Harvard Theater: Spring 2026 Season Preview

Spanning biting comedy, contemporary drama, and bold new student work, Harvard’s Spring 2026 theater season brings an ambitious lineup to the Loeb Ex, Agassiz Theatre, and beyond. Whether one is in the mood for psychological warfare, sketch comedy, immigrant narratives, or high school satire, there’s something on stage for everyone this semester.

“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”

Edward Albee’s classic kicks off the spring season at the Loeb Ex. After a faculty party, George and Martha invite a younger couple over for a late-night drink, and what begins as small talk spirals into brutal psychological games. As the alcohol flows, illusion and reality blur in a vicious exploration of marriage, ambition, and truth.

“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” ran at the Loeb Ex from Feb. 26 to March 1.

“SKETCH! (a sketch comedy show)”

If one is craving comedy, “SKETCH!” delivers an evening of short-form humour written by Kathleen Benson ’26, Aidan Kohn-Murphy ’26, and others, and directed by Lara Berliner ’27. With multiple writers and performers, the show promises a fast-paced mix of styles and comedic voices.

“SKETCH! (a sketch comedy show)” runs at the Loeb Ex from March 6 to March 8.

“The Crane Wife’s Return of a Favor”

An original musical with book and lyrics by Carolyn Y. Hao ’26 and music by Christian A. Yom ’27, this developmental production — set in Qing-dynasty Manchuria — reimagines the Japanese folktale of the crane wife. Directed by Alicia C. Chu ’28, the show blends myth and music in a new student-created work.

A reading of “The Crane Wife’s Return of a Favor” will run at the Loeb Ex on March 12.

“Asian Women I Know”

Presented by the Asian Student Arts Project and written by Mira H. Jiang ’26, this one-act play unfolds over a dim sum dinner among five friends. Through vignettes of past memories woven through the meal’s conversation, the characters confront vulnerability, cultural tension, and the immigrant experience while exploring what it means to belong — or to be excluded — from the communities they inhabit.

“Asian Women I Know” runs at the Agassiz Theater from March 25 to March 29.

“RENT!”

Jonathan Larson’s rock musical tells the story of artists and friends struggling with love, loss, and survival in New York City’s East Village. Directed by Riley B. T. Jackson ’27, “RENT!” anchors the middle of the semester.

“RENT!” runs at the Adams Pool Theater from April 1 to April 5.

“Sanctuary City”

Written by Pulitzer Prize winner Martyna Majok and directed by Jocelyn E. Shek ’27, “Sanctuary City” follows two immigrants navigating the uncertainties of documentation, belonging, and survival in America. Intimate and urgent, the play centers friendship against the backdrop of shifting immigration policy.

“Sanctuary City” runs at the Loeb Ex from April 2 to April 5.

“Mean Girls”

With a book by Tina Fey, lyrics by Nell D. Benjamin ’93, and music by Jeff Richmond, “Mean Girls” brings North Shore High’s social hierarchy to the Agassiz stage. Directed by Lola “Lollie” McKenzie ’26, the musical adaptation of the 2004 film follows Cady Heron as she navigates the Plastics and the politics of popularity.

“Mean Girls” runs at the Agassiz Theater from April 8 to April 12.

“The Firm”

Written and directed by Ihechikarageme M. Munonye ’26 with music by Sage W. Shurman ’27, “The Firm” is an original student production. A one-act dystopian and experimental comedy, “The Firm” follows an office worker, Normal Guy, confined in a world of scripted speech and surface-level courtesy, as he explores agency, bodily autonomy, and how humanity can be preserved.

“The Firm” runs at the Loeb Ex from April 16 to April 19.

“Yellow Face”

David Henry Hwang’s Tony Award winning satire takes on questions of race, authorship, and representation in American theater. Directed by Ria S. Cuéllar-Koh ’26, “Yellow Face” blends autofiction and sharp comedy in a meta-theatrical exploration of identity and casting controversies.

“Yellow Face” runs at the Loeb Ex from April 30 to May 3.

First Year Musical: “A Stage Awaits”

An annual tradition entirely written, composed, directed, and produced by Harvard freshmen, the First Year Musical: “A Stage Awaits” continues the legacy of original student theater. This year features book by Katherine K. Chung ’29, lyrics by Dylan McElhinney ’29, and music by Kalashree V. Vyas ’29.

First Year Musical: “A Stage Awaits” runs at the Agassiz Theater from April 30 to May 3.

“No Exit”

Jean-Paul Sartre’s existential classic comes to the Cambridge Queen’s Head Pub, offering an intimate setting for the famously unsettling declaration that “Hell is other people.” Trapped together in a single room, three strangers confront their pasts — and each other — in a tense exploration of guilt, self-deception, and the impossibility of escape.

“No Exit” runs at the Cambridge Queen’s Head Pub from April 23 to April 25.

—Staff writer Erlisa Demneri can be reached at [email protected].