By Lauren Emily Whalen
“Now is the winter of our discontent” has never felt more apt. The weather is cold, and the world is heavy—and it’s times like these when art can heal the most. February’s regional theater picks include a classroom dramedy and Pulitzer Prize winner, a world premiere with Broadway stars and a feel-good true story, and a jazzy reimagining of a classic musical that will have you singing and dancing in your seat. Pick your pleasure, because right now we need all the happiness we can get, and there’s nothing like live theater to (at least partially) restore one’s faith in humanity.
‘English’ at The Alley Theatre, Houston
Five strangers walk into an Iranian TOEFL class (Test of English as a Foreign Language, geared toward non-native speakers). Each of the students has their own personal reason for taking the class, and the stories they tell will change their own lives and yours this winter at Arena Stage. Heartbreak and hilarity ensue in English, Sanaz Toossi’s intermissionless 1-hour 45-minute play that won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Performances February 13 through March 8, 2026. Houston, TX
‘The Recipe’ at La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego
Before Julia Child was Mastering the Art of French Cooking abroad, she was just a tall girl from Pasadena rebelling against a confined existence. The Recipe, a La Jolla Playhouse world premiere written by two-time Tony nominee Claudia Shear (Dirty Blonde, Tuck Everlasting) and directed by two-time Obie Award-winning Lisa Peterson (An Iliad, The Good Book), follows the sheltered young woman-turned-famed TV chef from California to Paris, and stars Broadway vet Christina Kirk in the title role, along with Tony Award-winner Norbert Leo Butz as her forever-supportive spouse, Paul Child.
Performances through March 22, 2026. La Jolla, CA
It wants better content.
‘Chez Joey’ at Arena Stage, Washington, DC
Rodgers and Hart’s classic musical tale Pal Joey gets a blistering-hot makeover at Arena Stage. Set in the 1940s Chicago nightlife scene, Chez Joey follows a charming musician with big dreams and a tiny wallet, who gets the opportunity of a lifetime—but there’s a catch. With a new book by Richard Lagravenese, this reimagining is choreographed by Tony Award winner Savion Glover and co-directed by Glover and Tony Goldwyn (Scandal, The Inheritance).
Performances through March 15, 2026. Washington, DC
‘Here Lies Love’ at Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles
Dictatorship… but make it disco. First Lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos had both a glamorous rise—and an infamous shoe collection—and a long, hard fall thanks to the revolution of her own people. LA’s Center Theatre Group presents the first production of Here Lies Love since its 2023 Broadway run. Featuring a score by Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award winner David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, Here Lies Love delivers a glittering 90-minute thrill ride about the perils of absolute power.
Performances from February 11 through March 22, 2026. Los Angeles, CA
‘Hamnet’ at Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Chloe Zhao’s film adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling novel Hamnet recently received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. This month at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, witness the Royal Shakespeare Company’s theatrical version of O’Farrell’s story, inspired by the love story of Latin tutor William Shakespeare and natural healer Agnes Hathaway, the plague that claimed the life of their young son, and the chain of events that led to Shakespeare’s emergence as a playwright for the ages.
Performances from February 10 through March 8, 2026. Chicago, IL
Have another minute?
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