BU Players typically produces theatrical content intended for a college-aged and otherwise adult audience, and therefore some productions may not be optimal for younger individuals. We often seek to produce content that sparks conversations and challenges assumptions, so some productions may involve content, language, and/or situations that could be uncomfortable for certain individuals. Our Content Notice page has information about upcoming productions to assist you; this information may contain plot spoilers. If you have any concerns about the content or subject matter of a specific production, we encourage you to research the play and to contact us, so we can help you make an informed choice about attending based on how the performance might impact you.
Season 2023-24
The Astronots by Mora V. Harris
Directed by Prof. David A. Miller
November 2-5, 2023
Alvina Krause Theatre, 226 Center Street, downtown Bloomsburg
Thursday at 7:30 pm
Friday at 7:30 pm
Saturday at 7:30 pm
Sunday at 3:00 pm
Free for current BU Students with ID
$6 for Adults
$4 for Students & Seniors
Not recommended for children
Advanced tickets at the Arts in Bloom Box Office in the Haas Center for the Arts or at the door one hour before curtain.
About the Play: In the very near future, billionaire C.E.O. Alston Garth invites four lucky contest winners to ride with him on a quick scenic orbit around the Earth in an unmanned craft. But when Alston reveals he has a larger adventure in store, the passengers are determined to reverse the ship’s course before they languish away in a metallic tube full of strangers.
Performances of this production will include moments of theatrical haze/fog and strobe lights. This production is not recommended for children. Please click here for specific content warnings.
A Divine Kerfuffle by H. Russ Brown
Directed by Dr. Carrie Winship
February 29-March 3, 2024
Alvina Krause Theatre, 226 Center Street, downtown Bloomsburg
Thursday at 7:30 pm
Friday at 7:30 pm
Saturday at 7:30 pm
Sunday at 3:00 pm
Free for current BU Students with ID
$6 for Adults
$4 for Students & Seniors
Not recommended for children
Advanced tickets at the Arts in Bloom Box Office in the Haas Center for the Arts or at the door one hour before curtain.
About the Play: The year is 1895 and Sarah Bernhardt is the greatest actress to ever grace the Victorian stage–just ask her! The “Divine Sarah” fears, however, her once bright star may be fading with all the attention suddenly being lavished on a talented, younger rival. The stage is set for the ultimate showdown as the two dueling divas cross wits and blades in this farce.
Auditions for A Divine Kerfuffle are open to all current BU students and begin on Monday, November 13. Read more about auditions in the Auditions section below.
13th Annual Dance Minor Concert
Prof. Julie Petry, Artistic Director
Monday, April 29, 2024 at 1:30 pm
(Rain Date Wednesday, May 1 at 1:30 pm)
Academic Quad
Join us outside, on the Academic Quad, for this year's concert in an exciting new format of the annual event. It will feature exciting dance works inspired by an array of topical themes and include a variety of dance styles. From abstract to narrative story-telling methods, the works explore the human experience in this complex world. The concert blends student, faculty, and staff talents as choreographers, dancers, costume, and sound designers.
Plays in Bloom Residency
Prof. David A. Miller, Artistic Director; Dr. Carrie Winship, Associate Artistic Director
Monday, May 13 through Sunday, May 19, 2024, with a public reading on Sunday, May 19, 2024 at 3:00pm
Current students and recent alums collaborate with a visiting guest professional playwright to develop and brand new play. Applications to become a member of the company are open to all current BU students. For more information, visit the Plays in Bloom page.
Currently on the Digital Stage
Six Characters in Search of an Author
A Play in the Making
By Luigi Pirandello
Adapted and directed by David A. Miller
A co-production with Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble
Thursday, February 23 through Sunday, March 12, 2023
Alvina Krause Theatre, 226 Center Street, Downtown Bloomsburg
Now streaming via video
Rent the video for 48 hours for $10
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/sixcharacters
Auditions 2023-24
Auditions are open to all current Bloomsburg students.
Auditions for A Divine Kerfuffle begin Monday, November 13. For more information about these auditions, visit the Divine Kerfuffle Auditions site.
To learn more about the season of plays, musicals, and dance concerts, click on the Current Season tab above. To learn more about the auditioning process, read the auditioning posts on the Backstage with BU Players blog.
If you are a student interested in finding out more about auditions or want to be added to the email list about other upcoming auditions please contact Prof. David A. Miller (dmiller@commonwealthu.edu).
Non-students: We do sometimes have specific productions that hold auditions for the wider community to include faculty, staff, and/or community members. We will announce those auditions here as well.
Production Handbook and Production Calendar
The most up-to-date versions are available in this shared folder.
General Production Crew Announcements
- If you are enrolled in Practicum and are interested in upcoming crew calls, please check your email or contact Professor Ethan Krupp.
