“Art is a way to make your life matter, to make your existence visible.” – Kara Walker
In a moment when so much of our world feels uncertain and disconnected, A Visible Existence asks a simple but urgent question: how can art reveal the hidden worlds we carry inside?
This season brings together bold stories, unforgettable personalities, and thrilling theatrical experiences – from intimate storytelling to high-energy musical celebration, from sharp comedy to gripping psychological suspense. Across these plays, artists, dreamers, outsiders, and communities struggle to connect, to create, and to understand themselves and one another through art, memory, music, and imagination.
From the quiet act of reclaiming a hidden history, to the joyful chaos of collaboration, to the desperate ways we hold onto one another in the face of loss and change, each of these stories explores the messy, funny, vulnerable, and deeply human desire to matter – and to be truly known.
September 17 – October 11, 2026
The true story of Afong Moy, a Chinese woman displayed as a living exhibit in 1800s America. Told in first person from her point of view, she holds nothing back as she recounts a half-century of performing her culture to curious onlookers. Her dreams and aspirations shift with the passing of time as she discovers what it means to reclaim her story. The Chinese Lady is funny, heartbreaking, and devastatingly contemporary portrait of America through the eyes of a young Chinese woman.
November 28 – December 20, 2026
Snowed In is a joyful holiday musical that has become a Seattle theater tradition. Inspired by classic holiday TV specials and musicals about putting on a musical, Snowed In takes you on a journey of song, dance, friendship, family, and the true meaning of the holidays.
ArtsWest has sent four incredible artists on a cozy retreat to write the most perfect holiday show the world has ever seen. But when a blizzard hits and tensions rise, the crumpled-up notebook pages start to pile up even faster than the snow. Will they finish the show in time? Or will they have to rely on a sprinkle of holiday magic to pull the whole thing off?
February 4 – February 28, 2027
In John Logan’s critically-beloved, Tony Award-winning play, Master abstract expressionist Mark Rothko and his assistant, Ken, debate the nature of art and success. As Rothko’s iconic paintings are created live onstage, the pair goes head-to-head in a thrilling battle over artistic purpose. But when Ken gains the confidence to challenge him, Rothko faces the agonizing possibility that his crowning achievement could also become his undoing. Raw and provocative, Red is a searing portrait of an artist’s ambition and vulnerability as he tries to create a body of work that could define his legacy.
April 8 – May 2, 2027
A thrill ride about the potential and the consequences of A.I. After the disappearance of her sister, Angie, Merril’s life is turned upside down. To cope with the grief and unanswered questions, Merril uses A.I. to create a version of her sister – Merril’s version. But as A.I. Angie learns and evolves, history repeats itself. Angie’s developing intelligence may not be what Merril had planned, but when A.I. Angie reveals a secret this sci-fi family drama turns into a gripping, suspenseful true crime race against time.
June 10 – July 3, 2027
Inspired by Shaw’s Pygmalion, this scathing comedy is a blistering and entertaining look at cultural and racial appropriation in an exchange of ideologies, vernacular, and alleged street cred. Canadian pop sweetheart, Dorian Belle, isn’t so sweet anymore – he’s ready to be taken seriously. So, get his people on the phone, turn on the cameras, and let it roll! Dorian’s team hires his favorite hip-hop artists from Chicago’s premiere rap group Petty Young Goons to help change his image, and it’s all caught on camera for a new reality TV show.
