At a neighborhood convenience store in Toronto, the shelves are stocked with more than snacks and everyday essentials. There are history lessons, unsolicited advice and a father’s hopes for his children—all served with a sharp sense of humor.

That world comes to Indianapolis when the Indiana Repertory Theatre presents Kim’s Convenience, October 20 through November 15, 2026, on the Janet Allen Stage. Presented by Corteva Agriscience, the production brings together IRT, Everyman Theatre in Baltimore and Portland Center Stage in Oregon for a story that finds both comedy and tenderness in the complicated business of being a family.

Before it became a beloved television series available on Netflix, Kim’s Convenience began as a stage play by Ins Choi. It won the Toronto Fringe Festival’s New Play Contest in 2011 and sold out all eight performances of its festival run. Its appeal rests in a combination that travels well beyond its Toronto setting: sharp wit, generational friction and the desire to feel understood by the people closest to us.

At the center of the story is Mr. Kim, a first-generation Korean immigrant who has spent more than 30 years behind the counter of his convenience store in Toronto’s Regent Park neighborhood. Alongside ketchup-flavored potato chips, he dispenses acerbic yet fatherly wisdom, maintaining a business that is deeply connected to his family and the surrounding community.

But the neighborhood is changing. Condominiums and big-box stores are reshaping its identity, leaving Mr. Kim to confront an uncertain future. At home, the growing distance between his dreams and his children’s adds another layer of tension. What happens when the life a parent has worked to build no longer matches the future their children imagine?

Directed by IRT Associate Artistic Director cara hinh, the production explores those questions with humor and compassion.

“My hope for everyone who sees this show,” said hinh, “is that after spending some time with the Kim family and the community they serve and love, you can share some of the lessons of care and compassion with your own neighbors.”

That sense of connection extends beyond the family at the center of the play. The convenience store is also a gathering place, where everyday exchanges reveal how people coexist, misunderstand one another and build relationships. Against a changing neighborhood, those encounters give the story a broader resonance while keeping it rooted in the rhythms of daily life.

The production arrives in Indianapolis following a nearly monthlong engagement at Everyman Theatre, where it earned praise from audiences and critics. All five actors will make their IRT debuts, introducing local theatergoers to a new ensemble. Following its Indianapolis run, the production will open at Portland Center Stage in January 2027.

Kim’s Convenience is the second of IRT’s four co-productions with fellow League of Resident Theatres members during the 2026–2027 season. These partnerships allow theaters to share resources, provide longer contracts for creative teams and bring their work to audiences in multiple cities.

IRT will also offer programming that invites audiences to engage more deeply with the production. A Community Conversation will explore racial solidarity and tension across minoritized communities, while Artist Conversations will offer a behind-the-scenes perspective from the people bringing the show to life.

Accessibility programming includes an American Sign Language-interpreted and audio-described performance, along with a sensory-friendly performance. Dates and details are available through the theater.

For Indianapolis audiences, Kim’s Convenience offers an evening of laughter with something meaningful underneath: a portrait of a family navigating change, a father wrestling with his expectations and a community whose everyday connections matter.

Kim’s Convenience runs October 20–November 15, 2026, at the Indiana Repertory Theatre, 140 W. Washington Street. Performances take place on the Janet Allen Stage. The play runs approximately 90 minutes with no intermission, and tickets start at $27. For tickets, performance times and supplemental programming, visit IRTlive.com.