Theatre/Dance Season

 

 
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JUNIE B. JONES, THE MUSICAL

Book and lyrics by Marcy Heisler
Music by Zina Goldrich
Adapted from the JUNIE B. JONES Series of books by Barbara Park
Directed by Raina Ames
DATES: 10/3/24 at 7pm  |  10/4/24 at 7pm  |  10/5/24 at 10am & 2pm  |  10/6/24 at 2pm
LOCATION: Johnson Theatre, Paul Creative Arts Center
PRICE: $22 General Public  |  $18 Senior (65+)  $12 UNH ID Holder/Youth (17 & under)
SPECIAL MATINEE FOR SCHOOL GROUPS 10/2/24 at 10AM.  CONTACT THEATRE.DANCE@UNH.EDU FOR MORE INFO.

It's Junie B.'s first day of first grade, and a lot of things are changing. Old friends don’t want to be friends, new friendships are made, and Junie B. may need glasses. Throw in a friendly cafeteria lady, a kickball tournament and a "Top-Secret Personal Beeswax Journal," and first grade has never been more exciting. Featuring a tremendously loveable character and fun-filled songs, Junie B. Jones will capture your hearts just as the books captivated an entire generation of students.

Junie B. Jones, The Musical is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com.

 
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HOW DEMOCRACIES DIE

Based on the book by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt
Directed by David Kaye
DATES: 10/30/24 at 7pm  |  10/31/24 at 7pm  |  11/1/24 at 7pm  |  11/2/24 at 7pm  |  11/3/24 at 2pm
LOCATION: Johnson Theatre, Paul Creative Arts Center
PRICE: $22 General Public  |  $18 Senior (65+)  $12 UNH ID Holder/Youth (17 & under)

A theatrical exploration of the New York Times best-selling book by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt. The play, devised by UNH students, will delve into the book’s examination of how we have arrived at this moment in our democracy.  As stated in the Wall Street Journal’s review; “The authors argue, with good evidence, that democracies aren’t destroyed because of the impulses of a single man; they are, instead, degraded in the course of a partisan tit for tat dynamic that degrades norms over time until one side sees an opening to deliver the death blow.” The result of more than twenty years of studying the breakdown of democracies from the 1930s to the present, the book’s authors have provided an artistic springboard to understand how democracies die, and how ours can not only be saved, but thrive.

The creation of this play was supported in part by a generous grant from the Responsible Governance and Sustainable Citizenship Project (RGSCP).  The play will be part of a larger program, How Democracies Die/Thrive, that will feature speakers and panels leading up to the production.

How Democracies Die is a work of nonfiction by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt (Crown, 2018).

 
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THE 2025 UNH DANCE COMPANY CONCERT

Featuring the Jazz/Tap/Aerial performance Journey Through the Enchanted Forest and the Ballet performance Untitled!
Directed by Assaf Benchetrit & Gay Nardone; Choreographed by Assaf Benchetrit, Susan Endrizzi, Mary Beth Marino and Gay Nardone
DATES: 2/20/25 at 7pm  |  2/21/25 at 7pm  |  2/22/25 at 2pm & 7pm  |  2/23/25 at 2pm
LOCATION: Johnson Theatre, Paul Creative Arts Center
PRICE: $22 General Public  |  $18 Senior (65+)  $12 UNH ID Holder/Youth (17 & under)
SPECIAL MATINEE FOR SCHOOL GROUPS 2/19/24 at 10AM.  CONTACT THEATRE.DANCE@UNH.EDU FOR MORE INFO.

The Jazz/Tap/Aerial Dance Company presents Journey Through the Enchanted Forest.  A whimsical adventure as they journey through the mystical depths of the enchanted forest. Audiences will be immersed in the wonders of nature as they encounter the twelve elemental forces: earth, water, wind, fire, force, time, thunder, ice, flower, shadow, light, and moon. Through a diverse array of dance styles and enchanting characters, this family-friendly performance promises to ignite the imagination and delight viewers of all ages.  The Ballet Company presents Untitled.  Untitled explores an evocative journey through a surreal landscape in a ballet that navigates the ebb and flow of mental and emotional tides. Experience a world where distorted reflections and abstract forms illustrate the complexities of the human psyche, offering a window into the process of personal metamorphosis.

