Masquers Playhouse

Covering The San Francisco Bay Area & Sacramento Valley Since 2001

Masquers Playhouse • 105 Park Pl, Richmond, CA 94801

Plays • Musicals • Opera • Dance

Official Website

Venue Directions

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Back to Theatre Venue Guide

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

////

Playing This Month

• MAR 13-22, 2026 •

Doctor Voynich and her Children / Musical

For Tickets & Info:

Doctor Voynich and Her Children is a gripping contemporary live theatre play that blends dark comedy and drama with sharp political commentary, set in a near-future dystopian America where reproductive and queer rights have been systematically stripped away and healthcare is scarce and criminalized. At its heart, the story follows Doctor Rue Voynich, a fiercely resourceful herbalist, and her apprentice Fade as they roam the broken American Heartland dispensing clandestine care and navigating dangerous terrain to help those in need, including a young woman caught between her body, her family, and a law that considers her a criminal. As this makeshift family forms bonds of kinship and resilience against a backdrop of oppressive laws and societal fear, audiences are pulled into a world that feels eerily plausible and emotionally raw, shining a light on power, choice, gender, and the lengths people will go to protect one another. With poetic language, vividly drawn characters, moments of humor amid hardship, and a pulse that keeps you leaning forward in your seat, this genre-bending play invites you to question how far a community will stretch to preserve love and autonomy when the world feels poised to take both away.

////

Coming Soon

• OPENS APRIL 24, 2026 • The Gods of Comedy / Play The Gods of Comedy is a full-length play in the genre of modern theatrical comedy and farce, written by playwright Ken Ludwig. In this lively story, two classics professors, Daphne and Ralph, stumble upon what might be a once-in-a-lifetime academic treasure, a missing manuscript by the ancient Greek writer Euripides. Their celebration turns into panic when the manuscript suddenly disappears, leading Daphne to cry out for help from the Greek gods themselves. To her shock, Dionysus and Thalia actually show up, bringing their divine chaos, oversized personalities, and complete lack of subtlety into the world of academia. What unfolds is a fast-paced swirl of mishaps as the gods try to “help” in ways that only escalate the madness, sending the campus into a spiral of misunderstandings, romantic confusion, academic anxiety, and good old-fashioned slapstick. Blending myth with modern life, the play keeps the stakes high and the tone playful, offering a clever, inviting setup that teases big laughs and wild turns without revealing where the journey ultimately leads.
• OPENS JULY 10, 2026 • Little Shop of Horrors / Musical Little Shop of Horrors, a darkly funny cult-favorite musical by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, follows a shy, down-on-his-luck flower shop clerk whose ordinary life gets flipped upside down when he discovers a strange little plant with a flair for the dramatic and a talent for drawing attention. Set in a rundown urban neighborhood where dreams feel both too big and too fragile, the story blends comedy, quirky charm, and a touch of retro sci-fi as the shop’s sudden burst of popularity pushes everyone to chase success a little faster than they probably should. The musical leans into catchy doo-wop-inspired songs, colorful characters, and a growing tension that something about this plant isn’t quite as harmless as its cute exterior suggests. As fame, ambition, and desperation start swirling together, relationships shift, choices get harder, and the line between opportunity and danger blurs just enough to keep the audience leaning forward. The result is a vibrant, clever, and slightly twisted adventure that teases big laughs, sharp wit, and a story that keeps building toward something you can feel coming but can’t quite predict, making it irresistibly fun from start to finish.
• OPENS SEPTEMBER 4, 2026 • Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike / Play Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike throws you into the beautifully dysfunctional world of three middle-aged siblings whose quiet Pennsylvania home has become a resting place for old grievances, uneasy loyalties, and the kind of family tension that can flip from tender to absurd in seconds. Vanya and Sonia have spent years living a predictable, isolated routine until their glamorous movie-star sister Masha blows in with her much younger boyfriend, Spike, whose energy turns the house upside down before he even finishes unpacking. What follows is a clever, sharply funny clash of personalities as old wounds surface, insecurities spark, and everyone is forced to confront what they have become and what they still hope to be. Blending wit, heart, and a playful nod to Chekhov, the play captures the chaos of family ties, the sting of aging, and the awkward hilarity of trying to rediscover purpose in a world that keeps moving forward without you.
• OPENS NOVEMBER 13, 2026 • A Sherlock Carol / Play A Sherlock Carol by Mark Shanahan is a stage play that blends holiday mystery with light comedy, merging the world of Sherlock Holmes with the spirit of A Christmas Carol. The story begins years after Holmes's most famous showdown, when a grown-up Tiny Tim Cratchit appears at his door asking him to investigate the suspicious death of Ebenezer Scrooge. Drawn reluctantly back into detective work, Holmes follows a path filled with hidden wills, eerie encounters, and clues that challenge both his logic and his patience. Victorian London sets the tone with fog, lantern light, and a festive backdrop as Holmes works through a Christmas Eve layered with intrigue and unexpected emotion. The production mixes humor, heart, and detective suspense into a warm yet clever holiday whodunit that invites audiences to enjoy a fresh twist on two beloved classics.