Department of Theatre Announces 2023-24 Season With Four Main Shows

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The U of A Department of Theatre’s upcoming 2023-24 season will feature four performances: a Shakespeare comedy, a contemporary new play, a musical and a dance concert. All performances are open to the public.

The season debuts at the University Theatre on Nov. 3-12 with A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare’s classic comedy about the bumpy road to love — the wild, irrational things we do, the magical way we feel, the obstacles of jealousy, possessiveness, competition, families and society. The comedy will be directed by Kate Frank, department instructor and director.

The second show will feature Jen Silverman’s Witch, running Feb. 23 to March 3, 2024, at the Global Campus Theater in downtown Fayetteville. An inventive retelling of a Jacobean drama, this sharp, subversive fable debates how much our souls are worth when hope is hard to find. Witch will be directed by Steven Marzolf, assistant professor of theatre.

The third performance will feature the popular musical The Prom, which follows four Broadway actors lamenting their days of fame as they travel to a conservative town to help a lesbian student banned from bringing her girlfriend to high school prom. The musical was written by Bob Martin and Chad Begeulin and will run March 1-10, 2024, at the University Theater. It will be directed by Morgan Hicks, clinical assistant professor of theatre, with musical direction by Jason Burrow, associate professor of theatre.

The season’s final performance, the Arkansas Moves dance concert, will feature “The Movement” with direction by Michelle LeBlanc, instructor of theatre. The Movement is a dance group that provides dance opportunities to the U of A student body regardless of background, experience level or status. The concert runs April 5-7, 2024, at the University Theater.

In addition to its season lineup, the Department of Theatre will also host a Student Spotlight Series featuring productions by incoming M.F.A. directing candidates and M.F.A. acting candidates, as well as the ArkType New Works Festival, which will showcase new works in progress by incoming M.F.A. playwrights. 

This Student Spotlight Series, which will be free and open to the public, will be the first chance to experience these emerging artists as they hone their crafts and bring their visions, talents and voices to the stage.

Join the department’s mailing list for the latest details on ticket sales, performance times and additional events. 

Tickets for the 2023-24 season will be available soon at uarkartstickets.com. For more information, visit the Department of Theatre or email theatre@uark.edu. 

About the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences: The Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences is the largest and most academically diverse unit on campus with three schools, 16 departments and 43 academic programs and research centers. The college provides the majority of the core curriculum for all University of Arkansas students. 

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.