Looking for a way to heat up your December evenings with laughter, wit, and a touch of irreverent holiday spirit? Join us for A Frosty Night, running December 11th through 22nd at The Human Race Theatre Company. This isn’t your typical sugarplum fairy tale—it’s an adult Winter celebration filled with sharp humor, heartfelt moments, and just the right dash of mischief to make your season merry and bright.
Before You Come To THE THEATRE, Get Into the Winter Mood with Our Reading List
To truly immerse yourself in the spirit of A Frosty Night, we’ve partnered with our friends at Dayton Metro Library to curate a reading list that pairs perfectly with the show’s offbeat charm. Head over to the Dayton Metro Library or reserve these titles online at DaytonMetroLibrary.org. These laugh-out-loud, delightfully dark, and unexpectedly poignant reads will have you ready for the frosty festivities:
• You Better Not Cry by Augusten Burroughs
Augusten’s biting humor and heartfelt insights make for a holiday memoir like no other. Expect laughs, tears, and a lot of awkward Christmases.
• The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore
When a well-meaning angel turns a Christmas miracle into a chaotic mess, the holiday season becomes hilariously unholy.
• Hogfather by Terry Pratchett
What happens when Death fills in for Santa? This comedic fantasy explores belief, tradition, and festive absurdity.
• Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris
David Sedaris delivers a collection of laugh-out-loud holiday essays, including his famous account of working as a Macy’s elf.
• A Christmas Blizzard by Garrison Keillor
A tale of redemption, snowstorms, and small-town charm—with Keillor’s signature wit.
• Spending the Holidays with People I Want to Punch in the Throat by Jen Mann
Because we all have “those” people in our lives, Jen Mann’s humor will resonate with anyone navigating the chaos of holiday gatherings.
Let’s Make Merry!
Gather your friends, book your tickets, and prepare for an unforgettable evening with A Frosty Night. It’s the perfect way to indulge in the humor and heart of the Winter season.
If you have any questions or need more information, feel free to reach out to Tiffany Countryman at Tiffany @ HumanRaceTheatre.org
We can’t wait to celebrate the season with you! Bring your laughter, your wit, and your holiday spirit! See you there!
For the The Human Race Theatre Company’s 39th year, we delve into “What makes us better humans?” exploring how faith, community, service, and inner compass influence the choices we make.
This inquiry ties back to our core mission: to startle us into a renewed awareness of ourselves. Our founders—Suzy Bassani, Caryl Philips, and Sara Exley—envisioned our theatre as a platform to express humanity’s vast emotions and experiences. “Our actions and reactions to our circumstances and the world around us transform us,” notes Emily N. Wells, Artistic Director. “We invite you to join us for our 39th season, promising a captivating blend of love, hope, fear, beliefs, and joys that reflect the present moment.” With pleasure and anticipation, we now share the 39th year of The Human Race Theatre Company: Re/action
The 2024 – 25 Season features five productions, combining fresh and favorite works, all showcased in the unique style of The Human Race Theatre Company.
The 5-production season launches in October with Kate Hamill’s quirky take on the canon of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the murder-mystery comedy Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B.
In December, a world premiere comedy continues The Human Race tradition of alternative winter offerings with A Frosty Night. Imagined by playwright Mark Brown (This is Tom Jones!, Around The World in 80 Days), this what-if scenario pits Frosty the Snowman’s frustrated and heartbroken wife Sharon against Mrs. Claus.
Join us in February for A Distinct Societyby Kareem Fahmy, recently nominated for seven San Francisco Critic’s Circle awards. In the tranquil hush of a library that straddles the U.S. – Canada border, unexpected relationships write the most compelling stories.
As spring returns, so does the legend of Camelot. In this tightly crafted adaptation of Lerner and Lowe’s beloved classic adapted by David Lee, wrap yourself in timeless romance, heroic dreams, and the soaring melodies that stir the soul.
Rounding out the season, raise a glass with your high school crowd at The Comeuppance. A New York Times Critic Pick for 2023 penned by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, this contemporary dark comedy delves into the heart of friendships that outlast life’s twists and turns.
