Theatre

A teacher talks with four adult students who are sitting at two rows of tables.

Theatre Professor Leads English Program in Thailand Through the U.S. Department of State

December 3, 2025

Deric McNish, Associate Professor of Theatre at Michigan State University, led a four-week U.S. Department of State English Language Specialist Program at Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University (SSRU) in Bangkok, Thailand. Dr. Sasiporn Phongploenpis, SSRU Assistant Professor and Deputy Dean of the Graduate School, hosted and facilitated the drama-based English education program with McNish during October 2025. McNish brought his expertise…

Three people stand in a hallway beside a door with a green ribbon tied across it. Two individuals hold large green ceremonial scissors together while a third person stands beside them, watching the cut.

News / Student / Student / Theatre

MSU Theatre Launches Food Pantry to Support Student Wellness

November 21, 2025

The Michigan State University Department of Theatre celebrated the opening of its new food pantry on Nov. 20 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Friends of Theatre Food Pantry will support Theatre students whose demanding schedules often limit their access to consistent meals, providing them with a private and reliable source of food during busy academic and production periods.

Two students stand side by side in an improv rehearsal, each holding their hands up mid-gesture as if responding to an imagined situation. One wears an MSU Spartan hoodie and the other a black graphic T-shirt.

News / Theatre

No Script, No Limits: Department of Theatre Presents ‘MSU UnScripted’

November 19, 2025

Get ready to laugh and shout because nothing is scripted! The Michigan State University Department of Theatre proudly presents “MSU UnScripted,” directed by Sarah Hendrickson, MSU Department of Theatre instructor, improviser, actress, and producer. The show runs Dec. 4-7, 2025, at Studio 60 Theatre in the MSU Auditorium building.

A person stands and speaks to a group of students seated around tables arranged in a square inside a black box theater. The students hold scripts and listen attentively, surrounded by nameplates and small pumpkins.

Theatre

Moral Mayhem Meets Minimalist Theatre in ‘Chemical Imbalance: A Jekyll and Hyde Play’

November 10, 2025

The Michigan State University Department of Theatre presents “Chemical Imbalance: A Jekyll and Hyde Play,” a twisted comedy by Lauren Wilson and directed by Associate Professor Brad Willcuts. Performances run Nov. 19-23, 2025, in Studio 60 Theatre inside the MSU Auditorium building. “Chemical Imbalance” is a satirical spin on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic “Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr…

Beaumont Tower lit with vivid red and white projections depicting skeletal figures climbing up the brick façade against the evening sky.

Arts MSU / Event / Faculty / Faculty / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / News / Performance / Student / Student / Theatre

Beaumont Tower Comes Alive with Animated Projections Created by MSU Students

November 3, 2025

Michigan State University’s Beaumont Tower came alive with light, sound, and animation during this year’s Halloween carillon concert, “The Ringing 2: Shadows Rise.” The event showcased artwork and animations created by students in the Department of Theatre’s Compositing and Special Effects for Stage and Screen (THR 337) class, taught by Alison Dobbins, Professor of Integrated Performance Media Design.

A group of five people interact with each other around a circular table. On the table are different photographs. In the background is a graphic projected on the wall that says: “For you, which photo represents…”

Faculty / Grant / International Impact / News / Research / Theatre

U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Funds English Language Exchange Program at MSU

October 23, 2025

This summer, more than 20 English educators from around the world came to Michigan State University's campus to be immersed in the language and culture while also learning new creative approaches to teaching English in their home countries. MSU was awarded $116,000 from the U.S. Department of State to lead and host the two-week exchange program “Multimodal Approaches to Content-Based…

A group of students sit in rows of chairs, turned toward the camera and smiling during a rehearsal presentation.

Arts MSU / News / Performance / Production / Theatre / Visual Arts, Arts Administration, and Performing Arts

MSU Department of Theatre Confronts Anger and Fear with ‘Othello’ Production

October 22, 2025

The Michigan State University Department of Theatre presents the William Shakespeare tragedy “Othello” Nov. 7-16, 2025, at the Pasant Theatre in the Wharton Center for Performing Arts. Directed by Ji Won Jeon, Assistant Professor in the Department of Theatre, this production asks what happens when fear takes control, not just in one man’s life, but in a divided society.

Four actors in matching flight attendant costumes perform on stage. They wear white button-down shirts, navy skirts, blue caps with gold emblems, and red-and-blue scarves. One actor holds an open green book.

Arts MSU / News / Performance / Production / Student / Student / Theatre

Free Tickets Offered to MSU Students for Department of Theatre Productions

October 16, 2025

Michigan State University students can receive free tickets to the remaining MSU Department of Theatre productions in the 2025-2026 season, "Secrets & Spotlights." To receive a free ticket, students need to show their MSU student ID at the Wharton Center Ticket Office in the days prior to the show or at the ticket booth where the production is being held just prior to the show. One free ticket will be given per student per production.

A composite portrait of four students in a brightly lit dressing room with mirrors in the background. From left to right: a student in a dark green Michigan State t-shirt layered over a white corset-style costume piece, smiling; a student in an orange collared shirt with glasses and a short beard; a student in a light blue fitted top with silver jewelry and a white skirt, smiling; and a student in glasses, a white t-shirt, and a light denim button-down shirt.

Arts MSU / News / Student / Theatre / Visual Arts, Arts Administration, and Performing Arts

Department of Theatre Performing Two Plays — ‘The Seagull’ and ‘Stupid F**king Bird’ — Offering One Repertory Experience

September 19, 2025

Michigan State University's Department of Theatre continues its 2025-2026 Season, Secrets & Spotlights, with two plays performed in repertory that span more than a century of theatrical storytelling. Anton Chekhov's “The Seagull,” first performed in 1896, and Aaron Posner's “Stupid F**king Bird,” a bold reimagining of Chekhov's classic, will run Oct. 4-12, 2025, in the MSU Auditorium’s Arena Theatre.

Stylized illustration of three women in vintage aviation uniforms walking forward with determined expressions. The first two wear matching blue uniforms and hats, while the third, leading the group, wears a red bandana, rolled-up sleeves, and carries a toolbox. A plane flies overhead.

Arts MSU / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / News / Performance / Production / Theatre / Visual Arts, Arts Administration, and Performing Arts

New Musical Takes Flight at MSU in Partnership with Department of Theatre and Wharton Center

September 3, 2025

Buckle up for turbulence, tunes, and 1960s hijinks as Michigan State University’s Department of Theatre, in collaboration with Wharton Center, presents “Taking Off!,” a high-flying new musical comedy and this year’s New Musical Laboratory production. Performances are scheduled for Sept. 19-21, 2025, at Wharton Center’s Pasant Theatre.