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Free Tickets Offered to MSU Students for Department of Theatre Productions

Michigan State University students can receive free tickets to the remaining MSU Department of Theatre productions in the 2025-2026 season, “Secrets & Spotlights.”

“As our mission states: ‘Theatre is best when it incites or excites. Plays and musicals provoke action, challenge complacency, and demand your attention’. Offering free tickets to all MSU students for the 2025–2026 season ensures that every student can share in that experience,” said Kirk Domer, Professor and Interim Chairperson of the Department of Theatre. “Live theatre invites us into dialogue with the world, and this initiative removes barriers so our students can engage fully as participants in bold, relevant storytelling that reflects and transforms our community.”

Two actors stand on a brightly lit stage with a blue, wave-patterned backdrop. The actor on the left wears a light brown poncho over a gray sweater and corduroy pants, while the actor on the right, in a white eyelet dress, looks upward.
Two actors perform on stage under bright theater lights. One actor, wearing a gray three-piece suit and red tie, gestures upward while the other, dressed in a tan period-style dress with red accents, smiles and looks in the same direction. The background features a blue, swirling backdrop.
Four actors in matching flight attendant costumes perform on stage. They wear white button-down shirts, navy skirts, blue caps with gold emblems, and red-and-blue scarves. One actor holds an open green book.
The first three MSU Department of Theatre productions of the 2025-2026 season were “Stupid F**king Bird” (top left photo), “The Seagull” (top right photo), and “Taking Off” (bottom photo).

To receive a free ticket, students need to show their MSU student ID at the Wharton Center Ticket Office in the days prior to the show or at the ticket booth where the production is being held just prior to the show. One free ticket will be given per student per production.

The 2025-2026 season, “Secrets & Spotlights,” features performances designed to foster empathy by immersing audiences in stories that highlight diverse characters and perspectives. The season presents a vibrant mix of beloved texts and original creations, rich in cultural, political, and aesthetic significance.

“Live theatre invites us into dialogue with the world, and this initiative removes barriers so our students can engage fully as participants in bold, relevant storytelling that reflects and transforms our community.”

Kirk Domer, Professor and Interim Chairperson of the Department of Theatre

“This season, we’re inviting our students and audiences to discover the power of story from all angles,” Domer said.

The following are all the productions that are scheduled for the rest of the 2025-2026 season:

Othello

Nov. 7-16, 2025
Pasant Theatre, Wharton Center

A dramatic digital illustration of a bright white lightning bolt striking a calm, dark body of water at night

Set in modern-day America, this bold new staging of Shakespeare’s “Othello,” directed by Ji Won Jeon, Research Associate in the Department of Theatre, reimagines the classic tragedy through the lens of diverse immigrant experiences, including Middle Eastern, African American, Asian American, Latinx, and more.

In a time of political upheaval and global crises, the production confronts the ways fear of the unknown fuels hatred and violence while asking how we navigate the fragile lines between power and justice, love and betrayal.

Chemical Imbalance: A Jekyll and Hyde Play

Nov. 19-23, 2025
Studio 60, MSU Auditorium

A cartoon-style illustration of a man in a tuxedo and top hat holding a martini glass, grinning mischievously. Behind him is a framed mirror reflecting a sinister, shadowy creature with glowing red eyes and sharp teeth.

This darkly comic adaption of Robert Louis Stevenson’s “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Lauren Wilson, transports audiences to Victorian England where repressed impulses erupt as Dr. Jekyll’s experiments in the nature of evil threaten to expose the bloody hands beneath the gloves of the British Empire.

Directed by Brad Willcuts, Associate Professor of Musical Theatre and Choreography, “Chemical Imbalance: A Jekyll and Hyde Play,” is a fast-paced romp in which characters teeter on the edge between aristocracy and depravity, and between the ever-present forces of good and evil.

