Kikora Franklin: Centre Stage 2026–27 reveals how theater connects with humanity

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. —The Penn State Centre Stage 2026–27 season embraces the idea that there is no single way to tell a story — or to experience theater.

“The season moves across genres and styles, inviting audiences to encounter familiar forms alongside contemporary voices and new perspectives,” said Kikora Franklin, professor and director of the School of Theatre and Penn State Centre Stage. “Each production offers its own world, its own questions and its own invitation to connect.”

The Centre Stage Sneak Preview will offer audiences an exclusive look at the productions, artists and experiences that will shape the coming season. The annual event will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, on the Olsan-Stone Terrace outside the Theatre Building on the University Park campus. The rain location is the adjacent School of Music Recital Hall.

Visit Penn State Centre Stage for more information about the season productions and to purchase tickets.

Penn State Centre Stage is the professional arm of the School of Theatre in the College of Arts and Architecture.

With the season theme “Out of Many — One,” the stories presented invite audiences to consider how theatre connects people from all walks out life, Franklin said. The theme reflects the larger purpose of the arts within a university community and society at large, bringing together different perspectives, experiences and voices to create something that can be shared.

“That philosophy is reflected in our 2026–27 season that intentionally embraces variety — as an invitation to explore the many ways theater can move, challenge, uplift and connect us,” Franklin said.

Centre Stage provides a professional experience

Penn State is a place of discovery — a community where students and faculty ask questions, challenge assumptions, conduct research, test ideas and pursue knowledge, Franklin said. The arts are an essential part of that ecosystem because artists engage in their own forms of inquiry and discovery.

“I believe creativity is the catalyst for invention and imagination. The arts and design areas inspire us to experiment, to discover and to see the world differently,” Franklin said. “They teach us lessons about collaboration, discipline, discovery and humanity — values that are foundational to Penn State and our broader society.”

For Penn State students, Centre Stage provides an environment in which classroom learning meets professional experience, Franklin said. Students have opportunities to work alongside faculty and professional artists, develop their craft, and experience the expectations, challenges and rewards of producing live entertainment.

The careers students are preparing for extend beyond the traditional theater, she added. Today’s live entertainment industry encompasses Broadway and touring productions, concerts and festivals, film and television, immersive entertainment, theme parks, events, arts organizations, and emerging forms of live and digital performance.

The skills developed through theater travel with students wherever their careers take them, Franklin said.

“A Centre Stage production is therefore never only the production, it is also a classroom, a laboratory and professional training ground,” she said. “It is a place where the next generation of artists and creative professionals begins to discover what they can contribute to the world.”

Visit Penn State Centre Stage for more information.