FUSION Theatre Company 2026 Autumn Season
FUSION Theatre Company is elated to announce our 2026 Autumn Season! Included in the lineup are THE RIVER by Jez Butterworth and directed by Michael Samuel Kaplan, LIBERATION by Bess Wohl and directed by Laurie Thomas, and 1st STREET CABARET curated by FUSION. 2026 Autumn Season Subscriptions give you access to your choice of performance for each of the three productions. This compelling season begins September 10, 2026!
THE RIVER
BY JEZ BUTTERWORTH | SEPTEMBER 10–19 IN ABQ & SEPTEMBER 20 IN TAOS
Performances will be from September 10–20. FUSION performances will be on Thursdays & Fridays at 7 PM, the second Wednesday at 7 PM, Saturdays at 2 PM & 7 PM, and Sundays at 3 PM. Opening night features a pre-show reception with doors opening at 6 PM! An additional performance will be at TAOS CENTER FOR THE ARTS on Sunday, September 20, at 3 PM.
“I was trying to write something very intense, and very simple, about our nature: how we try to be fearless,” – Jez Butterworth
“What [The River] shares with its predecessor [Jerusalem] is a belief in the numinous and in personalities that defy ready analysis. One exits the theater asking questions, and enriched.” —New York Times
“Butterworth [is] also writing a metatheatrical reflection on drama, trying to see what happens when you invent a set of new, introspective rules for a play.” —The Oxford Culture Review
A remote cabin. A rushing river. Two strangers—and secrets as deep as the water below. In Jez Butterworth's mesmerizing The River, an ordinary weekend unfolds into a haunting exploration of love, loss, and the mysteries we keep hidden, even from ourselves. Rich with lyrical dialogue and quiet tension, this gripping psychological drama invites you into a world where nature mirrors the human heart and every cast line reaches toward the unknown. Speaking about his writing process for The River, Butterworth reveals, “I think that it's like a treasure hunt where you're following the signs, following the breadcrumbs. And, I use as my guide whether or not I'm getting goosebumps in what happens next. And I won't go down roads where they're not available. And I rely on the fact that those goosebumps equal some kind of truth—that if I get them, somebody else might get them.”
Directed by Michael Samuel Kaplan, FUSION's production stars Jacqueline Reid, Arron Shiver, and Tiffany Cole.
LIBERATION
Winner of the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 2026 Tony Award for Best Play
BY BESS WOHL | NOVEMBER 12–22
Performances will be Thursdays & Fridays at 7 PM, Saturdays at 2 PM & 7 PM, and Sundays at 3 PM. Opening night features a pre-show reception with doors opening at 6 PM!
"[Liberation is] about community and the power of community. And there's fewer and fewer places to find that. And I think the theatre is one of those places where I still go for that." —Bess Wohl
“An unadulterated pleasure. Powerfully moving and funny…” —New York Times
“A superb enthralling emotional knockout... an extraordinary must-see…” —Washington Post
“Fiery, funny and provocative.” –The Guardian
What happens after the revolution? Liberation animates the ideals of a generation meeting the realities of a lifetime. Sparkling with wit and irresistible humor, Wohl’s Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning comedy celebrates the messy business of changing the world—and yourself. As the play moves between a vibrant women's liberation retreat in the 1970s and the present day, seven extraordinary women weave their memories, idealism, and hard-earned experiences into a rich meditation on feminism, intimate relationships, and the passage of time. “This is a play I’ve been living with my whole life. I grew up with a mom who worked at Ms. Magazine. I first went to Ms. when I was a baby. I have pictures of me bouncing on my mom’s lap in her office [next to] a big poster of Wonder Woman.” –Bess Wohl
Directed by FUSION co-founder Laurie Thomas, the ensemble cast features Imani Caldwell, Ryan Jason Cook, Jacqueline Reid, Wendy Barker, Ashley Deleona, Angela Littleton, Christy Lopez, and Wendy Scott.
1st STREET CABARET
CURATED BY FUSION | DECEMBER 6 | 3 PM
Curated by FUSION.
1st STREET CABARET: Featuring Albuquerque's Finest Local Talent
Join FUSION friends and special guests for a celebration of the performing arts, honoring the finest local talent in a production that will showcase the Best of Albuquerque!
Actors' Equity Association (AEA), founded in 1913, represents more than 45,000 actors and stage managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions, providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. AEA is a member of the AFL-CIO, and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. The Equity emblem is our mark of excellence.