Single tickets for Arizona Theatre Company’s (ATC) 54th season will go on sale Aug. 31. Subscriptions, including six-play packages and flex passes, where you can choose the shows that fit your schedule, are currently available for purchase via ATC’s website or by calling the box office at 833-ATC-SEAT (833-282-7328).
Sean Daniels, ATC’s Kasser Family Artistic Director, describes the season lineup as “joyful stories about how we learn to heal and love each other again.” He adds, “We can’t wait to bring audiences back together, to hear Broadway singers and world class performers live. We’ve all gone too long without that communal connection.”
This season marks the first that Daniels has fully programmed, and he will be directing the first three plays. Three nationally noted female directors Tiffany Nichole Greene, resident director of Broadway’s Hamilton; Syracuse Stage Associate Artistic Director Melissa Crespo; and Kimberly Senior, director of Broadway’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Disgraced, will bring two premieres and a musical about Nina Simone to the stage.
Arizona audiences will be the first to see Justice, a musical written by Lauren Gunderson specifically to premiere at ATC. The epic three-person musical explores the relationship between Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and already, theaters nationwide are lining up to produce it.
christopher oscar peña’s how to make an American Son also premieres at ATC and is being presented in association with Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. A recent recipient of funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the play is set to go off-Broadway after its ATC run.
“These are true examples of ATC becoming the local theatre the world pays attention to,” said Daniels, who is entering his third season as the theatre’s artistic director. “I’m excited for other states to see what starts in Arizona.”
Audiences of all ages can create holiday memories with ATC’s Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, when Jane Austen’s 19th century Pride and Prejudice characters come alive in a charming story that celebrates family, friends, love and independence.
In a typical season, ATC presents one musical but this year features three and kicks off with a sweet story about an unlikely friendship in My 80-Year-Old Boyfriend. Based on the true story about creator/actor Charissa Bertels’ coming of age journey in New York City. The one-woman musical tells a heartwarming story of friendship and human connection.
ATC’s fourth show, Nina Simone: Four Women, brings the talent of director Tiffany Nichole Greene, resident director of Broadway’s Hamilton, to Arizona stages. Written by Christina Ham, the face-to-face musical evening presents the fiery genius, activist, and musician that is Nina Simone.
The hilarious, friendship-focused Women in Jeopardy!, which was canceled in the 2019/2020 season due to COVID-19, will be part of the 54th Season and offers a night of laughter and fun for audiences.
Arizona Theatre Company’s shows start with a three-week run in Tucson at the Temple of Music and Art followed by a three-week run in Phoenix at the Herberger Theater Center. The holiday show, Miss Bennet, will run for four weeks in each city.
“Many subscribers have been waiting for this day for more than 18 months,” said ATC Managing Director Geri Wright. Thousands have repurchased their subscriptions after generously donating them in December 2020, while others have patiently held their subscriptions awaiting the 54th Season. Still others have purchased new subscriptions to ensure they can see all of ATC’s shows at the best prices.
“We’re excited to see audiences in the theatres and attend live performances once again,” Wright said. “As a nonprofit theatre, we’ve seen the power of our communities supporting ATC, standing by ATC, cheering on ATC. Subscriptions and ticket sales are critical to our organization, but they do not cover the cost of our world-class productions, which are only possible through the generosity of our supporters.”
Subscriptions begin at $163 and include six-play subscriptions as well as flex passes that can be used in multiple combinations for any shows. Tickets for individual shows go on sale August 31, and prices start at $25. Tickets can be purchased at atc.org or 1-833-ATC-SEAT.
ATC’s 2021/2022 54th Season Includes:

My 80-Year-Old Boyfriend
Tucson – September 25-October 16, 2021
Phoenix – October 21-November 7, 2021
Created by Charissa Bertels, Christian Duhamel and Edward Bell, Directed by Sean Daniels

What happens when a 20-something Broadway baby meets a Shakespeare- and Schubert-loving octogenarian? Magic, music and friendship. This delightful, award-winning musical shares how a most unlikely pair discover themselves when their friendship blossoms.

Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley
Tucson – November 6-December 4, 2021
Phoenix – December 9, 2021-January 2, 2022
By Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon, directed by Sean Daniels

Picking up two years after Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice ends, this cleverly imagined story stars Mary Bennet, unmarried, nerdy, and growing tired of her role as the obedient middle sister. But an unexpected guest gives Mary the boost she needs to embrace her independence and finally find true love. Celebrate the holidays with your family, friends, and favorite early 19th century characters.

Women in Jeopardy!
Tucson – January 15-February 5, 2022
Phoenix – February 10-27, 2022
By Wendy MacLeod, Directed by Sean Daniels

Liz’s best friends want her to be happy, but the dentist she’s smitten with is just plain creepy. Now they have to step in and find the answers to their questions -- while holding on to their wine glasses. A comedy about the role of friendship as aging commences.

Nina Simone: Four Women
Tucson – February 26-March 19, 2022
Phoenix – March 24-April 10, 2022
By Christina Ham, Directed by Tiffany Nichole Greene

Infused with traditional hymns along with her own songs and covers, this musical imagines a conversation between Simone and three Black women from various backgrounds and their fight to overcome second-class status, racism, and stereotypes.

Justice
Tucson – April 9-30, 2022
Phoenix – May 5-22, 2022
By Lauren Gunderson, Music by Bree Lowdermilk, Lyrics by Kait Kerrigan, Directed by Melissa Crespo

It is 1993, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg has just joined the United States Supreme Court; the first and only other woman there, Sandra Day O'Connor, is ready to welcome her and get to work. In an intimate, epic three-person new musical built of sweeping songs, urgent conversations about equality, and human heroines, we come to know these two iconic justices at the height of their power. Through a third character, Regina, we discover how O'Connor and Ginsburg inspire, challenge, and propel the next generation of changemakers and trailblazers in American jurisprudence.

how to make an American Son
Tucson – June 4-25, 2022
Phoenix – June 30-July 17, 2022
By christopher oscar peña, Directed by Kimberly Senior, in association with Rattlestick Playwrights Theater

This moving new play focuses on the complexities of privilege, citizenship, and the most complex relationship of all: family. In the wake of a personal crisis, son Orlando suddenly finds himself responsible for the fate of a treasured undocumented worker and the future of his father’s entire enterprise. What happens when the promise of the American Dream collides with the reality of immigration and family?
Performance Locations:
Tucson: Temple of Music and Art – 330 S. Scott Ave., Tucson, AZ 85701
Phoenix: Herberger Theater Center – 222 E. Monroe St., Phoenix, AZ 85001