We look forward to sharing these stories with you throughout the upcoming year. Subscriptions come many sizes and suited to any budget, and offer the best value with the most flexibility including our new Generation HRTC rate for ages 20-40! Can’t commit? Choose our membership program instead. By popular demand, a Parents Day Out Series is available at no additional charge. Military and student discounts available. Renewals will begin at the end of April and new subscriptions are available at any time. All tickets are available through Dayton Live Box Office at 937-228-3630.
The Human Race Theatre Company 2024-25 Season
Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt 2B
By Kate Hamill
Cheerfully Desecrating the Stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Director Heather Wilson-Bowlby OCTOBER 9 – 20, 2024 Regional Premiere
This fast-paced romp re-examines the world’s most famous detective story with a bold new feminist lens. In this highly theatrical escapade, oddball female roommates Sherlock (yes, it’s also a girl’s name—wait, is it a girl’s name? Is it even a name?) Holmes & Joan Watson join forces. They emerge from the pandemic fog as a deeply codependent, quasi-dysfunctional Odd Couple adventure duo—solving mysteries and kicking butts, until they come face-to-face with a villain who seems to have all of the answers.
A Frosty Night
By Mark Brown
Director Emily N. Wells DECEMBER 11 – 22, 2024 World Premiere
Sharon Frosty, Frosty the Snowman’s wife, knows that he’s up to no good and follows his trail to the North Pole. Will she catch him in the act?
Laugh ‘til you’re blue with this adults-only comedy.
A Distinct Society
By Kareem Fahmy
Director Brant Russell February 5 – 16, 2025
In the tranquil hush of a library that straddles the U.S. – Canada border, life is about to change. When an Iranian father and daughter, separated by the international border, start using the library as a meeting place, the French-Canadian librarian, an American customs agent, and a local teenager find their quiet lives suddenly full of excitement and consequence. Inspired by true events, A Distinct Society is a touching and funny new play about the many things – family, food, art, love, and politics – that can either divide or unite us.
Camelot
Book & Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner Music by Frederick Loewe Book Adapted by David Lee
New Orchestrations by Steve Orich Director Emily N. Wells Music Director Ian Axness MARCH 26 – APRIL 13, 2025
Embark on a majestic journey to a realm where honor, dignity, and morality pave the way for a new era under the youthful King Arthur’s reign. This tightly focused adaptation of the classic musical Camelot breathes new life into the legendary love triangle with the same musical favorites “If Ever I Would Leave You,” “The Lusty Month of May,” “I Loved You Once In Silence,” and “Camelot.” Witness as this beloved musical is reborn, offering a spellbinding experience that celebrates love, leadership, and the quest for an ideal world.
The Comeuppance
By Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Director Latrelle Bright MAY 28 – JUNE 8, 2025 Regional Premiere
As the sun sets on the eve of their twentieth high school reunion, a close-knit group of former classmates—once known as the “Multi-Ethnic Reject Group”—reunites to pre-game the monumental night. Bonded in their youth as outsiders, they now navigate the complexities of adulthood with humor, heart, and a hint of nostalgia. Brilliantly witty, theatrical, and moving, The Comeuppance focuses on millennials reckoning with the world they will soon inherit. This play is a toast to the ties that bind us, the past that shapes us, and the future we step into together.
The Human Race expresses gratitude for the public and private support which makes our productions possible: The Loft Season Sponsors: Jack W. and Sally D. Eichelberger Foundation; Sustainability sponsors: Anne F. Johnson, Steve and Lou Mason, ELM Foundation, and Morris Furniture Company; Additional Season support: Miriam Rosenthal Foundation for the Arts, Erma R. Catterton Trust, The Shubert Foundation; Organizational support: Culture Works, Montgomery County, Ohio Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Dayton Region Arts Renewal Grant. Media Sponsor: WDPR Discover Classical. Pay What You Can Sponsor: Enterprise Holdings Foundation.
Last season, we started offering “Parents’ Day Out” experiences starting in December with Who’s Holiday, and kept it going for Barbecue and Indigo.
