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 2025-2026, join the UWM Theatre Department for a season of romance, comedy and a pinch of darkness. With stories steeped in absurdity, heartbreak and risk, this year’s productions invite you into worlds where love collides with chaos, laughter masks longing and bold choices lead to unexpected turns.

Upcoming Theatre Events

2025-2026 Theatre Season


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October 8–October 12

H.M.S. Pinafore

Full of wit, absurdity and sly social commentary, HMS Pinafore is a hilarious tale of love, honor and duty aboard a Royal Navy ship whimsically named after a woman’s garment. Written by master social satirists W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan—one of musical theatre’s most iconic duos—this classic 19th-century comic opera gets a fresh, imaginative staging by Milwaukee Opera Theatre’s Producing Artistic Director Jill Anna Ponasik. Presented in collaboration with Milwaukee Opera Theatre and the UWM Department of Theatre, this lively production promises sharp humor, infectious music and a delightful twist on tradition.


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November 5–November 9

In Darkness, Audio Flowers Bloom

In a world silenced by a ban on music, a group of daring teens risks everything to rediscover it. They meet in secret to learn about all things musical, defying an oppressive government determined to keep them silent. But their newfound knowledge comes at a price. In Darkness, Audio Flowers Bloom is a bold, imaginative new work exploring resistance, identity and the unshakable human need for expression. Presented as part of the UWM Department of Theatre’s New Dramaworks series, this thrilling world premiere amplifies voices that refuse to be silenced.


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November 19–November 23

Scapino!

Set in modern-day Naples, Scapino! is a zany reimagined farce inspired by Molière’s 1671 comedy Les Fourberies de Scapin. This madcap romp bursts with slapstick and fast-paces humor, including tall tales, bad impersonations, ridiculous chase scenes, disgruntled waiters, lovable panhandlers, melodic macaroni, and misbehaving sausages. Overflowing with physical comedy and rapid-fire humor, it’s a theatrical free-for-all that’s as unpredictable as it is hilarious. You’ve been warned: your belly might just ache from laughing so hard!


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March 11, 2026–March 15, 2026

The Good Doctor

A mistimed sneeze, a foolish drowning stunt, a helpful cuckold, an enthusiastic dentist, and a boy reluctant to face manhood—this is just a taste of what unfolds when Anton Chekhov’s short stories meet the wit and whimsy of Neil Simon. The Good Doctor is a clever “tour de farce” filled with absurdity, charm and deeply human foibles and follies. Blending Chekhov’s timeless observations with Simon’s comedic sparkle, this series of vignettes captures the unexpected tenderness of life’s missteps with humor and heart.


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April 8, 2026–April 12, 2026

Songs for a New World

The first musical from three-time Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown, Songs for a New World is a moving collection of powerful songs examining life, love and the pivotal choices people make when facing defining moments. From the deck of a Spanish ship in 1492 to the ledge of a Fifth Avenue high-rise, each character confronts a turning point—forced to take a leap into the unknown. With a soaring, contemporary score, this intimate song cycle explores the beauty, heartbreak and hope of ordinary people facing extraordinary change.


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April 29, 2026–May 3, 2026

The Three Sisters

Master dramatist and storyteller Anton Chekhov bookends the spring semester with The Three Sisters, offering a poignant contrast to the comedy and farce of Neil Simon’s The Good Doctor. In this tour de force of love, longing and heartbreak, sisters Olga, Masha and Irina languish in a provincial town, far from their beloved Moscow. There, they yearn for the sparkling city of their childhood, where they dream all wishes can be fulfilled. A masterful look at a family navigating the space between reality and dreams, The Three Sisters envelops you with exquisite moments of humor and hope.


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May 6, 2026–May 10, 2026

New Dramaworks: Short Play Festival

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

Past Performances


2024-2025 Theatre Season

A mountain landscape with teal overlay and show title.
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
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Macbeth
December 6–10, 2023
Mainstage Theatre
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Bill Watson
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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

2021-2022 Theatre Season

Street Signs
Street Signs
October 20–24 and 29–30, 2021
Mainstage Theatre
Written and Directed by Steven Decker and Sheri Williams Pannell
Hamlet
Hamlet
November, 17–21, 2021
Mainstage Theatre
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Bill Watson
This is Modern Art
This is Modern Art
March 9–13, 2022
Kenilworth Five-0-Eight
Written by Kevin Coval & Idris Goodwin
Directed by Katie Avila Loughmiller
Prince Of Denmark
Prince of Denmark
April 6–10, 2022
Kenilworth Five-0-Eight
Written by Michael Lesslie
Directed by Ralph Janes
The Laramie Project
April 20–24, 2022
Kenilworth Five-0-Eight
By Moisés Kaufman and the members of Tectonic Theater Project
Directed by Jim Tasse
UWM Into the Woods Highlights
Into the Woods
May 4–8, 2022
Mainstage Theatre
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim; Book by James Lapine
Directed by Sheri Williams Pannell

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