The best theater shows in Philadelphia this fall and where to eat before or after

Fall is the best time of year to explore Philadelphia’s theater scene, with local stages upping the ante on their programming. This season is full of family drama; from rival brothers in Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog to father-daughter clashes in the world premiere of Horsegirl & Cowdaddy.

We’ll also see big-name Broadway tours (Mamma Mia!, Operation Mincemeat) and a dance-fueled new musical (A Beat of Our Own), along with spooky stories right in time for Halloween (The Addams Family, Misery).

Local theaters are also examining social issues this autumn: Feminism takes center stage with the Philadelphia premiere of the 2026 Pulitzer Prize-winner Liberation and a contemporary twist on a 17th-century play called Witch. Additionally, in #CHARLOTTESVILLE, an immigrant playwright explores the rise of white supremacy through a verbatim play based on interviews with community members in Virginia.

These are 10 shows we want to see this fall, paired with suggestions on drink and dining options near each respective theater.

An American classic will be staged at two theaters in separate runs this season in a rare coproduction between Malvern’s People’s Light and Old City’s Arden. This Pulitzer Prize-winning play from the prolific and incisive dramatist Suzan-Lori Parks follows two Black brothers, Lincoln and Booth, with a complicated relationship that is both competitive and interdependent. Booth (played by West Philly-raised actor George McGriff) scams and steals to get money while Lincoln (notable Philly star Akeem Davis) works at an arcade where he dons white face and reenacts the assassination of the president for whom he’s named.

People’s Light, 39 Conestoga Rd., Malvern, 610-644-3500 or peopleslight.org, Arden Theatre, 40 N. Second St., Philadelphia, 215-922-1122 or ardentheatre.org

Restaurant recs: In Malvern, you could go Italian (Anthony’s), Indian (Manam), Mediterranean (Fattoush), or free-ranging (Jockey Tavern). You can find those options in Old City too: (Piccolina, Masala Fusion, Olea, and Red Owl Tavern, respectively), plus Mexican (Tu Riconcito), Irish (the Monto), French (Forsythia), and Spanish (Amada).

Philly poet/playwright DJ Hills — a queer and trans artist from Franklin County, Pa. — penned a new play that will have its world premiere at the Wilma before transferring to New York’s Soho Rep next year. Set in a small and rural Pennsylvania town, the story centers on a 30-something trans woman named Horsegirl who still lives at home with her father, Cowdaddy. A newfound love leads to an unexpected change that threatens to upend her life. Puerto Rican actor and singer/songwriter Samora de la Brisa stars as Horsegirl while veteran actor Lindsay Smiling, who was recently named the Wilma’s sole artistic director, plays Cowdaddy.

Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, 215-546-7824 or wilmatheater.org

Restaurant recs: Order a Southern-tinged feast at Kitchen & Kocktails, whose menu includes fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits with lobster tail, chicken and a wide array of waffles, and peach cobbler.

The morbidly moody teen Wednesday Addams is about to do the scariest thing imaginable: introduce her eccentric family to her “normal” boyfriend and his parents. The young couple soon realize they aren’t the only ones with relationship problems as their parents — yes, even the eternally head-over-heels Gomez and Morticia — stumble into their own conflicts following a discomfiting dinner. With music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, the popular musical features everyone’s favorite spooky relatives, including Uncle Fester, Lurch, and Thing. (Plus there’s a special showing on Halloween.)

Walnut Street Theatre, 825 Walnut St., Philadelphia, 215-574-3550 or walnutstreettheatre.org

Restaurant recs: Hi-Lo Taco Co. is one of the family- (and budget-) friendliest options in Washington Square West, and the tacos and margs couldn’t be tastier. If you’re looking for something funkier, try Dara, featured in the 2025 edition of The 76, for its deft touch with a range of Thai dishes.

One of the longest-running shows in Broadway history makes its return to Philadelphia with a fresh cast belting beloved ABBA classics. On a luscious Greek island, a young bride has devised a clever plan to determine the identity of her father: inviting three potential dads to her wedding. What could go wrong? Sing along to favorite tunes like “Dancing Queen,” “Money, Money, Money,” and, of course, “Mamma Mia” while watching the heartwarming family bonding. Pretty Woman: The Musical actor Jessica Crouch takes on the role of Donna while The Voice contestant Juliette M. Ojeda stars as her daughter, Sophie.

Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, 215-893-1999 or ensembleartsphilly.org

Restaurant recs: Double down on the spectacle of a night at the theater with drinks and starters at the bar at Mr. Edison, Jeffrey Chodorow’s aesthetically dazzling $10 million restaurant in the Bellevue Hotel. There are a number of Craig LaBan-approved items if you choose carefully.

This fresh, funny, feminist twist on a 17th-century English play from Jen Silverman focuses on Elizabeth Sawyer, an outcast labeled a “witch” for reasons she can’t fathom. When the devil arrives in the small town of Edmonton, he considers Elizabeth easy prey, but she’s not convinced selling her soul for revenge on cruel neighbors will satisfy her. Instead, the devil finds men who readily fall, like two brothers eager to seize their rich noble father’s inheritance (and you can guess how that feud ends). Suli Holum, a Philly theater mainstay who once cameoed in the Emmy-winning show Mare of Easttown, stars as the titular witch while University of the Arts graduate Frank Jimenez plays the devil, aka Scratch.

