Stage performer in a striped costume sings under blue theater lighting beside rigging onstage.

From backstage to center stage, front of house or in front of a classroom, our public performances are a vehicle for training students in every aspect of theatre. They are also a source of high-quality live entertainment for our campus and community.

In 2026-2027, join the UWM Theatre Department for a season of love, laughter and bold self-discovery. From timeless comedy and musical theatre favorites to sharp social commentary and entirely new works, this year’s productions explore what happens when desire, identity and conviction collide and taking a risk changes everything. 

Upcoming Theatre Events

2026-2027 Theatre Season


Blue and teal gradient background with large white text reading “COMPANY” centered.

October 7–October 11

Company
Theatre Building, Mainstage Theatre

Perpetually single Bobby confronts his fear of intimacy and commitment while his married friends push him to accept the messy reality of love rather than remaining safely alone. This groundbreaking touching musical is one of Stephen Sondheim's most sophisticated, pertinent, and tuneful scores.


Colorful gradient background with white text reading “THE VISIT” centered on the image.

November 18–November 22

The Visit
Theatre Building, Mainstage Theatre

In this tragi-comic play, a grotesquely wealthy person returns to their hometown which has suffered an economic downturn.  In exchange for a reversal of their plight, she demands a high price – one that shakes the very bedrock of the society. This play premiered in New York 70 years ago, directed by Peter Brook and starred Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne.


Colorful gradient background with black text reading “AN IMPROV SHOW” centered on the image.

December 3–December 5

An Improv Show
Arts Center Gallery

Get ready for an engaging night where anything can happen and likely will! Our quick-thinking performers create the performance on the spot with blend of imagination and wit. The hilarious, unscripted show is unique for each performance and is born right before your eyes- oh my! No scripts- just actors being brilliant and hilarious. Guest Artist Alan Guszowski (ComedySportz Milwaukee) leads the team of players on this comedy romp.


White text “Twelfth Night” centered on a red background.

March 10, 2027–March 14, 2027

Twelfth Night
Theatre Building, Mainstage Theatre

Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is a sparkling romantic comedy filled with mistaken identities, mischievous schemes, and heartfelt confessions where each twist of fate brings another burst of laughter. When Viola is separated from her twin Sebastian, she disguises herself as a young man to survive—only to find herself entangled in a whirlwind of unrequited love, playful deception, and unexpected joy! You will not want to miss this beloved tale.


Theatre Performance Short Play Festival Promo Image

April 14, 2027–April 18, 2027

New Dramaworks: Short Play Festival
Arts Center Gallery

The New Dramaworks Short Play Festival is back! The UWM Department of Theatre presents an enthralling showcase of original plays celebrating hope and resistance. Don't miss the premiere of these brand-new works written, directed, acted and produced by UWM students.


Colorful gradient background with white text reading “EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE” centered on the image.

April 29, 2027–May 8, 2027

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
Theatre Building, Mainstage Theatre

Jamie New is 16. Jamie doesn’t quite fit in. Jamie is terrified about the future. Jamie is going to be a sensation. Supported by his brilliant, loving mum and surrounded by his friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies, and steps out of the darkness into the spotlight. The hit West End musical is about learning who you are, taking that step off the edge and loving it!

Past Performances


2025-2026 Theatre Season

Promotional graphic for H.M.S. Pinafore featuring a large anchor over a blue coastal shoreline backdrop.
H.M.S. Pinafore
October 8–12, 2025
Mainstage Theatre
Written by W.S. Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan
Co-Directed by Jill Anna Ponasik and Jeffrey Mosser
Promotional graphic for In Darkness, Audio Flowers Bloom with headphones sprouting a plant on wet pavement.
In Darkness, Audio Flowers Bloom
November, 15–9, 2025
Kenilworth Five-0-Eight
Written by Alvaro Saar Rios
Directed by Katie Avila Loughmiller
Promotional graphic for Scapino! featuring colorful abstract artwork with the title centered in bold text.
Scapino!
November 19–23, 2025
Mainstage Theatre
Written by Jim Dale and Frank Dunlop
Directed by Ralph Janes
Promotional graphic for The Good Doctor featuring a stylized white beard and glasses on a red background.
The Good Doctor
March 11–15, 2026
Mainstage Theatre
Written by Neil Simon and Anton Chekhov
Directed by Karen Estrada
Promotional graphic for Songs for a New World featuring a painted shoreline beneath a colorful sky.
Songs for a New World
April 8–12, 2026
Kenilworth Five-0-Eight
By Jason Robert Brown
Directed by Steve Decker
Promotional graphic for A Rockin’ Midsummer Night’s Dream with guitar artwork on a dark purple background.
A ROCKIN’ Midsummer Night’s Dream
April 10–26, 2026
Skylight Music Theatre
By William Shakespeare
Adaptation and Additional Lyrics by Eric Svejcar and Michael Unger
Promotional graphic for The Three Sisters featuring fragmented portraits in a grayscale collage.
The Three Sisters
April 29–May 3, 2026
Mainstage Theatre
By Anton Chekhov
Directed by Bill Watson
Promotional graphic for the 2026 Short Play Festival featuring a pink circle and flowing line art on black.
New Dramaworks: Short Play Festival
May 6–10, 2026
Kenilworth Five-0-Eight
Mentored by Ralph Janes and Curated by Alvaro Saar Rios
Directed by UWM Theatre Students

