Angels in America Part I: Millennium Approaches
By Tony Kushner
July 25-August 4, and September 12-22, 2024
Gilbert V. Hemsley Theatre
Directed by Audrey Lauren Standish
Tony Kushner’s two-part epic Angels in America chronicles the intersecting stories of a diverse group of Americans during the early days of the AIDS epidemic in New York City, Utah and around the country. Considered one of the most important American plays of the last century, Kushner’s drama weaves political, social, religious, cultural, and historical themes for a powerful message of love and hope, as relevant today as it was at the approach of the millennium. Part I opens this summer at the start of Madison’s month of Pride celebrations and is remounted in repertory with a staged reading of Angels in America, Part II: Perestroika as a kickoff to the University Theatre season.
Content Advisory: This play contains mature language, racial and ablest slurs, references to explicit sexual situations, and depictions of violence, and of illness and death.
This production is made possible through generous support from the Brittingham Trust and the Anonymous Block Grant.
Read the Digital Program
Check out these previews from the School of Education
Angels in America Part II: Perestroika – Staged Reading
By Tony Kushner
September 18-22, 2024
Ronald E. Mitchell Theatre
Directed by Harry Waters, Jr.
Tony Kushner’s epic comes to a stunning conclusion in the powerful and boundary breaking Perestroika. In a staged reading directed by UW-Madison alumnus Harry Waters, Jr., who created the role of Belize in the original production in 1991, Kushner’s sweeping exploration of fraught and conflicted times conveys a resounding message of hope and communion – “More Life!”
Content Advisory: This play contains mature language, racial and ablest slurs, references to explicit sexual situations, and depictions of violence, and of illness and death.
This production is made possible through generous support from the Anonymous Block Grant and the Lorraine Hansberry Fund.
Read the Digital Program
Check out this preview video below directed, produced, and edited by UW-Madison students Samantha Markus and AJ Stoffels.
Pride & Prejudice
By Jane Austen, in a new adaptation for the stage
November 7-17, 2024
Ronald E. Mitchell Theatre
Directed by Ann M. Shanahan
Jane Austen’s beloved novel is brought to sparkling life in a new adaptation by Department of Theatre and Drama faculty members Aly Renee Amidei and Ann M. Shanahan. Revolutionary in its time, Austen’s writing defied social prejudices and gender biases, altering the form of the modern novel. Her favorite character, Elizabeth (Lizzy) Bennet carries an unapologetic sense of self that has resonated with generations of readers. Lizzy and her Mr. Darcy grapple with their individual pride and prejudices on a journey toward true understanding and love. Filled with Austen’s signature wit, memorable characters, and social critique, Pride & Prejudice reminds us of the rewards of risking authenticity, and of looking past divisions to the love that binds us all.
This production is made possible through generous support from the Anonymous Block Grant.
Read the Digital Program
Check out this preview article from the School of Education
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
By August Wilson
February 27-March 9, 2025
Directed by Baron Kelly
A boarding house in 1911 Pittsburgh serves as a way station for people in transition – Black migrants seeking new opportunities in the North and people running from the past. August Wilson’s powerful drama reaches deep into the well of a painful past to create a story of spiritual and emotional resurrection. Building on his work with 2023’s Fences, Dr. Baron Kelly continues his creative and scholarly investigation of Wilson’s work, speaking to the spiritual, cultural, social, and political connections in performance. A combined cast of professional and student actors will embody Wilson’s study of dislocation and the bonds of family and community.
Content Advisory: This play contains mature content and language, including racial slurs, and depictions of violence.
This production is made possible by support from the Anonymous Block Grant, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, and the Lorraine Hansberry Fund.
Spring Awakening
Book and lyrics by Steven Sater, music by Duncan Sheik
April 17-27, 2025
Directed by Erica Berman
An electrifying exploration of the journey from adolescence to adulthood is passionately told through pulsing rock music. In 1891 Germany a group of young people navigate the passage of self-discovery and the perils of coming of age in a daring and thrilling modern musical. Adapting a classic and controversial early modern work by Frank Wedekind, Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik crafted a groundbreaking musical illuminating the ever-present conflict between generations and the tragic consequences that can follow from repressing the truth of who we are.
Content Advisory: This play contains verbal, physical, and sexual abuse, mental illness, abortion, death, and depictions of suicide and sexual content.
This production is made possible through generous support from the Anonymous Block Grant.
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.