1/23/27, and Recognition 4/10/27), including pre and post-show receptions: $189 ($225 value)

Get Tickets

MainStage Season Subscription Packages: All three MainStage productions (VIRGINIA, Sheltered, Recognition): $149 ($180 value)

Joanna Castle Miller鈥檚 Bad Faith Trilogy Add-On: See the full trilogy by adding on INFERNA and CONVERSA for an additional $99 ($120 value)

Individual Ticket Prices

Heckscher Theatre for Families Tickets

$25 for adults, up to 1 child free with each adult purchase.

Additional child tickets $5.

Mainstage Series

Opening Night Celebrations: $75 (includes a pre & post-show reception)

Individual Tickets: $60

If you love new work in American theatre, now there is Theatre Lab,the professional resident company of 吃瓜网.

Established in 2015 on the Boca Raton campus, Theatre Lab's mission is to inspire, develop, and produce new work, audiences, and artists for the American Theatre.

For tickets please visit or call 561-297-6124.

Please note that there will be a processing fee for all FAU College of Arts and Letters tickets purchased online, by phone, at the Student Union Box Office and walk up on day of event. *

*Processing fee does not apply to student tickets, group tickets, subscription/season tickets, Ambassador of the Arts tickets, and Theatre Lab Alliance Member tickets at Theatre Lab shows.