Current Season
Welcome to the 2024-2025 Season of Theatre and Dance!
We are pleased to welcome you to a year of thought-provoking theatre, heartwarming human stories, and celebratory music and dance.
Ticket Prices:
- $15 – General Admission
- $10 – Seniors
- $10 – EU Faculty & Staff
- $5 – Students (EU and Students at other institutions)
Tickets may be purchased online through our new Events Platform.
Tickets will also be available for purchase at the box office.
If you need further assistance, please email box office staff at [email protected] or call (630) 617-3005.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates.
Where You Belong: A Homecoming Cabaret
Directed and Choreographed by Amy Lyn McDonald
Music Direction and Arrangements by Nicholas Pulikowski
Thursday, September 26 – Sunday, September 29, 2024
Elmhurst University’s Department of Theatre and Dance proudly kicks off its 2024-2025 season by introducing a new, original cabaret performance entitled, Where You Belong: A Homecoming Cabaret. Packed with familiar songs and hidden gems from the musical theatre genre, this event will feature music centered around the feelings of connection, community, and togetherness, and the idea that we are always welcome at home! Conceived, directed, and choreographed by Amy Lyn McDonald, this event opens Thursday, September 26, and runs through Sunday, September 29 in the Mill Theatre. Please join us as we celebrate alumni and showcase multitalented current students singing and dancing and celebrating all things homecoming!
Thursday–Saturday 7:30 p.m.
Sunday 2:00 p.m.
Machinal
By Sophie Treadwell
Directed by Janice Pohl
Friday, November 1 – Sunday, November 3 and
Thursday, November 7 – Sunday, November 10, 2024
In 1928, journalist and playwright Sophie Treadwell built Machinal on the foundations of the true NY crime story of Ruth Snyder. The key events of that news sensation frame this landmark of the American Stage: the accusation of the murder of her husband, the trial and conviction, and the sentence of execution. Machinal offers a highly expressionist exploration of limitations and freedom, of justice and injustice.
Thursday–Saturday 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 3 at 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 10 at 7:30 pm.
An Evening of Dance, Fall
Directed and Coordinated by Amy Lyn McDonald
Saturday, November 23 – Sunday, November 24, 2024
Join us in the Mill Theatre for a fall celebration of dance with our end-of-term dance concert! Work featured includes choreography of faculty and students. Performances include solos, duets and small and large group ensembles representing various genres ranging from tap and ballet to jazz and modern/contemporary.
Performances at 7:30 p.m.
New Play Workshop and Festival
Directed and Mentored by Andrew Behling
Saturday, December 7 – Sunday, December 8, 2024
Playwrights from the Elmhurst University community stretch their writing muscles in a workshop series, culminating in two afternoon performances of staged readings.
Writers will have worked in collaborative workshop contexts. Actors will have worked with directors in a first reading for the playwrights and then rehearsed briefly before performing in this staged reading event.
Performances at 2:00 p.m.
Middle Eastern Dance Recital
Directed and Coordinated by Felicia Elias
Friday, January 31, 2025
Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel
Members of the Elmhurst University class, Middle Eastern Dance Through History to Today, will share both dance and percussion performances. The evening will feature diverse dances of what is called MENAT: Middle East, North African and Turkic Countries—including Egypt, Turkey, Morocco, Saudi Arabian Gulf and more. Guest artists who perform and teach in the metropolitan Chicago area are also featured.
Admission is free:
All are encouraged to donate 4-5 nonperishable food and paper goods to support People’s Resource Center, serving all in DuPage County with food support needs.
Performance in Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel is at 7:30 p.m.
No Exit
By Jean-Paul Sartre
Translation by Stuart Gilbert
Directed by Derek Liavas
Thursday, February 6 – Sunday, February 9, 2025
In Jean-Paul Sartre’s existentialist play No Exit, three strangers find themselves locked in a small drawing room together by a mysterious valet. They slowly come to realize the nature of their imprisonment and the unexpected punishments therein as they come to terms with their fates and their past actions. No Exit is a darkly humorous exploration of the afterlife, self-deception, and the human obsession with the meaning — or meaninglessness — of life.
Produced with permission of Société Des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques.
Thursday-Saturday 7:30 p.m.
Sunday 2:00 p.m.
