Santa Maria Civic Theatre has announced its 2026-27 schedule of performances, starting off with local playwright Ben Abbott‘s “haunted rom-com” Grave Mistakes August 14-30. Where Nobody Knows Your Name, penned by another local playwright, Weston Scott, is on the bill as well for a readers theatre production next April 9-11.
“We really are excited about the variety of this season’s shows and the opportunities for actors of different ages,” according to SMCT president Lynda Mondragon. “We hope that this year we can steadily build our membership and grow our pool of performers, directors and volunteers.”
The 68th season for “The Little Theatre Off Broadway” also includes a mystery, another readers theatre production, and three musicals:
- Bat Boy: The Musical | October 9-25
- She Kills Monsters (Readers Theatre) by Qui Nguyen | November 13-15
- The Last Five Years | January 15-31, 2027
- And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie | March 5-21, 2027
- Dear Evan Hansen | May 14-30, 2027
“We have stepped up our game in the past 10 years,” Mondragon says. “Previous to 2016 we were not really considering musicals. In 2016 I proposed Seussical the Musical where we eventually cast 27 people, many of which were children and had some great audiences and interest.”
The season after that, SMCT produced Hairspray, which set the community theatre on course for one or two musicals each season. “Spacing and choosing smaller musicals in quieter slots has really proved successful for us,” Mondragon says. “While we love musicals, we try and have a variety of shows for all tastes to round out those seasons.”
Deciding on a season’s worth of productions involves input from the community as well as the organization’s board of directors.
“Our season is set in a process where we take community and member submissions of shows they would like to see on our stage,” Mondragon says. “We have a readers theater committee that reads the submissions and rates them, then later in the season they present their findings to the board, and based on their recommendations and board discussion the season is decided based on practical logistics and if the rights are available. Sometimes we have to wait for shows we’ve voted on until the rights return for use.”
Mondragon explains that by the time the season is set, most of the directors already have been recruited. “We tend to favor shows that have passionate directors who have a vision for the production,” she says. “This season we are excited to give some newer directors a chance to grow their skills.”