IF Theatre Announces 2026/2027 Spotlight Season

Best known as the home of the IndyFringe Festival presented by Everwise Credit Union, IF Theatre is Indy’s cultural hub for “what’s next” in the performing arts. Throughout the past five years alone, they have hosted nearly 60 unique producing theatre companies for over 2,000 performances. Their roster of shows has included everything from the Western hemisphere’s only certified Rakugo performer to world-class comedy acts and a broad swath of Indiana, regional, and world premiere plays and musicals. In its upcoming season, IF Theatre embraces and reflects the joyous, eclectic, and welcoming atmosphere of the Festival, all year long.  

The 2026/2027 Spotlight Season will feature 16 unique events with varying styles, energies, and run-times. The variety of programming speaks to the varied taste of IndyFringe Festival guests, satisfying the wide array of needs for theatregoers in Indianapolis. “The IndyFringe Festival doesn’t have just one audience,” says Executive Director Paul Daily. “And neither does IF Theatre – but when I met with hundreds of our community members during my first 100 days, one thing truly stood out: that people love the wonder and surprise of the IndyFringe Festival. No matter what an audience member feels when they leave one show, they always enter the next one with the possibility that they could be discovering something truly magical. That’s the energy we’re grabbing on to this year.” 

Audiences can expect tried and true Spotlight Season favorites, like Lady Bits Comedy show, OnyxFest, and Defiance Comedy’s holiday musical, but they should also be prepared for an exciting mix of shows from first-time participants in the Spotlight Season program. Events in the season may run for three weekends or do as few as three performances, capturing that “you’ve got to be there” necessity of the annual Festival. Tickets will also range from $27 to as low as $13, with new subscription package options that keep a night of great entertainment as accessible as possible. 

See the full schedule of Spotlight Season productions below: 

• The House on Haunted Hill

  • A chilling horror play and mystery film screening with surprise guests, presented by Cryptid Entertainment

  • Oct. 16 - Nov. 01

  • The Basile Theatre at IF

• OnyxFest

  • A festival of new plays by black playwrights, presented by the Africana Repertory Theatre of IU Indianapolis

  • Nov. 05 - Nov. 08

  • The Basile Theatre at IF

• Dance Nation by Clare Barron

  • A blazingly original dark dark comedy where ambition and femininity daringly intersect for a troupe of pre-teen dancers

  • Nov. 11 - 15

  • The Basile Theatre at IF

• Jason Adams Presents: Face Your Fears

  • A hilarious comedy experience where artists boldly challenge their performance skills, presented by Jason Adams

  • Nov. 13-14 & Apr. 23-24

  • The Blackbox at IF 

• Lady Bits Comedy Show

  • A mix of stand-up, improv, and sketch comedy featuring a rotating cast of women comedians, presented by Betty Rage Productions

  • Nov. 20-21, Jan. 15-16, Mar. 19-20, May 21-22

  • The Blackbox at IF

• The Misfits

  • An original holiday musical by Defiance Comedy

  • Dec. 04 - 20

  • The Basile Theatre at IF

• Microbiomes

  • A comedy showcase centering LGBTQ and BIPOC comedians, produced by local comedian Wyatt McKinley

  • Dec. 04-05 & Jun. 18-19

  • The Blackbox at IF Theatre 

• The Sellouts

  • A new dramedy about the complexities of adult friendship by local playwright and freelance writer, Emily Worrell

  • Jan. 08-24

  • The Basile Theatre at IF

• Evanston Salt Costs Climbing

  • Rising costs. Colder winters. Personal meltdowns. In Will Arbery’s unique off-beat comedy, a crew of lovable municipal misfits struggles to keep the roads - and their own lives - from skidding out of control. Presented by American Lives Theatre

  • Feb. 02 - 21

  • The Basile Theatre at IF

• Winning Ways

  • A 1931 Abbey Theatre production lovingly revived by The Morrigan Theatre Co. 

  • Mar. 05-14

  • The Basile Theatre at IF

• FemmeFest

  • A weekend-long celebration of women-led theatre projects, produced in partnership with Betty Rage Productions 

  • Mar. 25-28

  • The Basile Theatre at IF 

• Fellow Travelers: A New Musical

  • A new musical about the unexpected power of shared experiences, presented by the Emmy award-winning writer and director, Jonathan Frazier.

  • Apr. 02-18 

  • The Basile Theatre at IF 

• Endgame 

  • Samuel Beckett’s absurdist family drama, reimagined by Catalyst Repertory 

  • Apr. 08-18 

  • The Blackbox at IF 

• The Mandate for Lysistrata Beyond the Sky

  • An afro-futurist musical adaptation of Lysistrata written and produced by The Skye Webb Walker Simulation

  • Apr. 30 - May 16

  • The Basile at IF 

• If Pretty Girls Could Talk

  • A coming-of-age drama written and produced by Jadah Rowan 

  • May 21 - May 30

  • The Blackbox at IF 

• Bigfoot Saves the Universe 

  • The final camp comedy play in the Bigfoot trilogy, produced by Cryptid Entertainment

  • May 28 - Jun. 13

  • The Basile Theatre at IF 

• The IndyFringe Festival presented by Everwise Credit Union 

  • An 11 day festival of incredible entertainment from across the globe

  • Aug. 12-22

TICKET INFO:

Adult tickets for Spotlight Season shows range from $13 - $27 

Student/Senior/Veteran tickets range from $13 - $22 

Season passes are available

• 5-show Flex Pass - $100

  • 5 tickets to any Spotlight Season performance 

• Blackbox Bundle - $85/$60

  • Face Your Fears, Lady Bits Comedy Show, Microbiomes, Endgame, if pretty girls could talk

• Basile Bundle - $175/$145

  • The House on Haunted Hill, Dance Nation, Defiance Comedy’s Holiday Musical, The Sellouts, Evanston Salt Costs Climbing, Winning Ways, Fellow Travelers, The Mandate for Lysistrata Beyond the Skye, Bigfoot Saves the Universe

• Festival50 Pass - $50

  • All performances in either OnyxFest or FemmeFest