Lumen Repertory Theatre has revealed its lineup for the 2026 season, offering three productions that probe the complexities of conscience, authority and the stories we tell ourselves. Each piece in this “Challenging Season” pushes audiences to confront uncomfortable questions (emotionally, ethically and artistically) while showcasing Lumen Rep’s signature commitment to bold, intimate, professional theatre.
“The Fever” by Wallace Shawn
Feb. 20 to March 7
Babs’ Lab, CoRK Arts District
Directed by Noah Bennett
2026 begins with Wallace Shawn’s searing monologue “The Fever,” an unflinching examination of privilege, suffering and global moral responsibility. Delivered in an intensely personal setting, the play places audiences inside the spiraling conscience of an individual confronting the cost of comfort in a world marked by violence and inequality. Shawn’s work is a piercing, provocative confrontation, challenging viewers to consider complicity, empathy and the fragile narratives we use to justify our lives.
Blue carpet opening weekend and opening night afterparty on Feb. 20.
“The Pillowman” by Martin McDonagh
April 24 to May 9, 2026
WJCT Studio B
Directed by Joshua Britton Andrews
Late spring brings Martin McDonagh’s darkly comic masterpiece “The Pillowman.” Set in a totalitarian state, the story follows a writer whose macabre, imaginative and unsettling short stories mirror a series of real-world crimes. As interrogations spiral and truth blurs with invention, the play becomes a gripping, subversive exploration of censorship, trauma and the dangerous power of storytelling. “The Pillowman” examines how art can both wound and liberate, and how fear shapes the narratives societies permit or suppress.
Blue carpet opening weekend and opening night afterparty on April 24.
“Antigone (Unmasked)”
An original adaptation by Lumen Repertory Theatre
Oct. 9-24
Betsy Lovett Hall, Church of the Good Shepherd
Directed by Brian Niece
The 2026 season concludes with “Antigone (Unmasked),” a daring new contemporary reimagining of Sophocles’ enduring tragedy. This original adaptation strips the story to its elemental conflict: the individual vs. the state, moral duty vs. political authority and the cost of unwavering conviction.
In a landmark step for the company, this production marks the debut of Lumen Rep’s Apprentice Company, expanding the theatre’s NEXTGen initiative by integrating emerging artists into the creative process alongside a fully professional cast. Through visceral staging, ritual-inspired movement, and a contemporary lens, “Antigone (Unmasked)” reveals how the ancient world’s battles over power, justice and identity still echo today, while cultivating the next generation of theatre-makers on the First Coast.
Blue carpet opening weekend and opening night afterparty on Oct. 9.
“In our first three seasons, Lumen Rep has expanded the artistic conversation on the First Coast through intimate, professional and often provocative theatre,” said Lumen Repertory Theatre Artistic Director Brian Niece. “For 2026, we are leaning into the kind of work that asks something of its audience emotionally, thoughtfully and communally. These productions challenge, question and illuminate, all while affirming the power of live performance to reshape how we see our world.”
Tickets and season subscriptions are on sale now at www.lumenrep.org. Single tickets will be available at least six weeks before each production.
Lumen Repertory Theatre is Northeast Florida’s definitive theatre experience and only Equity-affiliated repertory theatre company. Illuminating empty spaces with possibilities through bold, professional productions, Lumen Repertory Theatre is committed to collaborating with established professional artists and technicians, cultivating emerging professional talent, and creating a sustainable vision for this region’s cultural fabric.
