Productions

Students of any major are welcome to audition for theatre productions and are invited to participate behind the scenes in design and technical theatre.

Theatre and Performing Arts Events - Fall 2026

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

by William Shakespeare.
October 22-25| Smith-McFarland Theatre

William Shakespeare’s beloved comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of the most enchanting and endlessly performed plays in the English language. When a group of young lovers flee into an enchanted forest outside Athens, they find themselves caught in a web of magical mischief orchestrated by the fairy king Oberon, his queen Titania, and the mischievous Puck. Add in a troupe of well-meaning but bumbling amateur actors, and the result is a dizzying, hilarious, and ultimately tender celebration of love, imagination, and the absurdity of human desire. This 90 minute adaptation is fast-paced, fun, and appropriate for all ages.  

The Addams Family

By Andrew Lippa, Marshall Brickman, and Rick Elice. Based on characters created by Charles Addams
February 25-28| Smith-McFarland Theatre

The Addams Family, a comical feast that embraces the wackiness in every family, features an original story and a dilemma that’s every father’s nightmare: Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family—a man her parents have never met. And if that wasn’t upsetting enough, Wednesday confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother. Now, Gomez Addams must do something he’s never done before—keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents.

The Diary of Anne Frank

A play by Francis Goodrich and Albert Hackett, based upon Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl newly adapted by Wendy Kesselman.
April 22- 25 | Dale Snow Theatre

Adapted by Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich, this eternally moving production shows in harrowing detail the twenty-five months that two Jewish families spent hiding from the Gestapo in an Amsterdam warehouse.
During the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, Anne Frank began to keep a diary on June 14, 1942, two days after her 13th birthday and twenty-two days before going into hiding with her parents, sister and three other people. Hiding in the sealed-off upper rooms of the annex of her father’s office building in Amsterdam, Anne and the others cope with the day-to-day struggles of life in cramped quarters, as the specter of tragedy looms ever-present over their every move.

For reservations or other information, please email esuarts@esu.edu or call (570) 422-3694.

Performing arts student organizations are also very active at ESU, do not require auditions and are open to all student majors.

Students may audition beginning in their freshman year for roles in Theatre Department main stage productions and Stage II one act plays.

A number of classes also provide performance opportunities through showcases and recitals with no auditions required:

Theatre productions encompass a range of genres including:

Get Involved in ESU Theatre Productions

Roles are cast by audition. Backstage positions are by arrangement with design faculty and directors. Involvement in all productions is open to all ESU Students. No prior experience required. We love to train you!

For students interested in getting involved in the Theatre Department's productions, there are many opportunities for you to choose from.

Auditions

Audition information is posted on the bulletin board in the Fine Arts Building lobby.

• Auditions for the fall production are generally the first or second week of school.
• Auditions for the winter production are generally one month into Fall semester.
• Auditions for the Stage II production are early Fall.
• Auditions for the Spring productions are mid to late Fall semester.

Acting

Performance opportunities are open to all ESU students. Performance roles are gained by audition and audition notices are posted each semester on this page and the bulletin board in the Fine Arts building lobby. Students may audition beginning in their freshman year for roles in Theatre Department main stage productions and Stage II one act plays.

A number of classes also provide performance opportunities through showcases and recitals with no auditions required: Stage and Comic Technique, Children’s Theatre, Directing, Advanced Acting (class entry by audition), Collaborative Theatre Workshop, Senior Seminar.

Design & Tech

Technical theatre roles are available to any interested students. Design and technical leadership development opportunities are assigned to those ready for the specific challenges of the positions.

All students have training in all aspects of theatre, but as they discover their unique abilities and talents, the students will work closely with faculty advisers to tailor their experiences to suit their emerging specialties. After appropriate preparation through classes and entry-level experiences, students are invited to take on leadership positions in ESU theatre productions that bolster their resumes and lead directly to internships, employment and graduate school opportunities.

Supervisory positions might include:

Students have the opportunity to learn to program computer lighting boards and sound systems, draft designs, build costumes and scenery, and read and hang light plots.

Run the Show

For many running crew positions, you do not need any backstage experience, we will train you!

Running crew positions include:

All crew participate in the following:

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