- If you are interested in working on a production in a non-acting capacity, please let us know by sending a message to Professor Ethan Krupp. You can scroll to the bottom of this page for his contact information
Season 2022-23
A Year with Frog and Toad
Music by Robert Reale, Book and Lyrics by Willie Reale
Based on the books by Arnold Lobel
Directed by Dr. Carrie Winship
Join Frog and Toad, along with their friends Mouse, the Squirrels, the Moles, and Snail in this Tony-nominated, jazzy, family-friendly musical that tells the story of an all-seasons friendship. Based on the beloved Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel, it aims at the hearts of all ages.
Thursday, November 3 through Sunday, November 6, 2022
Alvina Krause Theatre, 226 Centre Street, Downtown Bloomsburg
Thursday 11/3 at 7:30 pm
Friday 11/4 at 7:30 pm
Saturday 11/5 at 1 pm
Saturday 11/5 at 7:30 pm
Sunday 11/6 at 3 pm
Running time is approximately 75 minutes.
Free for BU Students with ID
$12 for Adults
$8 for Students, Seniors, Kids
Tickets are available in advance at the Arts in Bloom Box Office in the Haas Center for the Arts (https://bloomu.universitytickets.com/ or 570-389-4409) or at the door starting one hour before curtain.
Six Characters in Search of an Author
By Luigi Pirandello newly adapted and directed by David A. Miller
A co-production with Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble
Thursday, February 23 through Sunday, March 12, 2023
Alvina Krause Theatre, 226 Center Street, Downtown Bloomsburg
Six characters, abandoned by their playwright, interrupt a theatre company’s rehearsal in the hopes of finally telling the story they each carry within them.
For more information about the production and to reserve tickets, visit http://bte.org/season45/sixcharacters.php.
Student Driven Projects
Dark Clouds
Written and Directed by Russell Shelton
Thursday, April 6 at 7:30 pm
Theatre Laboratory (Arts & Administration 036)
Admission is Free, Seating is Limited
You Make Your Own Family
Written and Directed by Emily Shaffer
Thursday, April 13 at 7:30 pm
Theatre Laboratory (Arts & Administration 036)
Admission is Free, Seating is Limited
12th Annual Dance Minor Concert: Here Now
BU Professor Julie Petry, Artistic Director
Sunday, April 30, 2023, at 3:00 pm
Monday, May 1, 2023, at 7:30 pm
K.S. Gross Auditorium in Carver Hall
This year's concert features six exciting dance works inspired by a wide variety of topical themes and dance styles. From abstract to traditional story-telling methods, the works explore the current human experience as we feel our way through this complex world. The concert blends student, alumni, guest artist, faculty, and staff talents as choreographers, dancers, lighting, costume, and sound designers, and is sure to offer something visually pleasing for all ages. The themes explored include loss/grief, obstacles, and freedom, humbling self-growth, and abstract visual design patterns inspired by the unique sounds of varied composers.
Plays in Bloom Residency
Prof. David A. Miller, Artistic Director
Dr. Carrie Winship, Associate Artistic Director
The second annual residency once again features a student and alum company collaborating with faculty and visiting guest professional playwright to develop a new play. This year's playwright, Bella Poynton, brings her new play-in-progress The Appliance Department to Plays in Bloom. Join us for the public reading of The Appliance Department on Monday, May 22 at 7:30pm at the Greenly Center.
To read more about Plays in Bloom, visit http://playsinbloom.org/.
Season 2020-21
John Proctor is the Villain
by Kimberly Belflower
Directed by BU Professor KC MacMillan
November 3 to 7, 2021
Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 pm, Sunday at 3:00 pm
Alvina Krause Theatre, 226 Center Street, in downtown Bloomsburg
In present-day Appalachian Georgia, a high school class explores the seminal American classic, The Crucible. As scandal swirls in their community and old heroes are unmasked, the English assignment becomes uncomfortably relevant for the students. The line between witch and heroine blurs in this post-Me Too examination of power, love, and sex education.
Throughout the play, the students navigate their personal lives—finding surprising connections between the personal and what they are studying in class. The play encourages the destigmatization of female desire and as such, the play's teen girls have the kinds of conversations that teen girls have when adults are not present—frank conversations about their desires and experiences, as well open discussions about sex, sex education, relationships, politics, feminism, literature, and life.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
By William Shakespeare | Newly adapted by the BU Players and BU Professor Dr. Carrie Winship | Directed by BU Professor Dr. Carrie Winship
March 3 to 6, 2022
Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 pm
Sunday at 3:00 pm
Alvina Krause Theatre, 226 Center Street, Downtown BloomsburgAbout the play: Love triangles, love quadrangles, couples, and an ass on a Bottom. Magic and mischief in the woods and an imminent wedding at the palace.
Hooded, or Being Black for Dummies
By Tearrance Arvelle Chisolm
A Student-Driven Project led by students Brian Bond, Gibryl Livingston, and Kalie Peterson
Friday, April 8, 2022, at 7:30 pm
Saturday, April 9, 2022, at 3:00 pm & 7:30 pm, 2022
Theatre Lab (Arts & Administration 036)
Marquis and Tru are both fourteen-year-old black boys, but they exist in two totally different worlds. Tru decides that Marquis has lost his “blackness” and pens a how-to manual entitled “Being Black for Dummies”. He assumes the role of professor, but Marquis proves to be a reluctant pupil.