We are so pleased with the response, and many of you asked if it would return for our 38th year! Here it is: a season subscription package that you can plan ahead for those parent’s day out experiences, and know that your kids ages 5-12 are getting a quality theatre workshop while you enjoy the show! The workshop is included in the price of your ticket – just register your child and we’ll take care of the rest. Then everyone is home in time for dinner and bedtime.
For the 23-24 Season, here are your dates and times:
You get all the benefits and flexibility of a regular subscription, plus the added benefit of the workshop. We know how hard you work as parents, and how much you’d like to do more things for you. Now you can, and the kids will have a great time too!
On this last day of the 22-23 Season, I must thank our audience, our artists, our sponsors and donors, and the entire board and staff for making me feel welcome for my first season in Dayton. My biggest debt of gratitude is to YOU – our audiences who keep showing up to see what we’ll create next. You are in for an entertaining, imaginative season!
There have been so many highlights to this season that I really had a hard time selecting my top five. Maybe next year I should make it a top 10!
WHO: Cast & Creative Team of INDIGO WHAT: Meet & Greet, Show excerpts, Q&A WHERE: The Loft Theatre, 126 N. Main St. Dayton OH 45402, 3rd Floor WHEN: Tuesday, May 16, 2023 at 6:00 PM
Join us as we formally introduce the Cast and Creative team of Indigo! While attending you will have the opportunity to enjoy selected excerpts from the show, hear about its origins and participate in an interactive Q&A. Indigo is a powerful and heartfelt musical about accepting our parents’ decisions and challenging us to examine our own. Come and see why we chose this WORLD PREMIERE to close out our 22-23 Season!
For the upcoming 2023-2024 season, The Human Race Theatre Company sparks creativity, imagination and invention through a season of “Stories in Motion,” with shows inspired by or adapted from existing tales. Each title has been intentionally selected to challenge and advance theatrical storytelling, our audiences, and our theatre company. This evolution can only be experienced in the theatre because every night is a unique exchange between the playwright’s vision, the performer and audience. This 38th year marks the first season devised by new Artistic Director Emily N. Wells.
“Theatre has a unique ability to tell stories in a way that sparks an audience’s imagination – as if they are inside the story,” said Wells. “Theatre and storytelling live as dynamic, evolving art forms, just as we evolve as people.” She adds. We are transforming well-known stories and timeless themes into stage productions designed for modern audiences. Connected by a theme of adaptation, this season of Stories in Motion presents contemporary plays and musicals through the artist’s lens.
The season will launch in September with the world premiere musical This is Tom Jones! by Mark Brown and Paul Mirkovich, and directed by Wells. Not that Tom Jones! But inspired by the Henry Fielding book, Brown and Mirkovich merge the novel with 1960’s pop sounds of the British Invasion. Opening in late October, Atlanta playwright Pearl Cleage’s Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeoustakes the stage, directed by Cincinnati favorite Torie Wiggins. An aging actor is invited to remount her revolutionary take on August Wilson, but finds herself auditioning her replacement instead.
December sees the second world premiere in the season, Reindeer Sessions, by Eric Ulloa (26 Pebbles, Kevin Moore Celebration.) Directed by Igor Goldin, Blitzen heads to anger management therapy after an incident with that other famous reindeer. To shake the February doldrums, head out on a rollicking sea adventure with Shipwrecked! An Entertainment: The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself) by Donald Margulies and directed by Greg Hellems. Inspired by a true story, adventurer Louis de Rougemont shares his adventures on the high seas in a series of magazine articles. But can we believe everything he shares?
In April – and just in time for college acceptance letters – peerless, Jiehae Park’s take on Macbeth, puts us in the cutthroat world of academic admissions where every option is on the table for twins M and L in a witty, pointed and stylized look at competition. Peerless will be directed by Marya Spring Cordes. To wrap up the season in May, The Human Race partners with Dayton Live to bring the national tour of the critically-celebrated Broadway production of The Kite Runner. Adapted by Matthew Spangler from Khaled Hosseini’s bestselling novel, this extraordinary and sensitively told story will shine bright on the Victoria Theatre stage.
