Theatre

MSU Faculty Member Publishes Book on Creating Theatre With Neurodiverse Audiences in Mind

June 30, 2025

For nearly a decade, Dionne O'Dell has led the Sense-Ability Ensemble at Michigan State University, which develops multisensory theatrical works for audiences often excluded from traditional performance spaces. Dionne O'Dell O’Dell is an Academic Specialist in MSU’s Department of Theatre who specializes in teaching children’s theatre and writing and directing plays for youth and community, and Routledge has now published…

A smiling individual with glasses and a navy jacket holds up a binder labeled 'The Book of Mormon Script & Score, North American Tour.' The background shows a city skyline over water at sunset.

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

Theatre Alum Returns to Campus as Part of ‘The Book of Mormon’ North American Tour

June 17, 2025

As a high school student, Kevin T. Mazur sat in the audience at Detroit's Fisher Theatre watching the Broadway tour of “The Book of Mormon” and dreamt of a life on stage, a future in New York, and the possibility of one day joining a company like the one performing that day. Nearly a decade later, he has accomplished all that.

A lively outdoor theater scene where two performers lead a group of children in interactive movements. The crowd includes families and children, many of whom are mimicking the performers' arm movements. The setting is sunny, with trees, a campus building, and stage lighting in the background.

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Summer Circle Theatre Returns June 5-22 for 2025 Season

May 19, 2025

Michigan State University’s Department of Theatre is preparing for the 2025 Summer Circle Theatre (SCT) season, which runs June 5-22 and will feature three productions along with pre- and post-show performances, including lively cabarets and improv. This is the 63rd year Summer Circle Theatre is offering free outdoor performances for the public to enjoy. The 2024 Summer Circle Theatre performance…

A group of people stands around a fire pit at night, warmly lit by the flames. Others sit in a circle of camp chairs watching attentively. The gathering takes place outdoors on a grassy field, surrounded by trees and illuminated by a tall outdoor heater.

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Theatre Students Bring Immersive Storytelling to Corey Marsh in Support of Ecological Research

May 8, 2025

In a collaboration between arts and sciences at Michigan State University, the Department of Theatre presented six immersive outdoor theatrical performances of “The Grown-Ups,” set around a campfire at the Corey Marsh Ecological Research Center, a 350-acre property located in Laingsburg, Michigan, that is managed by MSU’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

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Theatre and Psychology Majors Combine to Offer Creative Approach to Costume Design

April 22, 2025

Katherin ‘Kat’ Poon, a double major in Theatre Design and Psychology at Michigan State University, has blended her two passions, using her knowledge of human behavior to inform her artistic approach to costume design and her knowledge of costumes and clothing to shape the way she thinks about personality.

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MFA Theatre Design Student Wins Inaugural National Sound Design Contest

April 8, 2025

Brandon McDuff sat absorbing the sting of rejection from being turned down for a job he had high hopes for when his phone rang with the news that he had won a national competition for theatre sound design. In an instant, his disappointment turned to elation.

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MSU Theatre Presents ‘Inching Towards Yeolha,’ the Final Production of 2024-25 Season

April 4, 2025

“Inching Towards Yeolha,” the final production of the 2024-25 season of the Michigan State University Department of Theatre, offers a thought-provoking look at how one individual’s seemingly small rebellion can unveil the complexities of an entire community's way of life. It is a symbolic exploration of freedom, identity, and the cost of challenging deeply rooted customs. This dark, absurd comedy will be presented April 11-19 at the Pasant Theatre in the Wharton Center for Performing Arts.

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MSU Theatre Presents Historical Drama About Women Airforce Service Pilots of WWII

March 17, 2025

Michigan State University’s Department of Theatre presents “Decision Height,” a historical drama written by Meredith Dayna Levy about a woman who leaves home to serve her country during World War II as a Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP). This period piece, with performances scheduled for April 1-5, 2025, at the Studio 60 Theatre in the MSU Auditorium Building, follows a…

Two women wearing black sit on a theatre stage that is lit in red. One woman is sitting and looking straight ahead. The other woman is more in the background of the left and sitting at an angle. A group of discarded chairs surround both women. Photo by Federico Sigillo.

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U.S. Premier of Italian Play Addressing Themes of Sexual Violence Coming to MSU, Other Universities

February 24, 2025

In the U.S. debut, acclaimed Italian playwright, actor, and director Giuliana Musso will explore the traumatic effects of silence when sexual abuse occurs at home through her play “Dentro (Inside): A True Story, If You Think So.” The play is a dramatized account of real-life conversations, Musso’s research on the topic, and her own attempt to bring awareness to the…

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‘9 to 5: The Musical’ Is a Collaborative Showcase of Talents

February 19, 2025

The “9 to 5: The Musical” production, presented by the Department of Theatre and running through Feb. 23 at the Fairchild Theatre, is a collaborative showcase of the efforts of many different students and faculty members. The overall production includes 23 cast members, 11 musicians, and a large production team of choreographers, designers, and technical directors.