All tickets will be available on Eventbrite.com no later than 2 weeks prior to the show.

By Jason Pizzarello

October 3-4, 9-11 Buzz Oates Blackbox Theater, CAB

The residents of the small town of Bethel are facing a crisis: Their beloved park has been sold out from under them and it's sending their lives into a tailspin. In nine interconnected vignettes, sixteen locals grapple with the loss of jobs, homes, and spouses, but find love, courage, and forgiveness as the park magically transforms through four seasons of the year in a single day. From a tired security guard trying get home to her kids, to a young mayor in over his head, to a nostalgic fisherman who can't seem to catch anything, everyone takes a fall... and picks themselves up again. Bethel Park Falls draws a group of complex, fascinating, funny people together into one poignant story about the spaces where communities connect.

Produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc. (www.playscripts.com)

Adapted by Sherman L. Sergel, based on the Emmy award-winning television movie by Reginald Rose

November 7-8, 13-15 Buzz Oates Blackbox Theater, CAB

A 19-year-old man has just stood trial for the fatal stabbing of his father. "He doesn't stand a chance," mutters the guard as the 12 jurors are taken into the bleak jury room. It looks like an open-and-shut case—until one of the jurors begins opening the others' eyes to the facts. "This is a remarkable thing about democracy," says the foreign-born juror, "that we are notified by mail to come down to this place—and decide on the guilt or innocence of a person; of a man or woman we have not known before. We have nothing to gain or lose by our verdict. We should not make it a personal thing." But personal it is, with each juror revealing his or her own character as the various testimonies are re-examined, the murder is re-enacted and a new murder threat is born before their eyes! Tempers get short, arguments grow heated, and the jurors become 12 angry men. The jurors' final verdict and how they reach it—intense scenes that will electrify your audience and keep them on the edge of their seats—add up to a fine, mature piece of dramatic literature, an experience you'll be proud to present.

Produced by special arrangement with THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY of Woodstock, Illinois

By Steven Dietz based on the original play by Patrick Hamilton

February 13-14, 19-21

A psychological thriller adapted by Steven Dietz from Patrick Hamilton’s hit 1939 play (which inspired the 1944 film starring Ingrid Bergman), Gaslight thrillingly delves into the horrors of psychological abuse, where the truth is fickle for characters and audience alike.  With undertones of Sherlock Holmes and film noir, it’s a story replete with mystery, double-crosses and the injustice of emotional abuse.

Presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

Book by Michael Stewart, Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman

Based on the play The Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder

Original Production Directed and Choreographed by Gower Champion

Produced for the Broadway Stage by David Merrick and Champion Five, Inc.

April 10-11, 16-18

This musical adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s hit play The Matchmaker bursts with humor, romance, energetic dance and some of the greatest songs in musical theatre history. The romantic and comic exploits of Dolly Gallagher Levi, turn-of-the-century matchmaker and “woman who arranges things,” are certain to thrill and entertain audiences again and again.

Presented by arrangement with TAMS-WITMARK, a Concord Theatricals Company www.concordtheatricals.com

Dixon Center Auditorium

The Dixon Center Auditorium is a 450-seat proscenium arch theater located in the Dixon Center. The theater includes ample wing space, a full fly system, and a large apron with an adjustable platform for use as an orchestra pit.

The Buzz Oates Theatre

The Buzz Oates theatre is a state-of-the-art blackbox theatre space holding up to 175 audience members.  This space allow s for flexible seating and each show is uniquely arranged to best suit the particular show.

The Scene Shop

The Scene Shop is located on campus and is a fully-equipped shop where all sets, prop, special effects, and general construction for the theatre program are created and maintained. The stagecraft class works in the Scene Shop each semester to help build and paint sets along with student workers. The Scene Shop is supervised by the Technical Director.

The Costume Shop

The Costume Shop is located on campus and organizes, maintains, rents, alters, and builds costumes for all regular season offerings. The Costume Shop is staffed with student workers and supervised by the Costume Shop Manager.