Fort Worth’s Home for Boundary-Pushing Live Performing Arts Delivers Provocative Plays, Stand-Up Comic Residencies, and a Festival of New Voices

 

 Today, Amphibian Stage announced their 27th season, including the Broadway hit about the making of Jaws (The Shark is Broken by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon); comedians Nore Davis (Dickens, Succession, Boardwalk Empire)  and Jay Jurden (Variety’s Top 10 Comics to Watch) making their Stand-Up Comic Residency debuts; SparkFest’26, this year featuring Latine artists; and Did You Eat (밥 먹었니?), Zoë Kim’s solo show developed at SparkFest’23 and fresh off an extended run at The Public Theater in New York. The Main Stage season opens with a raucous queer romantic comedy set during a boiling point in the fight for women’s rights (Bull in a China Shop by Bryna Turner), and closes at the heart of a different revolution; to a darkly comic political thriller set in Tehran during the CIA-orchestrated coup that changed Iranian history (AJAX by Habib Yazdi). 

This season reflects Amphibian Stage’s long-standing belief that bold, innovative work belongs on Fort Worth stages—not on the coasts, not “somewhere else,” but here, in the heart of our city. Many of the artists and titles in the 2026 lineup are generating national attention, and Amphibian is proud to bring them to local audiences at the moment their voices are shaping the field. By backing artists who take risks, the company continues to make Fort Worth a place where new ideas aren’t just welcomed, but expected.

 

Artistic Director Jay Duffer, Managing Director Elizabeth Kensek, and Artistic Associate Evan Michael Woods, have collaborated to produce Amphibian’s 2026 season, sparking a yearlong conversation about power, identity, and performance. Four daring mainstage productions anchor the season, joined by nationally recognized comedians, the sixth annual SparkFest celebrating Latine artists, and a continued partnership with London’s National Theatre Live.

“This isn’t theater as usual,” says Artistic Director Jay Duffer. “We really strive to provide Fort Worth with a bit more than just ‘another nice night at the theater.’ We want to give audiences the kind of experience you talk about on the drive home, theatre that lingers long after the curtain falls.”

A Season That Tests Power, Passion, and Principle

 

Bull in a China Shop by Bryna Turner (February 11–March 1) opens the year with the true story of Mary Woolley and Jeannette Marks, two women who shook up academia and scandalized society with their radical love and progressive politics. When Woolley becomes president of Mount Holyoke College, her vision for equality ignites a firestorm; one that feels strikingly familiar in a world still learning how to accept women in power. Directed by Kels Ervi. 

Bull in a China Shop is a co-production with Dallas’ Second Thought Theatre, built on shared values: championing queer stories, ambitious design, and work unafraid of hard questions. This production will have separate runs at both theaters, opening at Amphibian Stage before moving to Second Thought in Dallas. Second Thought Theatre will announce their full 2026 season details later this year.

About the Director: Kels Ervi is a Texas-born, queer, trans-masc, nonbinary theatre artist based in Chicago. With an MFA from Northwestern University and a background that includes leadership roles at WaterTower Theatre and Drunk Shakespeare Chicago, Kels brings a deep passion for queer narratives, ensemble-driven storytelling, and community-rooted work. Their Amphibian Stage debut marks a homecoming of sorts—uniting their Texas roots with their commitment to inclusive, transformative theatre.

 

 

Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) by Zoë Kim (March 27–April 12) follows writer-performer Zoë Kim through a kaleidoscopic solo performance that captures the chaos, humor, and heartache of Korean immigrant family life. This play is having a “homecoming” of sorts as Did You Eat was developed at SparkFest’23, which celebrated AAPI artistry. Did You Eat made its world premiere at Chuang Stage in Boston and is currently in an extended run at The Public Theatre in New York City. Beneath the sharp comedy and vivid characters lies a meditation on how we choose joy… how we keep laughing, cooking, and showing up for one another when life refuses to let up.

About the Director: Chris Yejin is a first-generation Korean American director, writer, and dramaturg whose work bridges Korean and American storytelling traditions. Her directing credits include The King’s Language (world premiere), I Do for You, and Medea The Woman, among others. With a practice rooted in empathy and cross-cultural connection, Chris infuses Did You Eat? with the same authenticity and compassion that define her artistic voice.