11th Annual Dance Minor Concert
Finding Our Footing
BU Professor Julie Petry, Artistic Director
Sunday, May 1, 2022, at 3:00 pm
Monday, May 2, 2022, at 7:30 pm
Mitrani Hall in Haas Center for the Arts
This year's concert features six exciting dance works inspired by a wide variety of topical themes and dance styles. From abstract to story-telling methods, the works explore the current human experience as we feel our way through this complex world. The Concert blends student, faculty, and staff talents as choreographers, dancers, lighting, costume, and sound designers, and is sure to offer something visually pleasing for all ages. The themes explored include unconditional love, addiction, cultural trendsetting, trauma recovery/support, self-reliance, free-thinking, inspiration, hope, and peace.
Plays in Bloom Residency
Staged Readings of New Plays by Guest Artists, Students, and Alums
Saturday, May 21, 2022, at 3:00 pm
Tuesday, May 24, 2022, at 7:30 pm
A Student Company of theatre artists will collaborate with a guest professional playwright in a week-long development of a full-length play and participate in a festival of new short plays written by student and alum playwrights. The inaugural residency will take place May 15 to 25, 2022 with two public sharings of new work during that span.
Plays in Bloom is supported by a Faculty Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities Grant from Bloomsburg University and the Faculty Professional Development Council of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education. To find out more about the program and how to get involved, contact Professor David A. Miller, Artistic Director. To learn more about the Plays in Bloom program.
Season 2020-21
The Screen Plays
November 11-12, 2021
Dramatic Stories & Digital (Dis)connections
A virtual performance festival of six original plays written and performed by Bloomsburg University students.
Full details about The Screen Plays
Much Ado About Murder
A Virtual Audience Participation Murder Mystery
by Pat Cook
Directed by Dr. Carrie Winship
March 10-14, 2021
Rich but rotten Carlton Larraby is hosting yet another themed dinner party for his family and friends: a Halloween party with everybody dressed as a character from Shakespeare. The macabre surprise at this particular party? Someone's been murdered and it's up to the guests, including the audience, to solve the mystery.
To view the program, click on this link (PDF).
Project F.A.N.T.A.S.T.I.C.A.L.: Labyrinth of Stagnant Souls
A Student-Driven Project initiated by Olivia Hershey, Samantha Corcos, and Sarah Goldstein
We invite you to come with us and venture through this labyrinth of the possible, the impossible, and the fantastical. To view the performance, please join us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXZwvfq_DMs.
To view the program, click on this link (PDF).
Table for One, The Tenth Annual Dance Minor Concert
Artistic Direction by Julie Petry, MFA
Online Viewing of additional works:
Series A – Dance for the Camera Works – CLICK ⟶ https://tinyurl.com/dance-concert-series-a
Series B – K.S. Gross Auditorium Works – CLICK ⟶ https://tinyurl.com/dance-concert-series-b
The live performance on the Academic Quad will feature four solos and one duet. Limited seating will be first come, first served, but strolling by is also welcome.
The online series features a collection of fully staged dance works paired with site-specific dance for the camera pieces.
All these works explore the impacts of the COVID-19 experience on our lives. All programs feature choreography and performances by BU Dance Minors and collaborative design elements by Theatre faculty and students.
Dance Concert 2021 Program (PDF, 1.5 MB).
Season 2019-20
For audition information for all plays and musicals, visit the Auditions page.
Remembered: A Play Inspired by the Rosemont Cemetery
Created by David A. Miller with Kamryn Felty, Emily James, Dano Madden, Kali Morgia, Chelsea Soto, Chris Thorne, Reagan Venturi, and Somer Walsh
Directed by Daniel Roth
Produced by Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble and featuring the writing and performing of Bloomsburg University students and faculty
October 17 through 20, 2019
Thursday through Sunday at 6:00pm
in Rosemont Cemetery, Bloomsburg, PA
Tickets $15 General, $10 Students. Tickets may be reserved at the BTE Box Office or online at bte.org.
A collaboratively created theatrical experience in which the audience travels through the very cemetery that inspired the performance. A mixture of contemporary scenes and moments from the past, as well as a collage of researched facts and imagined moments about the living and the dead, the forgotten and the remembered.
“Will we be comforted to lay still near our loved ones? Will we miss the living? Will we know we’re dead? Where are the answers? Let’s seek them out. Together.”
Be More Chill
Music and Lyrics by Joe Iconis, Book by Joe Tracz, Based on the novel by Ned Vizzini
Directed by Carrie Winship
October 31 through November 3, 2019
Alvina Krause Theatre, Downtown Bloomsburg, PA
Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 3:00pm.
Tickets are Free for BU Students/CGA Activities Card Holders, $12 for adults, $8 dollars for students/seniors.
