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The Valley’s live theater scene is more diverse and outré than you may think, with local troupes pushing the boundaries of performance well beyond the Broadway norm. Here’s a look at five local companies who challenge convention with bold subject matter and daring, hilarious stagecraft.

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“To me, a cheese shop is a whole experience,” says Jenny Zink. “You’re coming in, you’re tasting, you’re kind of reading the cards, you’re talking to the cheese monger.”

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Smith’s love of ceramics came early. Born and raised in Augusta, Georgia – what he calls “the epicenter of pre- and post-Civil War ceramic production” – Smith began throwing pots as a kid. His work caught on with local collectors, and he started selling his pieces at local art markets.

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“One of the best things about Phoenix is our weather lets us enjoy outdoor concerts for much more of the year than most places,” says Rachel Hill, general manager of Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre. “The temperatures in the fall and winter… allow us to have one of the longest outdoor concert seasons in the country.”

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When incumbent Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs’ campaign announced she’d take a hard pass on debating her 2026 gubernatorial opponent, Republican Andy Biggs, it cast her 2018 secretary of state debate in a new light. We now know that debate is the likely last in which Hobbs will ever participate.