Theater News
Fort Worth's Hip Pocket Theatre celebrates 50 years with bold 2026 season

Hip Pocket Theatre's 2026 season will include an encore production of A Twisty Intergalactic Spectacle and more.
Hip Pocket Theatre will celebrate its 50th season in 2026, bringing five productions that honor its long legacy of original, experimental, and interdisciplinary works.
Located at 1950 Silver Creek Road on the western edge of Fort Worth, Hip Pocket is known for its eccentric productions that don't typically align with those put on by other local theater companies.
The distinctive nature of their offerings, performed on an outdoor stage, has allowed the company to have a long, continuous theatrical production history, one that's only surpassed by Casa Mañana.
Co-artistic directors Lake and Lorca Simons, daughters of Johnny and Diane Simons, who founded the theater along with Douglas Balentine in 1976, say the 50th season is a continuation of their ideals.
“The theater began with three artistic visionaries with a common goal,” said the Simonses in a statement. “They wanted to create a homemade, artful theatre that embraced unconventional ways of sharing stories on stage by using movement, dance, music, mime, spoken word, puppetry and more.
"Hip Pocket offered something new and different, taking the theatre community in Fort Worth to another level of expression. That dedication to the community is something we cherish deeply as we take these big steps into our 50th year.”
The season will run from June through October, with each evening including live music performed before and after the show. Productions will include:
- June 12-28: The Three Cuckolds, adapted by Leon Katz with additional writing by Johnny Simons and directed by Christina Cranshaw. This bawdy farce was the theatre’s inaugural production in 1976.
- July 10-26: A Twisty Intergalactic Spectacle, written and directed by Basil Twist with music by Joe Rogers. The sci-fi spectacle returns, bringing a joyful collision of live music, ingenious puppetry, and cosmic delight.
- Aug. 7-30: Raggedy Farm, by Johnny Simons and Douglas Balentine, directed by Lake Simons with music direction by John Dyer. Told through brilliant songs, this poetic, back-to-the-roots tale is tender and timeless.
- Sept. 11-27: Soul Notes From the Velvet Elk, A place of wild surrender, directed by Lorca Simons and devised by the ensemble. Take a trip into the unexplored wilderness of wonder through another Hip Pocket original.
- Oct. 9-Nov. 1: Mega Python vs Gatoroid (The Musical), adapted by Molemo!, directed by Johnny Simons with music by The Original Fruits. A horrifyingly hilarious tale of battling juggernauts, this musical is certain to make audiences squirm and scream in delight.
Additionally, Hip Pocket will present its 4th Annual Twilight Soiree Puppet Pageant from October 29-31. A free community outreach event dedicated to creative puppetry, the pageant will be presented before the closing weekend’s performances of Mega Python.
Prior to the season, they will also put on “Making Hipstory,” a 50th anniversary fundraiser, on March 28. Taking place at Conundrum Farms in Crowley, the event will feature live music by Brave Combo.
Tickets for the productions range from $23-$28, with a Pay-What-You-Can Preview offered the Thursday prior to the opening night of each show.
Hip Passes, which are now on sale, provide 10 tickets that can be used throughout the season. Passes are $225 for adults and $200 for seniors, military, students, and teachers.
For more information about the season, visit the Hip Pocket website.
