Theater

The middle school play this spring is The Odyssey: By Thespis and the Peloponnesian Midwest Regional Third Place Chorus.

In this comedy by Will Averill, experience a retelling of The Odyssey acted out by a fumbling Greek chorus. Their efforts to improve lead them to invent the idea of theater, complete with actors, costumes, and sets. You'll cheer them on and groan at their mishaps as they play the parts of 80 characters to tell the classic tale of brave Odysseus, scheming Greek gods, and mythological creatures. 

Shows will be May 2 and 3 at 7pm with tickets at $8 for adults, $5 for students.

The Peloponnesian Midwest Regional Chorus is tired of placing last in every competition with their ho-hum renditions of heroic myths. Enter Thespis, with a risky idea to cure the Chorus's recitation-related woes: a full theatrical production! With the help of his buddies—Directus, Settius, Propius, Costumius, and of course, the benevolent Greek Gods—Thespis takes the chorus's version of The Odyssey from just-okay to jaw-droppingly amazing. The birth of theatre and the plights of the original homeward-bound hero have never been this hilarious!

This show is produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc.

The high school musical this spring was The Secret Garden, a story of hope and transformation, with the book and lyrics by Marsha Norman, music by Lucy Simon, and is based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Show times were February 27, 28 and March 1 at 7:30pm and March 2 at 3pm.

This enchanting classic of children's literature is reimagined in brilliant musical style by composer Lucy Simon and Marsha Norman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of 'Night Mother'. Orphaned in India, 11-year-old Mary Lennox returns to Yorkshire to live with her embittered, reclusive uncle Archibald and his disabled son Colin. The estate's many wonders include a magic garden which beckons the children with haunting melodies and the "Dreamers," spirits from Mary's past who guide her through her new life, dramatizing The Secret Garden's compelling tale of forgiveness and renewal.

The Secret Garden is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. Original Broadway Production Produced by: Heidi Landesman Rick Steiner, Frederic H. Mayerson, Elizabeth Williams Jujamcyn Theatres/TV ASAHI and Dodger Productions. Originally produced by the Virginia Stage Company, Charles Towers, Artistic Director.

The high school play this past fall was All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

The November 22-24, 2024, performances of All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, which was a play conceived and adapted by Ernest Zulia and based on the book by Robert Fulghum.

An ensemble cast tells the stories of ordinary people at different stages of life. An empowering show that demonstrates the wisdom of every age.

Based on Robert Fulghum's best-selling books, Kindergarten takes a funny, insightful, heartwarming look at what is profound in everyday life. This tightly woven adaptation has earned standing ovations from Singapore to Prague— from L.A. to D.C. It's an evening of theatrical storytelling in revue format, with monologues, dialogues, and multiple voice narration, enhanced through the use of live piano underscoring, which provides fluidity, charm, and emotional texture, and seven optional original songs. The delightful stories feature colorful characters such as: a shy little boy who insists on playing the "pig" in his class production of Cinderella and steals the show; a man whose dream of flying carries him high over Los Angeles … in a lawn chair buoyed by surplus weather balloons; a "mother of the bride" who's staged a perfect wedding—until the bowling ball of fate rolls down the aisle; and a modern-day Greek philosopher who finds the meaning of life in a piece of broken mirror from World War II. These stories celebrate our very existence, from the whimsy of childhood to the wisdom of old age. Kindergarten is a sure hit for almost any performing group. (from Dramatic Publishing)