Fun Home
Music by Jeanine Tesori
Book and Lyrics by Lisa Kron
Based on the Graphic Novel by Alison Bechdel
Directed by Erik Wagner
Choreography by Amy Lyn McDonald
Music Direction by Nicholas Pulikowski
Friday, March 14 – Sunday, March 16 and
Thursday, March 20 – Saturday, March 22, 2025
Based on the innovative graphic novel/memoir by Alison Bechdel, Fun Home reflects on the journey of self-discovery and sexual awakening while growing up in her family’s Funeral Home. Told by three ages of Alison who is claiming her full identity through her memories, we unbundle the complexities of growing up with her, confronting a dysfunctional home and a closeted father who may have committed suicide rather than dealing with it. Music by Tony Award winner Jeanine Tesori (Kimberly Akimbo, Shrek the Musical, Violet), the score highlights these emotionally delicate relations the contradictions of the 1970s.
FUN HOME is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals.
www.concordtheatricals.com
Friday, March 14 – Saturday, March 15 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 16 at 2:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 20 – Friday, March 21 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 22 at 2:00 p.m.
POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive
By Selina Fillinger
Directed by Andrew Behling
Friday, April 25 – Sunday, April 27 and
Thursday, May 1 – Sunday, May 4, 2025
It all begins with a crass gaffe. One four-letter word uttered in the wrong place and at the wrong time creates a PR nightmare that snowballs into a global crisis. The seven women that the most powerful man in the free world relies on most are forced to scramble and attempt to clean up his mess. POTUS is a bawdy and blue farce that may leave you asking: “Why isn’t she President?”
Note: This play contains adult language and situations.
POTUS is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.
www.concordtheatricals.com.
Thursday–Saturday 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 4 at 2:00 p.m.
An Evening of Dance, Spring
Directed and Coordinated by Amy Lyn McDonald
Saturday, May 10 – Sunday, May 11, 2025
Join us in the Mill Theatre for a spring celebration of dance with our end-of-term dance concert! Work featured includes choreography of faculty and students. Performances include solos, duets and small and large group ensembles representing various genres ranging from tap and ballet to jazz and modern/contemporary.
Performances at 7:30 p.m.
An Evening of One-Act Plays
Mentored and Coordinated by Janice Pohl
Saturday, May 17 – Sunday, May 18, 2025
Explore a range of distinct theatrical moments. Students of the directing class will each stage a short one-act play. Come enjoy the work of student directors and actors.
Performances at 7:30 p.m.
The Last Five Years
The Last Five Years
By Jason Robert Brown
Produced by Amelia McNeil
Music Direction by Scott Uddenberg
Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years illustrates the relationship struggles between an aspiring actress, Cathy, and a successful novelist, Jamie. This musical takes on a unique structure, as Jamie tells his side of the story chronologically, while Cathy tells the story in reverse.
This production is presented with the permission of Music Theatre International.
Showtimes:
- Thursday, September 21 at 7:00 p.m.
- Friday, September 22 at 7:00 p.m.
- Saturday, September 23 at 7:00 p.m.
- Sunday, September 24 at 2:00 p.m.
Peter/Wendy
Peter/Wendy
By Jeremy Bloom
Directed by Angelina Hermiz
In this lyrical, atmospheric interpretation of Peter Pan, Jeremy Bloom strips the familiar story down to its emotional essence. Peter lures Wendy away from her nursery to the magical world of Neverland, where she joins his adventures with Tinker Bell, Tiger Lily, and the menacing Captain Hook. A low-tech, inventive adaptation that pays homage to the darker themes of J. M. Barrie’s original, Peter/Wendy will mesmerize audiences of all ages.
This production is presented with the permission of Playscripts, Inc.
Showtimes:
- Thursday, October 12 at 7:00 p.m.
- Friday, October 13 at 7:00 p.m.
- Saturday, October 14 at 2:00 p.m.
- Saturday, October 14 at 7:00 p.m.
What You Will, or Twelfth Night
What You Will, or Twelfth Night
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Andrew Behling
Viola has been shipwrecked upon the shores of the Kingdom of Illyria. She must re-invent herself to survive in a strange new world wherein the whirligig of time, romance, gender, indulgence and ambition are cooking up chaotic and comedic storms of mistaken identities that will throw everything into question.
Showtimes:
- Thursday, November 9 at 7:00 p.m.
- Friday, November 10 at 7:00 p.m.
- Saturday, November 11 at 7:00 p.m.
- Sunday, November 12 at 2:00 p.m.
- Thursday, November 16 at 7:00 p.m.
- Friday, November 17 at 7:00 p.m.
- Saturday, November 18 at 7:00 p.m.
An Evening of Dance
Join us in the Mill Theatre for an early winter celebration of dance with our end-of-term dance concert! Work featured includes choreography of faculty and students—in fact, student choreography is among the highlights of this fall term! Performances include solos, duets and small and large group ensembles representing various genres ranging from tap and ballet to jazz and modern/contemporary.
