{"id":2388154,"date":"2026-04-24T22:28:55","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T22:28:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2388154"},"modified":"2026-04-24T22:28:55","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T22:28:55","slug":"shadowland-stages-2026-season-blends-new-plays-classic-comedy-and-music-in-ellenville","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/shadowland-stages-2026-season-blends-new-plays-classic-comedy-and-music-in-ellenville\/","title":{"rendered":"Shadowland Stages\u2019 2026 Season Blends New Plays, Classic Comedy, and Music in Ellenville"},"content":{"rendered":"

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For a company entering its fifth decade, Shadowland Stages<\/a> shows no signs of settling into repertory comfort. The Ellenville institution\u2019s 2026 season\u2014its 41st\u2014leans into what artistic director Brendan Burke describes as \u201ca very Shadowland mix of plays and musicals,\u201d a lineup that balances new work, familiar titles, and music-driven crowd-pleasers.<\/p>\n

The season opens with \u201cThe Reservoir\u201d (May 29-June 14), a recent off-Broadway play that arrives in Ellenville almost immediately after its New York run. The story follows a young man forced to leave NYU and return home to Denver to confront alcoholism, only to find unexpected connection with his grandparents. \u201cIt\u2019s hopeful, it\u2019s funny, and in its own way, very profound,\u201d Burke says, pointing to the play\u2019s exploration of \u201cconnection across generations.\u201d The choice signals Shadowland\u2019s ongoing commitment to contemporary writing that resonates beyond the moment.<\/p>\n

From there, Shadowland pivots to theatrical sleight-of-hand with \u201cAround the World in 80 Days\u201d (June 19-July 12), adapted from Jules Verne\u2019s adventure novel. Staged in the company\u2019s Studio space, the production uses a small cast to play dozens of roles\u2014a device familiar to audiences who caught the company\u2019s 2023 production of \u201cThe 39 Steps.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s a very theatrical family show,\u201d Burke says, \u201cwhere a small company of actors take on all the characters and adventures of that story,\u201d staged in the round for immediacy and invention.<\/p>\n