Theatre and Dance

WIU Theatre and Dance 2025-2026 Theatre Season:

TOOTH & TAIL

By Elizabeth A.M. Keel
Directed by Michael McNamara*

October 2 – 4 at 7:30pm
Simpkins Theatre

TOOTH & TAIL is a fantastic swashbuckler that explores the dynamics of female friendship. When Princess Plumeria is kidnapped, Vixen LaFey and her dragon Flicker are determined to rescue her – and bring her home for the reward money. But along the way, they must face pirates, a witch who won’t stop rhyming, curses, and monsters of all kinds. From the dazzling dangers of the forests, to the deep rivalry between Vixen and Pirate Captain Jessica Glass, TOOTH & TAIL is a heartwarming theatrical feast that speaks to the imagination in all of us.

THE LIGHTNING THIEF

Book by Joe Tracz
Music & Lyrics by Rob Rokicki
Adapted from the book The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Directed by Lysa Fox

October 16 – 18 at 7:30pm
October 18 – 19 at 2:00pm
Hainline Theatre

When teenager Percy Jackson discovers he’s a demigod, he and his friends embark on an epic journey in search of Zeus’ stolen lightning bolt to prevent a war among the gods. Myths and monsters take the stage in a hilarious and spectacular rock show not to be missed!

THE TIME MACHINE

Written by Steven Canny & John Nicholson
Adapted from the novel by H. G. Wells
Directed by Edward Lindem*

October 23 – 25 at 7:30pm
Simpkins Theatre

A wildly inventive, fast-paced comedy based on H. G. Wells’ classic, Steven Canny’s THE TIME MACHINE hurls its characters from Victorian England to the far reaches of the future in a riotous, time-twisting adventure packed with wit, surprises, and theatrical mayhem.

CORIOLANUS

By William Shakespeare
Directed by Amie Root*

November 6 – 8 at 7:30pm
November 8 – 9 at 2:00pm
Horrabin Hall Theatre

Celebrated as Rome’s fiercest warrior, Caius Marcius “Coriolanus” wins glory on the battlefield but scorns the common people. When his pride costs him power and leads to exile, he makes a shocking alliance with his former enemies to destroy the city he once defended, until a final, heart-wrenching choice between vengeance and loyalty seals his fate.

LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS

Directed by Donald Laney

November 13 – 15 at 7:30pm
November 15 – 16 at 2:00pm
Simpkins Theatre

Inspired by the ancient Greeks’ eight distinct forms of love, this dance concert journeys through the many shades of the human heart, from the warmth of friendship (Philia) to the quiet strength of self-love (Philautia), the boundless compassion of Agape, and the fiery intensity of Eros. Playful moments of Ludus give way to the steadfast devotion of Pragma, the deep bonds of Storge, and the consuming passion of Mania. Through movement, music, and emotion, the performance celebrates love in all its complexity; messy, beautiful, and endlessly human.

Showcase25

With Lysa Fox, Donald Laney, Lisa Wipperling & Aaron Ames

December 4 – 6 at 7:30pm
Simpkins Theatre

Join the Musical Theatre & Theatre classes of 2025–2026 and their friends as they highlight their training from over the past four years.

BACH AT LEIPZIG

By Itamar Moses
Directed by DC Wright  

February 19 – 21 at 7:30pm  
Simpkins Theatre  

Leipzig, Germany — 1722. Johann Kuhnau, revered organist of the Thomaskirche, suddenly dies, leaving his post vacant. The town council invites musicians to audition for the coveted position, among them young Johann Sebastian Bach. In an age where musicians depend on patronage from the nobility or the church to pursue their craft, the post at a prominent church in a cultured city is a near guarantee of fame and fortune - which is why some of the candidates are willing to resort to any lengths to secure it. BACH AT LEIPZIG is a fugue-like farcical web of bribery, blackmail, and betrayal set against the backdrop of Enlightenment questions about humanity, God, and art.

SHE LOVES ME

Book by Joe Masteroff
Music by Jerry Bock & Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick
Directed by Edward Lindem*

February 26 – 28 at 7:30pm
February 28 – March 1 at 2:00pm
Hainline Theatre

In a 1930s European perfumery, feuding co-workers Amalia and Georg can’t stand each other, unaware they’re secretly romantic pen pals. As their anonymous letters deepen into love, misunderstandings and comedic twists unfold, leading to a heartfelt revelation that the person they’ve been searching for has been right in front of them all along.

EURYDICE

By Sarah Ruhl
Directed by Michael McNamara*

April 2 – 4 at 7:30pm
April 4 – 5 at 2:00pm
Horrabin Hall Theatre

On her wedding day, Eurydice falls to her death and awakens in the strange, surreal underworld, where she is reunited with the father she lost long ago. As memories of her life begin to fade, she is torn between two loves—the devoted husband fighting to bring her back, and the father who offers comfort in death. In Sarah Ruhl’s haunting reimagining of the Orpheus myth, love, loss, and memory intertwine in a devastating choice that will echo for eternity.

Dance Escape

Directed by Donald Laney

April 23 – 25 at 7:30pm
April 25 – 26 at 2:00pm
Hainline Theatre

Western Illinois University’s annual Spring Dance Concert will offer an evening of dance, choreographed by students and instructors in University Dance Company (UDC). Each performance will incorporate a variety of dance styles, including modern/contemporary, jazz, Afro-modern, and ballet.

BYOP (Bring Your Own Play)

With Tammy Killian & Friends

April 30 – May 2 at 7:30pm
Simpkins Theatre

New Plays, written by students, designed by students, performed by students, for students! Enjoy an evening of completely student-created new works.

* Guest Artist / Special designation as provided.