Thunder River Theatre Company unveils 31st season of shows in Carbondale

The Thunder River Theatre Company has released the lineup for its 31st season, featuring five main-stage productions along with concerts, cabarets, speaker events and new play development programming.

The season kicks off with “Every Brilliant Thing,” which will run from Sept. 11-27. The play follows a 6-year-old whose mother is struggling to be happy. The child begins making a list about everything brilliant in the world — including ice cream, kung fu movies and staying up past bedtime — in hopes that their mother will read it. Soon, the list takes on a life of its own. 

“Beyond Reason” will be playing from Nov. 13-29 and centers on a battle between séance and science. Set in 1885, the play follows William James, the father of American psychology, as he invites two mediums with very different methods to his home to investigate psychics. While he intends to employ scientific methods to measure supernatural forces, the women he assembles have a mission of their own: to exercise agency over their bodies, minds, and spirits. 

“Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!)” will run Dec. 11-20. The comedy follows three actors deciding to perform every Christmas story ever told, along with holiday traditions from around the world, seasonal icons ranging from ancient times to pop-culture, and every carol ever sung. 

A taste of summer arrives in February with “The Shark is Broken,” running from Feb. 12-28. The play explores the backstory of “Jaws”, a deep dive into the murky waters of what it’s like to make a major motion picture with feuding costars, unpredictable weather, and a shark prop that ominously keeps breaking down.

“The Revolutionists” will close out the main-stage season from April 30 to May 16. The comedy follows four women who lose their heads in a girl-powered set during the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror: Playwright Olympe de Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, former queen Marie Antoinette, and Haitian rebel Marianne Angelle.

Set in 1793 Paris, the play tackles violence, legacy, art, activism, feminism, terrorism, compatriots and chosen sisters, and how to actually go about changing the world.

Thunder River Theatre Company will also offer secondary programming throughout the season.

Sneak peeks into the first rehearsal of every main-stage show will be available for patrons to mingle with cast, the creative team, hear from directors, and listen as actors read the show aloud for the first time. The events are scheduled for Mondays,  Oct. 12, Jan. 11, 2027, and March 29, 2027. 

Thunderchat, the company’s  keynote speaker series, will feature distinguished voices from diverse fields throughout the industry, sparking engaging dialogue, broadening perspectives, and connecting the community through the power of storytelling. The series is scheduled for Wednesdays, Sept. 16, Nov. 18, Feb. 17, 2027, and May 5, 2027. 

The Pink to Black concert series is returning for its third year, supported by Thunder River Theatre Company and El Dorado Spirits and Legends. The series combines the power of music with the magic of theatre to transform the black box theater into an epic experience for each concert. These performances are scheduled for Saturdays, Oct. 3, Dec. 5, and Jan. 9, 2027. 

The Signature Cabaret series will also return, highlighting talent by blending personal experience with beautiful music in an intimate setting. Performances are scheduled for Saturdays, Oct. 10, Jan. 16, 2027, and March 20, 2027. 

The Workshop, a new play development series is a weeklong development series for new full-length plays written by Colorado playwrights. The Thunder River Theatre Company will bring in playwrights to work with a creative team to develop their show and ends with a public staged reading and a guided talk-back. These events will be on Saturdays, Aug. 22 and May 29, 2027. 

For more information on shows and passes, visit thunderrivertheatre.