Believe it or not, we’re already moving into the season of changing leaves and decorative gourds. It the time when everyone who finally packed away their costumes for Burning Man wonders if they can repurpose that same costume for Hallowe’en. It’s when that well-deserved anxiety about the mid-term elections is followed by an even-greater anxiety of having to talk politics with your family on Turkey Day.
Fortunately, we mortals have ways to cope with Persephone’s slow journey back to the underworld. With kids back in school and adults in need of catharsis, Bay Area theatre’s got a lot of coping mechanisms for eager audiences worried about whether their mail-in ballots will even count this year. So, as you and your new umbrella go head-to-head with the unpredictable El Niño that’s supposed to drench Cali in the coming months, here are some promising productions to help you to get out of the rain.
See more terrific Fall Arts Previews here. Remember to check out our Drama Masks stage column Big Week event picks every week for more great theatre coverage. And don’t forget to vote for Best of the Bay!
KILLING MY LOBSTER PRESENTS SAN FRANCISCO HYSTERICAL HISTORIUM AT Z BELOW
San Francisco may be lousy with ghost stories, but sketch institution Killing My Lobster continues to impress with their refusal to roll over and die. Their first proper show in almost two years finds them collaborating with SF’s latest historical tour. Prepare to head back to the time when the 49ers weren’t just the team that absconded to the South Bay. Expect gold teeth, hoedows, and more “Darn’ tootin’!” jokes than you know what to do with.
Through September 12 at Z Below, SF. Further information here.
LORRAINE HANSBERRY THEATRE PRESENTS AFRICAN STEW WORLD PREMIERE
One SF’s most-lauded (and few-remaining) Black theatre companies continues to stretch its artistic wings under AD Margo Hall with another world premiere. Lisa B. Thompson’s take on the “culture-clash comedy” gets a uniquely Bay Area twist in the story of a Black American woman, her Nigerian fiance, and the awkward meeting of their families in Oakland. It’s Father of the Bride with a darker melanin in a city constantly in danger of gentrifying its Blackness away. How could you turn that down? September 10–27 at the Magic Theatre, SF. Further information here.
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS AT NEW CONSERVATORY THEATRE CENTER
If you’re anything like me, then you know a show featuring Shadow Circus Creature Theatre puppets is always one worth seeking out. So, imagine my delight upon learning creator Dave Haaz-Baroque will be crafting the munching marionette for NCTC’s upcoming production of Little Shop? Not only that, but this year marks the 40th anniversary of the classic film, directed by Muppeteer Frank Oz. This production, directed NCTC’s new-AD Ben Villegas Randle, promises to bring a unique beauty and horror to the beloved anti-capitalist morality tale. September 12–October 18 at the New Conservatory Theatre Center, SF. Further information here.
MARGARET CHO’S CHOLIGARCHY AT BERKELEY REP
In recent years, the Rep’s become an unlikely comedy venue, having hosted well-received shows by Chicago’s Second City and local-boy-gone-big W. Kamau Bell. Another local stand-up legend takes the stage this September, when SF’s very own Margaret Cho performs her latest show, Chologarchy, for a limited run. And what’s she got planned for her solo show? Let’s just say she’ll punch upward ‘til there’s nothin’ left to punch at. September 15–19 at the Berkeley Rep. Further information here.
HUBBA HUBBA REVUE’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY AT THE DNA LOUNGE
The bawdy art of Victorian burlesque is only slightly older than San Francisco itself. The best way to celebrate both is by commemorating two decades of MC Kingfish’s raucous ringmastering. He and rising star Qu’in de la Noche lead a fully-packed show of strip-teasing in one of San Francisco’s few truly independent venues left. As Kingfish himself often says during Hubba Hubba shows, “Your support is what keeps this place from becoming a fucking Pottery Barn.” September 20 at the DNA Lounge, SF. Further information here.
OAKLAND THEATER PROJECT PRESENTS KING LEAR AT Z SPACE
OTP’s 2026 seasonal theme is “The Land of the Free.” One can only imagine how they fit that contemporary phrasing into one of The Bard’s most lauded tales. Before Succession won truckloads of Emmys, Shakespeare wrote the definitive tale of inheritance battles and family secrets. Michael Socarates Moran directs the show that not only features an abundance of Bay Area talent, but brings OTP across the Bridge to Z Space. How does the battle for the crown look in an old can factory? Only one way to find out. September 25–October 11 at Z Space, SF. Further information here.
TERROR VAULT’S SLASHED: RETURN TO HELLVILLE AT THE SF MINT
Is it even Hallowe’en without a new Terror Vault? Absolutely not! As the title suggests, this year’s edition of Joshua Grannell’s interactive horror tour takes place in the slasher genre that captivated every ‘80s kid when the sun went down. This time, you take the place of one of the horny teens destined to meet the business-end of a masked killer’s blade. Expect buckets of blood, queer-coded creepiness, and pretty strong booze at the vampire-themed bar Fang Bang. In a world that’s getting scarier, it helps to know there’s one place where the scares stop at the door. October 1–November 1 at the San Francisco Mint. Further information here.
GOLDEN THREAD PRODUCTIONS’ REORIENT 2026 FESTIVAL
Golden Thread’s 30th anniversary season has coincided with more endless western quagmires in the Middle East, all with no end in sight. Yet, those events have only strengthened the company’s resolve to tell Middle Eastern/North African (MENA) stories that go beyond the stereotypes of daily headlines. This year’s edition of their annual ReOrient Festival features five new short plays by MENA playwrights, with a deliberate emphasis on Iran and Palestine. It’s possible that travel restrictions won’t even allow the artists to attend. But if Golden Thread’s history is any indication, that won’t stop the show from going on. October 9–November 1 at the Potrero Stage, SF. Further information here.
SF BATCO PRESENTS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT
SF BATCO’s spent the last few years premiering uniquely Bay Area stories about trans sex workers, a plucky park ranger, and a certain orange sky day. They continue the trend with their latest piece about the days when SF was known as “The Harlem of the West.” With a book co-written by SF Mime Troupe’s Michael Gene Sullivan, the show promises an enlightening local history lesson fuelled by jazz-powered soundtrack. October 10– November 1 at the ACT Strand, SF. Further information here.
MISFIT CABARET’S FINAL GIRL
More than a full decade since Kat Robichaud and company started gather misfits from all over to play in the sandbox of San Fran. With KR’s unwavering affinity for horror flicks (hell, her wedding-themed show was done in the form of a nightmare), it’s no surprise that she’d celebrate the approaching All Hallow’s Eve in style. With her powerhouse vocals and circus-themed entourage, Final Girl looks to be even more entertainingly irreverent than the overrated tv show that shared its name. October 10 at the Great American Music Hall, SF. Further information here.