Showtimes:
- Saturday, December 9 at 7:00 p.m.
- Sunday, December 10 at 7:00 p.m.
Middle Eastern Dance Recital and Concert
Members of the Elmhurst University class, Middle Eastern Dance Through History to Today, will share both dance and percussion performances. The evening will feature diverse dances of what is called MENAT: Middle East, North African and Turkic Countries—including Egypt, Turkey, Morocco, Saudi Arabian Gulf and more.
Friday, January 26 at 7:00 p.m.
Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel
Admission is free: All are encouraged to donate 4-5 nonperishable food and paper goods to support People’s Resource Center, serving all in DuPage County with food support needs.
Light Opera Workshop
Sunday, January 28 at 3:00 p.m.
Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel
Admission is free
The Lifespan of a Fact
Showtimes:
- Thursday, February 1 at 7:00 p.m.
- Friday, February 2 at 7:00 p.m.
- Saturday, February 3 at 7:00 p.m.
- Sunday, February 4 at 2:00 p.m.
Legally Blonde: The Musical
Legally Blonde: The Musical
Music and Lyrics by Nell Benjamin and Laurence O’Keefe
Book by Heather Hach
Directed by Erik Wagner
Music Direction by Scott Uddenberg
Choreography by Amy Lyn McDonald
Elle Woods is smart, popular, has the perfect boyfriend, and impeccable taste in clothes, but that’s not enough to get her into Harvard Law. Through hard work and a deep belief in herself, and a touch of bend and snap, she wins the case against preconceived judgments holding you back from doing whatever you want to accomplish. Since its premiere on Broadway in 2007, through world tours and a live production for MTV, audiences have been in love with its endearing characters and magnetic positivity. Music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe (Heathers, Bat Boy) and Nell Benjamin (Mean Girls) and book by Heather Hach (Freaky Friday). Based on Reece Witherspoon’s comedy film, this lively musical is non-stop fun from sorority initiation to graduation.
This production is presented with the permission of Music Theatre International.
Showtimes:
- Thursday, March 7 at 7:00 p.m.
- Friday, March 8 at 7:00 p.m.
- Saturday, March 9 at 7:00 p.m.
- Sunday, March 10 at 7:00 p.m.
- Thursday, March 14 at 7:00 p.m.
- Friday, March 15 at 7:00 p.m.
- Saturday, March 16 at 2:00 p.m.
An Evening of One-Act Plays
Showtimes:
- Saturday, May 4 at 7:00 p.m.
- Sunday, May 5 at 7:00 p.m.
An Evening of Dance
Join us in the Mill Theatre for a spring celebration of dance with our end-of-term dance concert! Work featured includes choreography of faculty and students—in fact, student choreography is among the highlights of this spring term! Performances include solos, duets and small and large group ensembles representing various genres ranging from tap and ballet to jazz and modern/contemporary.
Showtimes:
- Saturday, May 11 at 7:00 p.m.
- Sunday, May 12 at 7:00 p.m.
God of Carnage
By Yazmina Reza
Translated by Christopher Hampton
Directed by Janice Pohl
Expectations go sideways in Yazmina Reza’s God of Carnage. Two sets of parents meet to sort out the aftermath of fight between their 11 year old sons. This sharply-crafted play challenges us right where we live – and right at the heart of what we may think we stand for. Civility? Compromise? Is there justice available in the modern world – or are we still Neanderthals at the core?
(A note about the change in production titles: busy schedules prompted a shift in our seasons. God of Carnage is presented instead of the previously scheduled Men in Boats. We hope you’ll join us!)
This production is presented with permission of Dramatists Play Services.
Showtimes:
- Thursday, April 18 at 7:00 p.m.
- Friday, April 19 at 7:00 p.m.
- Saturday, April 20 at 7:00 p.m.
- Sunday, April 21 at 7:00 p.m.
- Thursday, April 25 at 7:00 p.m.
- Friday, April 26 at 7:00 p.m.
- Saturday, April 27 at 2:00 p.m.
An Evening of One Acts
- Saturday & Sunday, May 13 & 14, 7:00 p.m.
An Evening of Dance
- Saturday & Sunday, May 6 & 7, 7:00 p.m.
The Imaginary Invalid
- Thursday-Saturday, April 20, 21 and 22, 8:00 p.m.
- Sunday, April 23, 2:00 pm
- Thursday-Saturday, April 27, 28 and 29, 8:00 p.m.
