Productions

2024-2025 Season

Firebringer

By Starkid
Directed by Zach Fischer
Music Direction by Nicholas Laban

The Albion College Theatre Department presents Firebringer, a Stone Age musical!

At the dawn of humanity, a tribe of cave-people survives prehistoric life under the wise leadership of Jemilla, The Peacemaker. Jemilla taught her people to value hard work and how to express themselves, rather than bashing each others’ heads with rocks. But one member of the tribe is tired of spending her days working: Zazzalil. On a fateful night, Zazzalil sneaks out of the cave during a thunderstorm and stumbles upon the most important discovery in human history. It’s one that will take her on a whirlwind journey from tribe slacker to tribe leader and change the world forever. Not suitable for audiences under 18.

All performances are at the Herrick Black Box Theatre, in the Dow Center. Admission is free.

Performances:
Thursday, November 14 at 7:30pm
Friday, November 15 at 7:30pm
Saturday, November 16 at 2:00pm & 7:30pm
Thursday, November 21 at 7:30pm
Friday, November 22 at 7:30pm (Post-show Q&A with Cast & Crew)
Saturday, November 23 at 2:00pm & 7:30pm

John Proctor is the Villain

By Kimberly Belflower
Directed by Meghan VanArsdalen

Albion College Theatre opens the 2024-25 season with John Proctor is the Villain. Things are unsettled at rural Helen County High—rumors are swirling around a student’s dad, another student blew up her life and left for Atlanta, and Mr. Smith’s junior English class has to make it through sex ed before they can finally start The Crucible. But what one man calls a witch hunt, a young woman calls the truth, and when the teens start questioning what really happened in Salem, everything threatens to change. Not suitable for audiences under the age of 18.

All performances are at the Herrick Black Box Theatre, in the Dow Center. Admission is free.

Performances:
Thursday, Sept. 19 at 7:30pm
Friday, Sept. 20 at 7:30pm
Saturday, Sept. 21 at 2:00pm & 7:30pm
Thursday, Sept. 26 at 7:30pm (Post-show discussion with cast & crew)
Friday, Sept. 27 at 7:30pm
Saturday, Sept. 28 at 2:00pm & 7:30pm

 

2023-2024 Season

The Play That Goes Wrong

By Henry Lewis, Henry Shields and Jonathan Sayer
Directed by Mark Hoffland

Get ready for a night of mishaps, mischief, and mania! It’s the opening night of the Ditzler Drama Society’s newest production, “The Murder at Haversham Manor,” and things have quickly gone from bad… to utterly disastrous. The group’s ambitious 1920s who-dun-it has everything you never want in a show: falling props, collapsing scenery, an unconscious star, a corpse that can’t play dead, and actors who trip over everything… including their lines. How will this eager ensemble battle against the odds? Will they make it to the final curtain call? Find out in the Theatre Department’s season opener!

• Thursday, Sept. 21 at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, Sept. 22 at 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 23 at 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday, Sept. 24 at 2 p.m.
• Thursday, Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, Sept. 29 at 7:30 p.m. (Post-show discussion with cast and crew)
• Saturday, Sept. 30 at 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 1 at 2 p.m.

2AZ

By Michael Brian Ogden
Directed by Zach Fischer

The year is 2 AZ: 2 years after the zombies came and the whole world fell apart. You’ve seen zombie horror before, but never live on stage. Albion’s Theatre Department delivers a gory action spectacular about who survives and what they become after the world ends. Originally developed by Jeff Daniels’ Purple Rose Theatre Company, Albion is proud to present only the second production of this edge-of-your-seat thriller. Mature audiences only. At the Herrick Theater in the Dow Center. Admission is free.

• Thursday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 12 at 2 p.m.
• Thursday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. (Post-show discussion with cast and crew)
• Saturday, Nov. 18 at 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

In The Next Room

By Sarah Ruhl
Directed by Meghan VanArsdalen

Set in the 1880s at the dawn of the age of electricity and based on the bizarre historical fact that doctors used vibrators to treat “hysterical” women (and some men), IN THE NEXT ROOM centers on a doctor and his wife and how his new therapy affects their entire household. Mature audiences only.

