Events

Spooky Lights Live!

Oct 12, 2025

Directed by:Dave Leon

Plays written by:Lauren Doyle

Spooky Lights Live: An evening of eerie short plays. Expect snacks, drinks, Halloween party favors, and a costume contest! Frights, festivities, and fun guaranteed.

Step behind the velvet curtain with director Caitlin Lawrence Papp and members of the Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors cast, including actor Maria Marquis (who plays Lucy), as they unpack the whirlwind of quick-changes, pop-culture punchlines, and blood-curdling laughs that make this gothic spoof a scream.

Go-Go behind the scenes at “Head Over Heels”

Join the creative team behind “Head Over Heels” for a free, fun Zoom talkback diving into the wild musical adventure set to the Go-Go’s hits—and don’t miss your chance to ask about anything from design choices to character chemistry!

7:00PM, Tuesday, August 5, 2025

Lights Up! 2025

Our annual “Lights Up!” festival of new plays returned on Saturday, June 14. The lineup features two new scripts, and a Maker Fair showcasing a variety of artists.

12:00PM, Saturday, June 14, 2025

An evening with AJ Jaffari

With his soulful voice and warm stage presence, singer/songwriter, producer and actor AJ Jaffari has delighted City Lights audiences in “Kinky Boots” and Big Band concerts with the Nineteen ensemble. This summer, AJ brings us a solo concert celebrating his new album, “Stay Awhile.”

7:00PM, Sunday, August 3, 2025

Sweet! A Zoom talkback about “The Cake”

What are the ingredients of a successful show? A fresh script, five cups of acting talent, more than a sprinkle of fine directing, and much more went into cooking up “The Cake.” Join director Lisa Mallette and the cast (including the one surprise actor you won’t see on stage!) for a free, fun Zoom talkback.

7:00PM, Wednesday, May 28, 2025

Running After Shadows

Runs Jan 15 – Feb 8, 2026

Written by:Vincent Terrell Durham

Directed by:Aldo Billingslea

Supported by:Producers Nancy B. Coleman & Paul M. Resch, and Producers Elaine Baskin & Ken Krechmer

World premiere!

Winner of Theatre Bay Area’s Rella Lossy Award!

[image: Cardboard mailing box marked "Fragile," sitting in shadows on a light hardwood floor]

Morgan Collins used to buy his cookware at the 99-cent store, and is now a budding gourmet and an America’s Test Kitchen devotee. But today, as he unboxes his new garlic press live on Instagram, he also opens something completely unexpected. This box brings him face to face with childhood memories and the pain left by his absentee father.

Over The River And Through The Woods

Runs Nov 20 – Dec 21, 2025

Written by:Joe DiPietro

Directed by:Jeffrey Bracco

Supported by:Producer Toggle Hagan

[image: A silver fork twirling spaghetti, against a blue Formica-esque background]

Nick still sees both sets of his grandparents every Sunday for dinner in New Jersey. Then he’s offered a dream job thousands of miles away in Seattle. This news doesn’t go over well with his grandparents. Thus begins a series of (well-intentioned) schemes to keep Nick nearby.

Dial M For Murder

Runs Mar 12 – Apr 12, 2026

Adapted by:Jeffrey Hatcher

From the original by:Frederick Knott

Directed by:Mark Anderson Phillips

Supported by:Producers Connie & Paul Boulay, and Producers Karen S. Leonard & Cheryl Lander

[image: A black 1950s rotary phone against a patterned Formica-style countertop. The whole image is sepia-toned and slightly eerie.]

Jeffrey Hatcher brings us a new version of a famed mystery that inspired Hitchcock’s masterpiece. Tony believes his wife Margot has been cheating on him with Maxine. In his jealousy, he spins a web of deception that will ensnare them in danger, recrimination and murder.

anthropology

Runs May 14 – Jun 7, 2026

Written by:Lauren Gunderson

Directed by:Lisa Mallette

Supported by:Executive Producers Feroze Taraporevala & Anita Kapadia, Producer Sandra Moll, Producers Jonathan Karpf & Kathie Zaretsky, and producers who wish to remain anonymous

Regional premiere!

In her pristine Silicon Valley home office, coder and AI expert Merril relies on patterns and systems. But when her sister Angie vanishes and the police give up, Merril uses digital clues to build an AI version of her. Virtual Angie offers comfort — until it starts revealing unsettling truths about the real Angie’s disappearance.