Kent, OH 鈥 The School of Theatre and Dance is thrilled to announce its 2026-2027 season: Fall Faculty Dance Concert, "Perfect Arrangement," 鈥淏right Star,鈥 " She Loves Me" and "Romeo and Juliet."
The 2025-2026 season will open with Fall Faculty Dance Concert under the artistic direction of Jeffrey Rockland. Running Oct. 2-4, 2026, this concert will feature choreography by Jenn Black, Catherine Meredith, Jeffrey Rockland, DeAnn Sandel and Elizabeth Pollert.
The season will continue with Topher Payne鈥檚 "Perfect Arrangement,鈥 directed by Caitlin Kane, running Oct. 22-Nov. 1, 2026. Taking place in the 1950s, new colors are being added to the Red Scare. Two U.S. State Department employees, Bob and Norma, have been tasked with identifying sexual deviants within their ranks. There鈥檚 just one problem: Both Bob and Norma are gay and have married each other鈥檚 partners as a carefully constructed cover. Inspired by the true story of the earliest stirrings of the American gay rights movement, madcap classic sitcom-style laughs give way to provocative drama as two 鈥淎ll-American鈥 couples are forced to stare down the closet door.
鈥淏right Star鈥 with music, book and story by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, will run Nov. 13-22, 2026, under the direction of Amy Fritsche. Inspired by a true story, 鈥淏right Star鈥 is a sweeping, heartfelt musical featuring a Tony庐-nominated score by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell. Set against the vibrant backdrop of the American South in the 1920s and 1940s, this deeply emotional tale explores love, loss, and the transformative power of redemption. When literary editor Alice Murphy meets a young soldier just home from World War II, he awakens her longing for the child she once lost. Haunted by their unique connection, Alice sets out on a journey to understand her past鈥攁nd what she finds has the power to transform both of their lives.
School of Theatre and Dance will continue into the new year with 鈥淪he Loves Me" directed by Roe Green Visiting Director Jacob George Allen, Feb. 25鈥揗arch 7, 2027. An intimate and touching show, featuring music by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick and book by Joe Masteroff, 鈥淪he Loves Me鈥 is a warm romantic comedy with an endearing innocence and a touch of old-world elegance. Set in a 1930s European perfumery, we meet shop clerks, Amalia and Georg, who, more often than not, don't see eye to eye. After both respond to a "lonely hearts advertisement" in the newspaper, they now live for the love letters that they exchange, but the identity of their admirers remains unknown. Join Amalia and Georg to discover the identity of their true loves... and all the twists and turns along the way!
The season will conclude with Shakespeare鈥檚 鈥淩omeo and Juliet" opening April 15 -25, 2027. Directed by Paul Hurley with original music composition by Jeremy Bullock, this classic serves as a timeless story of love and hate. Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy by William Shakespeare about two young lovers from feuding families in Verona, Italy whose forbidden romance leads to their deaths, ultimately ending their families' conflict. The play follows Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet as they fall in love, marry in secret, and face a series of misunderstandings, banishment and desperate plans that culminate in their suicides.
Tickets for the 2026-2027 season will go on sale in Fall 2026. Tickets will be available for purchase over the phone at 330-672-ARTS (2787), online at www.kent.edu/artscollege/box-office or in person at the Performing Arts Box Office located in the Roe Green Center lobby of the Center for the Performing Arts at 1325 Theatre Drive. The box office is open Monday through Friday, Noon to 5 p.m.