Lenfest Center: Your Gateway to Global Experiences

35th ANNIVERSARY

W&L ANNOUNCES ITS 2026-2027 SEASON-35th Anniversary
"LENFEST CENTER: YOUR GATEWAY TO GLOBAL EXPERIENCES."

Washington and Lee University's Lenfest Center for the Arts proudly announces its 35th Anniversary 2026-27 Season, "Lenfest Center: Your Gateway to Global Experiences." This milestone season celebrates creativity, connection and community, inviting audiences to experience artistic collaborations, innovative outreach initiatives and inspiring performances that bring people together.

The "Your Gateway to Global Experiences" theme is continued this year designed to spark curiosity and foster meaningful connections among the W&L community, patrons and artists from around the world. Through the Lenfest Center's Fall, Winter and Spring Outreach and Engagement (O&E) Series, audiences will have unique opportunities to engage directly with artists through master classes, a campus pop-up performance, immersive physical theater from Mallorca and an Aboriginal Australian edgy contemporary circus based in Brisbane.

The series also features an Obie Award-winning actor, playwright and director-currently performing Off-Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop and renowned for his roles in 10 Spike Lee films-along with live broadcasts from Britain's National Theatre and two Metropolitan Opera Live in HD Encore presentations. Together, these experiences invite audiences to explore diverse artistic traditions, engage in meaningful dialogue and connect with cultures from around the globe-Lenfest bringing the "World of Arts to the Lenfest Center."

These programs invite participants to share their voices, collaborate on creative projects, engage in meaningful dialogue, provide valuable feedback and actively participate in the creative process. The result is a vibrant, inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are welcomed, valued and celebrated.

Beyond its dynamic season performances, the Lenfest Center invites audiences to deepen their experience by participating in artist conversations and interactive events that extend the impact of each performance. Together, we are shaping a season that celebrates community, inspires new perspectives and creates lasting connections through the transformative power of the arts.
Join us as we celebrate 35 years of bringing world-class artistic experiences to the Shenandoah Valley. Lenfest Center performances are sponsored in part by the Class of '64.

Online ticket sales for all ticketed events begin August 17, 2026. Visit https://my.wlu.edu/lenfest-center to purchase tickets. The Lenfest Box Office opens for in-person and remaining online ticket sales on Tuesday, September 8, 2026. The Box Office hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. and is open only when undergraduate classes are in session. Forms of payment include cash, check or credit card. Patrons can contact the Box Office by calling 540.458.8000 or emailing boxoffice@wlu.edu.

The Lenfest Season opens with our Outreach & Engagement Film Series from Criterion Collections, "Basquiat" showing on September 15 at 7 p.m. in the Stackhouse Theatre. Julian Schnabel's (director) tribute to his friend and fellow painter Jean-Michel Basquiat is a sensory immersion into the much-mythologized downtown-Manhattan art world of the 1980s. The film boasts a stellar cast including David Bowie, Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken and Parker Posey among others. As part of Lenfest's 35th Anniversary Celebration, admission is FREE and the film provides an excellent introduction to the themes explored in Lenfest's September 28 performance.

"In Honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat," on September 28 at 7:30 p.m. on the Keller stage. The performance is a 60-minute solo theatrical performance created and performed by Obie Award-winning actor and playwright Roger Guenveur Smith. Smith draws entirely upon his real-life friendship with Basquiat to craft a raw, intimate portrait. This production directly tackles the legendary painter's life, the counterculture of the 1980s New York art market and the systemic racism he encountered.

Lenfest's O&E Film Series features National Theatre Lives' production, "All My Sons" on September 22  at 7 p.m. on the W&L Stackhouse screen, tickets are required. Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad") and Marianne Jean-Baptiste ("Hard Truths") are featured in the acclaimed new production of Arthur Miller's classic play. When wartime delivers profits for Joe, it comes at a price when his partner is charged with criminal manufacturing deals, and his eldest son goes missing in action. Will peacetime bring peace of mind, or will he be confronted by the consequence of his actions?

Past Meets Present when Ailey II returns for Lenfest's 35th Anniversary with a performance on October 6, at 7 p.m. in the Keller Theatre. Ailey II performed at W&L Lenfest Center for Lenfest's 25th Anniversary Celebration on May 2, 2011 and Ailey performed at Lenfest's very first season in 1991. Join Alvin Ailey II as the extraordinary dancers ignite the stage featuring electrifying new works and cherished audience favorites. Ailey II is universally renowned for merging the spirit and energy of the country's finest early-career dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today's outstanding and emerging choreographers. Tickets are required.

