On a storm-battered island off the Irish coast, a renowned artist retreats to a skeletal cottage, trying to rebuild a life from the wreckage of her past. But when a young woman goes missing, submerged secrets are dragged to the surface, and the past refuses to stay hidden.

The Beacon is presented by arrangement with Nick Hern Books

Run time: 2 hours 35 minutes (with intermission)

Michael Bashaw, with members of the Puzzle of Light Ensemble, will present Sound Sculpture concerts at the Dayton Theater Guild – June 12, 13 & 14, 2026. The concerts will feature some new music composed for the Sound Sculptures, as well as some favorites from past concerts. Michael will be joined by musicians Sandy Bashaw, John Taylor and Erich Reith.

Ernestine Ashworth spends her 17th birthday agonizing over her insignificance in the universe. Soon enough, it’s her 18th birthday. Even sooner, her 41st. Her 70th. Her 101st. Five generations, an infinity of dreams, and one cake baked over a century. This sweet, poignant, and funny play takes you through the extraordinary moments that make up one woman’s ordinary life.

Directed by Jared Mola

Birthday Candles is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel

French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

Everyone who ever died is still here, just in a different part of here, and Linda can communicate with them. With acuity and relentless curiosity, this chilling play transforms the theater into an intimate séance, crafting an unnerving testament to the power of the mind and the fragile boundary between our world and the other one.

Directed by Shannon Fent

The Thin Place is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel

French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

Season Extra!

Lost in the chaos of their own lives, five strangers witness a sudden tragedy. In the aftermath, they are drawn together to try to learn how to ever move on. A darkly comic and life-affirming exploration of grief, connection, and the fragile ties that bind us to one another.

Included with a Premium Season Ticket.

Directed by Marjorie Strader

how it feels to fall from the sky is presented by arrangement with the author.

In a seedy motel room in Oklahoma City, a divorced waitress meets a soft-spoken Gulf War drifter. What begins as an unlikely connection rapidly twists into something far darker. Drug abuse, conspiracy theories, and a creeping bug infestation have the pair itching, paranoid, and questioning reality as the walls are closing in.

Directed by Chris Harmon

Bug is presented by arrangement with Broadway Licensing on behalf of Dramatists Play Service.

The Great Recession is bearing down. Rumors are swirling that one of Detroit’s last auto plants may be shutting down, and a found family of coworkers faces the difficult uncertainty of the road ahead. In the spirit of August Wilson, the final play in the celebrated Detroit Cycle Trilogy examines the city’s history, culture, and social changes over six decades.

Directed by Robert-Wayne Waldron

Skeleton Crew is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com.

Three bumbling priests of a rural Irish presbytery hire Moll Kettle as their new housekeeper. The sharp-witted woman wastes no time pulling strings, manipulating the priests and the parish to her own advantage. Moll is a raucous comedy for the holy family that reminds you to be careful unto whom you give the keys of the kingdom.

Directed by Doug Lloyd

Moll is presented by arrangement with Drama League of Ireland.