2024-2025 Theatre Season

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Bright Star – Concert Performance
October 9–13, 2024
Mainstage Theatre
Music, Lyrics & Story by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell
Directed by Raeleen McMillion
An illustrated wooden ship with three large sails is tossed about in rough waters.
Pericles
November 6–10, 2024
Mainstage Theatre
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Bill Watson
Three dames dressed in elegant attire stand aboard a cruise ship.
Dames at Sea
March 5–9, 2025
Mainstage Theatre
Book & Lyrics by George Haimsohn and Robin Miller; Music by Jim Wise; Musical Direction by Donna Kummer; Choreography by Abigail McBee and Sophia Roth
Directed by Sheri Williams Pannell
UWM Studio Art BFA student Angelina Weitzer's charcoal rendering of a woman gazing at the viewer with mountains and birds in the background.
The Ballad of Maria Marten
April 2–6, 2025
Kenilworth Five-0-Eight
Written by Beth Flintoff; By arrangement with Nick Hern Books
Directed by Robin Mello
An icon of a clock on a purple background with the show title as the clock face.
First Year Project: Ten Minutes On a Bench
April 23–27, 2025
Kenilworth Five-0-Eight
Written by Kenneth Jones
Directed by Steven Decker
Art MFA student Emmanuel Guerra's painting of a faceless boy and his ghostly looking dog .
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
April 30–May 4, 2025
Mainstage Theatre
Written by Simon Stephens; Based on the novel by Mark Haddon
Directed by Ralph Janes

2023-2024 Theatre Season

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State Fair
October 11–15, 2023
Mainstage Theatre
Stage Director, Steve Decker
Music Director, Donna Kummer
The Moors
The Moors
November, 1–5, 2023
Kenilworth Five-0-Eight
Written by Jen Silverman
Directed by Ralph Janes
Macbeth Promo Image
Macbeth
December 6–10, 2023
Mainstage Theatre
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Bill Watson
You on the Moors Now promo image
You on the Moors Now
March 6–9, 2024
Mainstage Theatre
Written by Jaclyn Backhaus
Directed by Jeffrey Mosser
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Pipeline
April 3–7, 2024
Kenilworth Five-0-Eight
Written by Dominique Morisseau
Directed by Katie Avila Loughmiller
New Dramaworks: Short Play Festival 2024 Promo Image
New Dramaworks: Short Play Festival
April 7–21, 2024
Kenilworth Five-0-Eight
Curate by Alvaro Saar Rios
Mentored by Ralph Janes

Directed by UWM Theatre Students
Once Upon a Mattress 2024 Promo Image
Once Upon a Mattress
April 24–28, 2024
Mainstage Theatre
Music by Mary Rodgers
Lyrics by Marshall Barer
Book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, Marshall Barer
Directed by Sheri Williams Pannell

2022-2023 Theatre Season

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The Mystery of Edwin Drood
October 19–23, 2022
Mainstage Theatre
Written by Rupert Holmes
Directed by Bill Watson
The Sparrow Promo Image
The Sparrow
November, 2–6, 2022
Kenilworth Five-0-Eight
Written by Chris Mathews, Jake Minton, Nathan Allen
Directed by Marcella M. Kearns
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Piggsville | A New Dramaworks Production
December 7–11, 2022
Mainstage Theatre
Written by Alvaro Saar Rios
Directed by Sheri Williams Pannell
All Night Strut Promo Image
All Night Strut
March 8–12, 2023
Mainstage Theatre
Conceived by Aaron Thielen, Marc Robin
Directed by Steve Decker
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Sweat
April 19–23, 2023
Kenilworth Five-0-Eight
Written by Lynn Nottage
Directed by Ralph Janes
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The Rivals
May 3–7, 2023
Mainstage Theatre
Written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Directed by Bill Watson