We are so enthusiastic about every show this coming season, we’re making them all available in a 6-Show Subscription Package! Other “Flexible Options” include 3-show packages, and annual Memberships. By popular demand, a Parents Day Out Series is available at no additional charge. Military and student discounts available. Renewals will begin mid-April and new subscriptions are available at any time after that. All tickets are available through Dayton Live Box Office at 937-228-3630 or https://www.daytonlive.org/series/loft-season/.
Book, Lyrics & Music by Mark Brown Music by Paul Mirkovich Director Emily N. Wells Music Director Steven Goers Choreographer Debbie Blunden-Diggs September 7 – 25, 2023 Loft Theatre
Henry Fielding’s heart-throbbing masterpiece meets the frenzied, mop-top sounds of the 1960s known as the British Invasion. Aristocrats, wenches and scalawags abound in this bawdy and rollicking romp through the back roads and bedchambers of England.
Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous
By Pearl Cleage Director Torie Wiggins October 26 – November 13, 2023 Loft Theatre
After decades of self-imposed exile in Amsterdam, actress Anna Campbell and her manager Betty Sampson receives an invitation to remount their controversial performance piece “Naked Wilson.” Uncertain of her reception, Anna auditions her possible replacement, an ambitious young performer whose experience is limited to the adult entertainment industry. These two women confront their differing world views with humor and grace–and still manage to find common ground.
Reindeer Sessions
By Eric Ulloa Director Igor Goldin December 13 – 23, 2023 Loft Theatre
After a fight that left history’s most famous reindeer with a broken red nose, Blitzen is forced into a series of Anger Management therapy sessions by Kringle Enterprises. Tasked with finding the cause of this violent outburst, his therapist Dr. Arbor hopes to help him understand what led to this moment and if he can save his job on the reindeer squad. You won’t look at The North Pole the same way again in this hilarious and unexpected ride!
Shipwrecked! An Entertainment: The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself)
By Donald Margulies Director Greg Hellems February 22 – March 10, 2024 Loft Theatre
The adventurous Louis de Rougemont invites you to hear his amazing story of bravery, survival and celebrity that left 19th-century England spellbound. Dare to be whisked away in a story of the high seas and all corners of the globe, populated by flying wombats, giant sea turtles and a monstrous man-eating octopus. Shipwrecked examines how far we’re willing to blur the line between fact and fiction to leave our mark on the world.
peerless
By Jiehae Park Director Marya Spring Cordes April 25 – May 12, 2024 Loft Theatre
Twins M and L have given up everything to get into The College. So when D gets “their” spot instead, they figure they’ve got only one option: kill him.
A darkly comedic take on Shakespeare’s Macbeth about the ultra-ambitious and the cut-throat world of high school during college admissions.
The Kite Runner
Adapted by Matthew Spangler Based on the novel by Khaled Hosseini May 28 – June 2, 2024 Victoria Theatre – Co-presented with Dayton Live
Based on Khaled Hosseini’s beloved, internationally best-selling novel, THE KITE RUNNER is a powerful new play adapted by Matthew Spangler that follows one man’s journey to confront his past and find redemption. Told across two decades and two continents, THE KITE RUNNER is an unforgettable journey of forgiveness, and shows us all that we can be good again.
The Human Race expresses gratitude for the public and private support which makes our productions possible: The Loft Season Sponsors: Jack W. and Sally D. Eichelberger Foundation; Sustainability sponsors: Anne F. Johnson, Steve and Lou Mason, ELM Foundation, and Morris Furniture Company; Additional Season support: Miriam Rosenthal Foundation for the Arts, Erma R. Catterton Trust, The Shubert Foundation; Organizational support: Culture Works, Montgomery County, Ohio Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Dayton Region Arts Renewal Grant. Media Sponsor: WDPR Discover Classical. Pay What You Can Sponsor: Enterprise Holdings Foundation.
Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt 2B
A Frosty Night
A Distinct Society
Camelot
The Comeuppance
This is Tom Jones!
Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous
Reindeer Sessions
Shipwrecked! An Entertainment: The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself)
peerless
The Kite Runner