Theatre illuminates the range of ideas and emotions that shape us as individuals and define us as a society. The productions of Missouri State University’s Theatre and Dance 2023-2024 season shed light on our shared human experience.
- Imagine young Will’s inspiration for Romeo and Juliet in the dramatic comedy “Shakespeare In Love”
- Follow the ricochet of ideas in “Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind: 30 plays in 60 minutes”
- Cheer as a trio of underpaid office workers stage a madcap corporate coup in “9 to 5: The Musical”
- Enter a world where cartoon characters become mythic figures in “Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play”
- Tag along with five lost people on their journey of inner discovery in “Circle Mirror Transformation”
- Untangle myriad motives and clues to solve the case in “A Killer Party: A Murder Mystery Musical”
- Be inspired by the amazing human machine in “Spring Dance Concert: Movement Mechanized”
“Shakespeare in Love”
Based on the screenplay by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard
Adapted for the stage by Lee Hall
Music by Paddy Cunneen
Directed by Sarah Wiggin
Dates and times
8 p.m. Sept. 28-Oct. 1
Venue
Tickets
$18 Adults; $13 Students/Seniors; special advance purchase discounts for students with MSU ID
Synopsis
Will Shakespeare — London’s most promising young poet and playwright — is out of money, out of ideas, and out of time to produce his next play. Enter the beautiful and clever Viola De Lesseps, an admirer of Shakespeare’s work who desperately wants to be an actor but is prohibited from doing so by the laws of the day. Disguising herself as a man, Viola auditions and wins a part in Will’s work in progress. He quickly discovers her true identity and the two begin an ill-fated love affair that inspires the creation of his great romantic tragedy, “Romeo and Juliet.” Bursting with action, intrigue and witty dialogue, Shakespeare in Love brings The Bard to life!
“Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind”
Written by Greg Allen
Directed by Dr. Kurt Gerard Heinlein
Dates and times
7:30 p.m. Oct. 19-21 & 23
12 a.m. (midnight) Oct. 20-21
2:30 p.m. Oct. 22
Venue
Balcony Theatre, Craig Hall
Tickets
$15 Adults; $12 Students/Seniors; special advance purchase discounts for students with MSU ID
Synopsis
The longest-running show in Chicago theater history, this cult classic consists of 30 rapid-fire plays that range from comic to tragic, political to personal, and concrete to abstract. The show’s creators were inspired by Futurism, an artistic movement of the early 20th century that celebrated modern technology, youth, speed, automation and the machine. “Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind” reflects a world and individual lives that are hurtling toward the unknown at an accelerating pace. An improvisational ensemble and interactive audience ensure that no two performances are ever the same!
Note: Adult content and language.
“9 to 5: the Musical”
Music and lyrics by Dolly Parton
Book by Patricia Resnick
Based on the 20th Century Fox Picture
Directed by Sarah Wilcoxon
Dates and times
7:30 p.m. Nov. 30, Dec. 1-2 & 4
2:30 p.m. Dec. 3
Venue
Coger Theatre, Craig Hall
Tickets
$24 Adults; $22 Students/Seniors; special advance purchase discounts for students with MSU ID
Synopsis
Violet, Judy and Doralee are a trio of underpaid office workers who dream of exacting revenge on their despotic and lecherous boss, Franklin Hart. Through a series of comic twists, their fantasies become reality! Holding Hart prisoner in his own bedroom, the women begin their corporate takeover. Before long, employee morale and productivity are up. Then Hart escapes and returns to the office, intent on regaining control and ruining the women. In the end, girl power prevails, and the bottom line is hilarious fun! Brimming with Dolly Parton’s clever, original songs, “9 to 5: The Musical” shatters the glass ceiling!
“Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play”
Written by Anne Washburn
Score by Michael Friedman
Lyrics by Anne Washburn
Directed by Karen Sabo
Dates and times
7:30 p.m. Feb. 29-March 2
2:30 p.m. March 3
Venue
Coger Theatre, Craig Hall
Tickets
$15 Adults; $12 Students/Seniors; special advance purchase discounts for students with MSU ID
Synopsis
In a post-apocalyptic world, the power grid has failed and society has crumbled. Around a campfire, a group of survivors recall the culture they once shared, homing in on the “Cape Feare” episode of “The Simpsons” TV show, in which Side Show Bob plots to murder Bart Simpson. In the end, Bart prevails through sheer chutzpah. This gives the survivors hope. Over time, the re-enacted story evolves into a mythic form, with Mr. Burns as the villain who destroys civilization by sabotaging the nuclear power plant and Bart as an archetypal hero! An imaginative dark comedy, “Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play” explores the role of storytelling and live theatre in shaping our culture.