Silent Sky
By Lauren Gunderson
Directed by Laura Matthews
The true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt explores a woman’s place in society during a time of immense scientific and heart-bound discoveries. With music and math bursting forth onstage, Henrietta and her female peers change the way we understand both the heavens and Earth. This show is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing/Dramatists Play Service.
- Thursday-Saturday, March 2, 3 and 4, 8:00 p.m.
- Sunday, March 5, 2:00 pm
- Thursday-Saturday, March 9, 10, 11, 8:00 p.m.
Schoolhouse Rock Live!
The Elmhurst Department of Theatre and Dance presents our spring production of Schoolhouse Rock Live!
Showtimes:
- Wednesday, Feb. 8; Thursday, Feb. 9; Friday, Feb. 10; and Saturday, Feb. 11: 8:00 p.m.
Evening of Dance
- Saturday–Sunday, Dec. 10–11, 7:00 p.m.
Theatre at the Mill
New Play Workshop and Festival
Playwrights: Henry Anderson, Finley Hopman, Josephine DeCataldo, Blake Macias, Patch Flammang, Rebekah Seidman, Grace Geschwandner, Grace Wadsworth
- Saturday–Sunday, Dec. 3–4, 7:00 p.m.
Theatre at the Mill
Puffs
Or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic
By Matthew Cox
Directed by Lexi Colatorti
Thursday–Saturday, Nov. 10–12, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 13, 2:00 p.m.
“You all know the story about the certain boy wizard who went to a certain Wizard school … the boy who lives … he has a scar on his forehead, shaped like … you know … you get it? You are familiar with this boy? Well, forget about him. This story is not about him. This story is about the Puffs who just happened to be there too—a story for anyone who has never been destined to save the world.”
So begins an irreverent parody of an overly-familiar set of books and creative property. While it cannot be named, the parody takes no prisoners and takes all sorts of creative, rude, and comical jabs. Not for the delicate of sensibilities nor the younger audience, this language and humor, but it is definitely good for a couple hours of therapeutic laughter.
This production is student-directed and -designed, in keeping with Elmhurst University’s commitment to developing student leadership in theatre practice.
“Puffs (Two Act Edition)” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.
www.concordtheatricals.com
The Spitfire Grill
Music and book by James Valcq
Lyrics and book by Fred Alley
Based on the film by Lee David Zlotoff
Directed by Andrew Behling
Music Direction by Scott Uddenberg
Choreography by Amy Lyn McDonald
Thursday through Saturday, Sept. 29, 30, and Oct. 1 at 8:00 p.m.
Thursday through Saturday, Oct 6, 7 and 8 at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 9 at 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $5 for students; $10 for faculty, staff and seniors; $15 for general admission.
How do you make a new start? A young parolee pursues hers in a small Wisconsin town. The Spitfire Grill, a musical based on the 1996 film of the same name, offers a glimpse of small-town life, strong coffee, and compelling stories. THE SPITFIRE GRILL is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals.
An Evening of Dance
Join us in the Mill Theatre for a spring celebration of dance with our end-of-term dance concert!
Work featured includes choreography of faculty and students—in fact, student choreography is among the highlights of this Spring Term! Performances include solos, duets, and small and large group ensembles representing various genres ranging from tap and ballet to jazz and modern/contemporary.
- Tickets may be purchased online through our marketplace for $5.
- Tickets may also be reserved by emailing [email protected].
To minimize congestion at the box office in the lobby, seating will not be reserved but will be general admission.
Performances are Saturday, May 14, and Sunday, May 15, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. To help support more vulnerable members of our extended audience family, we hope to live-stream one Evening of Dance performance. (With respect to royalty issues, we do not anticipate uploading an on-demand recording.)
Evening of One Acts
Explore a range of distinct theatrical moments.
Students of the directing class will each stage a short one-act play. Come enjoy the work of directors Angelina Hermiz, Lindsay Janicki, Alexa Nastasi, and Alexa Williams—and the work of their collaborative production teams! Performances are Saturday, May 7, and Sunday, May 8, 2022, at 8:00 p.m.
- Tickets may be purchased online through our marketplace for $5.
- Tickets may also be reserved by emailing [email protected]
To minimize congestion at the box office in the lobby, seating will not be reserved but will be general admission.
The Theory of Relativity
Music & Lyrics by NEIL BARTRAM
Book by BRIAN HILL
Directed by Janice Pohl
Music Direction by Scott Uddenberg
Choreography by Amy Lyn McDonald
“Originally Produced by Goodspeed Musicals, East Haddam, CT”
What happens when a theory about the relationships of light, mass, and energy intersects with a song cycle?
