ORDINARY PEOPLE.
Extraordinary Theatre.
You mean the teacher can act, sing, and dance?
Visit The Des Moines Playhouse to witness top-notch performers, crew members, and set designers for a truly impressive experience. Click the button below to view our season full of plays, musicals, and more!
ORDINARY PEOPLE
Extraordinary Theatre.
You mean the teacher can act, sing and dance?
Visit The Des Moines Playhouse to witness top-notch performers, crew members and set designers for a truly impressive experience. Click the button below to view our season full of plays, musicals, and more!
Spend Your Weekend at The Playhouse!
Don’t miss out on this extraordinary live theatre performance.
Noises Off
June 5–21, 2026
The comedy where everyone gets caught in the act!
What’s funnier than a play going off the rails? Watching it fall apart—again and again! A hilariously hapless theatre troupe is desperately trying to stage the farce Nothing On, but everything that can go wrong does. As opening night approaches, missed cues, misplaced props, disappearing costumes, and backstage bickering spiral into full-blown mayhem.
With slamming doors, flying sardines, and actors who can’t keep it together, Noises Off is a masterclass in physical comedy and perfectly timed chaos. It’s big, bold, and packed with laughs. Come ready to laugh ‘til it hurts. If you laughed your way through The Play That Goes Wrong, you’re going to love Noises Off.
A preshow talk is offered in the West Lobby 30 minutes prior to curtain.
Up Next in Des Moines Theatre
There’s always something happening at The Des Moines Community Playhouse.
Check out our upcoming plays, musicals, comedies, and more! Purchase tickets before they’re gone!
Legally Blonde
July 10–26, 2026
She’s smarter than they think. Stronger than they know. And ready to prove everyone wrong—in heels. Elle Woods has it all: style, charm, and a perfectly pink plan to marry her college sweetheart, Warner Huntington III. But when he dumps her for someone more “serious,” Elle doesn’t get mad—she gets into Harvard Law. What begins as a quest to win back her ex quickly turns into a journey of self-discovery, proving that you don’t have to choose between being smart and being yourself.
Legally Blonde is the feel-good, high-energy musical that celebrates confidence, friendship, and finding your own voice. Nominated for seven Tony Awards, the musical based on the smash hit Reese Witherspoon movie reminds audiences that being yourself never goes out of style. Whether it’s your first time or your fiftieth, Elle Woods is pure joy. Because smart is the new pink.
The Penguin Project presents
Disney/Pixar’s Finding Nemo Jr
Aug. 13–16, 2026
Marlin, an anxious and over-protective clownfish, lives in the Great Barrier Reef with his kid Nemo, who longs to explore the world beyond their anemone home. But when Nemo is captured and taken to Sydney, Marlin faces his fears and sets off on an epic adventure across the ocean. With the help of lovable characters such as optimistic Dory, laid-back sea turtle Crush, and the supportive Tank Gang, Marlin and Nemo both overcome challenges on their journey to find each other and themselves.
The Penguin Project is a group of special needs artists who are joined on stage by a dedicated group of peer mentors—youths the same age without disabilities who have worked side-by-side with the artists through four months of rehearsals. By providing access to community theatre, The Penguin Project demonstrates that the special challenges of a disability should not handicap a child’s ability to participate in life’s experiences. Click here to learn more about The Penguin Project.
2026-27 Season has been announced
Season tickets now on sale
Our Signature Series features Come From Away, Annie, The Lifespan of a Fact, Les Misérables, Amadeus, and Mean Girls. Our Kate Goldman Family Series features Junie B. Jones in Boo…and I Mean It!, Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress, Anne of Green Gables, and The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors. Click here to learn more
Summer class registrations now open!
Theatre education for kids and adults of all ages.
Theatre For All Ages!
We take pride in supporting the Des Moines theatre community. We offer many theatre classes and programs that support our regular season offerings. Learn more below!
THE PENGUIN PROJECT
Bringing youths with special needs to the stage! Learn More.
ADVENTURE CLUBHOUSE
Interactive theatre for children ages 4–6. Learn More.
FINAL ACT ENSEMBLE
Aged 60+, this troupe performs classic and original radio plays, including commercials and sound effects! Learn More.