Tickets for all BU Players productions must be purchased in person at the box office or over the phone at the Arts in Bloom Box Office. Contact information and hours for the Arts in Bloom Box Office can be found at https://bloomu.edu/arts-in-bloom. Tickets also may be purchased starting an hour before curtain time at the Alvina Krause Theatre.
About the show: Jeremy Heere is just an average teenager. That is, until he finds out about “The Squip” – a tiny supercomputer that promises to bring him everything he desires most: a date with Christine, an invite to the raddest party of the year and a chance to survive life in his suburban New Jersey high school. But is being the most popular guy in school worth the risk?
PLEASE NOTE: Be More Chill deals with young adult issues in an honest and direct way, and includes strong language. Parental discretion is advised.
“Everything about you is going to be
Cool
And powerful
And popular
Incredible
And you will
Be More Chill.”
Everybody
By Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Directed by David A. Miller
February 26 through March 1, 2020
Alvina Krause Theatre, Downtown Bloomsburg, PA
Performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 3:00pm.
Tickets are Free for BU Students/CGA Activities Card Holders, $6 for adults, $4 dollars for students/seniors.
Tickets for all BU Players productions must be purchased in person at the box office or over the phone at the Arts in Bloom Box Office. Contact information and hours for the Arts in Bloom Box Office can be found at https://bloomu.edu/arts-in-bloom. Tickets also may be purchased starting an hour before curtain time at the Alvina Krause Theatre.
About the show: Travel with Everybody (chosen from among the cast by lottery at each performance) as they journey through life’s greatest mystery—the meaning of living. This modern take on the fifteenth-century morality play Everyman which features characters such as Love, Death, and Friendship, was a finalist for the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2018. | Mature language and themes.
“Was that a dream or was that a vision? Were you even asleep? Or are you really dying? Is this how Death comes to you? In a dream?”
The theatrical design from the production will be featured in the exhibit The Theatrical World of Everybody at the Danville Arts Council Gallery from January 20 through March 20 with a reception on Thursday, January 30 from 6pm to 8pm.
10th Annual Dance Minor Concert has been cancelled
Julie Petry, Artistic Director
The Dance Minor Concert is inspired by a variety of topical themes and explores a vast array of exciting dance styles. The Concert blends student, faculty and staff talents as choreographers, dancers, lighting designers, costume designers, and sound designers.
Season 2018-19
The Importance of Being Earnest
By Oscar Wilde (1895)
Directed by Professor David A. Miller
Performances October 31 through November 4, 2018
Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30pm, Sunday at 3:00pm
Alvina Krause Theatre, 226 Center St, in Downtown Bloomsburg
About the Play: Two clever bachelors, Algernon Moncrief and Jack Worthing, create double lives in a chaotic story of mistaken identity in The Importance of Being Earnest. In hopes of courting the enticing Gwendolen Fairfax and Cecily Cardew, they each create an elegant ruse that unravels with hilarious consequences, particularly when Lady Bracknell enters the picture... This charming farce—a satire of Victorian life, is often regarded as Oscar Wilde's most beloved play.
MISS PRISM. No married man is ever attractive except to his wife.
CHASUBLE. And often, I’ve been told, not even to her.
Themes: Social expectations, Victorian England, farce, identity, half-truths, Bunburrying
Good Kids
By Naomi Iizuka (2015)
Directed by Dr. Carrie Winship
Performances February 27 through March 3, 2019
Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30pm, Sunday at 3:00pm
Alvina Krause Theatre, 226 Center St, in Downtown Bloomsburg
Tickets are Free to BU Students with ID, $6 for Adults, $4 for Students/Seniors
Tickets available in advance at the Haas Center for the Arts Box Office on the campus of Bloomsburg University or at the Door Starting One Hour Before Curtain
About the Play: Good Kids explores how a sexual assault at a high school party, documented and distributed on social media, shocks the student community and evokes surprisingly varied responses. The recollections and the rumors of the incident incite conflict between the “good kids” in the school community. When everyone has their own truth in the world of social media, can justice exist and what are the repercussions?
Content Warning: Sexual Assault, Underage Drinking, Bullying, Mature Language
MADISON. So why is it that every time some kid does something totally messed up, everybody’s like, ‘I don’t get it. He was such a good kid. Why?’
Themes: Truth, rumors, social media, sexual assault, ethics, appearances, consent culture, bullying
Art-ticulation: The Body and Voice Show
Student-driven Project Initiated by Brandon Leiphart
Thursday, March 21 & Friday, March 22 at 7:30pm
Temporary Theatre Laboratory (McCormick 2314) - Free Admission
Tales from the Nightmare City of R’lyeh
Student-driven Project Initiated by Chris Thorne
Friday, April 5 & Saturday, April 6 at 7:30pm
Mitrani Stage, Haas Center for the Performing Arts - Free Admission
9th Annual Dance Minor Concert
Choreographed by Students, Faculty and Guest Artists
Professor Julie Petry, Artistic Director
Performances Sunday, April 28 at 3:00pm
and Monday, April 29 at 7:30pm
K.S. Gross Auditorium in Carver Hall
Tickets are free.
