Dobama announces upcoming season

Dobama Theatre announced its upcoming 2024/25 season on April 2. It comprises a lineup of five new plays—all Cleveland, regional, or world professional premieres.

The season will kick off on Oct. 4, 2024, with “POTUS Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive” by Selena Fillinger, directed by Carrie Williams. In the play, the President of the United States unwittingly spins a PR nightmare into a global crisis. The show was a star-studded hit on Broadway; an all-female farce nominated for three Tony awards.

During the holiday season, Dobama audiences will be able to visit a Neverland like no other. “Peter/Wendy,” Jeremy Bloom’s inventive adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s story, is suited for all ages. Following the adventures of Peter Pan, this production will have immersive/interactive elements. It lands on the Dobama stage Dec. 6.

The season continues in January 2025 with “The Hot Wing King” by Katori Hall. Directed by Sheffia Randall-Nickerson, it’s a comedy that cooks up laughs and drama in equal measure. Winner of a 2021 Pulitzer Prize, the play explores Black masculinity through the story of Cordell, his boyfriend Dwayne, and their closest friends and extended family as they prepare for victory in Memphis’ annual hot wing competition.

“The Wolves,” by Sarah DeLappe, will run March 7–30. This 2017 Pulitzer finalist examines society and soccer through the scary, exhilarating brightness of raw adolescence. The play spotlights a girls’ indoor soccer team as they navigate big questions and wage tiny battles.  

Dobama’s 65th season will conclude in April with the world premiere of “Rust: a memoir of steel and grit,” by celebrated playwright George Brant. It tells the true story of a woman born and raised in Cleveland who returns home after graduate school, and how she comes to terms with her past and confronts inner demons while working in a steel mill. Commissioned by Dobama Theatre in 2021, the script is adapted from Eliese Colette Goldbach’s gritty memoir of the same name. The play will be directed by Laura Kepley, former Cleveland Play House artistic director.

Memberships ($180; $150 for Young Professionals under 40) for Dobama’s 2024/25 season are on sale now, and can be purchased by calling the box office at 216-932-3396 or by visiting dobama.org. Single tickets ($35 to $42) will go on sale Aug. 13.