The Los Angeles theater season is set to kick off with a diverse lineup of new and returning productions that will run from early September through December. Local stages across the city and surrounding areas, including Pasadena Playhouse, Getty Villa, and the Ahmanson Theatre, will host works spanning a variety of genres and cultural perspectives, spotlighting both established and emerging playwrights.

The season opens at Rogue Machine Theatre with the Los Angeles premiere of Samuel D. Hunter’s “A Case for the Existence of God,” running through October 11 at the Henry Murray Stage in the Matrix Theatre. The two-character play, awarded the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play in 2022, explores the struggles of two single fathers amidst financial uncertainty. Directed by John Perrin Flynn, the intimate staging offers a psychologically and sociologically nuanced experience.

At Pasadena Playhouse, a revival of Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s 1956 tragicomedy “The Visit” runs September 9 to October 4. Under the direction of Darko Tresnjak, Jefferson Mays takes on the lead role in this classic European drama adapted by Maurice Valency. The production follows on the heels of the creative team’s acclaimed revival of “Amadeus” at the same venue.

September also brings a reinterpretation of Sophocles’ “Antigone” at the Getty Villa Outdoor Theater. “Antigone: In the Language of Kings,” directed by José Luis Valenzuela and produced by Latino Theater Company, relocates the ancient tragedy to pre-conquest Tenochtitlan, incorporating Aztec music and poetry to explore the conflict between divine law and state power. This marks the 20th annual outdoor classical theater presentation at the historic Getty Villa setting.

Open Fist Theatre Company presents José Rivera’s “Marisol” from September 12 through October 24 at Atwater Village Theatre. The play’s surreal depiction of New York City’s turmoil channels elements of magical realism inspired by Gabriel García Márquez, while Echo Theater Company opens Janine Nabers’ world premiere “The Peterson Show” September 16 to October 26 at the same venue. Nabers’ new drama centers on five former child stars reuniting amid scandal, with direction by Michelle Bossy.

The highly anticipated musical adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s “The Outsiders,” winner of the 2024 Tony Award for Best Musical, plays the Hollywood Pantages Theatre from September 30 to October 18 before moving to Segerstrom Center for the Arts October 20 to November 1. Featuring a score by Jamestown Revival and Justin Levine, and direction by Danya Taymor, the production revisits teenage conflicts in 1960s Tulsa.

East West Players will stage Jaclyn Backhaus’ feminist comedy “Wives” at the David Henry Hwang Theater (October 8–November 1). The play examines the lives of prominent men across different eras and locations through a South Asian and South Asian American cast under director Arpita Mukherjee.

Luis Alfaro’s new work “Speaking in Tongues” premieres at Latino Theater Company from October 15 through November 15. The play, developed through the company’s Circle of Imaginistas, returns to themes familiar to Alfaro’s Chicano-centered storytelling, focusing on migrant farmworkers in California’s Central Valley.

Boston Court Pasadena opens Benjamin Benne’s “At the Very Bottom of a Body of Water” (October 22–November 29), a magical realist drama about grief and the immigrant experience, directed by Juliette Carrillo.

Among the season’s notable musicals is the touring production of “The Music Man,” playing October 27 to November 8 at the Ahmanson Theatre. Directed by Matt Lenz and choreographed by Joshua Bergasse, this classic Meredith Willson show features timeless songs such as “Seventy-Six Trombones.”

Dominique Morisseau’s “Confederates,” tackling institutional racism across two time periods, runs at the Fountain Theatre October 28 to December 13, under the direction of Raymond O. Caldwell.

Also at Pasadena Playhouse, “Passing Strange,” the indie-rock musical by Stew and Heidi Rodewald, makes its awaited Los Angeles premiere from November 4 to 29. The semi-autobiographical show traces an L.A. native’s artistic coming of age, with direction co-led by Zhailon Levingston.

November continues with Cole Escola’s camp comedy “Oh, Mary!” at the Ahmanson Theatre (November 10 to December 6), featuring Alaska Thunderf— and J. Harrison Ghee, and Karen Zacarías’ telenovela-inspired “Destiny of Desire” at the Mark Taper Forum (November 11 to December 20), directed by Marcela Lorca.

The season concludes with the Geffen Playhouse’s production of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Pulitzer Prize-winning drama “Purpose” (November 11 to December 13). The play reunites the original Steppenwolf Theatre Company cast in a story centered on a prominent Black family’s legacy and secrets, directed by Phylicia Rashad.

This robust theatrical season highlights Los Angeles’ rich cultural fabric and commitment to storytelling that reflects both local and universal themes. From revivals and premieres to heartfelt dramas and innovative musicals, the upcoming months offer audiences a broad spectrum of compelling narratives.