Theatre Productions
Principia College theatre productions offer opportunities for current students to share and cultivate their talent on stage.
Spring 2024
It Can’t Happen Here
by Sinclair Lewis and John C. Moffitt
A cautionary tale about the rise of American fascism, based on the 1935 novel by Sinclair Lewis.
Spring 2023
Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, directed by Chrissy Calkins Steele
March 2 – 4, Davis Black Box Theatre
A trivial comedy for serious people.
Fall 2022
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare, directed by Chrissy Calkins Steele
November 18 – 19, Davis Black Box Theatre
Performed by the UK Abroad students.
Spring 2022
You Make My Frame Shake by Luigi Jannuzzi, directed by Trish Brown
March 3 – 5, Davis Black Box Theatre
An off-the-wall comedy about art.
Fall 2021
Cinderella Waltz by Don Nigro, directed by Chrissy Calkins Steele
November 11 – 13, Duvall Theatre in the McVay Center for the Performing Arts
…not the fairy tale you remember …
Airness by Chelsea Marcantel, directed by Jordan Coughtry
October 21 – 23, Davis Black Box Theatre
Everything we need to rock is already inside us.
Eleemosynary
By Lee Blessing
Directed by Trish Brown
“The secret of flying lies in the assurance that we are worthy of flying.”
The Taming of the Shrew
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Chrissy Calkins Steele
Presented by the Fall 2020 Arts Block
A dark comedy about the silencing of women and the masks we hide behind.
Spring 2021
Almost, Maine
By John Cariani
Directed by Trish Brown
“The bruises heal, and the hearts mend – almost….”
Spring 2020
The Wild Goose Circus by Russell Davis, directed by John O’Hagan
“A beautiful allegory of seeking and finding … and circus acts.”
Fall 2019
Fish Eye by Lucas Kavner, directed by John O’Hagan
“…nothing means everything, and everything means nothing, and the entire world shrinks down to a single moment…”
Rogues, Rebels and Rock conceived and directed by Trish Brown
Rogues, Rebels, and Rock, an original musical review, showcased some of the most iconic production numbers from great rock musicals throughout the decades. From Hair, to Spring Awakening, to The Greatest Show the ensemble sang and danced their way through an 80-minute performance filled with energy and spectacle. This show was also the first Theatre production in the Robert Duvall Theatre in the new McVay Center for the Performing Arts at Morey.
Spring 2019
Blue Stockings by Jessica Swale, directed by Chrissy Calkins Steele
Blue Stockings follows four young women and their professors at Girton College, the first college in Britain to admit women, as they fight for their right to an education, a diploma, and love in the late 19th century.
Identity Crisis 2019 created by the ensemble, directed by Karen Montanaro
Identity Crisis 2019, a piece of theatre devised by students under the direction of guest artist Karen Montanaro, explores how our relationship with technology defines our self-image, our connections with each other, and our place in the world.
Fall 2018
Urinetown by Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis, directed by John O’Hagan, music direction by Joe Van Riper
This musical farce is a side-splitting send-up of greed, love, revolution, and musicals themselves in a time when water is worth its weight in gold.
The Shape of Things
Spring 2018
Treasure Island adapted by Bryony Lavery, directed by John O’Hagan
A ripping good reinterpretation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale that recognizes that girls need adventures too.
Fall 2017
7 Ways To Say I Love You
Adam Szymkowicz’s script 7 Ways to Say I Love You gives us a look into seven different aspects of love. The lenses from which we view love are broad and varied. From a young man coming into a pizza shop daily to see the girl he has fallen for, to a conversation between a woman and her cat, to a strange and volatile encounter between two young people rejected by society - this play examines many types of love with humor, compassion, understanding, wit, and absurdity.
The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, directed by Chrissy Calkins Steele
The Merchant of Venice takes place in a world of risky ventures and money, of love sought and betrayed, and of hatred simmering under the surface. This chillingly relevant play was brought to life by students who spent the semester immersed in the world and works of Shakespeare on the England Abroad.
Spring 2017
Godspell composed by Stephen Schwartz, book by John-Michael Tebelak, directed by Trish Brown, music direction by Joe Van Riper
Inspired by compelling stories from around the world and set in a dark time in our country’s future, Principia’s production of the classic musical Godspell tells the story of Jesus through songs and parables based on the Gospel of Matthew.
Fall 2016
Pride and Prejudice adapted by Jon Jory, directed by Chrissy Calkins Steele
A lively adaptation of Jane Austen’s 1813 classic novel of romance, class, family, and pride.