2021-2022 Announcement
A note from Department Chair, Joan Herrington:
I hope you’re well and that you’re ready to see some theatre this year! We are beyond excited to share this new season with you and to welcome you back to the Gilmore Theatre Complex.
We’ll be producing our first two shows outside in a recently restored courtyard space next to the Gilmore Theatre Complex - we look forward to having this new theatre experience with you! Then we’ll venture back into our beautiful theatres in October for the remainder of the season. Once inside, we’ll only be performing in the larger two theatres.
We have new season pass options that are flexible for these uncertain times, and of course, we’ll continue to prioritize safety for you, our students, and staff as we have these last several months. Season passes are available online now or can be purchased over the phone with our box office starting September 1st. Single ticket availability will be announced throughout the year, but will start September 1st for our first two shows.
Your support as a season pass holder and donor is what makes educating our talented students possible – it’s that simple. Loyal patrons like you provide the financial resources we need to know for certain we can continue to bring you these shows and continue to provide exceptional opportunities to our young artists despite these challenging times.
I hope you’ll consider supporting their work in any way you can. We’re grateful for you and we’re grateful to be reconnecting with you through these productions and the amazing work of WMU Theatre students.
Order Season passes Online Now
Order by phone starting September 1st at (269) 387-6222 - Single tickets will go on sale starting September 1st.
THE 2021-2022 SEASON
LYS
by Sam Mueller, Inspired by Lysistrata
September 16 - 26
2030, on the brink of the climate crisis a small band of renegades are trying to save the planet. When Lysistrata suggests they withhold sex in order to save the planet from being uninhabitable, systems of power and oppression begin to surface. Will there be enough time to fully realize the damage we've done to the world and even more, will there be enough time to imagine a new world into existence? Join us for this world premiere outside in the new, York Courtyard Theatre at the Gilmore Theatre Complex.
INTO THE WOODS
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim | Book by James Lapine
September 24 - October 10
James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim take everyone's favorite storybook characters and bring them together for a timeless, yet relevant, piece... and a rare modern, music theatre classic. The Tony Award-winning book and score are both enchanting and touching. This Sondheim classic will be performed outside in the new, York Courtyard Theatre by the Gilmore Theatre Complex.
SWEAT
by Lynn Nottage
October 29 - November 6
Filled with warm humor and tremendous heart, Pulitzer Prize-winning SWEAT tells the story of a group of friends who have spent their lives sharing drinks, secrets, and laughs while working together on the factory floor. But when layoffs and picket lines begin to chip away at their trust, the friends find themselves pitted against each other in a heart-wrenching fight to stay afloat.
SIGNIFICANT OTHER
By Joshua Harmon
November 13 - 21
Jordan Berman would love to be in love, but that’s easier said than done. So until he meets Mr. Right, he wards off lonely nights with his trio of close girlfriends. But as singles’ nights turn into bachelorette parties, Jordan discovers that the only thing harder than finding love is supporting the loved ones around you when they do.
NEXT STOP, BROADWAY!
Starring Darius de Haas with the 2022 Senior Music Theatre Performance students
December 2-4
The Music Theatre Performance class of 2022 will share the stage with Darius de Haas, who will work with the students on their NYC showcase materials leading up to a weekend of musical performances. Sponsored by Advia Credit Union.
THE OLD MAN AND THE OLD MOON
Book, Music, & Lyrics by PigPen Theatre Co.
January 28 - February 6
The Old Man has kept his post as the sole caretaker of the moon for as long as he (or his wife, the Old Woman) can remember. When she is drawn away by a mysterious melody sparking memories of their shared past, the Old Man must decide between duty (and routine) and love (and adventure). Luckily for audiences everywhere, he chooses the latter, and what follows is an imaginative sea-faring epic, encompassing apocalyptic storms, civil wars, leviathans of the deep, and cantankerous ghosts, as well as the fiercest obstacle of all: change.
EMILIA
By Morgan Lloyd Malcolm
March 18 - 27
Four hundred years ago, Emilia Bassano wanted her voice to be heard. It wasn't. Could she have been the 'Dark Lady' of Shakespeare's sonnets? What of her own poetry? Why was her story erased from history? In Morgan Lloyd Malcolm's electrifying and Olivier Award-winning play, Emilia and her sisters reach out across the centuries with passion, fury, laughter and song. It is a riotous, witty reclaiming of the life of an exceptional woman.
HEAD OVER HEELS THE MUSICAL
Songs by The Go-Go's | Conceived by and Original Book by Jeff Whitty | Adaptation by James Magruder
April 8 - 16
HEAD OVER HEELS is the bold new musical comedy from the visionaries that rocked Broadway with Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Avenue Q and Spring Awakening. This laugh-out-loud love story is set to the music of the iconic 1980’s all-female rock band The Go-Go’s! A hilarious, exuberant celebration of love, HEAD OVER HEELS follows the escapades of a royal family on an outrageous journey to save their beloved kingdom from extinction—only to discover the key to their realm’s survival lies within each of their own hearts.