UWSP to stage theatre, dance performances for 2022-23

From murder mysteries and lively musicals to dramatic stories and original dance, the 2022-23 Department of Theatre and Dance season will take audiences on a journey at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

“This season has the theme, ‘What Lies Beneath,’ as it is specially crafted to take the audience on a journey through timeless stories, emotions, and ideas,” said Professor Michael Estanich, chair of the department. “Each show has a central character who, by the end of their transformation, reveals something deeper about themselves and our world.”

Previous season and First Nighters ticket holders may begin purchasing season or dinner package tickets Monday, August 15. General ticket sales, both package and individual, begin Thursday, Sept. 1. To purchase tickets go to the University Information and Ticket Center website, call 715-346-4100, or stop by the Information and Tickets desk in the Dreyfus University concourse.

The First Nighters Package includes a pre-show cocktail hour (cash bar), dinner and ticket to the opening night performances of the six featured mainstage and Studio Theatre productions. The Full Season Package includes discounted tickets to all eight performances – two staged readings, two plays, two musicals and two dance concerts. Patrons select the date and time for each individual show of the season.

Two staged readings will be offered at UW-Stevens Point campuses in Stevens Point, Marshfield and Wausau. Other shows will be held in the UWSP Noel Fine Arts Center’s Jenkins and Studio theatres.

Performances will include:

• “Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express,” Sept. 29 at UWSP at Wausau, Sept. 30-Oct. 1 at UW-Stevens Point main campus and Oct. 2 at UWSP at Marshfield.
  This staged reading is set on the famous train as passengers rely on detective Hercule Poirot to find the murderer that rides among them.
• “The Wolves,” Oct. 14-16 and 20-22, UWSP Studio Theatre
  This drama portrays an American girls’ indoor soccer team as they navigate big questions and wage tiny battles.
• “Afterimages 2022,” Nov. 10-13, UWSP Studio Theatre
  An evening of original dances created, performed and designed by students, Afterimages features a variety of dance styles including jazz, tap, contemporary and ballet.
• “A Christmas Carol, The Musical,” Dec. 2-4 and 8-10, Jenkins Theatre
  A family-friendly musical adaptation by Broadway heavy hitters tells the story of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge and his ghostly visits on Christmas Eve.
• “Animal Farm,” Feb. 9, 2023, at UWSP at Marshfield, Feb. 10-11 at UW-Stevens Point main campus and Feb. 12 at UWSP at Wausau
  This staged reading is based on the book by George Orwell that parodies totalitarianism through the lives of animals that take over their farm.
• “The Misanthrope,” March 3-5 and 9-11, 2023, UWSP Jenkins Theatre
  A drama about a man who declares he will only speak the truth who falls in love with his polar opposite.
• “Amélie,” April 14-16 and 20-22, 2023, UWSP Studio Theatre
  A musical story about an imaginative dreamer who lives quietly in the world but loudly in her mind, seeing possibility around every corner.
• “Danstage 2023,” May 5-7, 2023, UWSP Jenkins Theatre
  A dance concert featuring premieres by dance program faculty and guest artists.