MSU UnScripted

Dec. 4-7, 2025
Studio 60, MSU Auditorium

A colorful cartoon-style image of two performers sitting back-to-back on chairs under a spotlight, waving to an audience.

Featuring the Department of Theatre’s newest students, “MSU UnScripted,” directed by Sarah Hendrickson, Academic Specialist in the Department of Theatre, delivers a night of high-energy improvisational comedy with each night bringing a new performance that uniquely blend classic and contemporary improv games and scenes inspired entirely by audience suggestions.

No two shows are alike — each features a different cast and everything is created on the spot. Hard to believe? Come to all five shows and see for yourself!

Echoes from the Banks of Red Cedar

Feb. 14-22, 2026
Fairchild Theatre, MSU Auditorium

stylized illustration of four humanoid figures with flower-like heads gathering and scattering colorful dots in a lush, green landscape with water and trees.

Inspired by William James Beal’s legendary seed experiment, “Echoes from the Banks of Red Cedar” is a multidisciplinary dance theatre production that explores the resilience of dormant seeds and the unseen forces that shape education.

Conceived by writer and choreographer Alexandria Davis, Assistant Professor of Theatre, in collaboration with Kevin Jones, MSU Percussion Instructor; MSU Dance minors; MSU College of Music students; and MFA candidate Niloufar Fallahfar, this innovative performance weaves together elements of dance, sculpture, dialogue, and music to celebrate our shared capacity to grow and transform, even after long periods of dormancy.

Recorded in Front of a Live Studio Audience

March 25-29, 2026
WKAR Studio A, Communication Arts & Sciences Building

A cartoon-style drawing of a stage. Two women are seated on a couch, speaking. A man stands beside them gesturing, while another adjusts equipment. A full crowd watches from the foreground.

In collaboration with WKAR Public Media, the School of Journalism‘s Digital Storytelling program, and the Department of Theatre, “Recorded in Front of a Live Studio Audience,” recreates the excitement of a live TV taping, transporting audiences back to the golden era of sitcoms like “Friends,” “Seinfeld,” and “That ’70s Show.”

Directed by Ryan Welsh, Associate Professor of Media Acting, and Alison Dobbins, Professor of Integrated Media Performance Design, the production will unfold on an authentic TV set inside WKAR Studio A.

Jane Austen’s Persuasion

April 14-19, 2026
Pasant Theatre, Wharton Center

A illustration of a person’s silhouette filled with an image of a sailing ship on calm waters under a cloudy sky

Directed by Daniel T. Smith, Associate Professor of Theatre, “Jane Austen’s Persuasion” is a bittersweet tale of first love and second chances. Melissa Leilani Larson’s adaptation of Austen’s final novel preserves Austen’s signature wit and charm while capturing the poignancy of second-chance romance, reflecting on matters of love, memory, and maturity.

Anne Elliot, persuaded in her youth to reject young Frederick Wentworth’s marriage proposal, has never found a more suitable match. Years later, when Frederick returns as a successful naval captain, he and Anne are reunited and may have a second chance at love.

Dandelion

April 23-26, 2026
Studio 60, MSU Auditorium

Close-up of a dandelion against a clear blue sky, with sunlight shining through its white seeds as several seeds drift away on the wind.

Directed by Adam Yankowy, Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre, with musical direction by Dave Wendelberger, Academic Specialist in the Department of Theatre, “Dandelion” offers a deep exploration of the world of caretaking, trauma, healing, and responsibility as seen through the eyes of a daughter torn between pursuing her dreams and caring for her mother, who is grappling with addiction and mental health issues within a broken healthcare system.

This production marks the first musical performance in the Storefront Series, which focuses on dynamic acting roles to showcase and challenge acting students as well as stage managers who focus on communication, scheduling, and director/manager dynamics. Storefront creative teams, similar to Chicago “storefront” theatres, are challenged to work with limited resources and shorter rehearsal periods, with an emphasis on elements they can control such as devising, acting, stage management and directing.

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