Here are our 5 Mainstage shows for 2023!

Watch for special events, murder mysteries, guest productions and more throughout the year

NOVEMBER 29 – DECEMBER 16

A beautiful musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ 1843 festive novella. It tells the tale of the curmudgeonly Ebenezer Scrooge. A prosperous businessman, he believes that personal wealth and heartless financial tactics are much more valuable than the friendship, happiness, and comfort of those around him. He treats his employee, Bob Cratchit, and his family with the same disdain and coldness that he shows everyone else. Scrooge’s miserable nature comes to a crescendo during the Christmas period–”Bah! Humbug!” However, this Christmas, he is forced to come face to face with his selfish ways when he is confronted by three ghosts on Christmas Eve: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Future. In the course of one magical night, Scrooge learns to recognize his faults and gains the chance to make amends.

DIRECTED by RACHEL STEPHENS

PAST SHOWS

OCTOBER 11 – 28

When Andy Dufresne is convicted of murder and sentenced to life in the notorious Shawshank prison, he must find a way to keep himself and his hope alive by using his wits and forging friendships. Based on the novella, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King, this powerful and hopeful production brings the story of resilience made famous by the acclaimed film to the stage.

While the play delivers a beautiful message of hope, the story is harrowing and comes with the following TRIGGER WARNINGS: The use of very strong language, threats and discussion of sexualized violence, suicide, physical violence, misogyny, gambling and intense bullying.

DIRECTED by REG PARKS

MAY 31 – JUNE 17

The final collaboration between Rodgers & Hammerstein was destined to become the world’s most beloved musical. Featuring a trove of cherished songs, including “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” “My Favorite Things,” “Do Re Mi,” “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” and the title number, The Sound of Music won the hearts of audiences worldwide, earning five Tony Awards and five Oscars. The inspirational story, based on the memoir of Maria Augusta Trapp, follows an ebullient postulate who serves as governess to the seven children of the imperious Captain von Trapp, bringing music and joy to the household. But as the forces of Nazism take hold of Austria, Maria and the entire von Trapp family must make a moral decision.

DIRECTED by JACQ AINSWORTH

APRIL 12 – 29

Set in Truvy’s Beauty Salon in Chinquapin, Louisiana, where all the ladies who are “anybody” come to have their hair done. Helped by her eager new assistant, Annelle, wise-cracking Truvy dispenses shampoos and free advice to the town’s rich curmudgeon, Ouiser, Miss Clairee, who has a raging sweet tooth; and the local social leader, M’Lynn, whose daughter, Shelby is about to marry a “good ole boy.” Filled with hilarious repartee and not a few acerbic but humorously revealing verbal collisions, the play moves toward serious concerns when, in the second act, the spunky Shelby takes on a risky pregnancy. The realization of their mortality affects the others, but also draws on the underlying strength—and love—which give the play, and its characters, the special quality to make them marvelous company in good times and bad.

DIRECTED by EMILY BROWN

FEBRUARY 8 – 25

The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society prepare to stage their new production – the 1920s murder mystery ‘Murder at Haversham Manor’. However the set is not yet complete and there is no time to finish it off…..the show must go on!

With a murder (and a moving corpse) established from the beginning, the murder mystery gets into full flow. However, the props start to disappear, actors go missing and the set begins to collapse around, and often on, the cast. Mayhem ensues, the acting gets worse, and the set becomes increasingly dangerous, but the company struggle on regardless. The question is whether any of the cast and crew will remain standing, or conscious, by the final curtain?!

DIRECTED by SIMON CHALLENGER