• Thursday, Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 17 at 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m. (Post-show discussion with cast and crew)
• Saturday, Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Twelfth Night

By William Shakespeare
Directed by Ian Macinnes

Albion’s Theatre Department presents Shakespeare’s timeless comedy of mistaken identity, heartsick lovers, and yellow socks. At the Herrick Theatre, in the Dow Center. Admission is free. Suitable for all audiences.

Showtimes:

• Thursday, Apr. 11 at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, Apr. 12 at 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Apr. 13 at 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, Apr. 18 at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, Apr. 19 at 7:30 p.m. (Post-show discussion with cast and crew)
• Saturday, Apr. 20 at 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

2022-2023 Season

Stop Kiss

By Diana Son
Directed by Zach Fischer

April 6-15

It’s 1999 in New York City: When Callie meets Sara, the two unexpectedly fall in love. Their first kiss provokes a violent attack that transforms their world in ways they could not anticipate. Funny and poignant, Stop Kiss is about the ways, both sudden and slow, that lives can change forever. Not suitable for audiences under the age of 18.

Showtimes:

• Thursday, April 6 at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, April 7 at 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, April 8 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m. (Post-show discussion with the Cast & Crew)
• Saturday, April 15 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

The Servant of Two Masters

By Carlo Goldoni
Directed by Stephanie Henderson

February 9 – 18

Identities are mistaken, engagements are broken, and lovers are reunited in this 18th-century comedy classic. Set in Venice, mayhem erupts when a wily—and chronically hungry—servant hatches a zany scheme to double his wages (and his meals) by serving two masters at once. Suitable for all audiences.

Showtimes:

• Thursday, Feb. 9, at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, Feb. 10, at 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 11, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, Feb. 16, at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, Feb. 17, at 7:30 p.m. (Post-show discussion with Cast & Crew)
• Saturday, Feb. 18, at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

This show is free and open to the public.

Peter and the Starcatcher

By Rick Elice
Directed by Zach Fischer.

November 10 – 19

• Thursday, Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 12 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Silent Sky

September 22 – October 1

By Lauren Gunderson
Directed by Elena Mourad

The true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt explores a woman’s place in society during a time of immense scientific discoveries, when women’s ideas were dismissed until men claimed credit for them. Social progress, like scientific progress, can be hard to see when one is trapped among earthly complications; Henrietta Leavitt and her female peers believe in both, and their dedication changed the way we understand both the heavens and Earth.

• Thursday, Sept. 22, 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m. (Post-show discussion with the cast and Dr. Nicolle Zellner)
• Saturday, Sept. 23, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, Sept. 29, 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, Sept. 30, 7:30 p.m (Post-show discussion with the cast and Dr. Nicolle Zellner).
• Saturday, Oct. 1, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

2021-2022 Season

Romeo & Juliet

By William Shakespeare
Adapted and directed by Zach Fischer

April 21 – April 30

Shakespeare’s timeless story of new love, old hatred, and bad timing gets a fresh look in director Zach Fischer’s adaptation. Featuring a multi-generational cast of students, faculty, and staff.

Contains violence and themes of suicide.

Albion College Theatre productions are public performances, open to all audiences from the campus and community.

• Thursday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, April 23 at 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, April 28 at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, April 29 at 7:30 p.m. (Post-show discussion with the cast)
• Saturday, April 30 at 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Censored on Final Approach

By Phylis Ravel
Directed by Stephanie Henderson

February 17 – February 26

It’s the height of World War II. A select team of female aviators has been chosen to serve as Women Air Service Pilots (WASPs), flying non-combat missions for the US military. Facing scorn and bullying from their male counterparts, the women struggle for acceptance, while risking their lives in the skies. As tensions flare in the fog of war, tragic events start to look less like accidents and more like sabotage. What really happened? The WASPs will not rest until the truth is exposed. Based on a true story omitted from history books, Censored on Final Approach shines a light on a flashpoint in the feminist movement. Contains strong language.

Showtimes:

• Wednesday, Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m. (Post-show discussion with cast)
• Saturday, Feb. 26 at 2 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m.

Admission is free. Masks are required at all times in the audience.

Eurydice

By Sarah Ruhl
Directed by Stephanie Henderson

November 11 – 20

In Eurydice, Sarah Ruhl reimagines the classic myth of Orpheus through the eyes of its heroine. Eurydice journeys to the underworld, where she reunites with her dead father and struggles to remember her lost love in the world above. Full of humor, deliciously strange characters, and haunting plot twists, Eurydice is a fresh look at a timeless love story.