Quintessence Theatre at the Sedgwick Theater, 7137 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, 215-987-4450 or quintessencetheatre.org

Restaurant recs: It’s a bit of a walk down Germantown Avenue, but for a fresh pick in Mount Airy, head to Doho, the fusion-minded bistro from the culinary talents behind Catering by Design. The cocktails are always on point and you can easily fill up on the creative small plates and pasta dishes.

This big, bold musical feels like Bring It On meets competitive bhangra dancing. Married playwrights Rehana Lew Mirza, who grew up in Bridgewater, N.J., and Mike Lew (Teenage Dick) wrote this comedy about two bhangra teams going head to head in a national competition: one that prides itself on maintaining traditional choreography from Punjab, and another that embraces fusion and incorporates other dance styles like Bollywood and hip-hop. Challenge is, the latter team consists of total amateurs. The coming-of-age tale features movement by Bollywood choreographer Rujuta Vaidya, and Mirza promises some inside jokes meant specifically for Jersey audiences (her family included).

McCarter Theater Center, 91 University Place, Princeton, N.J., 609-258-2787 or mccarter.org

Restaurant recs: For small and local, Princeton restaurants like Mistral, Agricola, and elements are classic choices. For something new and from New York, try Ayat.

The Philadelphia premiere of this much-buzzed-about play from Bess Wohl comes with dazzling credits as the winner of the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for drama and the 2026 Tony Award for best play. Partially based on the life of Wohl’s mother, who worked at the legendary feminist outlet Ms. Magazine, the play swings between present day and the 1970s as the protagonist, Lizzie, reflects on her mom’s activism in the women’s rights movement. Six women meet in an Ohio rec center and bond over workplace discrimination and the challenges of being wives and mothers while debating what it means to be a revolutionary. Philadelphia Theatre Company coartistic director Taibi Magar directs.

Philadelphia Theatre Company at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, 215-985-0420 or philadelphiatheatrecompany.org

Restaurant recs: If you’re heading to PTC, you couldn’t be closer to Oroshi, the recently opened omakase restaurant located directly across Broad Street. Check that out before the show, then head to Sonnys Cocktail Joint afterward for drinks, tavern pies, and hot dogs.

Before the internet age of stans, there was Annie Wilkes, a scarily impulsive fan who terrorized her favorite author in Stephen King’s 1987 novel Misery. After a major car crash, novelist Paul Sheldon wakes up in a remote cabin with Annie playing nurse, but soon he realizes her enthusiasm belies a dangerous obsession. This stage adaptation from Oscar-winning writer William Goldman — the pen behind All the President’s Men, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and The Princess Bride — premiered at Bucks County Playhouse in 2012 before a star-studded run on Broadway with Bruce Willis and Laurie Metcalf. This production sees Bruce Graham and Emma Gibson facing off in this psychological thriller.

Hedgerow Theatre, 64 Rose Valley Rd., Media, 610-565-4211 or hedgerowtheatre.org

Restaurant recs: Media has lots of options, but why not go to Fond, Lee Styer and Jessie Prawlucki Styer’s brilliantly revived French bistro, located a mere four-minute drive away from Hedgerow.

Philadelphia-based actor/playwright Priyanka Shetty was a student at the University of Virginia in 2017 when hundreds of white supremacists marched in Charlottesville, resulting in the three people killed and 35 injured. As an immigrant from Bangalore, India, Shetty felt compelled to respond, so she began interviewing dozens of residents, researching court transcripts, and reading extremist right-wing material to create this verbatim play in which she stars as the sole performer. Popular local theatermaker Yury Urnov directs this production, which he also directed during its award-winning run at the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Azuka Theatre at The Drake, 302 S. Hicks St., Philadelphia, 215-563-1100 or azukatheatre.org

Restaurant recs: The options are good and plenty in this part of town. I’m partial to Monk’s Cafe for sentimental reasons, but you also have La Jefa & Tequilas, Kissho House, and Superfolie to choose from, all within a few minutes’ walk.

Based on a real-life secret mission during World War II, this zany musical brings five versatile actors to play 87 characters with Monty Python-like humor. The British plot involved disguising a corpse as a Royal Marine officer and dumping the body into the sea along with a briefcase full of fake documents intended to deceive German spies (allowing the Allied forces to invade Sicily). The score includes sea shanties, ballads, electro-pop, and rap for an uproarious, unbelievably informative good time.

Forrest Theatre, 1114 Walnut St., Philadelphia, 215-893-1999 or ensembleartsphilly.org

Restaurant recs: The Walnut Street Theatre suggestions apply here, too, but for a few more, how about Kichi (a “zoomakase”), Oloroso (delicious tapas by chef Tod Wentz), and Darling Jack’s (a something-for-everyone contemporary tavern menu)?