When Zach Theater unveiled its 2026–27 season to a packed house this spring, season ticket holders, subscribers, and friends of the theater gathered to see what stories would take the stage next.

But the evening also highlighted something less visible, but just as important to Austin's cultural landscape. As a professional producing theater, every Zach production is handmade right here in Austin.

Unlike touring shows that stop in a city for a few performances, Zach's productions are cast, designed, built, rehearsed, and brought to life on its South Lamar campus. The work audiences experience on stage, and throughout the community, is made possible by local artists, designers, technicians, craftspeople, educators, and administrators. Costumes are stitched here. Sets are built here. Students are inspired here. The work that Zach Theater produces is the product of hundreds of Central Texans working together.

In fact, it takes more than 100 artists and over 13,000 hours of work to bring a single production in the Topfer Theater from first rehearsal to opening night. Across an entire season, that represents a remarkable investment in Austin's creative workforce. This year alone, Zach Theater will invest more than $5 million in local creative talent, making it one of the largest employers of artists in Central Texas.

That investment allows Zach to do something unique: produce fan-favorite shows that audiences already know and love while also serving as a home for groundbreaking new work.

The 2026–27 season will feature beloved musicals and plays including The Color Purple, The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, and Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. It also continues Zach's commitment to bringing acclaimed contemporary works to Austin. Next season, Bess Wohl’s new play Liberation will take the Zach stage, fresh off the 2026 Pulitzer Prize win for Drama and Tony Award win for Best Play. The new season also includes Go, Dog. Go! | Ve Perro ¡Ve!, a beloved children’s book adapted into a bilingual production that expands access to live theater in both English and Spanish for children and families, reflecting Zach’s ongoing commitment to bilingual storytelling.

That commitment to the Austin community includes not only what plays on stage, but who gets to experience it.

Last season, Zach subsidized more than $1 million in tickets, making live theater accessible to more than 45,000 students and families through free or deeply discounted admission. More than 25,000 students from 243 schools attended a Zach production on a field trip, including nearly 12,000 students from 115 Title I schools. With growing support from donors and community partners, Zach is also bringing back sensory friendly performances, ensuring that even more Austinites can experience the joy of live theater in an inclusive environment.

These investments not only entertain and engage audiences, but also create jobs, cultivate local talent, expand access to the arts, and contribute to the cultural vitality that makes Austin an extraordinary city.

As Zach Theater looks forward to another season of bold storytelling and community impact, it builds on the belief that investing in the arts is investing in Austin’s future.

As our city continues to grow, the need for a thriving, sustainable investment in arts and culture becomes even more critical. When you support homegrown institutions like Zach Theater, you preserve the creative identity that draws people and businesses to Austin in the first place.