Suitable for all audiences.

Albion College Theatre productions are public performances, open to all audiences from the campus and community. At the Herrick Black Box Theatre in the Dow Center. Masks are required at all times inside the building. Admission is Free.

Showtimes:

• Thursday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 14 at 2 p.m.
• Thursday, Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m. (Post-show audience Q&A with the Cast and Director)
• Saturday, Nov. 20 at 2 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m.

The Flick

By Annie Baker
Directed by Zach Fischer

September 23 – October 2

Albion’s Theatre Department returns to live performances with THE FLICK!

In a run-down movie theater in Massachusetts, three underpaid employees mop the floors and attend to one of the last 35 millimeter film projectors in the state. Their tiny battles and not-so-tiny heartbreaks play out in the empty aisles. Considered one of the first great plays of the 21st Century, THE FLICK is a hilarious and moving cry for authenticity in a fast-changing world.

Not suitable for audiences under the age of 18. At the Herrick Theatre, in the Dow Center. Masks required. Admission is free.

Showtimes:

• Thursday, Sept. 23 at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m. (Post-show audience discussion with the Cast)
• Sunday, Sept. 26 at 2 p.m.
• Thursday, Sept. 30 at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m. (Post-show audience discussion with the Cast)
• Saturday, Oct. 2 at 2 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m.

2020-2021 Season

Detroit ’67

By Dominique Morisseau
Directed by Directed by K. Edmonds

September 18 – 20 and 25 – 27

Run time: 1 hour and 40 minutes.

It’s 1967 in Detroit. Motown music is getting the party started, and Chelle and her brother Lank are making ends meet by turning their basement into an after-hours joint. But when a mysterious woman finds her way into their lives, the siblings clash over more much more than the family business. As their pent-up feelings erupt, so does their city, and they find themselves caught in the middle of the 1967 riots.

Contains strong language and adult themes.

Showtimes:

• Friday, September 18 at 7 p.m.
• Saturday, September 19 at 7 p.m.
• Sunday, September 20 at 7 p.m.

Rain dates:

• Friday, September 25 at 7 p.m.
• Saturday, September 26 at 7 p.m.
• Sunday, September 27 at 7 p.m.

Admission is free. We encourage audience members to bring their own blankets or low profile chairs to sit on. Audience members must wear face masks at all times during the performance.

Information for On-Campus Visitors

To aid the flow of foot traffic, we are providing designated entrance points for members of the campus community and members of the public.

Members of the Albion College community (students, staff and faculty) should enter on foot under the Stockwell Memorial Library/Mudd Learning Center sky bridge or the east side of the Academic Quad (facing Baldwin Cafeteria.)

Information for Off-Campus Visitors

This production is open to the public; however, in line with our plan to be Together Safely this fall, there will be additional health and safety protocols for off-campus visitors to follow.

If you are driving, follow signs directing you to park in the Ferguson parking lot. If you are walking, enter campus from the east corner of Olin Hall (south side of the Academic Quad). Off-campus visitors will be seated in a designated seating area: ushers will be present to direct you.

For more information, call 517-629-0344 or e-mail [email protected].

Read our article on the Albion College Theatre Department production of Detroit '67

2019-2020 Season

Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind

By Greg Allen
Directed by Mark Hoffland

February 14 – 22

The clock is running… Can our actors perform 30 short plays in 60 minutes? Come find out in Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind, the hilarious and surprising new show from Albion College Theatre.
The Audience is the main character in this unpredictable night of wackiness.

Showtimes:

• Friday, Feb. 14 at 8 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 15 at 2 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb 15 at 8 p.m.
• Sunday, Feb 16 at 2 p.m.
• Wednesday, Feb 19 at 8 p.m.
• Thursday, Feb 20 at 8 p.m.
• Friday, Feb 21 at 8 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb 22 at 8 p.m.

Admission is FREE with Albion ID, all others $5

Appropriate for ages 18+

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

By William Shakespeare
Directed by Zach Fischer

November 15 – 23

We invite you into the darkest part of the forest, where fairies rule, lovesick mortals lose their way, and somebody just might have transformed into a donkey. Director Zach Fischer sets Shakespeare’s magical comedy in the summer of 1969.

