Theatre Arts – Current Productions
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Runs May 2 - May 11, 2025
Community Conversation After 5/10 Matinee
Join us immediately following the matinee performance on Saturday, May 10 for our Community Conversation with the director, cast, crew, and special guests Dr. Marisa Calvi-Rogers and Ben West. The conversation will be hosted by faculty dramaturg Dr. Donald P. Gagnon, and moderated by student dramaturgs Donovan Shaw and Oiara Quichiz. Admission to the Community Conversation is included with your ticket purchase to this performance.
Dr. Marisa Calvi-Rogers is a long-time educator. Following a successful career in the insurance industry she became a Business and Marketing teacher at Southington High School, Assistant Principal at Bristol Central High School and Principal at Bristol Eastern High School. After retiring, she works as a Marketing Adjunct at Connecticut State Community College at Three Rivers and as the Education Coordinator at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook. Dr. Calvi-Rogers earned her BA in Economics at Albertus Magnus College, MBA at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Sixth Year and Doctorate in Education Leadership from CCSU.
Ben West is a musical theatre artist and historian. His book, The American Musical, published by Routledge in 2024, chronicles a detailed and comprehensive history of the art form’s artistic evolution. He created twenty “Timeline Wall” exhibits for the Museum of Broadway that trace the history of the Broadway stage from 1732 to 2021 and highlight more than 500 productions and 100 artists. He has worked in various capacities on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regionally, and created and directed Unsung Carolyn Leigh for Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series. West has lectured and spoken at several institutions including Yale University, University of Michigan, the Dramatists Guild, and the Shubert Organization. He is a recipient of Lincoln Center’s Martin E. Segal Award. BenWestMusicals.com
Special Captioned Performance on 5/11
The 2 p.m. performance of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner on Sunday, May 11 will be accompanied by supertitles for the hearing impaired, providing complete text captions of dialogue and important sound cues to ensure full accessibility for everyone in the audience.
Announcing our 2025-2026 season!
American Psycho: The Musical
Runs October 10 - 19, 2025.
Based on the electrifying novel by Bret Easton Ellis, this musical tells the story of Patrick Bateman, a young and handsome Wall Street banker with impeccable taste and unquenchable desires. Patrick and his elite group of friends spend their days in chic restaurants, exclusive clubs and designer labels. But at night, Patrick takes part in a darker indulgence, and his mask of sanity is starting to slip… Directed by Tim Howard, music directed by Justin P. Cowan.
The Comedy of Errors
Runs October 31 - November 9, 2025.
William Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors is the story of two identical twins named Antipholus who are separated following a shipwreck 25 years earlier. Antipholus of Syracuse takes off to Ephesus to reunite with his brother, beginning a misadventure of magnificent farce. This original adaptation based in the world of The Comedy of Errors centers the story on Adriana, Antipholus of Ephesus's wife, as she navigates a series of misunderstandings and mistaken identities. Featuring a company of young actors and unique musical numbers, this piece is sure to delight and intrigue both Shakespeare enthusiasts and newcomers alike. Conceived and directed by Pam McDaniel.
Machinal
Runs November 21 - 23, 2025.
From the outside, Helen Jones and her husband had a ‘happy marriage’. Until she murdered him. Based on the 1928 true crime story of Ruth Snyder that shook the nation, Sophie Treadwell’s seminal Machinal is a pulse-pounding journey of someone pushed to the breaking point by the relentless machinery of life. Directed by Annie Levy.
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Runs February 20 - March 1, 2026.
A musical adaptation of Pedro Almodóvar's beloved film of the same name, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown is the brainchild of the talented team behind Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Set in 1980s Madrid, Women on the Verge is a story about women and the men who pursue them... finding them, losing them, needing them and rejecting them. Directed by Justin P. Cowan, music directed by Donna Rendely Peeler.
Rhinoceros
Runs April 10 - 19, 2026.
A small town is besieged by one roaring citizen who becomes a rhinoceros and proceeds to trample on the social order. As more citizens are transformed into rhinoceroses, the trampling becomes overwhelming. One sane man, Berenger, remains, unable to change his form and identity. The sublime is confused with the ridiculous in this savage commentary on the human condition. Directed by Sal Trapani.
POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying To Keep Him Alive
Runs May 1 - 10, 2026.
One four-letter word is about to rock 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. When the President unwittingly spins a PR nightmare into a global crisis, the seven brilliant and beleaguered women he relies upon most risk life, liberty, and the pursuit of sanity to keep the commander-in-chief out of trouble. This uproarious play is a riotous comedy about the women in charge of the man in charge of the free world. Directed by 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.
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Tuesdays 10 AM - 4 PM
Wednesdays 10 AM - 6 PM
Thursdays 10 PM - 4 PM
Fridays 10 AM - 4 PM
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