Productions and Events

The 2026-2027 Season

The Department of Theatre and Dance offers performance opportunities ranging from student projects to full productions, with students involved in every aspect. Tickets are free to $25, and undergraduates receive one free ticket per show. The main Theatre and Dance Series presents several productions and concerts each year, while the Studio Theatre Series provides a flexible space for focused, process driven work.

“Polaroid Stories”

Saturday, October 10
2:00 pm
7:30 pm
Tuesday, October 13
7:30 pm
Wednesday, October 14
7:30 pm
Thursday, October 15
7:30 pm
Friday, October 16
7:30 pm

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Director: Catalina Beltrán
Playwright: Naomi Iizuka

In Polaroid Stories (play) by Naomi Iizuka, young people gather in an abandoned mansion where myth and the present collide, revealing cycles of power, loss, and survival.

Director Statement:
Set in a decaying mansion once built to project authority, this production focuses on those living at the margins and the systems that shape their lives.

“Lysistrata Jones”

Friday, October 9
7:30 pm
Saturday, October 10
2:00 pm
7:30 om
Tuesday, October 13
7:30 pm
Wednesday, October 14
7:30 pm
Thursday, October 15
7:30 pm
Friday, October 16
7:30 pm

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Douglas Carter Beane (book) and Lewis Flinn (music and lyrics)

Lysistrata Jones (musical) is a pop infused musical comedy about a losing college basketball team and the girlfriends who refuse intimacy until the team finally wins. What starts as a protest becomes a story about relationships, accountability, and finding your voice. Runtime: approximately 2 hours 10 minutes (including intermission).

The Theater Collective presents “Radium Girls”

- Tuesday, November 4
  7:30pm
- Wednesday, November 5
  7:30pm
- Thursday, November 6
  7:30pm
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Written by D.W. Gregory
Radium Girls (play) by D. W. Gregory follows 1920s factory workers who become sick from radium exposure and fight back against the company responsible. It’s a true story of courage, accountability, and a landmark labor rights case. FREE.

“Fall Dance”

Wednesday, November 11
7:30 pm
Thursday, November 12
7:30 pm
Friday, November 13
7:30 pm
Saturday, November 14
2:00 pm
7:30 pm

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Directed by Kristen Bell

Fall Dance (dance) showcases Montclair State dance majors in a high-energy program of works by faculty and guest choreographers. Featuring a range of styles, it highlights student talent, versatility, and creative growth through bold, dynamic choreography.

“Once on This Island”

Saturday, February 20
2:00 pm
7:30 pm
Tuesday, February 23
7:30 pm
Wednesday, February 24
7:30 pm
Thursday, February 25
7:30 pm
Friday, February 26
7:30 pm
Saturday, February 27
2:00 pm
7:30 pm

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Directed by marcus harvey

Once on This Island (musical) Once on This Island is a powerful and reimagined staging of the beloved musical, set in the Ironbound District of Newark in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. In a modest church basement, a community gathers to tell a story that offers comfort, connection, and hope in the face of loss. What begins as a simple act of storytelling transforms the space into a vivid world of imagination, where myth and reality intertwine.

“Troilus and Cressida” (Workshop)

Friday, November 20
7:30 pm
Saturday, November 21
2:00 pm
7:30 pm

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Directed by: Katherine Wilkinson | Written by William Shakespeare

Troilus and Cressida (play) is a dark, satirical take on love and war during the Trojan War. Troilus and Cressida’s romance is tested when she is traded to the Greek camp, while warriors and leaders on both sides reveal ambition, ego, and moral decay. The play questions heroism, loyalty, and what’s left of love in a world defined by conflict.

“Kiss Me, Kate”

Friday, December 4
7:30 pm
Saturday, December 5
2:00 pm
7:30 pm
Thursday, December 10
7:30 pm
Friday, December 11
12:00 pm (Theatre Day)
7:30 pm
Saturday, December 12
2:00 pm

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Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter and a Book by Bella and Samuel Spewack | Directed by: Jen Bender

Kiss Me, Kate (musical) A witty, high-energy musical that blends backstage comedy with Shakespearean romance, offering a clever “play within a play” structure. Set in a Baltimore theater in the late 1940s, the story follows a touring production of The Taming of the Shrew.

“Troilus and Cressida” (Full Production)

Thursday, February 18
7:30 pm
Friday, February 19
7:30 pm
Saturday, February 20
2:00 pm
7:30 pm
Wednesday, February 24
7:30 pm
Thursday, February 25
7:30 pm
Friday, February 26
7:30 pm
Saturday, February 27
2:00 pm

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Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter and a Book by Bella and Samuel Spewack | Directed by: Jen Bender

“Dance Makers”

Thursday, March 4
7:30 pm
Friday, March 5
7:30 pm
Saturday, March 6
2:00 pm
7:30 pm

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Directed by Stefanie Batten Bland and Leah Wilks

Dance Makers 2027 (dance) is a 75-minute showcase of original choreography by Montclair State dance majors. Featuring student-created works developed with faculty guidance, the concert highlights a range of contemporary and modern styles and emerging choreographic voices.

The Theater Collective presents “Yellow Face”

Friday, March 19
Saturday, March 20

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Written by: R. F. Kuang

Yellow Face (play) by David Henry Hwang is a satirical comedy about a playwright whose casting mistake leads to public controversy and forces a reckoning with identity, representation, and race in America. FREE.

“Sweet Charity”

Wednesday, March 24
7:30 pm
Thursday, March 25
7:30 pm
Wednesday, March 31
7:30 pm
Thursday, April 1
7:30 pm
Friday, April 2
7:30 pm
Saturday, April 3
2:00 pm

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Director: Paige Faure
Neil Simon (Book), Cy Coleman (Music), and Dorothy Fields (Lyrics)

Sweet Charity (musical) follows Charity Hope Valentine, a dance hall hostess in 1960s New York who continues to believe in love despite constant disappointment. Inspired by Nights of Cabiria, the story traces her resilience as she moves through a harsh world without losing hope.

“Spring Dance”

Wednesday, April 14
7:30 pm
Thursday, April 15
7:30 pm
Friday, April 16
7:30 pm
Saturday, Apr 17
2:00 pm
7:30 pm

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Directed by Elizabeth McPherson and Derek Crescenti

Spring Dance 2027 (dance) is a curated concert featuring Montclair State dance majors in faculty, guest, and student works across contemporary, modern, jazz, and experimental styles. It showcases technical skill, creative growth, and emerging talent. Runtime: 2 hours, no intermission.