2026 Press and News
Santa Fe Playhouse to put Melodrama on Hiatus
The Santa Fe Playhouse (SFP) announces the Executive Board decision to put the Melodrama on hiatus. The Melodrama is an annual tradition known as “The Roast of Santa Fe”, that consists of writing and producing an entirely new play, poking fun at life in Santa Fe. The piece is written by anonymous Santa Feans and performed by local talent.
As part of the hiatus, the Melodrama, which was scheduled to open on October 8, will be cancelled. The decision was made by SFP’s Executive Board due to financial and organizational challenges that have become apparent over the past couple of months.
SFP’s 2026 season and production schedule were built around a staffing model that changed in late June with the absence of a Managing Director, which created significant operational challenges. Coupled with the fact that key fundraising goals have come in under budget throughout the year, the company has reached a point of making difficult adjustments to its programming.
After careful assessment of all options, the Board determined that this year the Melodrama was too difficult to produce due to these challenges. The Playhouse is neither in an organizational position to successfully produce the Melodrama, nor is the Playhouse in a financial position to shoulder the expected loss the tradition generates (a $25,000 loss in 2025 with similar projections for this year).
While a new Managing Director began last week and SFP is in the process of hiring a new Director of Development, onboarding new leadership while reassessing SFP’s operational and financial structure is going to take time. The Board will also take this time for real dialogue both internally and externally about how the Playhouse can best support this beloved tradition going forward.
Board Chair Erin Bunkley shared the following, “The decision to put the Melodrama on hiatus is certainly one of the most difficult decisions the Board has made in the more than 6 years that I have served on this Board. We have struggled with the best way to serve this beloved tradition with our limited resources, both human and financial. As we wrestled with the realities of producing high quality live theater in today’s world, we realized that both the Melodrama and the Playhouse are best served by taking a pause and working with the community to figure out the best way for this tradition to sustainably move forward. We look forward to engaging in substantive dialogue about the best way to keep this tradition alive.”
SFP extends its sincere gratitude to the contributions and talents of its artistic collaborators who have put much time and effort into the creation of this year’s Melodrama. The Melodrama is a beloved Santa Fe tradition, and the decision to pause this production was only made after an honest look at the Playhouse’s financial situation this year, as well as thoughtful consideration and creative brainstorming on how to best preserve and integrate the tradition in light of the realities faced today by small regional theaters.
How to Support SFP
Producing high quality local theater has never been more challenging than it is right now. The best way to support the future of SFP is to buy tickets to its remaining programming in the 2026 Season. This directly supports the productions and contributions of their artists. The world premiere horror/comedy BAD MEDICINE is currently running through August 30. The intimate benefit culinary evening THEATRICAL FEAST: SONGS OF THE STORYTELLER is September 19, and closing out the season is Sondheim’s COMPANY which runs November 19 – December 20. SFP appreciates your support in this challenging time.
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Check out the rest of the Review Here!
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General Playhouse Press and News
Winners Announced For The 2025 BroadwayWorld Albuquerque Awards
Santa Fe Playhouse Wins:
- Best Direction Of A Musical – Anna Hogan – SOMETHING ROTTEN!
- Best Direction Of A Play – Tara Moses – PUEBLO REVOLT
- Best Ensemble – SOMETHING ROTTEN!
- Best Music Direction & Orchestra Performance – Gretchen Amstutz – SOMETHING ROTTEN!
- Best Musical – SOMETHING ROTTEN!
- Best New Play Or Musical – PUEBLO REVOLT
- Best Performer In A Play – Bradley Lewis – PUEBLO REVOLT
- Best Play – PUEBLO REVOLT
- Best Theatre For Young Audiences Production – YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN
- Favorite Local Theatre – Santa Fe Playhouse
Check out the Article and all of the Winners here!