Harriet M. Welsch, age eleven, doesn’t miss a thing. She’s curious, creative, and never above a little snark. She calls herself a spy and means it. Harriet wants to figure out everyone around her, though her nosiness gets her into hot water more than once.
The Venice Theatre brings “Harriet the Spy” to life on the Pinkerton Theatre stage from September 11 to 20, 2026. The play draws from Louise Fitzhugh’s classic 1964 novel. Emery Ledbetter takes on the role of Harriet, who writes absolutely everything she notices about her classmates, neighbors, even her best friends, Janie (Koa Rios) and Sport (Liam Huffman).
Trouble hits when Harriet’s secret notebook winds up in the wrong hands. Suddenly, her friends and classmates know exactly what she really thinks of them. Now Harriet has to deal with the fallout, fix her friendships, and rethink how she handles the truth. Along the way, she learns hard but important lessons about empathy, honesty, and kindness.
Director Jonathan Hunter calls Harriet “sharp-eyed, unapologetically curious, and determined.” He points out how the show explores the complicated power of words, their ability to reveal but also to hurt when they escape the privacy of a diary.
Hunter has assembled an intergenerational cast of 22 actors, many connected by real-life family ties. Emery Ledbetter’s actual mom, Miranda, steps into the role of Harriet’s mother. City Manager James Clinch plays Father, joined by his own daughter Cora as Harriet’s rival, Marion. Pamela Albury takes on the Cook, with her twin daughters Olivia and Elaina cast as classmates. Nate Cowan appears as saxophonist Harrison Withers, with his daughter Grace as Rachel.
The play balances laugh-out-loud moments and a thoughtful look at growing up. Sixty years after its publication, audiences still see themselves in Harriet, whether they first met her in the pages of a book, the 1996 film, the 2010 Disney Channel remake, or Apple TV’s streaming version in 2021. Over 4 million copies sold speak for themselves.
Venice Theatre last staged “Harriet the Spy” in 2005. The script itself dates back to a 1988 commission by the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis.
For local schools and homeschooling families, there’s a special morning performance at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 16. Group rates are available, and educators can reach out to Tarah Hart at [email protected] or 941-488-1115, ext. 302 for details.
Ticket prices are $30 for adults, $26 for college students and current educators, and $19 for youth. Purchase tickets at VeniceTheatre.org or call 941-488-1115.
Polly Skinner proudly sponsors “Harriet the Spy.”
You’ll find Venice Theatre at 140 Tampa Ave. W. on Venice Island. Doors open an hour before every show.
Click here for tickets and information.
