Upcoming Events Events

Alice by Heart
Book by Steven Sater and Jessie Nelson, Music by Duncan Sheik, Lyrics by Steven Sater
Directed by Pam Cardell, Music Direction by R. MacKenzie Lewis
October 3, 4, 5 at 7 p.m. and October 6 at 2 p.m., 2024
Drama Day performance October 5 at 2 p.m.
Legacy Theatre
Suggested for ages 13+

From the Tony and Grammy award-winning creators of Spring Awakening, Steven Sater & Duncan Sheik, and co-written by Jessie Nelson, Alice by Heart is a touching musical that encourages the celebration of imagination, storytelling, and love.

Tumble down the rabbit hole to London, 1941 where fifteen year-old Alice Spencer seeks to escape the Blitz of World War II and save her dearest friend, Alfred. Inspired by their favorite childhood book “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” she uses the power of imagination to transcend reality and take us on a journey into Wonderland. The familiar story both comforts and challenges Alice as she explores the bloom of first love, faces the loss of childhood, and seeks the courage to carry on. 

Interested in Season Tickets or Bulk Sales for EMU Mainstage? Check out our Theatre Season Flex Passes. Flex pass memberships can be used for the same show or multiple shows: 6 and 8 ticket options available!

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Silent Sky
Written by Lauren Gunderson
Directed by Guest Artist Jennifer Goff
November 21, 22, 23 at 7 p.m. and November 23 & 24 at 2 p.m., 2024
Legacy Theatre
Suggested for ages 12+

Witty & smart, magical & scientific, expansive & intimate, Silent Sky is the beautifully told true story of female astronomer Henrietta Leavitt and her incredible contributions to science at Harvard Observatory in the early 1900s.

Ready for adventure amongst the stars but relegated to a desk instead, Henrietta becomes one of several female “computers” doing math and charting stars for male astronomers too busy for such tedious chores. She quickly learns that, as a woman, she is forbidden to touch a telescope or offer an original idea and must sacrifice personal time to pursue research of her own. Her passion to measure the stars & solve mysteries of the night-time sky are pitted against her dedication to family and threaten to eclipse a future with the man she loves.

Interested in Season Tickets or Bulk Sales for EMU Mainstage? Check out our Theatre Season Flex Passes. Flex pass memberships can be used for the same show or multiple shows: 6 and 8 ticket options available!

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A Midsummer Night's Dream
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Guest Artist Brian Sage
December 6 & 7 at 7 p.m. and December 7 & 8 at 2* p.m., 2024
*Accessible performance with ASL
Sponberg Theatre
Suggested for ages 12+

Join us for a 60-minute, full-energy performance of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. True to the original text and featuring contemporary costumes & music, this fall ADTY touring production concludes with 3 days of on campus performances.

It is Midsummer’s Night, a magical time when the lines between the real and fairy worlds are blurred. Four young lovers flee the court of Athens rather than face an arranged marriage and/or unrequited love. Giving chase and being chased, they find refuge in an enchanted forest. A group of bumbling actors also enters the forest, rehearsing a play to honor an upcoming royal wedding. Chaos reigns as these mere mortals cross paths with a feuding fairy King & Queen and none but mischievous Puck knows what is true and what is magic. Let Shakespeare’s captivating comedy transport you to the most magical of midsummer nights.

Richard O'Brien's
The Rocky Horror Show
Book, Music & Lyrics by Richard O'Brien
Directed by Phil Simmons, Music Direction by R. MacKenzie Lewis
February 13, 14, 15 at 7 p.m., February 15 at 10 p.m., and February 16 at 2 p.m., 2025
Legacy Theatre
Suggested for mature audiences only.
Partnering with EMU’s LGBT Resource Center and Campus Life

Get ready for an out of this world adventure featuring a cast of crazies in Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show. This campy musical comedy that inspired the cult film classic will have audiences shouting from their seats and “Time Warp”ing in the aisles. 

Traveling to visit their former science teacher, naïve sweethearts Brad & Janet experience car trouble and stumble upon the eerie home of Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Trapped inside with strange, scantily clad Transylvanians, Brad and Janet find themselves at the mercy of Frank and his motley crew. No one's lives or libidos will ever be the same after this stormy, sexy night where impulses are acted upon, secrets are revealed and lessons are learned. Audience response is encouraged and participation kits will be sold in the lobby for an additional fee.

Interested in Season Tickets or Bulk Sales for EMU Mainstage? Check out our Theatre Season Flex Passes. Flex pass memberships can be used for the same show or multiple shows: 6 and 8 ticket options available!

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Cause Play
By Shavonne Coleman
Directed by TBA
April 3, 4, 5 at 7 p.m., April 5 and 6* at 2 p.m., 2025
School matinee performances April 7 & 8* at 10 a.m.
*Accessible performance with ASL
Legacy Theatre
Suggested for ages 9+.

A world premiere production authored by EMU Alumna Shavonne Coleman, Cause Play was commissioned in partnership with Ann Arbor’s Spinning Dot Theatre, as part of the TYA BIPOC Superhero Project.

Journey back to 1996, when students Zuvi, Zipper and Aaron meet at an after-school Cosplay Club at Southwest Academy Magnet Middle School in Detroit. Encouraged by their teacher, the trio reluctantly comes together to create costumes & identities for an upcoming Comic Con. As their friendship grows they discover new things about each other, including some very surprising powers. The young heroes learn to work as a team to tackle a variety of problems, including catching crazy stray cats, defeating monsters, and facing fears.

Interested in Season Tickets or Bulk Sales for EMU Mainstage? Check out our Theatre Season Flex Passes. Flex pass memberships can be used for the same show or multiple shows: 6 and 8 ticket options available!

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The Girl Who Swallowed a Cactus
By Eric Coble
Directed by Olivia Allen
April 11 & 12 at 7 p.m. and April 12 at 2 p.m. 2025
Sponberg Theatre
Suggested for ages 5+, TICKETS $6

Winner of the 2022 American Alliance for Theatre & Education's Distinguished Play Award, The Girl Who Swallowed a Cactus is a magical storytelling adventure and our winter ADTY touring production which concludes with 3 days of on campus performances.

8-year-old Sheila & her friends feel like they’re melting under New Mexico’s summer sun and are so bored! To beat the heat and have something to do, the pals decide to create a fabulous fort made of the junk around them. The end result gets the attention of a very special coyote - one who walks, talks, and transports Sheila and her friends deep within the desert. The five friends embark on the adventure of a lifetime, learning about the impact humans have on the environment and becoming inspired to help all those who live within the beautiful desert landscape.