Composer Neil Bartram and writer Brian Hill answer that question with the delightfully original musical The Theory of Relativity. Their clever songs, quirky and personable characters, and interwoven stories deliver a delightful evening of musical theatre. Join us in the Mill Theatre to celebrate what we have learned to treasure so deeply over the past two years: our connections to each other.
The Musical was presented at the National Alliance for Musical Theatre’s Festival of New Musicals in 2015.
Performances:
- Thursday–Saturday, March 31–April 2, 2022, at 8:00 p.m.
- Sunday, April 3, 2022, at 2:00 p.m.
- Thursday–Saturday, April 7–9, 2022, at 8:00 p.m.
Or reserve tickets at the Mill Theatre Box office: [email protected] or (630) 617-3005.
THEORY OF RELATIVITY is presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.
The Bear
BY ANTON CHEKHOV
DIRECTED BY MICHAEL MANOCCHIO
ADAPTED AND DEVISED BY THE ENSEMBLE
Yelena Popova has locked herself away to spend the rest of her days grieving the untimely death of her husband. Her mourning, however, is interrupted when her late husband’s debts bring the desperate collector Grigory Smirnoff to her door. He demands payment immediately to save his estate from foreclosure, but Popova must wait two days for her steward to arrive before she will have the funds. This seemingly simple disagreement spirals into an explosive debate when Smirnoff refuses to leave until he is paid, and can eventually only be resolved through violence. Popova is perfectly ready to duel it out with pistols—just as soon as Smirnoff teaches her how to use them.
This hilarious and bizarre battle of the sexes from one of history’s great dramatists is brought into the 21st century with a new production that asks if we can ever escape our seemingly endless day-to-day performances—of grief, of etiquette, and of gender.
Tickets may be purchased directly online through our box office marketplace link. Tickets may also be reserved by contacting our box office at [email protected] or (630) 617-3005.
To provide opportunities for audience distancing, as well as to minimize congestion at the box office in the lobby, seating will not be reserved but will be general admission.
The Bear will be presented without intermission.
Performances are:
- Thursday–Saturday, Feb. 3–5, 8:00 p.m.
- Sunday, Feb. 6, 2:00 p.m.
- Thursday–Saturday, Feb. 10–12, 8:00 p.m.
New Play Workshop and Festival
Announcing a call for playwrights and those eager to stretch their writing muscle: we have an event for you. We welcome students, staff, faculty, and alums to participate as writers in the workshops.
6-10 playwrights will write ten-minute plays under the mentorship of Dr. Lance Wilcox and Dr. Janice Tuck-Lively. Writing workshops will be held on campus. Preparation? Character ideas and a situation. Must attend all three workshops in order to have your play performed in the festival.
Also announcing a call for actors: the two person plays crafted call for actors to participate in a first reading, a rehearsal with the revised script, and two staged readings for an audience. (For the safety of audience and performers, cast members must be vaccinated.)
Andrew Behling and Michael Manocchio will direct.
Evening of Dance
Saturday, December 11, and Sunday, December 12, 2021
7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Mill Theatre
Join us in the Mill Theatre for a fall celebration of dance with our end-of-term dance concert!
Work featured includes choreography of faculty and students. Performances include solos, duets, and small and large group ensembles representing various genres ranging from tap and ballet to jazz and modern/contemporary.
We are very excited to welcome audiences into our theatre space. For the health and safety of all members of the audience and of the performers, we ask everyone to wear masks. Due to the number of performers in the theatre spaces, dancers will also be masked with the exception of one singer.
Tickets may be reserved at [email protected].
To minimize congestion at the box office in the lobby, seating will not be reserved but will be general admission.
Performances are Saturday, Dec. 11, and Sunday, Dec. 12, at 7:00 p.m. To help support more vulnerable members of our extended audience family, we hope to live-stream an Evening of Dance performance. (With respect to royalty issues, we do not anticipate uploading an on-demand recording.)
Follow us on social media for updates.
The Life of Galileo
By Bertolt Brecht
Directed by Andrew Behling
Galileo Galilei hears of a new invention — the telescope — and builds one for himself. In doing so, he uncovers evidence for our actual place in the universe and sparks a dangerous dispute with the supposedly indisputable powers that be. Brecht’s parable explores the battle between belief and reason and how the pursuit of truth, when passed down through generations, can win out over even the greatest of foes.
Performances are:
- Thursday to Saturday, Nov. 11 to 13, at 8:00 p.m.
- Thursday to Saturday, Nov. 18 to 20, at 8:00 p.m.
- Sunday, Nov. 21, at 2:00 p.m.