The concert is inspired by a variety of topical themes and explores a vast array of exciting dance styles. The Dance Minor Concert blends student, faculty and staff talents as choreographers, dancers, lighting designers, costume designers, and sound designers.
Season 2017-18
The Arsonists
By Max Frisch in a new translation by Alistair Beaton
Directed by David A. Miller
Mainstage Production
Performances November 1 through 5
Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30pm, Sunday at 3:00pm
Alvina Krause Theatre, 226 Center St, in Downtown Bloomsburg
“Fires are becoming something of a problem, but Biedermann has it all under control. He is a respected member of the community with a loving wife and a flourishing business, so surely nothing can get to him. The great philanthropist is happy to meet his civic duty by giving shelter to two new guests but when they start filling his attic with petrol drums, will he help them light the fuse?” (Methuen/Amazon)
Narrators Gone Bad
Conceived and directed by Kate Mochnacz
Student-driven Project
Performance on Saturday, December 2 at 6:00pm
Gross Auditorium in Carver Hall. Free. Limited seating.
Young theatre artists from the community and Bloomsburg University college students collaborate with director Kate Mochnacz to create and perform a devised piece on the theme of storytelling. The themes of storytelling will be explored through questions such as “Where are stories told?”, “What are the different types of stories?” and “How can stories be told?”
Machinal
By Sophie Treadwell
Directed by Andrew Blasenak
Mainstage Performance
Performances February 21 through 25
Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30pm, Sunday at 3:00pm
Alvina Krause Theatre, 226 Center St, in Downtown Bloomsburg
“For the Young Woman, a stenographer in the industrial, male-dominated world of the 1920s, life is nothing like she hoped it would be. Restless and unfulfilled in a passionless marriage and unwanted motherhood, she finds her only joy in the form of an illicit love affair. But when reality sets in and she must return to her routine existence, she’ll go to any lengths to regain her freedom.” (Playbill)
[IMPROV NAME HERE]
A Student-Driven Project Initiated by Toni Carosella
Performances Tuesday, April 3 and Wednesday, April 4 at 7:30pm
Gross Auditorium in Carver Hall
Free - Donations Encouraged
For more information, visit the Facebook Event Page.
8th Annual Dance Minor Concert
Julie Petry, Artistic Director
Mainstage Performance
Covering a vast array of exciting dance styles, the Dance Minor Concert features a blend of student, faculty and staff talents, alongside varied guest artist designers in lighting, costuming, choreography and performance.
Performances on Sunday, April 22 at 3:00pm and Monday, April 23 at 7:30pm
Mitrani Stage in Haas Center for the Arts
Season 2016-17
The 7th Annual Dance Concert
Julie Petry, Artistic Director
April 23 & 24, 2017
Free to all. Tickets available at the door.
Mitrani Hall in Haas Center for the Performing Arts
Covering a vast array of exciting dance styles, we invite you to this year's 7th Annual Dance Minor Concert. Featuring a blend of student, faculty and staff talents, alongside varied guest artist designers in lighting, costuming, choreography and performance, we look forward to taking you on an expressive journey. This year's concert features works investigating political and social commentary on racism, an exciting exploration of props--including fabric, elastics and drumsticks, a glimpse at the different aspects of loving relationships that fail and/or succeed, to dances exploring the acceptance of one's own body. This concert promises to leave the audience with a piggy bank full of powerful imagery, and unforgettable moments connecting energy, music, expression, and visual meaning. We hope to see you there!
The Rocky Horror Show
Book, Music and Lyrics by Richard O'Brien
Directed by professional guest artist Samantha Norton
Choreography by Professor Julie Petry
Music Direction by Professor David Tedford
Genre: Musical, Dark Comedy
November 3-6, 2016
Newly engaged couple Brad and Janet are stranded in a storm, but find safe haven—or so they think—at the nearby castle… It just so happens that this is the home of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a mad (but sweet) transvestite scientist and his Time Warping associates from outer space.
"A socko wacko weirdo rock concert." - WNBC TV
"Campy trash."- Time
Harvey
A comedy by Mary Chase
Directed by Professor David A. Miller
March 1-5, 2017
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm, Sunday at 3:00pm
Tickets $6 adults, $4 seniors/students, free for BU students with ID. Tickets at the door starting one hour before curtain time or in advance at the Haas Box Office
Performances at the Alvina Krause Theatre, 226 Center St. in downtown Bloomsburg
“One can’t have too many friends,” Elwood P. Dowd insists. The only problem is that Harvey is one of his best friends and is a mischievous creature. Not everyone is happy to have Harvey around…
Harvey won the Pulitzer Prize Drama in 1945.
Beyond Communication: Three plays in three days (Student-driven Project)
April 5, 6 and 7, 2017
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 7:30pm
Performances on the Mitrani Stage in the Haas Center for Performing Arts
Free to all. Tickets available at the door.
