This year, the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre in San Francisco, California brings a new season of powerful stories to the stage. There is "SistahFriend," (May 16-17) "African Stew," (September 10- 27), and "Soulful Christmas" (December 2026) which provide a season of laughter, love, and community.

The LHT Season Pass offers a bundle of special tickets you can redeem throughout the year. Passholders enjoy up to 25 percent off, early access to seating, complimentary ticket exchanges within shows, discounts on additional events, our exclusive member newsletter, and more. Your pass is a direct investment in bold, Black-centered storytelling in the San Francisco Bay Area.

SEASON OPENER:

"SISTAHFRIEND"--May 16-17 (Magic Theater)
Written by: Phaedra Tillery-Boughton
Directed by: Margo Hall
True friendship is never a straight line. It grows, it falters, it survives—but only when we show up for one another.

For Portia, Kendra and Sia, friendship has meant showing up through decades of triumphs, heartaches, motherhood, spiritual journeys, and all the messy, beautiful moments it takes to become your truest self.

Time and time again, they've weathered it all. But what happens when this sacred friendship between three Black women is shaken to its core?

Drawn from real-life events, playwright Phaedra Tillery-Boughton's (pictured) "SistahFriend" is a new dramatic comedy about love, faith, and the friendships that make us whole.

"Sistahfriend" is being developed in Lorraine Hansberry Theatre's New Black Voices Mentorship Program. The program remains central to the company's mission of uplifting Black female and femme-identifying playwrights, by offering opportunities to develop new works or to showcase them live to new audiences.

"AFRICAN STEW"--Sept. 10-27 (Magic Theater)
Written by: Dr. Lisa B. Thompson
Directed by: Edris Cooper
A poignant exploration of love, class, culture, and the Black Diaspora, "African Stew" from playwright Lisa B. Thompson, is a sharp and satirical comedy that brings complex relationships to the table.

When an African American middle-class woman and a wealthy Nigerian immigrant announce their engagement after just six months, their families gather for a meal in Oakland. What begins as a celebration soon simmers with tension, as cultural differences, familial expectations, and questions of identity bubble to the surface.

"SOULFUL CHRISTMAS"--Dec. 2026 (Magic Theater)
Music Direction by: Dr. Yvonne Cobbs
Stage Direction by: Margo Hall
A heartwarming holiday tradition returns with "Soulful Christmas," offering a vibrant reimagining of your favorite Christmas classics.

Led by the incomparable Dr. Yvonne Cobbs, this magical winter concert features an ensemble of the Bay Area's most powerful voices delivering joyous melodies, soul-stirring vocals, and a performance overflowing with holiday cheer. Gather the family and join us for an evening of hope and resilience, guaranteed to fill your heart and lift your spirit.

MORE ABOUT THE LORRAINE HANSBERRY THEATER:

Named to honor the trailblazing playwright of "A Raisin in the Sun," Lorraine Hansberry Theatre (LHT) is one of the West Coast's oldest and most renowned professional theaters dedicated to creating theatrical works by, for, and about the Black experience.

With "A Raisin in the Sun's" debut, Lorraine Hansberry was the first Black female playwright to have a play performed on Broadway, as well as the youngest American and only fifth woman to receive the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play.

Politically active, Hansberry worked tirelessly on U.S. civil rights issues as well as global struggles against colonialism and imperialism, particularly crusading for the role of women in activism.

She died tragically young at age 34, of pancreatic cancer, but left an enormous legacy, with her essays and plays continually adapted into new works, including songs ("To Be Young, Gifted, and Black" by Nina Simone) and musicals (the Tony Award-winning Best Musical "Raisin").

LHT supports a new generation of aspiring Black artists, curates theater experiences that validate Black life, and invites audiences to witness Black history and culture.

LHT supports theater-makers by providing the necessary resources to realize their visions, offering career development opportunities and programs for diverse individuals, and holding spaces to communicate, commune and thrive.

For tickets on upcoming shows and more information, contact: Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, http://www.lhtsf.org or call (415) 345-3980.