A new production of ‘The Last Unicorn’ is now open at Ybor City’s Fringe Theatre [PHOTOS]

Jessica Jacobs in ‘The Last Unicorn’ at The Fringe Theatre in Ybor City, Florida on Aug. 12, 2026. Credit: Dave Decker / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

“Real magic can never be made,” but unicorns live forever. A new theatrical production in Ybor City proves it.

“The Last Unicorn” opened last night at The Fringe Theatre in Ybor City and runs for two weekends this month.

The fantastical play explores the loneliness of an immortal unicorn who tries to find the other unicorns herded away by the evil red bull to the ends of the earth. The unicorn is joined by her companions to find the rest of the one-horned mythical creatures.

The play is adapted from Peter Beagle’s classic 1968 novel of the same name. A mother-daughter duo from Valrico, Arlene Jacobs and Jessica Jacobs, reserved the rights from Peter allowing them to adapt it into the production now showing inside the 40-60 seat venue.

“This play is a love letter to nostalgia and the answer to the question: How do we grow older without losing our sense of wonder,” Arlene said in a press release.

The cast includes regional actors like Ricardo Fernandez as the clumsy magician Schmendrick, Jessica Jacobs as The Unicorn and Lady Amalthea, Avry Eden as the sharp-tongued Molly Grue, Michael Pruitt as The Narrator and King Haggard and Noah Krusch as Prince Lir.

The play is made possible, in part, through funding from The Gobioff Foundation’s latest microgrants, which support local Tampa creatives with small grants for their pursuits.

Tickets for “The Last Unicorn” showing at Ybor City’s Fringe Theatre Aug. 13-16 and Aug. 20-23 are still available for $30.

Credit: Dave Decker / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay