A season of hellos, goodbyes and new beginnings

Laura Michelle Kelly stars as Anna in “The King and I” at the Fox Theatre, Sept. 26-Oct. 1. CONTRIBUTED BY MATTHEW MURPHY

Laura Michelle Kelly stars as Anna in “The King and I” at the Fox Theatre, Sept. 26-Oct. 1. CONTRIBUTED BY MATTHEW MURPHY

It’s something of an historical moment in Atlanta theater, a year of celebration and change.

Robert J. Farley is staging his final season at Georgia Ensemble Theatre (GET), the playhouse he founded a quarter-century ago in Roswell. After GET's silver anniversary season, Farley hands the baton to associate artistic director Alan Kilpatrick.

Meanwhile, the Alliance Theatre undergoes an extensive renovation so it is producing pop-up shows at venues around town all season.

And there’s much more in store. Here’s a look.

"Once on This Island." Ricardo Aponte directs and choreographs the Lynn Ahrens-Stephen Flaherty musical, a kind of Caribbean mashup of "Romeo and Juliet" and "The Little Mermaid." Sept. 14-Oct. 1. Georgia Ensemble Theatre, 950 Forrest St., Roswell. $33 and up. get.org

"Abigail/1702." Before he wrote for TV ("Big Love," "Glee") and comic books, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa had some of his first plays produced by Dad's Garage ("Say You Love Satan," "Weird Comic Book Fantasy"). Forever fascinated by tales of horror and the supernatural, the playwright turns now to the Salem witch trails for inspiration. In this play, which serves as a kind of sequel to Arthur Miller's "The Crucible," chaos is unleashed on Salem accuser Abigail Williams (Diany Rodriguez), who's trying to lead a normal life in Boston 10 years after the legendary witch hunt. Sept. 21-Oct. 15. Aurora Theatre, 128 E. Pike St., Lawrenceville. $20 and up. auroratheatre.com

"Project Dawn." Playwright Karen Hartman spent a year observing Project Dawn, an innovative Philadelphia court aimed at rehabilitating sex-trade offenders. In the play, seven actors portray both the women who are trying to reclaim their lives, and the court staff. Lisa Adler directs a cast featuring Lane Carlock, Carolyn Cook, Maria Sager and Marianne Fraulo. Sept. 22-Oct. 29. Horizon Theatre, 1083 Austin Ave., Atlanta. $25 and up. horizontheatre.com

"The King and I." Director Bartlett Sher's 2015 Lincoln Center Theatre production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic was rapturously received and won four Tonys, including best musical arrival. Now the tale of the King of Siam (Jose Llana) and the British schoolteacher (Laura Michelle Kelly) who brings her modern ways to Bangkok comes to Peachtree Street. Sept. 26-Oct. 1. Broadway in Atlanta, Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. $33.50 and up.  foxtheatre.org

"Crossing Delancey." Susan Sandler's play, about a single young woman and the 80-year-old grandmother who wants to marry her off, inspired the 1988 hit film. Oct. 7-Nov. 18. Alliance Theatre at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Atlanta. Tickets start at $20. alliancetheatre.org

"The Rocky Horror Show." This past spring, Out Front Theatre, which serves the city's LGBT community, aroused the ire of a conservative Catholic group when it staged Paul Rudnick's Adam-and-Steve romp, "The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told." Unfazed by the controversy, it's setting off now for Transsexual, Transylvania, where the dewy Janet and Brad will be forever changed by their strange encounter with Dr. Frank N. Furter. Oct. 19-Nov. 5. Out Front Theatre, 999 Brady Ave., Atlanta. $15 and up. outfronttheatre.com

"Morningside." In recent years, Georgia Ensemble Theatre has become a stalwart producer of the comedies of Atlanta playwright Topher Payne ("Swell Party," "The Only Light in Reno"). For his latest world premiere, directed by Shannon Eubanks, Payne creates a portrait of the women of an Atlanta neighborhood. Imagine a baby shower where bubbles flow, secrets are spilled and issues revealed. Oct. 26-Nov. 12. Georgia Ensemble Theatre, 950 Forrest St., Roswell. $29 and up. get.org

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