 

 

Summer brings The Shark Is Broken by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon (July 22–August 16), the hit West End comedy about the making of Jaws. Trapped on a sinking boat with a broken mechanical shark and rising egos, three actors fight their way through artistic chaos to create a film that would define generations. Coming just one year after Jaws’ 50th anniversary, it’s a sharp, funny tribute to the beautiful mess of making art. 

About the Director: David A. Miller is a longtime Amphibian Stage collaborator whose acclaimed productions (Wittenberg, Below the Belt, Gutenberg! The Musical!) have earned multiple DFW Critics Forum Awards. David is a  veteran of new play development, a board member of the Seven Devils New Play Foundry, and a Professor of Theatre at Bloomberg University.

 

 

The season closes with AJAX by Habib Yazdi (October 14–November 1), a darkly comic thriller about the 1953 CIA-backed coup in Iran. Told through five characters — American spy Kermit, U.S. Ambassador Loy, Shah Pahlavi, Kambiz the Iranian pool boy, and the Pool itself — the play blends political thriller with surreal metaphor. Part spy noir, part political allegory, AJAX is about power, manipulation, and the long shadows foreign intervention casts — a theatrical excavation of a history still rippling outward today.

About the Director: Kareem Fahmy is an award-winning director and playwright whose work often explores identity, belonging, and the intersection of politics and personal history. A Canadian of Egyptian descent based in New York, Kareem has directed at leading regional theatres including Cincinnati Playhouse, Writers Theatre, Pioneer Theatre, and the Contemporary American Theatre Festival. His plays — including A Distinct Society, American Fast, and Dodi & Diana — have been produced nationwide and reflect his talent for transforming complex geopolitical narratives into deeply human stories. Kareem is a Columbia MFA graduate and recipient of fellowships from Sundance, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and The Old Globe.

 

Stand-Up Residencies

 

Between these theatrical flashpoints, Amphibian’s stage turns over to two comics whose work shares the same fearlessness as its plays. Additional headliners to be announced in 2026. 

Jay Jurden (The Problem with Jon Stewart, The Tonight Show) performs May 1 & 2, bringing his sharp wit and clear-eyed humor to Fort Worth audiences.

Nore Davis (Succession, The Tonight Show) headlines May 15 & 16 with his new hour in development My Inner Child Said What?!—an honest, electric exploration of family, identity, and the messy joy of growing up.

SparkFest 2026 – Celebrating Latine Artists (June 5–14)

 

Amphibian’s annual new works festival enters its sixth year by spotlighting Latine voices and stories shaping the future of American theater. Expect music, art, staged readings, workshops, and a national acting competition offering $18,000 in cash prizes to emerging performers. SparkFest is more than a festival, it’s a growing hub for new performing arts which attracts artists and audiences from across the nation. This special summer offering ensures Fort Worth remains on the leading edge of new play development.

National Theatre Live

 

Amphibian’s partnership with London’s National Theatre continues, bringing world-class British productions to Fort Worth through screenings at The Modern Art Museum. Amphibian Stage announces the first title with additional titles and dates for 2026 coming soon.

Mrs. Warren’s Profession by George Bernard Shaw  (February 4 & 7)

Five-time Olivier Award winner Imelda Staunton (The Crown) joins forces with her real-life daughter Bessie Carter (Bridgerton) for the very first time, playing mother and daughter in Bernard Shaw’s incendiary moral classic.

Vivie Warren is a woman ahead of her time. Her mother, however, is a product of that old patriarchal order. Exploiting it has earned Mrs. Warren a fortune – but at what cost?

“In a world increasingly experienced through a screen, Amphibian offers an essential anchor—a dependable place to gather, feel, react, and connect with other human beings over the shared, exhilarating risk of live performance,” says Managing Director Elizabeth Kensek. “A sense of community is built in the lobby before the lights dim and continues in the passionate debates that follow the final curtain call. It is a diverse tapestry of local artists, devoted members, and newcomers drawn by the promise of genuine, invigorating art.”

Season memberships are available now at amphibianstage.com, offering the best value, unique perks, and a famous Amphibian cookie at every performance. Single tickets go on sale January 1, 2026.