Lenfest's O&E Film Series includes NTL's "The Playboy of the Western World" featuring Nicola Coughlan ("Bridgerton") as she joins Éanna Hardwicke ("The Sixth Commandment") and Siobhán McSweeney ("Derry Girls)" in a riveting play of youth and self-discovery on October 20, at 7 p.m. on the W&L Stackhouse screen. November's NTL's "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" features BAFTA Award-winner Lesley Manville ("Phantom Thread") and Aidan Turner ("Rivals") in a striking new staging of Christopher Hampton's celebrated adaptation of the classic novel, where among the glittering salons of the super-rich, one misstep can mean ruin on November 10 at 7 p.m. on the W&L Stackhouse screen. The new year brings NTL's "The Misanthrope" on January 12, at 7 p.m. on the Stackhouse screen with Award-winner Sandra Oh ("Killing Eve") playing the title role in this razor-sharp reimagining of Molière's classic dark comedy. Telling the truth isn't always that simple. Tickets are required for the NTL season. The musical "Kinky Boots" is coming to the Stackhouse Theater on March 9 at 7 p.m. This ‘dazzling, fabulously sassy and uplifting' (Time Out) award-winning musical celebrates a joyous story of Brit grit to high-heeled hit, as it takes you from the factory floor of Northampton to the glamorous catwalks of Milan! Additional NTL films will be added into the Lenfest's season; please check the Lenfest's website for title announcements.

Step into a bold new era of sounds with Jack Quartet's-where ancient music meets cutting-edge innovation-a Lenfest and Concert Guild Series event! On January 30 at 7 p.m. in Wilson Concert Hall, experience the world's leading interreter of contemporary chamber music known for adventurous programming and close collaborations with living composers. Tickets are required.

Welcome "WOLF" by CIRCA to the Keller stage on February 3 at 7:30 p.m. Clad in form-hugging costumes and set to DJ Ori Lichtik's relentless primal rhythms, the cast of 10 extraordinary CIRCA artists grasp, tear, climb, leap and balance with fierce abandon. "WOLF" is an edgy contemporary circus company known for its adrenaline-charged performances, combining extraordinary acrobatics with bold, thought-provoking explorations of the human experience. Tickets are required.

The Master of the Talking BALAFON, Mamadou Diabaté & Percussion Mania come to the Keller stage on March 4 at 7:30 p.m. Characteristic of Mamadou Diabaté & Percussion Mania is its unique arrangement with two balafons before the stage as lead instruments. That makes the group unique in the world and different from all other West African bands. The musical dialogues and spectacular balafons between the brothers Mamadou and Seydou are one of the highlights of the performance. Tickets are required.

"A Teen Odyssey"-Exploring Identity, Belonging and Intergenerational Connection immersive theater performs at W&L Dance Studio on April 3 at 5 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. and April 4 at 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. A show for all generations-an invitation to a celebration of anyone who is (or ever was) a teenager. You will not simply watch the performance... you will be part of it. From Mallorca, Spain, "A Teen Odyssey" combines live physical performance with smartphone technology to transform every audience member into an active participant. Tickets are required.

Lenfest's O&E Film Opera Series has expanded this season to include two matinee screenings from the Metropolitan Opera, offering audiences the opportunity to experience world-class opera performances on the big screen. Encore presentations include "Carmen" on April 17, at 1 p.m. at the Stackhouse Theater. Bizet's fiery masterpiece follows the iconic title character, who lives by her own rules and whose irresistible allure drives the soldier Don José to destruction. Tickets are required. Sponsored in part by Concert Guild and the Class of '64. On May 8 at 1 p.m., "Tosca," Puccini's political thriller set in 1800 Rome follows the diva Floria Tosca as she fights to save her lover, Mario Cavaradossi, from the evil police chief Baron Scarpia. Tickets are required.

