Tony Awards: Gabriel Ebert talks ‘John Proctor Is the Villain’
Gabriel Ebert says the future of American theater is in great hands at the Tony Awards red carpet.
- In addition to offering entertainment, The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio’s 2026-27 season aims to spark community conversation.
- The season will open Sept. 17 with “Jagged Little Pill: The Musical,” based on Alanis Morissette’s 1995 album.
- The shows, suggested for ages 13 and older, explore themes including race, gender, sexual assault, addiction, and immigration.
Whether the theme is traditional or topical, a show by The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio is likely to be a launchpad to meaningful conversation.
The company’s productions provoke thought while providing entertainment, leading to healthy attendance at post-show talkbacks, moderated panels and other events.
Producing artistic director Leda Hoffmann couldn’t be more elated about these opportunities to engage with the community, artists to audience.
“I’m excited about the way people stick around afterward; they kind of consider it Act Two. People are curious and want to learn more,” she said.
“People really want to share a personal connection. What a beautiful thing to trust us with.”
Hoffmann hopes that theatergoers will be talking about The Contemporary’s 2026-27 season, which will begin with the fiery, Tony Award-winning “Jagged Little Pill: The Musical.”
Inspired by the landmark 1995 album by Alanis Morissette, the book by Diablo Cody (“Juno”) follows a seemingly perfect white family with an adopted Black daughter. Buried tensions are unearthed as they come to grips with issues of race, sexual orientation, gender identity, sexual assault, and addiction.
The jukebox musical features hits from the album including “Ironic,” “You Oughta Know,” “Head Over Feet,” “You Learn,” and “Hand in My Pocket,” as well as newer material.
Hoffmann believes the familiarity of the songs will be a big draw to the season opener.
“I’m always looking for plays that are going to capture people’s attention. ‘Jagged Little Pill’ felt like the right show for that,” she said.
“(Morissette) helped revolutionize what it means to be a rock artist as a woman. Everyone will come in knowing the music, but not the way it’s used to tell the story.”
“Jagged Little Pill,” which will run Sept. 17-Oct. 4, is recommended for ages 13 and older, as are the other shows in the upcoming season. All performances will be in the studios at the Riffe Center, 77 S. High St.
More shows to spark dialogue
The Contemporary’s 2026-27 season will continue with the following productions:
‘Eureka Day’
Nov. 7–22
Winner of the 2025 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play, this biting satire revolves around a progressive private school where inclusion is prized above all else – until a mumps outbreak causes a clash over the school’s liberal vaccine policy.
“It asks the big question of how you talk to people whose opinions are different than yours. It’s a chance to laugh at the way we fail to talk to each other while also figuring out how to communicate,” Hoffmann said.
‘A Christmas Carol’
Dec. 11-20
Angela Iannone will return for the fourth year to portray every character in the Dickens classic during her one-actor performance.
“We just keep finding people who love to make this part of their holiday season,” Hoffmann said.
‘John Proctor is the Villain’
Feb. 27-March 14, 2027
Fresh from a 2025 Broadway run that earned seven Tony nominations, the play centers on a group of young women in a small Southern town who begin to question patriarchal power and abuse as their English class reads “The Crucible.”
“This is one of my favorite plays; I directed it at Case Western before it was well-known. The fact that we have the rights to do this in Columbus, I’m beyond thrilled,” Hoffmann said.
“It’s a simple story about young women at the height of the #MeToo movement. They start to question the adults around them as they’re trying to figure out who they are amid the ideas they’ve been taught about gender and sexuality.”
‘Where the Mountain Meets the Sea’
May 1-16, 2027
This touching drama explores family, legacy and connection as a son retraces his Haitian immigrant parents’ trip from Miami to California, seeking to understand his father’s America. Along the way, he discovers the music of the Appalachian South that reminded his father of home.
Hoffmann said the “beautiful and poetic” production will be enhanced by live musicians playing Haitian and Appalachian folk music and emphasized the timeliness of the subject matter.
“This play raises a lot of questions like, ‘What does “America” mean?’ ‘What are the dreams of new Americans for their kids?’” she said.
“We’re excited to be telling the story of Haitian immigrants knowing the story of the many Haitian immigrants in Ohio.”
How and when to buy tickets
The Contemporary offers reserved seating for all productions.
The four-show Classic subscription, which goes on sale April 3, will cost $199, which includes one ticket to each non-holiday production. “A Christmas Carol” will be available as an add-on to the subscription package.
Individual tickets will be on sale in late spring.
Pay-What-You-Want previews and $20 student rush tickets are sold, subject to availability, at the CBUSArts ticket office, 77 S. High St., fourth floor, beginning two hours before each performance.
For more details, visit thecontemporaryohio.org/season-pass.
Contact features and entertainment reporter Belinda M. Paschal at [email protected].
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.dispatch.com ’