Beyond Communication is our featured Student Driven Projects this year. These are three plays written by students from the Advanced Scriptwriting class. The plays are entirely performed and directed by students. Each night will feature a different play by a different playwright, and we will hold a talkback session following the performances in order to allow the audience to give feedback for the artists. The main goal of the talkbacks will be to provide information to the playwright pertaining to audience impact. This will help the playwright in further revising of the work
Creatures of the Night by Jonathan Lewis
Wednesday, April 5 at 7:30pm
It's another normal day for college student Scott Hawthorne as he tries to find his way in life. There's a quick shift, however, when he has a quick hookup with a hot demon hunter. Now the two of them and their friends have to face off with a horde of demons and the mastermind behind them.
F-Bomb by Zachary Hueston
Thursday, April 6 at 7:30pm
Girl is having a grand old time cheating on her Boyfriend until he walks into the room. They break up, and Girl wants to use her freedom to have a fun night with her Friend. It's a great plan until the Boyfriend and the Guy she hooked up with won't leave her alone. It seems as though nothing can keep these two away, but excessive use of the F-Word doesn't hurt.
Lily by Nate Stosius
Friday, April 7 at 7:30pm
War veteran Miles has the grueling task of meeting with his ex-wife today. Luckily, he has his daughter Lily with him to help keep the peace. Just as they plan to leave, Lily mysteriously disappears from the house, and Miles finds himself needing his ex to help search for her.
Season 2015-16
Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom
by Jennifer Haley
directed by David A. Miller
November 4-8, 2015
Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30pm, Sunday at 3:00pm
Alvina Krause Theatre in Downtown Bloomsburg
226 Center Street
In a suburban subdivision with identical houses, parents find their teenagers addicted to an online horror video game. The game setting? A subdivision with identical houses. The goal? Smash through an army of zombies to escape the neighborhood for good. But as the line blurs between virtual and reality, the players realize that fear has a life of its own. (Samuel French, Inc.)
See production photos from Neighborhood 3.
The Laramie Project
by Moisés Kaufman and the Members of Tectonic Theater Project
February 24-28, 2016
Alvina Krause Theatre
Moisés Kaufman and fellow members of the Tectonic Theater Project made six trips to Laramie, Wyoming over the course of a year and a half in the aftermath of the kidnapping, beating and death of Matthew Shepard. Matthew was assaulted because he was gay. Kaufman and his company conducted more than 200 interviews with the people of the town. Some people interviewed were directly connected to the case, and others were citizens of Laramie, and the breadth of their reactions to the crime is fascinating. From these interviews and their own responses, the company created The Laramie Project, a theatrical collage that explores the depths to which humanity can sink and the heights of compassion of which we are capable. (Adapted from Dramatists Play Service)
Student-driven Projects
In the Dark
a new play written and directed by Titus O'Neil
Tuesday, March 29 and Wednesday, March 30 at 7:30pm
Caldwell Consistory
Despite his blindness, Blank has the ability to "see" a sort a colored aura on anything with life—trees, fire, people. The aura reveals the being’s true intentions. Blank's mission is to rid the world of the bad colors...
State of Grimm vs. Grethel
adapted and directed by Kate Mochnacz
an interactive play for ages 6 and up
Wednesday, April 6 at 6:00pm
Caldwell Consistory
Hansel and Grethel return from the witch’s house to live happily ever after. And they do. At least until Grethel is on trial for first degree murder. Will you help the judge decide who’s right and who’s wrong?
The 6th Annual Dance Concert: Drippings from the Heart!
Julie Petry, Artistic Director
Sunday, April 17 at 3:00pm & Monday, April 18 at 7:30pm
Gross Auditorium, Carver Hall
Free
Come join the Theatre and Dance Division in an exciting evening of dance! Six fully produced works will feature costume, makeup, lighting, sound and choreographic designs created by a mixture of students, staff, faculty and alumni. As viewing dance work is like viewing a collection of paintings, the styles and themes will vary greatly. From the inner-landscapes of our restless minds, to exploring emotions, our personal “weirdnesses”, triumphs, joys, and unique self-expressions, this breadth of work targets dissecting the human heart. As the form itself is illusive in nature, we invite you to come drip through it slowly, and then to see what interpretations and range of favorites linger in your heart.
2014 - 2015 Season
Roadkill Confidential
by Sheila Callaghan
A staged reading in the Theatre Lab directed by Julie Petry
September 19 & 20, 2014
"A possibly rogue g-man stalks a stalled-out artist with a suspicious affinity for accident victims. Traps are set, traps are sprung, and everyone gets caught. Roadkill Confidential tackles, with style, humor and high theatricality, mediated violence and the numbness it produces, and, whether in art or in global politics, the ends can justify the means." (Samuel French, Inc.)
Macbeth
by William Shakespeare
A BU Players production in the AKT directed by David A. Miller
November 5-9, 2014
Macbeth, returning triumphant from battle, is confronted by three mysterious witches who prophesy that he will become king. Things just get more complicated from there.
