Out of Hand unveils 25th-anniversary 2026-27 season

Out of Hand has announced a 2026-2027 season built around its 25th anniversary and a slate of theater, dialogue and community programs in Atlanta. The lineup leans on new productions, civic partnerships and youth outreach to use the arts to drive conversation on housing, health, democracy and economic mobility.

Why it matters: - Out of Hand is using its 25th anniversary season to push conversations on public health, housing, economic mobility, democracy and belonging. - The Atlanta-based organization is pairing theater with facilitated dialogue, which can turn performances into community problem-solving. - The season includes programming for students, neighborhoods and workplace groups, broadening the reach beyond traditional audiences.

What happened: - Out of Hand announced its 2026-2027 season on Aug. 7, 2026, in Atlanta. - The season marks 25 years since the organization was founded in 2001. - The lineup includes original productions, community-centered performances, youth programming, civic collaborations and organizational dinners. - Co-Executive Director and Artistic Director Ariel Fristoe said the anniversary season invites audiences to reflect on where the country has been and how people move forward together. - Co-Executive Director and Activism Director Adria Kitchens said the organization aims to create spaces where empathy leads to understanding and dialogue becomes a catalyst for lasting change.

The details: - “Status” by Anterior Leverett opens Aug. 22 as part of the Shows in Homes series. - “Status” follows an HIV/AIDS support group helping a newly diagnosed man reconcile his diagnosis with the life he has built. - Out of Hand produced “Status” with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and the Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition. - The production focuses on HIV in Atlanta, where about 1 in 51 people is living with HIV, nearly twice the national average. - Black, Hispanic and LGBTQ+ communities are disproportionately affected. - “Anybody’s Game” by Kelundra Smith opens Feb. 5, 2027. - The play examines economic mobility in Atlanta through working families facing the region’s affordability crisis. - The production was inspired in part by Brian Goldstone’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book, There Is No Place for Us. - “Anybody’s Game” shares the experiences of residents living in an Atlanta extended-stay motel. - Out of Hand developed the production with Mayor Andre Dickens, United Way of Greater Atlanta, the Atlanta Regional Commission and Atlanta Way 2.0. - The We Hold These Truths series returns with four short plays focused on American democracy, identity and the future of the country. - “American Dream” by Jeilianne Vazquez looks at immigration through a Latino teen’s perspective. - “Ancestral Reckoning” by Marcie Rendon looks at the past and future through a Native American perspective. - “Faded Dream” by Melissa Simmons looks at unemployment and the disillusionment of the American economic dream through a rural White father. - “Tell Them About the Dream” by Dana Stringer looks at dreams, imagination and community through a Black, Southern pastor. - Out of Hand Dinners uses a theatrical monologue or play, a meal and facilitated dialogue rooted in equity and inclusion. - The dinner model can be virtual or in person. - Out of Hand also offers Dinners for Organizations to help teams build trust, strengthen communication and navigate complex conversations. - Creative Kids provides free in-school and after-school theater classes in underserved Atlanta schools. - In 2025-2026, 96% of Creative Kids students improved in communication, collaboration, creativity and confidence, based on teacher assessments. - This season, Creative Kids will deliver 600 classes to 400 students. - With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and in partnership with Performance Hypothesis, Out of Hand will continue its EqVax program. - EqVax brings evidence-based information and storytelling to civic and community events across Atlanta to support trust and informed decision-making. - Out of Hand partnered with Status: Home, Atlanta’s oldest and largest HIV/AIDS permanent supportive housing provider for homeless or low-income individuals and families impacted by HIV/AIDS. - That winter 2027 series will examine housing, community and the lives of people beyond their housing challenges and HIV status. - Additional performance dates, venues, ticket information and community-event registration will be announced during the season.

Between the lines: - The season shows Out of Hand leaning harder into issue-based storytelling, with productions designed to meet people in homes, schools, community spaces and workplaces. - The partnerships suggest a strategy that mixes arts programming with public agencies, nonprofits and foundations to extend impact beyond the stage. - The emphasis on housing and HIV reflects Atlanta-specific needs while the themes remain broad enough to travel to other cities and audiences.

What's next: - Out of Hand will release additional performance dates, venues, ticket details and registration information throughout the anniversary season. - The winter 2027 Status: Home collaboration will add another civic-focused series to the season. - Creative Kids, EqVax and the dinners program will continue alongside the main productions.