Piknik Theatre is set to usher in the 2026 summer season as part of a summer filled with fairy tales and Shakespeare unfolding on the stage of the recently completed Branham Amphitheatre.

“This is our 19th season doing Shakespeare in the Yampa Valley, and we get to open a permanent home, which is pretty cool,” said Celina Taylor, who was named executive director last August.  “It’s not just for us to use, it’s for the whole community to use, which feels nice. We are hoping that we can get the word out and everyone can join us this summer.”

To celebrate the new amphitheater, Piknik Theatre is hosting the first-ever Summer Gala on July 19 as a fundraiser that will be used to support its productions. Sponsorships include VIP tickets to the event, and sponsors will have early access to the gala as well as performance tickets.

The total investment to bring the 2026 season to life is approximately $65,000, according to Taylor. She said the evening will feature theater, dance, opera, symphony and choral performances.

The official Piknik Theatre season begins July 5 when a professional cast takes the stage at the new venue located just off Amethyst Drive on the campus of the Strawberry Park School. The opening day will include two shows — at noon their will be a matinee and then at 6 p.m. there will be an evening performance.

The cast will then alternate performances of Romeo & Juliet and an original musical, “Fair is Foul,” a Musical Prequel to Romeo & Juliet. Additional performances that week will take place on July 6, July 8 and July 9.The following seeks performances will take place Sunday through Thursday until season comes to a close on Thursday, July 23. Tickets for the Summer Gala as well as reserved seats for the performances go on sale June 1.

“Our professional programming is three weeks, but it takes many months to put it all together, Taylor said. “We are expanding access to professional theater and performing arts in Steamboat Springs, and we’re expanding what those things looks like in a rural community.”

She add that the season was developed in partnership with the Denver Theatre Ensemble. Taylor credits Clayish Coldiron, the Piknic Theatre’s new artistic director, for envisioning that relationship and making it possible.  She said the actors will begin rehearsing the summer’s programs in Denver, which helps the organization save housing costs.

“They’re actually going to do a week’s worth of performances in Denver before everyone comes to Steamboat, which is really cool,” Taylor said.  “Theater will get a little bit of love on the Front Range as well, and we’re super excited about that.”

Additionally, Piknik Theatre will run a four-week camp for students that focuses on performance, design, and creative process. The group has also partnered with the Bud Werner Memorial Library to introduce Fairy Tale Theatre. That program, created especially for a young audience includes noon performances Wednesdays at the Bud Werner Library, and on Fridays at the amphitheater. The hope is the program will introduce a new generation to theater.

Branham Amphitheatre offers 60 permanent seats that can be purchased. The audience will also offered lawn seats on a “donate what you can basis” carrying on Piknik Theatre’s long running tradition of offering accessible theater to the community. This year’s programming will also include a sunrise yoga series and family-friendly acoustic concert featuring Antonio Lopez and his band.

Taylor said Piknik Theatre offers several sponsorship opportunities, which include tickets to the Summer Gala, ranging from $10,000 to be a presenting sponsor for the gala and the opening night of Romeo & Juliet t0 $250 to be Shakespear’s Circle Sponsor. This year, thanks to the Love & Legacy 25K Match provided by the Branham family, donations and sponsorships made in 2026 will be matched up to $25,000.

“We are humbled by the rapid growth achieved in under a year, made possible through the continued support of our local foundations and donors,” Taylor wrote on Piknik Theatre’s website.  “We want to celebrate all you have done to support us, and we invite you to join us on the evening of July 19 for our inaugural Summer Gala as we celebrate all we have built together. Whether you attend the Gala or support the season through sponsorship, your involvement helps bring this work to life.”