Showtimes:

• Friday, November 15 at 8 p.m.
• Saturday, November 16 at 2 p.m.
• Saturday, November 16 at 8 p.m.
• Sunday, November 17 at 2 p.m.
• Wednesday, November 20 at 8 p.m.
• Thursday, November 21 at 8 p.m.
• Friday, November 22 at 8 p.m.
• Saturday, November 23 at 8 p.m.

Tickets $5 or FREE with current Albion College ID

Appropriate for ages 13+

Intimate Apparel

By Lynn Nottage
Directed by Stephanie Henderson

September 27 – 29 & October 2 – 5

It’s 1905 in New York City. Esther is a lonely seamstress with extraordinary talent. Working out of a small room in a women’s boarding house, her skills are much in demand as she sews intimate apparel for clients ranging from wealthy Fifth Avenue women to downtown sex workers. Written by Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright Lynn Nottage, Intimate Apparel is a bittersweet meditation on the experience of black women in turn-of-the-century New York. Appropriate for ages 18+.

Showtimes:

• Friday, September 27 at 8 p.m.
• Saturday, September 28 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.
• Sunday, September 29 at 2 p.m.
• Wednesday, October 2 at 8 p.m.
• Thursday, October 3 at 8 p.m.
• Friday, October 4 at 8 p.m.
• Saturday, October 5 at 8 p.m.

Admission is $5 or FREE with Albion College ID.

2018-2019 Season

Student Body

By Frank Winters
Directed by Mark Hoffland

April 5 – 7 and 10 – 13

A video surfaces in a small college town. If the footage gets out, students’ lives will never be the same. Albion College Theatre presents Frank Winters’s intense look at consent on college campuses.

WARNING: CONTAINS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT AND GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT.

Admission is FREE for students & faculty with current Albion ID, all others $5.

Performances:

• Friday, April 5 at 8 p.m.
• Saturday, April 6 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.
• Sunday, April 7 at 2 p.m.
• Wednesday, April 10 at 8 p.m.
• Thursday, April 11 at 8 p.m.
• Friday, April 12 at 8 p.m.
• Saturday, April 13 at 8 p.m.

Ordinary Days

A musical by Adam Gwon
Directed by Zach Fischer
Music Direction by Nicholas Laban | Choreography by Kristy Clement

February 15 – 17 and 20 – 23

The Albion College Theatre Department presents Ordinary Days, a musical about getting lost and found in New York City. With music and lyrics by Adam Gwon. Directed by Zach Fischer, featuring music direction by Nicholas Laban and choreography by Albion alumna Kristy Clement.

Showtimes:

• Friday, Feb. 15, 8 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 16, 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.
• Sunday, Feb. 17, 2 p.m.
• Wednesday, Feb. 20, 8 p.m.
• Thursday, Feb. 21, 8 p.m.
• Friday, Feb. 22, 8 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 23, 8 p.m.

Tickets: $5 or FREE with a valid Albion College ID.

Men on Boats

By Jaclyn Backhaus
Directed by Zach Fischer

November 9 – 11 and 14 – 17

The Albion College Theatre Department presents MEN ON BOATS, the true(ish) history of the 1869 Powell Expedition, when a one-armed captain and a crew of insane yet loyal volunteers set out to chart the course of the raging Colorado River. Featuring an all-female cast, MEN ON BOATS is a hilarious action-comedy that skewers the patriarchy and reminds us how the West was really won. Contains strong language.

Admission is FREE for students & faculty with current Albion ID, all others $5.

Showtimes:

• Friday, Nov. 9 at 8 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 10 at 8 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 11 at 2 p.m.
• Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 8 p.m.
• Thursday, Nov. 15 at 8 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 16 at 8 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.

Topdog Underdog

By Suzan-Lori Parks
Directed by Savannah Manning

September 21 – 23 and 26 – 29

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize.

The Albion College Department of Theatre presents Topdog/Underdog, a darkly comic fable of brotherly love, family identity, and the black experience in America. Lincoln and Booth are two brothers whose names were given to them as a joke, foretelling a lifetime of sibling rivalry and resentment. CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE.