Directing Projects: 10-Minute & One Act Plays
December 2014
A production of plays selected and directed by Student Directors in the Theatre Lab
The Nosemaker's Apprentice: Chronicles of a Medieval Plastic Surgeon
by Nick Jones and Rachel Shukert
A BU Players production in the AKT
directed by David A. Miller
February 25-March 1, 2015
“A father weaves a magic tale for his daughter to justify his unlicensed plastic surgery practice, tracing the origins of cosmetic surgery to craftsman in medieval Europe. The hero of this tale is Gavin, a young orphan rescued from a dismal existence in the Ivanhoe Workhouse for Criminally Impoverished Boys when he is apprenticed with the local Nosemaker, and who eventually becomes one of the finest surgeons in Vienna, cradle of quack medicine."
"Hilarious, subversive, quasi-historical, and thoroughly debauched...a fated collaboration between two innovative (and troubling) writers.” (Samuel French, Inc.)
An Evening of Original 10-Minute Plays
A concert reading of 5 original 10-minute plays written and directed by students.
April 1, 2, 6, 7
Theatre Lab
The Compliment by Bry Kifolo – Directed Chris Creyer
Legacy by Titus O’Neil – Directed by Bry Kifolo
Pastime by Will Olsen – Directed by Kate Mochnacz
The Opposition by Courtney Dunn – Directed by Titus O’Neil
Dink by Titus O’Neil – Directed by Kate Mochnacz
The 5th Annual Repertory/Ensemble Dance Minor Concert
A production in Mitrani Hall choreographed by Students & Faculty
April 26 & 27, 2015
Covering a vast array of dance styles, this exciting concert features a blend of student, faculty and staff talents, alongside varied guest artist designers. From political and social commentary, to dance for the sake of entertainment, this concert works to leave the audience with a piggy bank full of powerful imagery, and unforgettable moments connecting energy, music, expression, and visual meaning.
2013 - 2014 Academic Year
4th Annual Repertory/Ensemble Dance Minor Concert
Julie Petry, Artistic Director
April 27 & 28, 2014
Sunday at 3:00pm, Monday at 7:30pm
Mitrani Hall, Haas Center for the Arts
Free Admission
Covering a vast array of dance styles, this exciting concert features a blend of student, faculty and staff talents, alongside varied guest artist designers. From political and social commentary, to dance for the sake of entertainment, this concert works to leave the audience with a piggy bank full of powerful imagery, and unforgettable moments connecting energy, music, expression, and visual meaning.
For more information about the Dance Concert, be sure to Like facebook.com/danceatbu.
The Children's Hour by Lillian Hellman
Directed by David A. Miller
April 11-15, 2014
Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm, Sunday at 3:00pm, Monday and Tuesday at 7:30pm
Alvina Krause Theatre, downtown Bloomsburg
It is 1934. Two women successfully run a school for girls. One of their students is determined to do as she pleases, even if it means creating a corrosive lie that undoes the women’s lives.
Tickets are free to BU students with ID, $6 for Adults, $4 Students & Seniors. Advanced tickets available at the Performing Arts Box Office located in the Haas Center for the Arts, weekdays Noon to 5pm, Wednesdays noon to 7pm. (570) 389-4340. Remaining tickets will also be available at the door starting one hour before curtain time.
For “behind the scenes” photos and information about The Children’s Hour, visit facebook.com/buplayers and follow BU Players on Twitter at @buplayers.
February Festival: 30 Plays in 60 Minutes: The 24 Hour Plays
Directed by Kevin R. Free
30 Plays in 60 Minutes
30 Neo-Futurist Plays Created by the Company
DATES: February 13-15, 19-20, 2014
DAYS AND TIMES: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30pm
LOCATION: Alvina Krause Theatre, Downtown Bloomsburg
DESCRIPTION: This performance is just like it sounds: an attempt to perform 30 plays in 60 minutes. And to add to the challenge, it’s the audience who selects the order each night! Can you help the company of actors beat the clock?
The Neo-Futurists are a Chicago-based theatre company. Their production of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind has been running for more than 20 years. For more about the Neo-Futurists, visit www.neofuturists.org. This production will be directed by professional guest artist Kevin R. Free, a long-time New York Neo-Futurist.
THEMES: Improvisation, audience participation, collaboration, economy of language
The 24 Hours Plays
GENRE: Plays, Mixed
DATES & TIMES: Saturday, February 22, 2013 at 7:30pm
LOCATION: Alvina Krause Theatre, Downtown Bloomsburg
DESCRIPTION The company of student actors and designers will create a series of plays in 24 hours and you, the audience, will see their world premiere! Stay tuned for what the teams will receive as a prompt on Friday night as their “starting gun” to begin the one day cycle they will have to make a play.
THEMES: Improvisation, ingenuity, collaboration
Tickets are free to BU students, $6 for adults, $4 seniors. For more information about tickets, see the Box Office.
