Looking for theatre in Flagstaff or unique things to do in downtown Flagstaff? Discover the Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival’s 2026 Season—featuring classics, new works, and expanded programming for children and seniors. From To Be Young, Gifted, and Black to Much Ado About Dinosaurs, this season brings unforgettable stories to Northern Arizona’s stages under the stars.
Flagstaff, AZ — 9/28/2025 — The Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival, affectionately known as FlagShakes, is proud to announce its 2026 Season—a lineup of productions and programs that reaffirm the company’s mission to create actor-driven theatre that fosters empathy, strengthens community, and celebrates the enduring power of live performance.
Each year, FlagShakes returns to Shakespeare and other great playwrights because their words continue to open us to one another. Theatre in Flagstaff is not just entertainment—it is a call to compassion, to understanding, and to building a more connected world.
Theatre in Flagstaff: A Celebration of Humanity
This year’s plays invite audiences to wrestle with timeless questions of power, loyalty, laughter, and love, all while enjoying the rich tradition of Elizabethan staging practices alongside contemporary voices. Together, the season embodies FlagShakes’ commitment to presenting classics with vitality and relevance while nurturing new works and new perspectives.
Performances will unfold under Flagstaff’s iconic dark skies, bringing together residents and visitors alike to experience the unique magic of live theatre in Northern Arizona. For locals and visitors seeking theatre in Flagstaff, the 2026 season offers an unforgettable way to connect through stories that matter.
As Lorraine Hansberry once wrote, it is still not unthinkable that the human race might do what the apes never will: impose the reason for life on life. That vision of resilience and possibility is at the heart of FlagShakes’ work—creating theatre that helps us imagine not only who we are, but who we might yet become.
Expanding Programs for All Ages
In 2026, FlagShakes will also expand two of its most beloved community offerings:
- Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA): With fresh interactive performances designed especially for children and families, FlagShakes will bring Shakespeare and original plays to schools and community spaces across Northern Arizona.
- Senior Center Programming: Building on last year’s successful initiatives, FlagShakes will deepen its partnerships with local senior centers, ensuring that theatre remains accessible, joyful, and enriching for older community members.
These programs are more than outreach; they are part of a promise to weave theatre into the fabric of Flagstaff life, across generations. Everyone—whether 8 or 80—deserves to feel the spark of empathy and wonder that live theatre can ignite.
Things to Do in Downtown Flagstaff: FlagShakes Performances
Now celebrating over a decade of stability and innovation, FlagShakes continues to grow as the only professional theatre company in Northern Arizona. With award-winning productions, collaborative partnerships, and a steadfast focus on accessibility, the company serves as a cultural cornerstone for Flagstaff and beyond.
This year’s offerings also highlight things to do in Flagstaff for audiences of all ages, including downtown events. Productions such as To Be Young, Gifted, and Black and the family-friendly adventure Much Ado About Dinosaurs make FlagShakes a must-see for anyone seeking things to do in downtown Flagstaff that are both meaningful and entertaining.
The 2026 season is made possible by the generosity of donors, volunteers, and partners who share the vision of a thriving arts community. FlagShakes invites audiences to gather, to witness, and to carry the stories forward—because in theatre, as in life, empathy is our most powerful guide.
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