“Circle Mirror Transformation”
Written by Annie Baker
Directed by Nikki Ferry
Dates and times
7:30 p.m. March 21-23 & 25
2:30 p.m. March 24
Venue
Balcony Theatre, Craig Hall
Tickets
$15 Adults; $12 Students/Seniors; special advance purchase discounts for students with MSU ID
Synopsis
Marty, a free-spirited acting teacher, leads a six-week Adult Creative Drama class at a small-town community center. She takes her small group of students through a series of innocuous — sometimes hilarious — exercises in which they act like trees and a variety of inanimate objects. Then they act like one another and tell their life stories. As the class progresses through increasingly deep and self-revelatory exercises, their inner lives, painful pasts, buried truths and romantic longings are exposed. What emerges is anything but play acting! In illuminating the interior worlds and interactions of the participants, “Circle Mirror Transformation” forges a path of self-discovery, healing and hope.
“A Killer Party: A Murder Mystery Musical”
Music by Jason Howland
Lyrics by Nathan Tysen
Book by Rachel Axler and Kait Kerrigan
Directed by Sarah Wilcoxon
Dates and times
7:30 p.m. April 11-14
2:30 p.m. April 13-14
Venue
Coger Theatre, Craig Hall
Tickets
$24 Adults; $22 Students/Seniors; special advance purchase discounts for students with MSU ID
Synopsis
Varthur McArthur, the tyrannical artistic director of a failing theater in Duluth, invites the company to his home for a murder mystery dinner party — but soon Varthur himself is face-down in his soup! Luckily, Detective Justine Case is on the case, uncovering secret affairs, life-long grudges, back-stage drama and a school of red herrings! Conceived during the 2020 COVID lockdowns as a digitally produced, remotely performed streaming series, “A Killer Party: A Murder Mystery Musical” mixes a clever plot, eccentric characters, madcap comedy and song-and-dance numbers into an irreverent and hilarious whodunnit!
“Spring Dance Concert: Movement Mechanized”
Coordinated by Azaria Hogans
Dates and times
7:30 p.m. May 2-4
2:30 p.m. May 5
Venue
Coger Theatre, Craig Hall
Tickets
$15 Adults; $12 Students/Seniors; special advance purchase discounts for students with MSU ID
Synopsis
When observing birds in flight, we marvel at the beauty, grace and precision of seemingly effortless movement, seldom thinking of the structure of the wings or the mechanics of executing complex aerial maneuvers. So it is with dance, where the biomechanical principles of motion, force, momentum, leverage and balance make possible the expression of intense emotions, abstract ideas and complex stories in physical form. In this year’s “Spring Dance Concert: Movement Mechanized”, we explore the process of human locomotion through a collection of fresh, original works in a mix of dance styles, each composition a piece of kinetic art!
Venues and parking
Coger Theatre and the Balcony Theatre are located in Craig Hall at the northwest corner of Grand and National on the Missouri State campus. The John Goodman Amphitheatre is adjacent to Craig Hall. Parking Lot #24 on the south side of Grand at National provides free patron parking with no permit required during performance hours, as well as a safe and accessible new underpass and elevator.
Show times and late arrivals
Please note performance times and be aware that theatre doors are closed once the performance has begun. This is to ensure the safety of latecomers and protect the artistic integrity of the performance. At appropriate intervals, the house manager will seat patrons in late seating areas. Please note: There is no late seating for performances in the Balcony Theatre.
Accessibility
To request an accommodation due to disability, please call a week in advance: 417-836-4644.
Group sales
Groups of 20 or more are eligible for discounts to most performances. Call 417-836-7678.
Ticket information
Order your tickets now by calling 417-836-7678 or 888-476-7849. You may also buy tickets online.
All schedules and ticket prices are subject to change.
Production information is available online at theatreanddance.missouristate.edu.
About the Department of Theatre and Dance
The Department of Theatre and Dance is housed in the new Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities’ School of the Arts, where the University’s statewide public affairs mission is realized. Special thanks to the Reynolds College for its generous support for Theatre and Dance’s educational programs.
Missouri State’s Department of Theatre and Dance is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Theatre.
Contact information
Dr. Chris Herr, Interim Department Head
Mark Templeton, Managing Director
