The South Haven Theatre Series has announced its 2026 lineup as it enters its ninth season of bringing live, one-person performances to the lakeshore.

Series President Mary Sue Lyon tells us they started the organization as part of SHOUT for South Haven and then became an independent nonprofit in 2020. Since then, the series has seen audience interest grow as it invites performers from all over the county to South Haven for simple and engaging shows.

“We do not have very elaborate staging, although enough to set the scene in every case, and a one-person play tends to be a better fit for our budget as well as our capabilities for staging,” Lyon said.

Lyon says the season opens June 20 with Michiganderish, written and performed by Julie Ganey. It’s a comedic look at a side of Michigan that many residents of South Haven ought to understand.

“Because it’s about buying a second home in Southwest Michigan and then the evolution of how you become a part of that community.”

Lyon says the next engagement will be July 18 with historian and actress Leslie Goddard, who will portray Audrey Hepburn reflecting on her film career and humanitarian work.

“This is her fourth year returning to our stage. She is a favorite with our audience. She’s portrayed Julia Child, Queen Elizabeth II, Lucille Ball. So she’s really a favorite of our audience. So we know what a great job she does, not only in her performance, but also in her investigation of the figure that she portrays.”

The series will continue on August 15 with “Rendezvous with Rachel Revere,” about the early days of the American Revolution, and then the series will close for 2026 on September 26 with The Spirit of Harriet Tubman.

Lyon says the South Haven Theater Series has been growing in popularity, noting a big jump in attendance last year.

“We were astounded last year. Our four performances brought in a total audience of over 1,000 people, which was a tremendous increase from the year before. So I think our reputation is growing in southwest Michigan. We are bringing in audience members from Stevensville, St. Joe, Paw Paw, all the way up to Grand Rapids. So we’ve really broadened our audience over the last nine years of our productions.”

All shows will be at the Listiak Auditorium with tickets set at $15. They’ll be available online starting May 1.

You can learn more about the South Haven Theatre Series at its website.

Photo: Leslie Goddard as Audrey Hepburn.