 
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THE DROWSY CHAPERONE

Music and Lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison
Book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar
Original Broadway production of The Drowsy Chaperone produced by Kevin McCollum, Roy Miller, Bob Boyett, Stephanie McClelland, Barbara Freitag and Jill Furman.
Directed by Tom Alsip
DATES: 3/27/25 at 7pm  |  3/28/25 at 7pm  |  3/29/25 at 2pm & 7pm  |  3/30/25 at 2pm
LOCATION: Johnson Theatre, Paul Creative Arts Center
PRICE: $22 General Public  |  $18 Senior (65+)  $12 UNH ID Holder/Youth (17 & under)

A man in a chair appears on stage and puts on his favorite record: the cast recording of a fictitious 1928 musical. The recording comes to life and The Drowsy Chaperone begins as the man in the chair looks on. Mix in two lovers on the eve of their wedding, a bumbling best man, a desperate theatre producer, a not-so-bright hostess, two gangsters posing as pastry chefs, a misguided Don Juan and an intoxicated chaperone, and you have the ingredients for a showstopping evening of delight.  Hailed by New York Magazine as "The Perfect Broadway Musical," The Drowsy Chaperone is a masterful meta-musical, poking fun at all the tropes that characterize the musical theatre genre. 

The Drowsy Chaperone is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com.

 
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LYSISTRATA

By Ellen McLaughlin
Directed by Sara Conlon
DATES: 4/16/25 at 7pm  |  4/17/25 at 7pm  |  4/18/25 at 7pm  |  4/19/25 at 2pm & 7pm
LOCATION: Hennessy Theatre, Paul Creative Arts Center
PRICE: $22 General Public  |  $18 Senior (65+)  $12 UNH ID Holder/Youth (17 & under)

A condensed, modernized take on Aristophanes' Lysistrata, this fresh, fast-paced comedy follows Lysistrata, an Athenian who calls for the women of Greece to help end the Peloponnesian War. She proposes a radical plan: All Greek women must refuse to engage in lovemaking until the men see reason, lay down their arms, and come home to lie down with their wives in peace. The women agree to make the sacrifice and all hell breaks loose as men wander the country in an agony of unsatisfied lust. Will Lysistrata and her crew accomplish what the politicians could not?

STUDENT-GENERATED WORKS

 
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The John C. Edwards University Prize Plays Workshop

Written, directed and performed by students.
DATE: 11/23/24 at 7pm
LOCATION: Hennessy Theatre, Paul Creative Arts Center
PRICE: $10 General Public  |  $5 UNH ID Holder/Youth (17 & under)

The John C. Edwards University Prize Plays Workshop (UPPW) is a 2-week new play development opportunity awarded to original student's works directed and performed by students in a night of public staged readings. This award was originally dedicated by actor, writer, director, producer Mike O'Malley '88, (Snowpiercer, Yes Dear and Glee), in honor of Professor John C. Edwards.

 
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Student Showcase Performances

PRICE: $10 General Public  |  $5 UNH ID Holder/Youth (17 & under)

  • Ballet Showcase: 11/7/24 at 7:30pm in the Johnson Theatre, Paul Creative Arts Center.
  • Musical Theatre Cabaret: 12/3/24 at 7pm in the Johnson Theatre, Paul Creative Arts Center.
  • Aerial Dance Showcase (Featuring Level 1 Students) : 12/4/24 at 6:15pm in the Newman Dance Studio, New Hampshire Hall.
  • Aerial Dance Showcase (Featuring Level 2 Students): 12/4/24 at 7:30pm in the Newman Dance Studio, New Hampshire Hall.
  • Puppetry Showcase: 12/4/24 at 7pm in the Hennessy Theatre, Paul Creative Arts Center.
  • Dance Showcase: 12/9/24 at 7pm in the Johnson Theatre, Paul Creative Arts Center.
  • Ballet Showcase: 4/12/25 at 7:30pm in the Johnson Theatre, Paul Creative Arts Center.
  • Musical Theatre Cabaret: 4/29/25 at 7pm in the Johnson Theatre, Paul Creative Arts Center.
  • Aerial Dance Showcase (Featuring Level 1 Students) : 4/30/25 at 6:15pm in the Newman Dance Studio, New Hampshire Hall.
  • Aerial Dance Showcase (Featuring Level 2 Students): 4/30/25 at 7:30pm in the Newman Dance Studio, New Hampshire Hall.
  • Puppetry Showcase: 4/30/25 at 7pm in the Hennessy Theatre, Paul Creative Arts Center.
  • Dance Showcase: 5/5/25 at 7pm in the Johnson Theatre, Paul Creative Arts Center.

 
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Student Capstone Performances

PRICE: Free

  • October 25 and 26 (both at 7pm): Olivia Costanzo
  • December 6 and 7 (both at 7pm): Braedon Meattey, Julia Woulfe, Olivia Ketler
  • March 7 and 8 (both at 7pm): Shea Flanagan, Maddie London
  • April 25 (6pm) and April 26 (7pm): Gavin Blonda, Chloe Ferraro, Eliza Ingersoll
  • May 2 (6pm) and May 3 (7pm): Madailein Demler, Jessica Bell, Diana Gibson, Angelina Zhang