Celebrating its 45th anniversary, Ensemble Theatre Company (ETC) has announced a new and exciting lineup of shows coming up for the 2023-2024 season. Theater fanatics of Santa Barbara can look forward to having fits of laughter with the hit comedy The Thanksgiving Play and sing along to their favorite classic country tunes at Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash. Soon after, Santa Barbara will have the chance to take inspiration from the biopic The Pianist of Willesdane Lane, experience the Central Coast premiere of Tony Award–winning play The Lehman Trilogy, and finally, fall in love with the new romantic comedy Alice, Formerly of Wonderland.
“This season marks not only the company’s 45th anniversary of presenting theater in Santa Barbara, but also the 10th season from our home, the New Vic,” said Managing Director Scott DeVine about the upcoming season. “Our Sapphire Season is a time to celebrate the organization’s rich history through the lens of these legendary stories. We look forward to sharing this amazing season with our community.”
To kick off the new season in fall, ETC will perform the insightful comedy The Thanksgiving Play by Larissa FastHorse. A current showstopper on Broadway, the hilarious satire follows a “woke” theater troupe of white individuals hurrying to put on the first politically correct Thanksgiving play for Native American Heritage Month. The Thanksgiving Play runs October 5-22 and is a wickedly funny way to celebrate the upcoming holiday.