Theatre Productions
The Department of Art, Design, and Theatre at Cedarville University presents three full productions each academic year. To search for a specific production, please use the search box in the sidebar, making sure to choose the "in this collection" option. Click here to view memorabilia from theatrical productions from the earlier years of the university.
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Molière’s The Learned Ladies
April 3-13, 2025
Mooney's adaptation is a comedic romp that satirizes intellectual obsession. The play follows the chaos that ensues when the pursuit of knowledge takes center stage at the insistence of Philaminte, the overly-pretentious lady-of-the-house. As wit and wisdom collide, the play delivers a lighthearted and humorous exploration of the absurdities surrounding intellectual snobbery.
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Radium Girls
January 30 - February 9, 2025
Step back in time to 1926, where radium was a miracle cure, Madame Curie a global icon, and luminous watches the height of fashion—until the girls painting them fell mysteriously ill. Based on a true story, Radium Girls follows Grace Fryer, a dial painter, as she takes on her former employer in a courtroom battle.
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The Secret Garden
October 3-13, 2024
A magical tale of Mary Lennox, a lonely orphan who discovers a hidden, neglected garden on her uncle's estate. As Mary brings the garden back to life, she also cultivates healing and joy in the hearts of those around her. This enchanting play celebrates the transformative power of nature, friendship, and the resilience of the human spirit in a heartwarming tale of discovery and renewal.
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Twelve Angry Jurors
April 11-21, 2024
A young man has just stood trial for the fatal stabbing of his father as the twelve jurors are taken into a bleak jury room to deliberate. It looks like an open-and-shut case—until one voice challenges a deeper examination into the facts. Over the course of the play, tensions rise among the jurors, as they struggle to reconcile their own views with those of their fellow jurors. As deliberations continue, the jurors are forced to confront their own biases and assumptions, and to consider the implication of their decision on another man’s life.
Originally written by Reginald Rose as Twelve Angry Men, this version incorporates a jury of men and women tasked with deciding the young man’s fate. Intimately set inside the small jury room, the audience will have a personal vantage point in our black-box staging from which they can witness this high-stakes drama sure to leave them on the edge of their seat.
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Sense and Sensibility
February 1-3, 8-11, 2024
Sense and Sensibility examines our reactions, both reasonable and ridiculous, to societal pressures. When reputation is everything, how do you follow your heart?
A playful new adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved novel follows the fortunes (and misfortunes) of the Dashwood sisters—sensible Elinor and hypersensitive Marianne—after their father's sudden death leaves them financially destitute and socially vulnerable. As the sisters navigate the complex social customs of their time, they face various challenges and obstacles in their pursuit of happiness. Ultimately, they must learn to balance their sense and sensibility in order to find fulfillment in both their romantic and familial relationships. Sense and Sensibility examines our reactions, both reasonable and ridiculous, to societal pressures. When reputation is everything, how does one follow their heart?
Set in gossipy late 18th-century England, the play is full of humor, emotional depth, and imaginative staging. Kate Hamill’s adaptation has married the classic novel with modern theatricality, using a fresh female voice where descriptive narrative is replaced by clever staging to engage the audience's imagination. The result is a “fast paced, dynamic form of storytelling that is foot forward, transformative, and FUN!”
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You're a Good Man Charlie Brown
October 5-7, 12-15, 2023
Based on the beloved Charles Schulz comic strip, this musical revue brings the iconic “Peanuts” characters to life through songs and short stories of the lovable but insecure Charlie Brown and all his friends. Through the humorous, reflective, and often emotionally-erratic journey of daily life, Charlie Brown ultimately learns the value of having good friends who embrace our flaws, celebrate our unique qualities, and help us find contentment in the little things. Following the classic style of Schulz's comics, audiences will enjoy the blended humor and clever wordplay of the show’s catchy and memorable tunes. Coupled with lively choreography and high-tech production elements, this musical creates an exciting atmosphere for audiences of all ages. A timely reminder for this day and age, this season opener explores the joy and simplicity of childhood through moments of self- discovery, friendship, and the (seemingly complicated) challenges of navigating the world as a child.
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Much Ado About Nothing
April 13-15, and 20-23, 2023
Using themes of suspicion and loyalty, deception and honor, jealousy and true love, William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing weaves together the humorous story of how two couples find love — whether they want it or not. Condensed and adapted for an intimate staging, this comedy promises to leave audience’s wanting more of what the Bard has to offer.
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Our Town
February 2-4 and 9-12, 2023
Our Town by Thornton Wilder is considered a classic of American theatre as it portrays life in small town Grover's Corners, New Hampshire at the turn of the last century. In scenes of daily life that capture the poetic beauty of the everyday, the play celebrates family, faith, and the daily miracles that happen all around us, if we are just attuned to see them.