Admission is FREE for students & faculty with current Albion ID, all others $5.

Showtimes:

• Friday, Sept. 21 at 8 p.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 22 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.
• Sunday, Sept. 23 at 2 p.m.
• Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 8 p.m.
• Thursday, Sept. 27 at 8 p.m.
• Friday, Sept. 28 at 8 p.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 29 at 8 p.m.

2017-2018 Season

Much Ado About Nothing

By William Shakespeare
Directed by Zach Fischer

April 12 – 15 and 20 – 2021

“Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps.” Albion College Theatre closes the season with Shakespeare’s complicated comedy of love and deception.

Showtimes:

• Thursday, April 12 at 8 p.m.
• Friday, April 13 at 8 p.m.
• Saturday, April 14 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.
• Sunday, April 15 at 2 p.m.
• Friday, April 20 at 8 p.m.
• Saturday, April 21 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.

Tickets are $5 or free with current Albion College ID.

Almost, Maine

By John Cariani
Directed by Zach Dahlmann, Victoria Gitre, Savannah Manning

February 15 – 18 & 22 – 24

Love can keep you warm in the coldest of places. Albion College’s Department of Theatre presents the beloved romantic comedy, Almost, Maine, directed by Albion students.

Showtimes:

• Thursday, Feb. 15 at 8 p.m.
• Friday, Feb. 16 at 8 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m.
• Sunday, Feb. 18 at 2 p.m.
• Thursday, Feb. 22 at 8 p.m.
• Friday, Feb. 23 at 8 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 24 at 2 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 24 at 8 p.m.

Public Enemy

By Henrik Ibsen, in a version by David Harrower
Directed by Zach Fischer

November 9 – 12 & 16 – 18

A new adaptation of Ibsen’s timeless story of political corruption, poisoned water, and the cost of speaking out.

Showtimes:

• Thursday, November 9 at 8 p.m.
• Friday, November 10 at 8 p.m.
• Saturday, November 11 at 8 p.m.
• Sunday, November 12 at 2pm
• Thursday, November 16 at 8 p.m.
• Friday, November 17 at 8 p.m.
• Saturday, November 18 at 2pm & 8 p.m.

On the Verge

Directed by Mark Hoffland

September 21 – 24 & 28 – 29

Three Victorian ladies venture through time and around the world in Eric Overmyer’s magical riff on pop culture, feminism, and wordplay.

Showtimes:

8pm showtime. 2pm matinees September 24 & 30.

Tickets $5. FREE with valid Albion College ID.
Black Box Theatre

2016-2017 Season

Fefu and Her Friends

By Maria Irene Fornes
Directed by Mark Hoffland

April 21 – 23

We close our 2016-17 season with an “immersive” production of Maria Irene Fornes’ Fefu and Her Friends. The audience follows the action from room-to-room through the grand Bellemont Manor, in this inventive and intimate experience.

Showtimes:

• April 21 at 8 p.m.
• April 22 at 2 p.m.
• April 22 at 8 p.m.
• April 23 at 2 p.m.

Clybourne Park

By Bruce Norris
Directed by Zach Fischer

February 23 – 26

The Albion College Department of Theatre presents the bitingly funny satire CLYBOURNE PARK. This pointed spinoff of A RAISIN IN THE SUN follows one neighborhood through the decades to find that the changes on the block are just as startling as the things that stay the same. CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE.

Showtimes:

• February 23 at 8 p.m.
• February 24 at 8 p.m.
• February 25 at 8 p.m.
• February 26 at 2 p.m.

Top Girls

Directed by Zach Fischer.

November 17 – 20

The Albion College Department of Theatre presents the landmark feminist play Top Girls, by Caryl Churchill. 7 women play 16 characters in this darkly funny and moving look at women rising.

Showtimes:

• November 17 at 8 p.m.
• November 18 at 8 p.m.
• November 19 at 8 p.m.
• November 20 at 2 p.m.

Schoolhouse Rock Live!

Directed by Mark Hoffland

October 20 – 23

Albion College Theatre will make all your favorite subjects rock in this sing-along classic for the whole family.

Showtimes:

• October 20 at 7 p.m.
• October 21 at 7 p.m.
• October 22 at 7 p.m.
• October 23 at 2 p.m.

Past Productions