2025-2026 Season

LIFE is celebrated in each of the shows this season. From the dynamic energy of dancers moving through space in “Afterimages” and “Danstage” to an absurdist reality that places Einstein and Picasso in a café together in “Picasso at the Lapin Agile.” LONGING lingers through the stories in “Ride The Cyclone” as six teenagers stuck in limbo play a game for a second chance at life while ‘Whodunnit?’ wafts in the air as we search for the truth in our murder mystery staged readings. Finally, the LEGACY of family grounds the experiences in “The Secret Garden” and “She Kills Monsters.” Both feature a strong young woman searching for ways to remember the past and prepare for the future.

Shall We Join the Ladies? By JM Barrie Directed by Jim O’Connell For the guests at the country estate, the past week has been delightful. Tomorrow morning, they will bid their host adieu. But at the farewell dinner, they learn why they were invited and that one of them harbors a gruesome secret. Hang on for the confrontation scene – with a twist! Trifles By Susan Glaspell Directed by Laurie Schmeling “It was such a – funny way to kill a man.” Minnie Foster Wright sits in jail, accused of murdering her husband. Officers and neighbors search the old farmhouse for evidence pointing to a motive. Will they know it when they see it? An American classic by pioneer feminist author and playwright, Susan Glaspell.

By Steve Martin Directed by Dana Dancho This long-running off-Broadway absurdist comedy places Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso in a Parisian café in 1904, just before the renowned scientist transformed physics with his theory of relativity and the celebrated painter set the art world afire with cubism.

By Brooke Maxwell and Jacob Richmond Directed by Mark Hanson Music Directed by Kyle Norris In this hilarious and outlandish story, the lives of six teenagers from a Canadian chamber choir are cut short in a freak accident aboard a roller coaster. When they awake in limbo, a mechanical fortune teller invites each to play “the game” for a second chance at life. This popular musical is a funny, moving look at what makes a life well-lived! “Ride the Cyclone contains adult language and themes that may be inappropriate for younger audiences. The show is rated PG-14.”

An evening of original and inventive choreography by promising young dance artists. Dance majors and minors use the powerful expression of the human body to share personal memories, tell stories, and express universal emotions.

By Qui Ngyuen Directed by Greg Pragel She Kills Monsters tells the story of Agnes Evans as she leaves her childhood home in Ohio following the death of her teenage sister, Tilly. When Agnes finds Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons notebook, however, she finds herself catapulted into a journey of discovery and action-packed adventure in the imaginary world that was her sister’s refuge. This dramatic comedy filled with homicidal fairies, nasty ogres, and 90s pop culture, pays homage to the geek and warrior within us all.

Enjoy an evening of exciting works by UWSP faculty and special guest artists. Highlighting the human body’s capacity for complexity and dynamism, these new dances celebrate the range of dance as an art form. From the deeply expressive, personal gesture to the virtuosic athleticism of pure technique, these four new works invite you to consider how we connect to and understand the world both within and around us.

By Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon Directed by Mark Hanson Music Directed by Kyle Norris This enchanting children’s literature classic is re-imagined in brilliant musical style. Mary Lennox, an 11-year old girl orphaned in India, who returns to Yorkshire, England, to live with her embittered, reclusive uncle and the ghosts of the past who dwell in the house. The estate’s many wonders include a mysterious locked secret garden which beckons to Mary to find the key to its door and bring the garden back to life.