01
2023
All in the Timing
Four sharp, surprising comedies by David Ives—and the beginning of our backyard experiment.
Live outdoor theater · Oakland
Stories brought to
life. Under the stars.
Professional-ish theater with the warmth of a family gathering—imagined, built, and performed by your friends and neighbors.
DraculaA Comedy of Terrors
This Halloween season, Bram Stoker's legendary vampire gets a fangtastic, laugh-out-loud makeover. It's a whirlwind of romance, bloodlust, and gloriously ridiculous theatrical mayhem. Expect quick changes, big characters, and one extremely overconfident count.
THUOCT 012026 · 7:30 PM
FRIOCT 022026 · 7:30 PM
SATOCT 032026 · 7:30 PM
THUOCT 082026 · 7:30 PM
FRIOCT 092026 · 7:30 PM
SATOCT 102026 · 7:30 PM
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Six performances at 7:30 PM · October 1–3 & 8–10
Only 60 seats per performance · Backyard Stage · Oakland
Our mission
Theater brings us closer.
Backyard Players brings community together around live outdoor theater. We're here to deepen relationships and tell great stories. But what we take most seriously is having fun. Seriously.
Who We Are
Founded in 2022 by “grown” friends who still like to play, Backyard Players creates fully staged productions in our outdoor backyard theater. What began small has grown into a nonprofit rooted in the power of theater as communion.
Our strength comes not from perfection, but from commitment—to the process, to one another, and to the story we're telling.
Why We Do It
Every season we transform the backyard into another world and invite you in.
For months, we excavate a story, breathing life into characters born on the page until they're standing—or falling—in front of us. And the work isn't complete until you walk through the gate.
From the moment we're born, we yearn to share our inner lives with others. We'll never close that distance entirely. Yet for a few hours, gathered under the stars and some blankets, we get a little closer—one motivation, one joke, one line at a time.
Don't let the outrageous wigs and questionable accents fool you. Underneath it all is something essential. We gather to laugh, to witness, and to recognize ourselves in one another—to practice being human in a world that often seems determined to forget what that means.
Welcome in. Become part of the story, and join us in all the funny, strange, heartbreaking business of being human.
60seats under the stars
100%volunteer powered
350+neighbors each season
Previously in the backyard
Our productions
One stage. A new world every year.
02
2024
The Play That Goes Wrong
A gloriously accident-prone night of theater, held together by teamwork, timing, and crossed fingers.
03
2025
Almost, Maine
Love, loss, and a little northern magic in tender, funny stories under the stars.
Your night in the backyard
Come as you are.
Bring a layer.
We perform outdoors in an intimate private backyard in Oakland's Redwood Heights neighborhood. We provide padded chairs, blankets, and heat lamps, as well as drinks and dessert. Seating is general admission and capacity is strictly limited.
Tickets
Dracula tickets are now on sale.
Our tiny house fills quickly, so reserve your seats for one of our six performances.
Buy tickets →October 1–3 & 8–10 at 7:30 PM.
Keep the lights on
Help this backyard
stay a stage.
We operate entirely on volunteer labor and in-kind support. Ticket revenue covers basic operations; your gift helps with performance rights, sets, costumes, hospitality, insurance, equipment, and the upkeep that keeps our intimate outdoor venue safe and welcoming.
Donate now ♥Backyard Players, Inc. is recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public-benefit nonprofit. Donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.
