Same Time, Next Year

Same Time, Next Year, Bernard Slade's romantic comedy, opens at Independence Studio on 3 on Tuesday, April 27, and runs through May 16. It's the final production of the studio's 2026-27 season, following HEXEN - An Ancestral Witch Play and GERTRUDE STEIN AND A COMPANION.

The play follows two married strangers who meet by chance and start an affair they rekindle at the same time every year. As their lives unfold over decades, the relationship becomes a window onto changing social norms, personal growth, and enduring connection. It's played as funny, tender, and bittersweet, and it looks at love, timing, and what it means to truly know someone.

Independence Studio on 3 is an intimate room on the third floor of the Walnut Street Theatre, America's oldest theatre, founded in 1808. Producing Artistic Director Bernard Havard says the space allows the company to produce work that is "adventurous, intimate, and deeply personal."

There are 19 performances in total: the opening is April 27 at 7:30 PM; May 1 has a 12:30 PM matinee and a 7:30 PM show; and from May 3 through May 16, there are 2:30 PM and 7:30 PM performances. Tickets start at $60, and all prices include a $2.50 historic preservation fee per show.