Theatre Arts

Theatre Arts – Current Productions


The Donkey Show: A Midsummer Night’s Disco runs April 5 – 14

Presented in the Studio Theatre at the Visual and Performing Arts Center at WCSU

About the Show

Join us for an unforgettable night at The Enchanted Rose! The Studio Theatre has been converted to a 1970’s night club, ready to welcome you to the ultimate disco experience. Tony Award winner Diane Paulus’s celebrated smash hit The Donkey Show: A Midsummer Night’s Disco is a crazy circus of mirror balls and feathered divas. Inspired by Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, this disco-infused adaptation takes audiences on a wild, immersive journey through the magic and fairy-filled story — all the way to the dance floor, all underscored by ‘70s disco hits. The Donkey Show: A Midsummer Night’s Disco runs April 5-14 in the Studio Theatre of the Visual and Performing Arts Center. This production is directed by Sal Trapani. Viewing options include a VIP ticket, Traditional Seating ticket, and an Immersive ticket. Tickets are limited, so be sure to purchase in advance.

Please note that this show is double cast:

Cast Groov-A: Sander: Dylan Reynes, Tytania: Zola Kneeland, Dimitri: Jeremiah Godley, Mia: Olivia Stokes, Helen: Majella Maltempi, Disco Girl: Asia Aloma. Performs 4/6, 4/12, 4/14

Cast B-Cool: Sander: Sebastian Martelle, Tytania: Asia Aloma, Dimitri: Brian Cummins, Mia: Lauren Datillo, Helen: Chanelle Jaime- Guzman, Disco Girl: Zola Kneeland. Performs 4/5, 4/7, 4/13

Join us for a Community Conversation following the Saturday, 4/13 2 p.m. show featuringguest Hamid El Khalfi, Ph.D.

Dr. Hamid El Khalfi holds a Ph.D. in Literature (English and French Drama), Master of Arts (M.A.) in Drama in addition to a Postgraduate Certificate in Literature from the University of Essex, England. His doctorate has enabled him to teach across disciplines and he has taught English, English Literature, IDS (Interdisciplinary Studies), and various Language courses such as French and Arabic. His credentials in Literature and Linguistics, his multicultural background, and research interests over the past 20 years reflect his passion for communication, world languages, and diverse cultures. Alongside his teaching duties, he continues to develop courses and to give presentations on topics within all his fields of expertise.

Dr. Hamid El Khalfi will be joined by WCSU Faculty Dramaturg Donald P. Gagnon, Ph.D. and WCSU Student Moderator Lauren Schiffer.

This show is recommended for ages 18+.

WCSU student tickets are $10.00 and are available for purchase at the VPAC box office.

No refunds are permitted; all sales are final. Please note that tickets are subject to a higher price at the box office. The venue recommends purchasing your tickets in advance on wcsuvpac.eventbrite.com.

Due to the immersive nature of this show, if you require a wheelchair accessible seat or accommodation, please email Eric Gomez, VPAC Events Coordinator, at gomeze@wcsu.edu. Thank you!


Click here to purchase tickets.


Announcing our 2023-2024 season!

From classical plays to modern musicals, from comedy, to drama, to disco…. this season has the show for you!  This diverse and exciting season is sure to delight.

Whether it’s the hilarious, blockbuster musical Something Rotten, Three Sisters, a signature Chekhov play, or The Crucible, a touchstone of American literature that remains as relevant today as ever; there is a show for everyone. Also featured in this dynamic season are Angels in America, Part One, Tony Kushner’s revered epic and Tony Award Winner for Best Play, The Donkey Show, a disco and glitter-filled retelling of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Next to Normal, a groundbreaking musical and Pulitzer Prize winner.

 

Click here to purchase tickets.


Something Rotten! A Very New Musical
Runs October 13 - 22, 2023.
Set in the 1590s, brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rock star known as "The Bard." When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theatre involves singing, dancing and acting at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the world’s very first musical. Something Rotten! promises laughs, spectacle... and all that jazz. Director and choreographer: Russell Garrett. Music director: Dr. Justin P. Cowan.

 

Angels in America, Part One: Millenium Approaches
Runs November 3 - 12, 2023.

In the first part of Tony Kushner's epic, set in 1980's New York City, a gay man is abandoned by his lover when he contracts the AIDS virus, and a closeted Mormon lawyer's marriage to his pill-popping wife stalls. Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning drama Angels in America is one of the great American plays of this past century. Director: Tim Howard.

 

Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov
Runs December 1 - 3, 2023.
Somewhere in the backwoods of Russia, the three Prozorov sisters, Olga, Masha and Irina, live in the large, beautiful house their father has left them. Raised to be bastions of refinement and taste, but stranded amongst small-town folk with no ambition, they cling desperately to memories of the bright, thriving Moscow they left as children. Director: Pam McDaniel.

 

NEXT TO NORMAL
Runs February 23 - March 3, 2024.
A family determined to balance sanity and happiness against the gale force winds of mental illness finds strength in their commitment to love each other through their pain. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, this groundbreaking musical is an insightful and deeply moving look at a modern family, all while raising the rafters with its Tony Award-winning score. Director: Justin P. Cowan.

 

The Donkey Show: A Midsummer Night's Disco
Runs April 5 - 14, 2024.
Tony Award winner Diane Paulus's celebrated smash hit The Donkey Show brings you the ultimate disco experience—a crazy circus of mirror balls and feathered divas, of roller skaters and hustle queens inspired by Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. This disco-infused adaptation takes audiences on a wild, immersive journey through the magic and fairy-filled story — all the way to the dance floor, all underscored by ‘70s disco hits. Director: Sal Trapani.

 

The Crucible
Runs April 19 - 28, 2024.
In the Puritan community of 1692 Salem, Massachusetts, a group of young girls are found dancing in the woods, and immediately fall ill. When no earthly cause can be determined, the citizens of Salem suspect that some more sinister force may be at hand. The Crucible, Arthur Miller’s remarkable 1953 play, remains as relevant as ever, and carries with it a stern warning: in every community torn by suspicion, the most dangerous threat may be the community itself. Director: Donna Baldwin-Bradby.


All events take place in the Visual and Performing Arts Center on WCSU's Westside Campus. The Visual and Performing Arts Center at Western Connecticut State University is the premiere educational arts facility in the region. This $98,000,000, 130,000 square foot arts center boasts a multitude of dynamic spaces to delight audiences and invigorate artists. Facilities include the 350-seat Veronica Hagman Concert Hall which features three-tiered, 360 degree seating, the 350-seat MainStage Theatre, the versatile Studio Theatre, and the stunning and vibrant Art Gallery. All spaces are equipped with the finest technology in the arts industry, enhancing the work that appears on stage and on exhibition. This state-of-the-art center provides immeasurable creative and collaborative opportunities for students, faculty and patrons. Since opening in 2014, the Visual and Performing Arts Center has solidified its reputation of offering Broadway-caliber theatre and renowned jazz and classical concerts with affordable ticket prices, and innovative gallery exhibitions at no cost to the community.


For Tickets to WCSU Visual & Performing Arts events please visit Eventbrite

 

Box Office: 203-837-8732

The box office is located in the VPAC lobby. For inquiries, please email svpa@wcsu.edu.

The box office is open:

Mondays 10 AM - 4 PM

Tuesdays 10 AM - 2 PM

Wednesdays 12 PM - 4 PM

Thursdays 10 AM - 2 PM

Fridays 10 AM - 4 PM

 

Location:

Directions to the School of Visual and Performing Arts:
The theatre entrance is located on Western’s Westside Campus
Click here for the Campus Map

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