by William Shakespeare
Directed by: Robert Arbaugh MFA
Show Dates: July 28-30, 2022

Every summer, the Rochester University Theatre Company produces Shakespeare Upon Avon.
Professional actors and directors from around the country come to RU’s campus to perform some  of Shakespeare’s best plays. Past shows include: Comedy of Errors, Macbeth, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, Godspell and As You Like It. Come out and enjoy the Bard in our lovely outdoor theatre space!

A Play by Rick Elice
Based on the Novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Music by Wayne Barker
Originally produced on Broadway by Nancy Nagel Gibbs, Greg Schaffert, Eva Price, Tom Smedes, and Disney Theatrical Productions.
Directed by: Courtney Dunbar
Show Dates: Nov 10-13, 17-20

Tony-winning Peter and the Starcatcher upends the century-old story of how a miserable orphan comes to be The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up (a.k.a. Peter Pan). A young orphan and his mates are shipped off from Victorian England to a distant island ruled by the evil King Zarboff. They know nothing of the mysterious trunk in the captain’s cabin, which contains a precious, otherworldly cargo. At sea, the boys are discovered by a precocious young girl named Molly, a Starcatcher-in-training who realizes that the trunk’s precious cargo is starstuff, a celestial substance so powerful that it must never fall into the wrong hands. When the ship is taken over by pirates – led by the fearsome Black Stache, a villain determined to claim the trunk and its treasure for his own – the journey quickly becomes a thrilling adventure.

PETER AND THE STARCATCHER
Is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).
All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.
www.mtishows.com

Show Dates: Dec 6, 7

Join the Rochester University community and special musical guests as we celebrate the season with a sing-along of all your favorite Christmas carols, some special musical performances, and dramatic readings of some classic Christmas stories.

Show Dates: Feb 16-19

RU Theatre & Music is delighted to present Songs n’ Shorts: a fun-filled cabaret celebrating our student’s individual artistic voices! We will be premiering six original one-acts written and performed by our talented RU students, and showcasing musical theatre performances that are sure to make you laugh. From a play about friends posing as a couple for a prank to a cat burglar sketch full of feline puns, the night will be full of short songs, short plays, n’ shorts…?

By Tim Clue & Spike Manton
Directed by: Robert Arbaugh, MFA
Show Dates: April 13-16, 20-23

Leaving Iowa is the story of Don Browning, a middle-aged writer, who returns home and decides to finally take his father’s ashes to his childhood home, as requested. But when Don discovers Grandma’s house is now a grocery store, he begins traveling across Iowa searching for a proper resting place for his father. This father-and-son road trip shifts smoothly from the present to Don’s memories of the annual, torturous vacations of his childhood. Don’s existential journey leads him to reconcile his past and present at the center of the United States. Leaving Iowa is a postcard to anyone who has ever found himself or herself driving alone on a road, revisiting fond memories of his or her youth. Premiered at the Purple Rose Theatre Company.

Produced by special arrangement with THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY of Woodstock, Illinois

Date: TBD

24-Hour Theatre is an annual event where a group of RU students brainstorm, write, direct, design, and perform original oneact plays, all in one day. With just 24 hours to tackle all aspects of production and put together a live performance, it is always sure to be interesting! It’s fun! It’s crazy! It’s all put together in only one day!

Date: TBD

During Theatrefest, RU Theatre welcomes local middle and high school students to spend a day learning from RU faculty and theatre professionals. Students spend the afternoon in fun-filled and illuminating workshops, choosing from topics like acting, auditioning, musical theatre, and technical theatre. In the evening, students will enjoy dinner and attend a performance of Love’s Labor’s Lost. Theatrefest is perfect for any student who loves theatre and just wants to learn more!