W&L's Concert Guild Season boasts four ticketed performances in Wilson Concert Hall. Season opens on October 31 with Penelope Shumate's "Baroque to Broadway" at 7 p.m. She will be joined by Lise Keiter, W&L Lecturer in Music, on piano in a program illuminating timeless favorites from the classical and Broadway repertoires, including works by Giacomo Puccini and Jerome Kern. "Arco Strum," performs on November 6 at 7 p.m. Praised as "a first-rate ensemble among the new generation of performing artists," ArcoStrum is a trailblazing violin-guitar duo leaving their mark through creative concert design, on-stage charisma and innovative programming. From classics like Vivaldi's Four Seasons to Chinese traditional music to progressive rock, they have captivated audiences around the world with exciting, inspiring and dynamic performances. Concert Guild and the Lenfest Center will jointly present the Jack Quartet-comprised of violinists Christopher Otto and Austin Wulliman; violist John Pickford Richards; and cellist Jay Campbell-on January 30 at 7 p.m. The Concert Guild Season will close on March 5 at 7 p.m. with the Goldmund Quartet comprised of Florian Schötz, violin; Pinchas Adt, violin; Christoph Vandory, viola; Raphael Paratore, cello, is renowned for its interpretations of both classical and contemporary quartet repertoire. Critics have praised the ensemble for its "exquisite playing" and "such multi-layered homogeneity" (Süddeutsche Zeitung). Its inwardness, unbelievably fine intonation and phrases worked out down to the smallest detail inspire audiences worldwide.

W&L's SonoKlect Season, a program dedicated to bringing modern music to local audiences in Lexington, opens in the Wilson Concert Hall with the Jeff Coffin on saxophone on October 17 at 8 p.m. in the Wilson Concert Hall. Jeff Coffin brings together a remarkable band for an evening of wide-open, high-energy music. Best known for his work with Dave Matthews Band and Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, Coffin is a three-time Grammy Award winner, a fearless improviser, and one of the most distinctive saxophone voices of his generation. The season concludes on Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. with Alexandre Dossin, piano. Pianist Alexandre Dossin brings rare authority to the music of George Walker. His acclaimed Naxos recordings of Walker's complete piano works have helped bring renewed attention to this powerful, demanding and still underperformed body of music. No tickets are required for SonoKlect performances.

W&L's Department of Theater, Dance, and Film Studies Season is proud to announce their ticketed season opening with "Almost Maine" on November 11-14 in the Johnson Theatre. This romantic comedy by John Cariani takes place in the remote town of Almost, Maine, where the town's residents meet and fall in and out of love in unexpected and hilarious ways. W&L Dancers Create... on December 2-4 in the Keller Theatre. Under the artistic direction of Jenefer Davies, W&L Dancers Create... is a concert of works created, designed and performed by W&L students. W&L Repertory Dance Company Concert runs March 25-27 in the Johnson Theatre. The award-winning W&L Repertory Dance Company presents an evening of multi-faceted dance works performed and created by internationally renowned choreographers, faculty, and guest artists. The season closes in the Keller Theatre on April 8-10 with the Bentley Musical and stage adaptation of Tina Fey's 2004 hit "Mean Girls." This musical from lyricist Nell Benjamin and composer Jeff Richmond is just as sharp and hilarious as the original. Join Cady Heron, fish out of water and total newbie to the high school popularity pecking order, as she takes on "The Plastics," led by ruthless and stylish Regina George.

W&L Department of Music's Season is full of exciting performances from faculty, guests and talented students. Highlights include numerous faculty recitals in the Wilson Concert Hall including Anthony Cincotta, saxophone and Anna Billias, piano and Akiko Konishi, piano; Anima e Grazia featuring Julia Goudimova, cello and Anna Billias, piano; and the Marlbrook Chamber Ensemble. The choral program offers numerous performances featuring the University Singers, Men's Glee Club and Cantatrici throughout the year.

W&L Fall Choral Concert will be held on October 23 at 8 p.m. and is not to be missed! Tickets are free, but required. Join us for a performance by the University Wind Ensemble on November 2 at 8 p.m., no tickets are required. The University Orchestra opens its season on November 12 at 8 p.m., no tickets are required. Mix it up with the University Jazz Ensemble performance on November 19 at 8 p.m., no tickets are required. W&L's Holiday Pops Concert will be one night only-Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. in the Wilson Concert Hall. Tickets are free with non-perishable food or monetary donation to Campus Kitchen. Tickets can be reserved online. Monetary donations may be made online, while food donations are required in-person at the Lenfest Box Office during open hours. Tickets available beginning Monday, November 9, 2026. The box office will be closed during W&L Thanksgiving break, November 23-27, 2026.

For a full list of performances, visit the Lenfest Center's website.