Bowling Green and Southern Kentucky are heading into the deepest fall theater calendar the region has had in years. Eight producing organizations, four of them with full announced seasons running into summer 2027, a university department with a mainstage and a lab series, a youth theater pipeline that has put kids on the Carnegie Hall stage and into Governor’s School of the Arts, and school day matinees at three separate venues. Here’s what’s playing between now and next summer, with fall classes and registration deadlines underneath.
Last updated August 31st, 2026. Dates are confirmed at the time of publication; check directly with the company before driving.
Upcoming Shows
Perfect Wedding
Public Theatre of Kentucky · September 4–13, 2026 · 545 Morris Alley
Robin Hawdon’s farce, and PTK’s season opener. The big day has arrived, and in a few hours Bill and Rachel will be married. Then Bill wakes up in the bridal suite with a hangover, no memory of the night before, and a stranger in the bed beside him. What follows is a two-weekend run of increasingly desperate improvisation. Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m. ptkbg.org.
How to Train Your Dragon the Musical JR
Xclaim! · September 18–27, 2026 · Xclaim! Center, 502 College Street
Xclaim!’s fall mainstage, adapted from the DreamWorks film. Hiccup is a young Viking who breaks with everything his village believes and befriends the dragon he names Toothless, and the two of them end up trying to save both their worlds. About 70 minutes plus one intermission. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m., across two weekends. Tickets are $12 adults, $9 seniors, students and teachers, $6 for kindergarten and under, general admission, on sale beginning September 1. Doors open 30 minutes before curtain.
School day performances are Tuesday, September 22 at 9 a.m. and noon, $5 per student with one free chaperone ticket per ten students. The Xclaim! Center seats 150 and bus parking is on site. Reservation form at xclaiminc.com.
The Melting Pot
Fountain Square Players · September 24–27, 2026 · 313 State Street
Bowling Green’s community theatre opens its fall with a four-night run downtown. Fountain Square Players casts from the community and has been staging work in Bowling Green for decades. fountainsquareplayersbg.com.
Cabaret
WKU Theatre & Dance · October 23–27, 2026 · Russell H. Miller Theatre, Fine Arts Center
The Kander and Ebb musical, WKU’s fall mainstage. Book by Joe Masteroff, based on the John Van Druten play and the Christopher Isherwood stories. Bohemian Berlin at the moment Germany starts yielding to the Third Reich, staged with the daring the piece asks for. Recommended for mature audiences. Friday, Saturday, Monday and Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets $16 adults, $5 for any student, with the student discount selected from the pull-down menu in the shopping cart. wku.showare.com.
Ken Ludwig’s The Game’s Afoot
Fountain Square Players · November 12–15, 2026 · 313 State Street
Ken Ludwig’s comic thriller. William Gillette, the actor famous for playing Sherlock Holmes, invites his castmates to his castle for Christmas, and when one of them is stabbed the actor has to become the detective. fountainsquareplayersbg.com.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Zac Bush Productions · November 20–22, 2026 · Xclaim! Center, 502 College Street
Six overachieving adolescents spell their hearts out at a county bee, chaperoned by three grown-ups with their own unfinished business. Friday November 20 at 7 p.m., Saturday November 21 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Sunday November 22 at 2 p.m. Tickets at zacbushproductions.com.
WinterDance: Toyland!
WKU Dance Company · November 20–22, 2026 · Van Meter Auditorium
The WKU Dance Company’s holiday concert, with ballet, jazz, modern and tap choreography and a stage full of toys brought to life. Suitable for all ages. Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets $16, $5 for children and any student. A Toys for Tots drive runs at each performance, so bring a new unwrapped toy. wku.showare.com.
The Best Gift: A Christmas Carol Musical
Ramsey Theatre Company · December 5–6, 2026 · SKyPAC
Ramsey opens its 2026–2027 Greenwood Ford Lincoln Broadway Series with a musical take on Dickens. Ramsey casts nationally through New York auditions and online submissions alongside local and regional performers, with Orchestra Kentucky in the pit. Saturday December 5 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday December 6 at 3 p.m. theskypac.com.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Public Theatre of Kentucky · December 11–13, 2026 · 545 Morris Alley
Barbara Robinson’s holiday classic, and a PTK tradition now in its 24th year. The Herdman kids, the worst-behaved children in the history of the world, somehow get cast as the Holy Family in the church Christmas pageant. Funny, warm, and the right length for a December outing with a family of any size. Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m. ptkbg.org.
