IE's 2026–2027 Theatrical Season

Stories of Voice, Belonging, and Becoming

We’re proud to officially announce Inspiration’s Edge’s 2026–2027 season; a year of theatre that feels deeply aligned with who we are as an organization and where our community is right now.

This season is built around a central theme: Stories of Voice, Belonging, and Becoming.

Across all of our productions and events, we’re exploring questions of power, identity, and connection; who we are as individuals, how we’re seen by others, how we tell our own stories, and the powerful role community plays in shaping those stories. These are stories about people discovering themselves, reclaiming their voices, and navigating how they fit into the world. It’s a theme that feels especially resonant for both Inspiration’s Edge and the communities we serve.

Theatre Embedded in Community Life

At Inspiration’s Edge, we don’t isolate theatre—we embed it into everyday community life. Our productions show up in parks, businesses, partner venues, and unexpected spaces, meeting people where they already are. This season continues that commitment, expanding access while strengthening local partnerships.

This year, we’re:

• Pairing classic and contemporary theatre

• Bringing back signature IE fundraisers our community loves

• Creating experiences that are intentionally community-centered and impactful

Together, the theme and the structure of this season represent our co-creative model where performing arts, community, and connection are not separate goals, but part of the same story we’re telling.

25-27 Theatrical Productions

Fair Ophelia

We are incredibly honored to present Fair Ophelia as a staged reading — an original work written by Anna Pollnow, a graduate of Twentynine Palms High School, who is now studying theatre at USC. This piece was both produced and performed at USC, and we are thrilled to help bring it home to the Morongo Basin. Elevating original work by artists who grew up in our community is at the very heart of Inspiration’s Edge’s mission.

Artistically, the play asks a powerful question. In Hamlet, the title character openly questions whether madness is performative or inherent — yet Ophelia’s “madness” is never examined with the same care. Fair Ophelia challenges that assumption. It asks whether Ophelia’s grief and anger, particularly after the murder of her father, have been misunderstood and mislabeled simply because she is a woman.

In this reimagining, Ophelia is no longer passive or sidelined. After being betrayed by her betrothed, she sets out to avenge her father, reclaiming her voice and agency. This work aligns beautifully with our season theme of voice, belonging, and becoming — and it represents our commitment to supporting emerging artists, original work, and stories that begin here and ripple outward.

The Importance of Being Earnest

We’re delighted to present The Importance of Being Earnest, one of the most beloved comedies in the theatrical canon. On the surface, it’s a fast-paced farce full of mistaken identities, sharp wit, and absurd social conventions — but underneath the humor is a pointed exploration of performance, self-invention, and how we present ourselves to the world.

This production fits beautifully into our season theme of voice, belonging, and becoming. Nearly every character in Earnest is performing some version of themselves, navigating societal expectations while trying to define who they really are. It’s joyful, accessible, and perfect for welcoming both seasoned theatre-goers and first-time audiences into the IE experience.

A Two Man Christmas Carol

A One-Man Christmas Carol is becoming A Two-Man Christmas Carol, as IE President Ian Ferris will perform alongside his father for the first time. Telling this story together continues a family tradition spanning more than a century, grounded in connection, legacy, and transformation.

This evolution beautifully reflects what Inspiration’s Edge is all about: how stories are passed down, shared, and reshaped through family and community. It’s a holiday offering rooted in warmth, tradition, and the joy of telling a story together—inviting audiences to experience a classic tale through the lens of shared history and human connection.

Daddy Long Legs

Daddy Long Legs holds a particularly meaningful place in Inspiration’s Edge’s story. This revival returns to the production that quietly sparked the idea for our organization—the moment when the vision for a mobile, co-creative, community-centered theatre first took shape. Bringing it back in our 2026–2027 season is less about revisiting the past and more about sharing where we began with more audiences.

This revival production will travel into the Coachella Valley, with a tentative performance in Morongo Valley for our Hi-Desert home. Daddy Long Legs becomes a way to introduce Inspiration’s Edge to our fellow community theatres down the hill and allows us to tell our origin story through the very show that inspired it, while celebrating our third theatrical season and the growth that followed. Along the way, we invite new audiences and peer theatres to connect with a story about independence, generosity, growth, and self-discovery—values that continue to shape both this production and the organization it helped create.

Sondheim Tribute Review

We invite you to a Sondheim Tribute Review as part of our Mother’s Day Tea Party Fundraiser; a cozy, feel-good afternoon filled with tea, sweet treats, and a relaxed silent auction. It’s a simple, thoughtful way to celebrate Mother’s Day while enjoying some beautiful music by one of musical theatre’s most beloved storytellers.

Each song tells its own little story, giving performers a chance to shine while creating a shared, intimate experience for the audience. Paired with tea, conversation, and a bit of gentle fundraising fun, this production is all about connection, warmth, and spending meaningful time together, making it a lovely way to honor the people we love most.

Dice & Drama

We close the season with Dice & Drama, one of Inspiration’s Edge’s most playful and innovative theatrical experiences. Blending improvisational performance, role-playing dice mechanics, and active audience participation, this immersive production invites attendees directly into the storytelling process. Cast members create scenes in the moment, guided by character choices and the roll of the dice, while the audience influences outcomes, challenges, and narrative direction in real time.

Dice & Drama is the purest expression of our co-creative model. It blurs the line between performer and audience, transforming theatre into a shared game of imagination where chance, choice, and collaboration drive the story forward. As a season finale, it celebrates play, experimentation, and collective creativity—leaving us exactly where Inspiration’s Edge thrives: at the intersection of storytelling, participation, and joyful collaboration.

Season Auditions – February 22

Auditions are open to performers of all experience levels, with opportunities across fully staged productions, improv, cabaret, comedy, and staged readings. Whether you’re stepping onstage for the first time or returning with years of experience, there is space for you in this upcoming season.

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Auditions at Inspiration’s Edge are intentionally welcoming, supportive, and community-focused—because belonging starts at the audition table.

Visit InspirationsEdge.org for more information.

Be Part of the Story & Help Expand the Edge

The 2026–2027 season isn’t just a lineup of shows. It’s an invitation to explore what it means to find your voice, claim your place, and grow alongside a community.

Please take a moment to learn more about how you can support us.

Together, this season represents who we are becoming.

We can’t wait to share it with you.