Fall Theatre Season Excitement!

The Department of Theatre opens a striking Fall Semester Season, with our public theatrical productions providing high-impact opportunity for students in the areas of performance, directing & dramaturgy, and design & technology, working alongside external artists as well as faculty professionals. 

Musical of Musicals: The Musical!, a satire and love letter to musical theatre, runs Oct 9-12, 2025 in the Theatre at Meiley-Swallow. Sarafina Vecchio (director), Linda Madonia (musical director), and Jen Cupani (choreographer) visit from the Chicago industry to lead students in an over-the-top comedic romp that plays with the styles of Rodgers & Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Kander & Ebb. Distinguished faculty Prof. Brian Redfern (Scenic Designer and Production Manager) leads on design, with crew and design team including: Lola Furbee (Assistant Director), Beatrice Harbaugh (Stage Manager), Jake Keller (Costume Designer), Brighton Liese (Lighting Designer), Casey Bretz (Sound Designer and Engineer), Noora Kassem (Prop Designer), Madeline Cuttle (Hair and Makeup Designer), Caitlyn Stech & Madalynn Travnicek (Assistant Stage Managers), Lilah Gonzalez (Assistant Costume Designer and Wardrobe Crew Head),  Zach Johnson (Technical Director), Jake Stake (Scene Shop Supervisor), Sofia Raices (Light Board Operator), Casey Bretz (Sound Engineer),  Aaliyah McCormick (Deck Lead), Elizabeth Lopez (Prop Crew Lead), Emily Sluis (Lighting Crew and Spotlight Operator), Grace Rolston (Hair and Makeup Lead), Lilah Gonzalez (Wardrobe Lead). The ensemble includes Marisa Blomberg, Bella Hallberg, Jake Keller, James Drover, Gabrielle Kaprak, Kayla Norris, Daniel Sarmiento, and Brandon Luna.

The Moors, by Jen Silverman, is an endearing adaptation of Charlotte Brontë and Jane Austen that runs Oct 30-Nov 1, 2025 in Madden Theatre.  In this delightful, darkly funny contemporary reimagining led by Dr. John Warrick (Director), students play the world of romantic classics like Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, modernized with an Americanized twist by Silverman. Assistant Directed by El Bianchi and Ryan Castiglia, with original music by Jeff Award Winning Sound Designer Christopher Chriz (guest artist), New York-based Scenic Designer Lindsay Mummert, and Violence and Intimacy Coordination by Chicago expert Sheryl Williams, the captivating world of the play explores love and power. Design team and crew includes Ari Watts (Stage Manager), Janie Toft (Assistant Stage Manager), Aidan McGuire (Lighting Designer), Oran Wilkins (Prop Designer), Ella Rowsey (Hair and Make-up Designer), Dr. Laura Lodewyck (Period Styles consultant), Zach Johnson (Technical Director), Jake Stake (Scene Shop Supervisor), Raine Lanoue (Light Board Op), Andrew Rascop (Sound Board Op), and Natalie Falco (Deck Lead), Mariella Santoro (Prop Crew Lead), Mikayla Moore (Hair and Makeup Lead), Christina Raz (Wardrobe Lead). The ensemble features Hope Shawley, Meka Elme, Sara Bendel, Riley Knoop, Isabella Creech, Autumn Dunn, Arwen Salazar, Isaac Iga, and Nick Ilo.

The Fall Season closes out with The Skriker by Caryl Churchill, part of the Storefront Series, which is the Department of Theatre’s student-proposed initiative that culminates in a full production staged as part of the season under faculty mentorship. The Skriker runs Dec 4-7, 2025 in Theatre at Meiley-Swallow. In Churchill's dark imaginative folk tale, drawing on ancient tales of changeling infants, the Skriker is a shape-shifting fairy of the underworld. Student co-directors Rowan Brandou, Megan Jaax, and Aidan McGuire explore this complex story through movement and creative fantasy. Crew and Design team includes Ashley Chavez (Stage Manager), Sophie Thill (Assistant Stage Manager), Eris Lanclos (Scenic Designer), Momoka Hirano (Lighting Designer), Macy McDonough (Costume Designer), Christopher Wadsworth (Sound Designer), Chloe Ossman (Prop Designer), Beatrice Harbaugh (Hair and Makeup Designer), Zach Johnson (Technical Director), Jake Stake (Scene Shop Supervisor), Bug Olson (Light Board Op), Lucas Fawer (Sound Board Op), Hadley McFarland (Deck Lead), Olivia Roth (Prop Crew Lead), and Parker Smith (Wardrobe Lead), alongside Ruby Lowe (Tech Mentor), Sheryl Williams (Intimacy Consultant), Dr. John Warrick (Dramaturgy Consultant), and Dr. Laura Lodewyck (Faculty Mentor). Cast features Lily Barger, Elise Lech, Marina Jòkanović, Dana Cavada, Ajouria Slone, Suzy Summers, Luca Brown, and Taylor Baird. 

Stay tuned for our exciting four-show Spring Season, beginning in January!