Tempe and the Arizona Theatre Company will begin a five-year partnership in October with Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park.”

ATC and the city inked a deal last month on a five-year partnership during which the theater group will perform at the Tempe Center for the Arts. A short-term agreement for the first year was reached in October.

The new arrangement includes options for three extensions, officials said.

“Tempe Center for the Arts is the new home of Arizona Theatre Company,” ATC’s Executive Director Geri Wright said.

“We are thrilled to share the power of world-class theater and serve the Tempe community and surrounding areas with our education and outreach programs.”

Tempe Mayor Corey Woods said the long-term agreement “means that our community will experience exciting theater for years to come, in addition to opportunities for enriching our youth and inspiring the next generation of thespians.”

ATC officials said its first season will bring nearly 80 performances and its current subscriber base of more 2,000 to Tempe this October, and they expect an estimated attendance of 40,000 during its five-show season.

ATC announced its 56th season in March. In addition to “Barefoot in the Park,” the lineup for the first Tempe season features four other mainstage shows, including a “holiday musical spectacular for all ages,” the release stated.

Tempe Center for the Arts includes a 600-seat main theater where every seat is less than 55 feet from the Broadway-size stage, officials said.

Season tickets and Flex Pass Advantage subscriptions are available now for the best seat availability. Individual tickets go on sale on Aug. 15.

“Get ready for a powerful lineup of five of the best American plays to come out of the last 60 years,” Matt August, Arizona Theatre Company Kasser Family artistic director, said.

“Our upcoming season is filled with Tony nominees and winners, Pulitzer finalists and “Scrooge: The Musical” that is sure to become your family’s newest tradition.”