Misery
Ramsey Theatre Company · March 19–20, 2027 · SKyPAC
The stage adaptation of the Stephen King novel, and a sharp turn from the Christmas show. Two performances only, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. theskypac.com.
Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Ramsey Theatre Company · June 26–27, 2027 · SKyPAC
Ramsey closes its season with the full Disney musical. Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m. Season subscriptions are available by phone at 270.904.1880. theskypac.com.
School Day Performances
Three companies run daytime matinees built for classroom groups, all with advance reservation required.
Charlotte’s Web
BG OnStage · October 21–22, 2026 · SKyPAC
The 60-minute Joseph Robinette adaptation of E.B. White’s classic. Wilbur, Charlotte, the web full of words, and the friendship that saves a runt pig from the smokehouse. School day matinees are Wednesday October 21 at 9:30 a.m. and noon, and Thursday October 22 at 9:30 a.m.; the public performance is Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Reservations are $7 per person with one free adult ticket per ten students, and the deadline to book a class is October 14 at noon. theskypac.com.
Seussical, KIDS
BG OnStage · April 21–22, 2027 · SKyPAC
The 45-minute musical, with Horton, the Cat in the Hat, JoJo, Gertrude McFuzz, and the rest of the Seuss lineup compressed into a Whoville-shaped narrative. School day matinees Wednesday April 21 at 9:30 a.m. and noon, and Thursday April 22 at 9:30 a.m.; the public performance is Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Class booking deadline is April 14, 2027 at noon. theskypac.com.
How to Train Your Dragon the Musical JR
Xclaim! · September 22, 2026 · 502 College Street
Two school day showings at 9 a.m. and noon, 70 minutes, $5 per student. See the full listing above.
WKU Lab Theatre and Dance Series
Western Kentucky University’s Department of Theatre & Dance runs a full slate of short-form and student-driven work alongside the mainstage, most of it in the Lab Theatre at Gordon Wilson Hall and most of it under $10. Tickets through the Fine Arts Box Office, 270.745.3121, or wku.showare.com.
- Plays in a Day (Fall 2026): Saturday, September 5, 6 p.m., Lab Theatre. Several 10-minute plays written, directed and performed by students inside a 24-hour window, produced by the WKU chapter of Alpha Psi Omega. Free admission, donations appreciated, no online sales. Recommended for mature audiences.
- Two Short Plays: September 25 and 26, 7:30 p.m., Lab Theatre. The Thomas Paine Panther by T.J. Walsh, in which a student newspaper staff has its Best of/Worst of issue banned and uncovers something about its own sponsor, paired with big blue by Marissa Alaniz, about two women stranded in a knocked-loose submersible. $8, $5 for any student. Recommended for mature audiences.
- The Big Bad Bullysaurus: September 26 and 27, 2 p.m., Lab Theatre. Tommy Jamerson’s all-ages comedy about a paleontologist, a not-so-terrifying T-rex, and a lesson in empathy. $5 adults, $3 for children 12 and under. Part of the Theatre for Young Audiences series.
- Kick the Clock Dance Festival (Fall 2026): Saturday, October 10, 6 p.m., Lab Theatre. Choreographers and movers of all backgrounds race the clock to build short works, performed at the festival’s close. Tickets 1 for $3 or 2 for $5, cash or Venmo at the door only.
- Last Chance to Dance (Fall 2026): December 2 and 3, Russell H. Miller Theatre. Emerging student choreographers present original work in an informal showcase. $5, all seating unreserved.
Area Schools
High school and elementary productions across Warren County and nearby. These are drawn from production licensing listings rather than from the schools directly, so confirm dates and curtain times with the school before you go.
- Peter and the Starcatcher · Greenwood High School Auditorium · November 13–15, 2026
- Disney’s Alice in Wonderland Jr. · Goodnight Auditorium, Franklin · November 20–22, 2026
- Disney’s The Jungle Book Kids · Jennings Creek Elementary · February 18–19, 2027
- Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Jr. · Van Meter Auditorium · February 19–20, 2027
- Lerner and Loewe’s Brigadoon · Warren East High School Auditorium · March 11–13, 2027
- Disney’s Descendants · Impact Center · March 15–17, 2027
- Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical · Van Meter Auditorium · March 19–21, 2027
- Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Jr. · Warren East High School · April 22–24, 2027
Day Trips
Carrie: The Musical
Goldenrod Productions · October 16–17, 2026 · Franklin, KY (25 minutes from BG)
The Michael Gore, Dean Pitchford and Lawrence D. Cohen musical adaptation of the Stephen King novel, in a two-night run just down I-65.
The Haunting
Kentucky Shakespeare · September 30 – October 25, 2026 · 616 Myrtle Street, Old Louisville (75 minutes from BG)
Kentucky Shakespeare’s Halloween tradition, and this year a US premiere. Hugh Janes’ play, built out of Dickens’ ghost stories, has already toured the UK. David Filde takes a job cataloguing the library of a crumbling mansion and finds that something in the house does not want the work finished. Staged indoors at Kentucky Shakespeare’s own headquarters, about two hours with one intermission, rated PG-13 for ages 13 and up.
Performances are 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Note there are no matinees October 3 and 4 because of the St. James Court Art Show, with an added evening performance Sunday October 4. Tickets $30, with free parking on the side of the building and on Myrtle Street. kyshakespeare.com.
Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women
Kentucky Shakespeare · January 15–24, 2027 · Actors Theatre of Louisville, Pamela Brown Auditorium, 316 West Main Street (75 minutes from BG)
Kentucky Shakespeare returns to the Actors Theatre stage for the Louisville premiere of Lauren Gunderson’s adaptation, directed by Amy Attaway. Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy grow up in 19th century New England with their father away at war, and Gunderson pulls more of Alcott’s own language into the script than most versions do. Ten performances across two weekends: evenings at 7 p.m. and matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets go on sale November 1. kyshakespeare.com.
Coming back next summer
The Kentucky Shakespeare Festival in Central Park, the longest-running free Shakespeare festival in America, closed its 2026 season on August 9 and returns to the C. Douglas Ramey Amphitheater next summer. The Stephen Foster Story wrapped its 67th season at the J. Dan Talbott Amphitheater in Bardstown on August 8 and returns in summer 2027; watch stephenfoster.com for dates and the Broadway production running in repertory alongside it.
Fall Classes and Registration
Xclaim! Performance Academy
The fall semester runs through December 6, with classes meeting once a week for an hour and finishing with the WINTERFEST showcase. Registration is open through September 14, and students can join at ages 4 through adult. All classes at 502 College Street.
- Youth Acting (ages 7–10): Mondays, 5:30–6:30 p.m.
- Tween Acting (ages 10–13): Tuesdays, 5:30–6:30 p.m.
- Teen/Adult Acting (ages 13–adult): Wednesdays, 5:30–6:30 p.m.
- Dance (ages 7–18): Tuesdays, 6:30–7:30 p.m. Jazz and tap shoes required.
- Voice (ages 7–adult): Wednesdays, 4:30–5:30 p.m.
- WEE Theatre (ages 4–6): Tuesdays, 4:45–5:30 p.m., 45-minute sessions.
Registration forms, policies and online tuition payment at xclaiminc.com.
BG BackStage at SKyPAC
BG OnStage’s technical track, running alongside each production. Students work with the venue’s professional crew on set construction, design, lighting and sound. Spots are limited per show and the schedule can include afternoons outside the rehearsal calendar. Registration is $50 per production and opens alongside each show’s auditions. Interest forms to NBell@theSKYPAC.com. theskypac.com.
Summer camps
The 2026 camp season is finished. Public Theatre of Kentucky, Xclaim!, and BG OnStage all run summer programming, and registration typically opens in early spring with early-bird deadlines in May. PTK runs two one-week camps at 545 Morris Alley including an inclusive session that welcomes students on the autism spectrum alongside neurotypical and neurodiverse peers. Xclaim! runs the deepest lineup in town, from half-day intros for four-year-olds to three-week intensives that produce a full mainstage musical. BG OnStage runs a one-week mini-musical camp at SKyPAC. Watch each company’s site starting in February.
The Theater Groups
Public Theatre of Kentucky · 545 Morris Alley, Bowling Green · ptkbg.org
Fountain Square Players · community theatre · 313 State Street, Bowling Green · fountainsquareplayersbg.com
WKU Theatre & Dance · Fine Arts Box Office, 270.745.3121 · wku.showare.com
BG OnStage · resident youth theater of SKyPAC · theskypac.com
Ramsey Theatre Company · professional Broadway company at SKyPAC · theskypac.com
Xclaim! · Bowling Green Youth Theatre · 502 College Street · xclaiminc.com
Zac Bush Productions · zacbushproductions.com
Stephen Foster Drama Association · Bardstown · stephenfoster.com
Kentucky Shakespeare · Louisville · kyshakespeare.com
Have a show or camp we missed? Email BuyLocalBG@gmail.com and we’ll add it.