Current Season

Special Event!!

For One Night Only!  May 17, 2012, 7:30pm

An unconstitutional proposition. An unprecedented decision. An unforgettable event.
A new play by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (Milk, J. Edgar), "8" chronicles the historic federal court trial of California's Proposition 8 using actual court testimonies and media interviews. Learn about the arguments used to justify discrimination and hear empirical and emotional evidence about why gay and lesbian Americans should have the fundamental freedom to marry.

Join students, faculty, and staff of Austin Peay State University in a staged reading of this remarkable play, and stick around for a post-show discussion with the cast and Tennessee equality activists.

Admission is free, and we will be accepting donations for the American Foundation for Equal Rights. Contact boxoffice@apsu.edu for more details.

For more information, visit www.8theplay.com.

Announcing the APSU Theatre & Dance 2012-2013 Production Season

2012 Summer Dance Concert, June 22-23, 2012

The Summer Dance Concert is a mix of faculty and student choreography with styles ranging from ballet, modern, jazz, hip-hop. Directed by Marcus Hayes & Margaret Rennerfeldt

A Bright Room Called Day by Tony Kushner, Aug, 2-4, 2012

Pultizer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner’s powerful portrayal of individual resolution, irresolution and dissolution in the face of political catastrophe, A Bright Room Called Day follows a group of artists and political activists struggling to preserve themselves in 1930s Berlin as the Weimar Republic surrenders to the seduction of fascism.  Often exquisitely lyrical, always exhilaratingly intelligent, the poetic world of the play moves beyond the bounds of historical reality in the realm of the metaphysical and metaphoric, and challenges us to remember that although evil may seem inevitable, it is never irresistible.  Sid Smith of the Chicago Tribune calls the play “brash, audacious and… intoxicatingly visionary.”  Directed by B. Chris Hardin.

Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train by Stephen Adly Guirgis, Oct. 10-14, 2012

In one of Stephen Adly Guirgis earliest plays, we see the story of two inmates:  Angel Cruz, a Latino man jailed for shooting a local Cult leader, and Lucius Jenkins, a death row inmate whose claims of religious fervor seem to have changed his ways.  Guirgis’ play shows us a gritty tale of life in prison and the facades we fight to maintain to make it through the worst parts of life.  With adult language and content, this play is not intended for young audiences. Directed by Darren Michael.

Twelfth Night, or What You Will by William Shakespeare, Nov. 14-18, 2012

“If music be the food of love, play on!”  Set in the fanciful land of Illyria, the last of Shakespeare’s romantic comedies contains all his notorious tricks – cross-dressing, mistaken identity, deception, violence, intrigue, forlorn ladies, dashing gents, drunken buffoons, and musical clowns – creating an evening of fun and frivolity for the whole family.  Join Duke Orsino, the Lady Olivia, the disguised Viola, the raucous Sir Toby Belch, and the confounded Malvolio for one of Shakespeare’s most celebrated and delightful plays. Directed by B. Chris Hardin.

Student Choreography Showcase, Dec. 1-2, 2012

The Fall Student Choreography Showcase is a public, informal performance of student choreography with styles ranging from ballet, modern, jazz, hip-hop, and everything in between.

Sylvia by A.R. Gurney, Feb. 13-17, 2013

Greg and Kate have moved to Manhattan after 22 years of child-raising in the suburbs.  Greg’s career as a financial trader is winding down, while Kate’s career, as a public school teacher is beginning to offer her more opportunities.  Greg brings home a dog he found in the park that bears only the name “Sylvia” on her name tag.  Sylvia becomes a major bone of contention between husband and wife.  The marriage is put in serious jeopardy until, after a series of hilarious and touching complications, Greg and Kate learn to compromise, and Sylvia becomes a valued part of their lives.  Backstage says: “Gurney’s mad comedy is the most endearing good time to trot down the pike in many a moon.  Howlingly funny. . . “  Directed by Dr. Sara Gotcher.

7^th Annual Spring Dance Concert, Feb. 27-March 3, 2013

The Spring Dance concert is the highlight production of the Dance minor program at APSU.  The Dance Concert includes an eclectic mix of dance styles and features choreography from faculty, guest artists, and selected students. Directed by Marcus Hayes & Margaret Rennerfeldt

Lysistrata by Aristophanes, April 17-21, 2013

Some call it the first feminist play.  Some call it the first protest play.  We call it a great comedy.  When the women of Greece have had enough of the fighting and their soldier husbands going off to war and never returning, they decide to use the only tool for Peace they have:  a sex strike!  A hilarious Greek play not for the easily offended, Aristophanes may be redefining who really is “the weaker sex”. Directed by Darren Michael.