While YES Theatre’s 2026 season features smash hits including “Come From Away” and Disney’s “Frozen”, company founder Alessandro Costantini said he’s most excited for a piece called “City Medicine” being developed by local playwright Sarah Gartshore.
Set to be run by the company at its outdoor Refettorio theatre next August, “City Medicine” tackles a topic that has become top of mind for many Sudburians, although it’s an uncomfortable one — homelessness and addiction.
Gartshore is the 2025 winner of the prestigious Johanna Award for her work.
“We're going to be working with people who are houseless,” said Costantini, adding that the experts on this community are those who are unhoused themselves.
“It's going to likely be a seven-month process where we bring in professional actors and houseless people, and they work together to build a story of dialogues and monologues. It’s still being devised right now.”
With homelessness having taken “every Canadian city by storm,” Costantini, who’s also the company’s artistic and managing director, said he feels this will be the “most important piece of the season.”
Using the tagline “locally driven and world class,” Costantini announced the Sudbury theatre company’s 2026 season Oct. 27, and, as stated above, it runs the gamut from original and local pieces to international hits.
“I like to find exciting pieces of theatre, so I want them to be stories that mean something to people, or titles that people have a relationship to,” said Costantini.
If you’re looking to check out hit shows without the expense of travelling to Toronto or New York, “Come From Away” runs at Sudbury Theatre Centre next July, and tells the 9/11 story of 7,000 passengers being stranded in the small community of Gander, Newfoundland.
Costantini said the piece, which is the “big anchor of the season,” means a lot to him, as he actually owns property in Newfoundland, and one of his best friends was in the original Broadway company for the show, so he was at its New York opening night in 2017.
“Newfoundlanders are the salt of the earth,” he said. “They are the most generous people that I've certainly ever interacted with.”
If you have little Annas or Elsas (or Olafs or Kristoffs) in your household, get the kids to dress up and attend the 2026 holiday show of Disney’s “Frozen” in November of next year.
“What's really exciting about that is that we are investing four times the amount of money that we've ever put into a set and costumes for that piece, because I want it to be absolute magic,” said Costantini. “We’re going to be pulling out all the stops.”
In March, youth audiences will also enjoy the Young Company production of “High School Musical”, based on the Disney Channel television show.
If you’re a fan of music, your cup of tea might be “Under Pressure: The Music of Bowie and Queen” at the Refettorio in June and “Frankly Sinatra” (starring Costantini himself) at Sudbury Theatre Centre (dates TBA).
There’s also more serious fare in YES Theatre’s 2026 season, including “Lungs”, directed by Order of Canada recipient and Sudbury native Richard Rose, who returns to Sudbury to direct for the first time.
It’s about a young couple who find themselves examining the scope of their lives together and the world around them when they begin considering starting a family.
The season also includes the April world premiere of a new Canadian musical theatre commissioned by YES Theatre, entitled “Way Out There”.
The plot’s summary is as follows: “In 1986, White Rock, BC resident Mitchell Drumel mysteriously disappeared without a trace, leaving his wife, Diane, and kids, Megan and Jason, reeling and confused. His car was found by the side of the highway with his keys and wallet left on the seat. Extensive police investigation came up empty. Now a cold case, Mr. Drumel's disappearance still puzzles the town.”
The play was written by Anton Lipovetsky and Sara Farb and directed by Marie Farsi.
Asked why YES Theatre would commission a play set in British Columbia, Costantini said the company chose from about 75 different pieces that were submitted, and selected “Way Out There” because of its youth-driven narrative.
He said the dream is to see it on Broadway one day. “You never know,” he said.
YES Theatre is also celebrating the success of its discounted Believers Pass, in which a good chunk of the tickets for next year were already sold to patrons before they even knew what shows were running.
Shows running at Sudbury Theatre Centre are already 35 per cent sold, while those at its outdoor Refettorio theatre are 60 per cent sold, amounting to about 1,300 Believers Passes.
Costantini said that’s extraordinary, as just two years ago, when it completed its merger with the former Sudbury Theatre Centre company, it only had around 90 subscribers.
“It's certainly a big influx of cash flow, which is great, but the thing that's really wonderful is that it just affirms what we're doing,” he said.
While the Believers Passes are no longer available, Costantini said 2026 Season Passes are on sale, offering 25 per cent off the entire main stage season.
There’s also still time to purchase tickets for "Annie: The Musical", YES Theatre’s final production of 2025, which runs Nov. 20 to Dec. 22. The family-friendly holiday show features a company of 14 kids, along with five adult actors.
“I think people who love Annie are going to really love the show, because it really leans into the optimism of the time,” said Costantini, but it also pushes “the hard questions, because the piece is about a hard-knock life.”
If you’re interested in purchasing tickets to Annie or a 2026 season pass, visit yestheatre.com.
Heidi Ulrichsen is Sudbury.com’s assistant editor. She also covers education and the arts scene.