AVENUE Q - Directed by David A. Miller
Music and Lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, Book by Jeff Whitty, Based on an original concept by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx
DATES: November 7 to 10, 2013
DAYS & TIMES: Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 7:30pm, and Sunday at 3:00pm
GENRE: Musical Comedy (with Adult Themes) in Two Acts
LOCATION: Alvina Krause Theatre, Downtown Bloomsburg
DESCRIPTION: Avenue Q is a laugh-out-loud musical that focuses on a group of unique 20-somethings making their way in the big city, seeking their purpose in life. Avenue Q tells the timeless story of a recent college grad named Princeton who moves into a shabby New York apartment all the way out on Avenue Q. There, he meets Kate (the girl next door), Rod (the Republican), Trekkie (the internet sexpert), Lucy the Slut (need we say more?), and other colorful types who help Princeton finally discover his purpose in life!
New Plays Project: MILLY by Julie Redmond & FROM HELL by Lauren Dodge
DATE: Thursday, November 21 at 7:30pm
LOCATION: Moose Exchange, 203 West Main Street, Downtown Bloomsburg
TICKETS: Free Admission at the Door
Staged readings of two new plays by student playwrights from the Advanced Playwriting course featuring student actors. Directed by David A. Miller. Sponsored by the Center for Visual and Performing Arts and the Division of Theatre and Dance.
2012-2013 Season
3rd Annual Repertory/Ensemble Dance Minor Concert
May 5 & 6, 2013
Sun. at 3 pm, Mon. at 7:30 pm
Kenneth S. Gross Auditorium, Carver Hall, Bloomsburg University
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The Underpants
by Steve Martin
April 17 - 21, 2013
Alvina Krause Theatre 226 Center Street in downtown Bloomsburg.
Theobald Maske has an unusual problem: his wife's underpants won't stay on. One Sunday morning they fall to her ankles right in the middle of town-a public scandal! Mortified, Theo swears to keep her at home until she can find some less unruly undies. Amid this chaos he's trying to rent a room in their flat. The prospective lodgers have some underlying surprises of their own. In The Underpants, Steve Martin brings his comic genius and sophisticated literary style to Carl Sternheim's classic 1910 farce.
Flood Stories, Too
by Gerard Stropnicky
March 7 - 17, 2013
Thurs. - Sat. at 7:30 pm, Sat. at 2 pm, & Sun. at 3 pm
A BU Players / Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble co-production at the Alvina Krause Theatre
Our homes, our neighborhoods, our valley and our lives were transformed in the fall of 2011 by Tropical Storm Lee. In Flood Stories,Too., BU Players joins forces with the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble and the Bloomsburg Bicentennial Choir to transform your words and your stories about that record-breaking event into an epic production of heartbreak and survival. This world premiere will be written and directed by Ensemble Emeritus Gerard Stropnicky, nationally acclaimed for his community-developed theatre creations. Flood Stories, Too. will be a time for our communities to come together in recognition of nature's awesome power, and to celebrate the generosity of friends and strangers.
Please click the show poster for preview pictures
V-Day 2013
February 13 - 16, 2013 at 8 pm
The Moose Exchange, Grille Room, 203 West Main Street, Downtown Bloomsburg
The Vagina Monologues - Feb 13, 14, 16 at 8 pm
One Billion Rising - Feb 14 ONLY at 9:30 pm (immediately after The Vagina Monologues)
A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer - Feb 15 ONLY at 8 pm
V-Day is a global movement of grassroots activists dedicated to generating broader attention and funds to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM) and sex slavery.
Please be aware these performances feature adult material and are inappropriate for children.
Presented in conjunction with The Center for the Visual and Performing Arts at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.
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12 Angry Jurors
by Reginald Rose
November 7 - 11, 2012
Wed. - Sat. at 7:30 pm, Sun. at 3 pm
Alvina Krause Theatre
A diverse group of twelve strangers must decide the fate of an inner-city teen on trial for the murder of his abusive father. Locked in a jury room, tempers flare and frustration abounds as their own prejudices, fears, and cultural biases boil to the surface in what was expected to be an open-and-shut case. The American judicial system is as much on trial as the defendant when these twelve jurors dramatically wrestle with their civic duty.
Please click the show poster for preview pictures
Jack & Jill
by Jane Martin
August 30, 31, Sept. 7, 8, and 9, 2012
All performances at 7:30 pm except Aug. 9 at 3 pm
Theatre Lab (UBS 101) on the BU Campus
Love makes total sense when you're in it. But as we all know, any friend or family member who is an outsider to any given relationship is automatically qualified to be Dr. Phil. With Jane Martin as a non-judgmental tour guide, Jack and Jill makes for an enjoyable and humorous exercise recognizable to anyone who's gone through the ups and downs of a serious relationship.
2011 - 2012 Academic Year
2010 - 2011 Academic Year
2009 - 2010 Academic Year
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2008 - 2009 Academic Year
2007 - 2008 Academic Year
2006 - 2007 Academic Year
