University Theatre 2025-2026 Season
Dance Nation
By Clare Barron
July 24-August 3, 2025 and September 11-21, 2025
*Note: there will be a talkback after the Sunday July 27 performance.
Gilbert V. Hemsley Theatre
Directed by Audrey Lauren Standish
Somewhere in America, an army of pre-teen competitive dancers plot to take over the world. And if their new routine is good enough, they will claw their way to the top at the Boogie Down Grand Prix in Tampa Bay. But in Clare Barron’s raucous pageant of ambition and ferocity, these young dancers have more than choreography on their minds, because every plié and jeté is a step toward finding themselves, and a fight to unleash their power.
Content Advisory: This show contains coarse language, depictions of self-harm, simulated masturbation and descriptions of masturbation, sex and sexual violence.
Little Women, the Broadway Musical
Music by Jason Howland, Lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, Book by Allan Knee; Based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott
November 6-16, 2025
Ronald E. Mitchell Theatre
Directed by Ann M. Shanahan
Louisa May Alcott’s beloved tale of the March sisters is given fresh life in a powerful and heartfelt musical. The aspiring writer Jo takes advice to write about her own life, and weaves together stories of her growing up with her mother and sisters. Set during the American Civil War, Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth March navigate creativity, poverty, jealousy, love and loss; strengthening their family bond with laughter, tears, and soaring spirit.
Content Advisory: This production contains themes of grief, terminal illness, and the loss of a sibling. It includes emotionally intense scenes related to death and familial conflict. Suitable for most audiences, but some material may be emotionally challenging for young children.
Tickets on sale August 11.
cullud wattah
By Ericka Dickerson-Despenza
February 26-March 8, 2026
Ronald E. Mitchell Theatre
Directed by Ilesa Duncan
It is 2016 and it has been 936 days and counting since Flint, Michigan, has had clean water. Third-generation General Motors employee Marion finds herself on the cusp of a promotion until her sister begins participating in protests accusing the company of poisoning the water. Forced to confront their past and weigh their limited options for the future, the family finds their tight-knit unit threatened by more than just the toxicity of the water. Written by UW-Madison and First Wave alumna Erika Dickerson-Despenza, this powerful play deconstructs the linear passage of time to ponder the choices we make for the sake of our survival.
Content Advisory: This production includes mature language, and distressing topics including abortion, miscarriage, illness, and racism.
Tickets on sale January 12, 2026.
Much Ado About Nothing
By William Shakespeare
April 16-26, 2026
Ronald E. Mitchell Theatre
Directed by Baron Kelly
The quintessential romantic comedy. Sparks fly when the mutually disdainful Beatrice and Benedick engage in their war of words against marriage and each other. Against the backdrop of the impending wedding of young lovers Hero and Claudio, the friends of Beatrice and Benedick scheme to bring the sharp-tongued antagonists into a “mountain of affection.” Deception, reversals, and outright villainy threaten to ruin the nuptials but love triumphs over all with wit, merriment, and charm.
Content Advisory: This production contains themes of misogyny, emotional manipulation, and public shaming. It includes references to sex, deception, and staged death, as well as scenes of verbal aggression and implied threats of violence.
Tickets on sale January 12, 2026.
Each year, the UW–Madison Department of Theatre and Drama produces several exciting productions in impressive spaces including the 291-seat Ronald E. Mitchell Theatre and the Gilbert V. Hemsley, Jr. Theatre, a flexible black box space.
Performances times are regularly Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2:00 PM unless otherwise noted.
Department of Theatre and Drama productions are made possible through the generous support of the Anonymous Block Grant.
Please Note: As of March 12, 2022 UW-Madison no longer requires face coverings in campus buildings. UW-Madison does not have a vaccination requirement for attendance. Safety measures including face coverings, capacity limits, and seating for social distancing are subject to change as directed by UW–Madison guidelines for campus events.