the season of solace

saturn return

By Gracie Gardner
Katherine Owens/Undermain Fund for New Work recipient

A World Premiere Comedy

Directed by Undermain Artistic Associate Christina Cranshaw

Preview Performance Thursday & Friday, April 30 - May 1, 2026
Opening Night Saturday, May 2, 2026
Performance Dates April 30 - May 24, 2026

Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm
Sunday Matinees at 2:00 pm

All Dates and Times Subject to Change

Saturn Return is the astrological transit that occurs when the planet Saturn returns to the same zodiac sign, degree, and house in a person's birthchart as it was at the time of their birth. 

Tori and Franklin reunite with a group of friends in their suburban hometown where they all grew up as 'theatre kids', to attend the funeral of one of their friends. On the cusp of turning 30, they seek solace in each other’s company as they compare experiences of growing pains and uncertainties about growing up and the way ahead on the path to adulthood. A comical discourse about the critical passage from the alienation of youth toward navigating adulthood without falling into the disillusion of the middle class establishment and remaining true to yourself and the pursuit of your dreams. A world premiere of a new comedy by Gracie Gardner.

Gracie Gardner is an American playwright. Her play Pussy Sludge was selected for Theatertreffen Stückemarkt in Berlin, and previously received the Relentless Award; it was developed by Less Than Rent at HERE Arts Center, and The Old Vic in London. Her play Athena (New York Times Critics’ Pick) was presented by The Hearth at JACK and performed at Undermain in 2024. Gracie is the recipient of the Katherine Owens/Undermain Fund for New Work, a Theater of the Future Fellowship, the McKnight National Residency and Commission, an Ensemble Studio Theater Sloan Foundation Commission, the James E. Michael Award, the James Stevenson Prize, and she is a Samuel French OOB Festival winner. She’s a proud member of New Dramatists, Ars Nova Play Group, Youngblood, and she has received commissions from Clubbed Thumb, Manhattan Theatre Club, and the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. She’s also worked as a video game writer for Annapurna Interactive.