Philadelphia-based Arden Theatre Company (40 N 2nd St.) opens its 2026/27 Mainstage Season with the acclaimed Girl from the North Country. The musical, written by Conor McPherson, uses reimagined songs by Bob Dylan to create a moving American story of resilience in uncertain times. Directed by Terrence J. Nolen, Girl from the North Country brings together a cast of 13 actor-musicians who also serve as the show’s orchestra. Girl from the North Country unfolds on the F. Otto Haas Stage beginning September 24, with opening night on September 30, and performances running through October 25.
In a run-down boarding house in Duluth, Minnesota, strangers cross paths – experiencing love, loss, and everything in between. Amongst the dust and deep in the throes of the Great Depression, these wayward travelers fill the guesthouse with music, hope, and soul. Featuring Bob Dylan’s iconic songs, including “Forever Young,” “Hurricane,” and “Like a Rolling Stone,” Girl from the North Country pairs his music with Tony Award-winning orchestrations by Simon Hale to tell a moving American story of resilience in uncertain times.
The actor-musician approach, cast members playing piano, guitar, banjo, mandolin, and harmonica, builds on a style of storytelling familiar to Arden audiences from the theatre's 2018 production of Once. As in Once, the music is made live by the performers. However, Girl from the North Country uses its songs differently: rather than driving the plot forward, Dylan's music opens a window into the characters' inner lives, giving voice to the longing and resilience beneath the story's surface.
“What draws me to this musical is that it is so unique. Conor McPherson has written this extraordinary play, inspired by the work of Eugene O’Neill. And he has woven into this story the songs of Bob Dylan. Two brilliant artists whose work comes together to create an incredibly original and moving piece of theatre,” says Producing Artistic Director Terrence J. Nolen. “What will make this production so special is its ensemble – 13 actor-musicians, long-time collaborators and voices new to the Arden, coming together to bring McPherson’s story and Dylan’s songs to radiant life. This is such an audacious musical, and I am inspired by its ambition and beauty.”
Don't miss this incredible show! Get your tickets today!
Girl from the North Country begins previews September 24, opens September 30, and runs through October 25 on the F. Otto Haas Stage. Single ticket prices vary by performance and start at $32. Tickets are available at ardentheatre.org, by phone at 215.922.1122, or at the box office at Arden Theatre Company (40 N. 2nd Street).
Select performances and events include:
Pay-What-You-Choose Performance| Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Final Dress Rehearsal Performance Benefitting Philadelphia Folk Song Society, in-person donations accepted.
Post-Show Talkbacks | Sunday, October 11, at 2 p.m. and Thursday, October 22, at 7 p.m.
Join a member of Arden’s artist team for post-show talkbacks.
Young Friends Night | Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Networking and pre-show talkback event for professionals 40 and under. Use code: YFARDEN.
Teen Night | Saturday, October 17, 2026 at 7 p.m.
$15 tickets and a post-show talkback for teens ages 13–18.
Student Matinee | Tuesday, October 20, 2026 at 10:30 a.m.
Want to bring a school group? Submit a group inquiry.
PNC Arts Alive | Accessibility: The Arden is for Everyone
The Arden is fully accessible and proudly named a Keystone of Accessibility by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Accessibility resources include assistive listening devices, sensory processing tools, caption glasses, large-print programs, and more. Learn more at ardentheatre.org.
Caption Glasses | Starting Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Wearable, customizable closed captioning glasses are available to reserve for performances.
Open Captioning | Friday, October 16, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, October 17, at 2 p.m.
Live, on-stage text display of all words and sounds for Deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons.
Audio Description | Friday, October 16, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, October 17, at 2 p.m.
Live verbal descriptions of actions and visual effects are available for blind and low-vision patrons.
Bob Dylan
One of the world's most influential and groundbreaking artists, Bob Dylan first burst into the public's consciousness via New York City's Greenwich Village folk music scene in the 1960s. He has sold more than 125 million records and amassed a singular body of work that includes some of the greatest and most popular songs the world has ever known. He continues to traverse the globe, performing more than 85 concerts annually. Dylan's work as an author and visual artist has further burnished his popularity and acclaim; a worldwide best-selling memoir, Chronicles Vol. 1, spent 19 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List in 2004, and several major exhibitions of his paintings and iron gates have been shown at some of the world's most prestigious museums and galleries. Bob Dylan's contributions to our culture have been recognized with numerous honors and accolades. In December 2016, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature by the Swedish Academy "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” In 2012, Dylan was awarded America's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by President Barack Obama. He is the recipient of 11 Grammy Awards.
Conor McPherson
Born in Dublin, Conor McPherson's plays include The Brightening Air, The Weir, Girl from the North Country (with Bob Dylan), The Seafarer, The Night Alive, Shining City, Port Authority, This Lime Tree Bower, and St Nicholas. Honours for his work include the Laurence Olivier Award, New York Critics Circle Award, Evening Standard Award, London Critics Circle Award, and five Tony Award nominations.
About Arden Theatre Company
Arden Theatre Company, founded in 1988, is a professional theatre company in Old City, dedicated to bringing to life great stories by great storytellers on the stage, in the classroom, and in the community. To date, the Arden has produced 46 World Premieres. The Arden has developed four distinct educational programs: Arden for All, our in-school arts education program for elementary level students; Arden Drama School, our on-site, tuition-based theatre classes for pre-K through 12th-grade students; Teen Arden, our theatre enrichment program for high school students; and the Arden Professional Apprentice program, a rigorous training program for young theatre professionals.
