Season opens with world premiere, expanded opportunities for audiences to engage with artists and influential voices beyond the stage

BALTIMORE, Md. — Baltimore Center Stage (BCS) officially welcomes audiences to its 2026/27 season, its most ambitious season in recent history, featuring 10 productions, three world premieres, bold artistic collaborations, and expanded opportunities for audiences to engage with artists both onstage and beyond.

Launching the season is Bocking, a hilarious, provocative world premiere comedy by playwright Preston Crowder, which runs Aug. 14 through Sept. 6, with opening night on Aug. 22. 

To celebrate the production, BCS will present the Bocking Conversation Series, a collection of special post-show conversations featuring acclaimed artists, entertainers, creators and community leaders alongside playwright Preston Crowder and members of the cast exploring the play’s themes of identity, relationships, faith, sexuality, culture and belonging.

Confirmed guests include:

• Aug. 14: Lena Waithe together with Baltimore Center Stage’s Artistic Director, Stevie Walker-Webb, to kick of the Conversation Series.
• Aug. 15: Myoshi Smith, Baltimore-based sex educator and founder of Romance by Myoshi, presented in partnership with Blaq Equity as part of Black Pride Night.
• Aug. 19: Karrueche Tran, actress and entrepreneur whose career spans fashion, beauty and entertainment.
• Aug. 22: Lena Waithe, Emmy Award-winning actress, producer, screenwriter and performer, and presenting producer of Bocking.
• Aug. 23: Jonathan Burke, Jonathan Burke, a Baltimore native, Baltimore School for the Arts alumnus and Obie Award-winning actor.
• Aug. 26: Monroe Alise, actor, media personality and influential voice.
• Aug. 27: Carla Hall, chef, television personality and former model.
• Aug. 29: Jordan E. Cooper, playwright, actor and director.
• Sept. 2: LaLa Anthony, actress and television personality.
• Sept 5: Alana Bowers, a Baltimore native, actor, dancer, singer and producer.

Developed in collaboration with The New Group, Bocking sets the tone for a season that embraces artistic risk, celebrates new voices and gives audiences the opportunity to experience stories at the very beginning of their journey.

“This season is a reflection of who we are and where we’re going,” said Baltimore Center Stage Artistic Director Stevie Walker-Webb. “As both a national tastemaker and a hometown theater, Baltimore Center Stage is a place where new work is born, artists are encouraged to take creative risks, and new voices are championed. We’re building a home for the next generation of storytellers while creating work that resonates with audiences here in Baltimore and beyond.”

Tickets for Bocking and additional information about the conversation series are available at www.centerstage.org/events/bocking.

Welcome to the 2026/2027 Season

The 2026/27 season represents an exciting new chapter for BCS, bringing together world premieres, celebrated playwrights, fresh interpretations of beloved works and expanded community programming designed to make theatre more accessible, engaging and connected to Baltimore.

“We wanted to build a season that's bold without losing sight of what theater is really about — creating a shared experience,” said Baltimore Center Stage Producing Director Ken-Matt Martin. “There's truly something for everyone, and we can't wait to share it with Baltimore.”

From bold new comedies to contemporary dramas and timeless classics, the season reflects BCS’ commitment to producing work that entertains, challenges and creates meaningful opportunities for conversation both inside and outside the theater.

For more information about the 2026/27 season and the full lineup of productions, visit www.centerstage.org/2026-27-season.

ABOUT BOCKING

Bocking is a wildly irreverent new comedy by Preston Crowder, making its world premiere at Baltimore Center Stage.

The play begins when two children innocently repeat something they overheard at home, landing their embarrassed parents in the principal’s office. What follows is a chaotic unraveling involving a preacher, a so-called gay exorcism and a mysterious chicken named Danalana Parmesana.

As the parents scramble to contain the fallout, long-buried secrets, personal quirks and social taboos rise to the surface. Blending sharp humor with outrageous theatricality, Bocking explores the collision between public respectability and private desire in a fast-paced comedy that refuses to behave.

Bocking features strong language and adult themes and is intended for mature audiences.

Cast Credits: Marchánt Davis, Kalen Allen, Baltimore natives Rebecca L. Hargrove and Lance Coadie Williams, and Adrienne C. Moore of Orange Is the New Black.

ABOUT BALTIMORE CENTER STAGE
Designated the State Theater of Maryland in 1978, Baltimore Center Stage provides the highest quality theater and programming for all members of our communities, including youth and families, under the leadership of Artistic Director Stevie Walker-Webb and Executive Director Ken-Matt Martin.

Baltimore Center Stage ignites conversations and imaginations by producing an eclectic season of professional productions across two mainstages, through engaging community programs, and with inspiring education programs. Everything we do at Baltimore Center Stage is led by our core values—chief among them being Access For All.

Our mission is heavily rooted in providing active and open accessibility for everyone, regardless of any and all barriers, to our Mainstage performances, education initiatives, and community programming. For more information, visit www.centerstage.org.

ABOUT THE NEW GROUP

Founded in 1995, The New Group is an award-winning, artist-driven company with a commitment to developing and producing powerful, contemporary theater. Now based at their new artistic home at The Theater at St. Clement’s, the constantly evolving company strives to maintain an ensemble approach to all our work and an articulated style of emotional immediacy in our acting and productions. In this way, the company seeks a theater that is adventurous, stimulating, and most importantly, “now” – a true forum for our present culture. 

The New Group has received over 200 awards and nominations for excellence, including the Tony^® Award for Best Musical for Avenue Q, multiple Lortel Awards, two special citation Obie Awards, and a Drama Desk Special Award “for presenting contemporary new voices,” and for “uncompromisingly raw and powerful productions.” The organization’s New Group/New Works play and musical development program champions original works by emerging and established authors. The New Group also operates a variety of theater education programs including a summer conservatory for teens, college access programs, and a college-level BFA Acting program in collaboration with LIU-Brooklyn.