Department of Theatre

Upcoming Productions

She Kills Monsters

By Qui Nguyen
Directed by Megan Tripaldi

November 12 — 21, 2021

Russell Hall, Gorham Campus

It’s 1995 - Gangsta’s Paradise, Waterfalls, and Creep are at the top of the charts. But for Agnes, none of that matters because her little sister, Tilly is gone - or is she? Armed with her sister’s last Dungeons and Dragons campaign, Agnes now has to navigate the secret world Tilly created to find out who she really was when she was alive. Bursting with homicidal fairies, nasty ogres, and 90s pop culture, She Kills Monsters is a heart-pounding homage to the geek and warrior within us all. 

Urinetown

A collaboration between the School of Music and Department of Theatre.

Book and lyrics by Greg Kotis
Music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann
Directed by Rachel Price Cooper
Musical direction by Edward Reichert

February 25 — March 6, 2022

Russell Hall, Gorham Campus

To Pee, or not to Pee, that is the question! In a world where prolonged draught has ravaged the land, the basic human right of urinating has become ruthlessly policed by an evil megacorporation as a luxury item. Those who dare to buck the powers that be are sent off to a sinister, mythical place called "Urinetown" never to be seen again. This zany, Tony Award-Winning musical satirizes corporate greed, social responsibility, personal freedoms, and unchecked revolutionary idealism in the face of a public health crisis. Not timely at all, huh?

Clue: On Stage

Based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn
Written by Sandy Rustin
Additional Material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price
Based on the Paramount Pictures Motion Picture
Based on the Hasbro board game CLUE
Original Music by Michael Holland
Directed by Andrew Harris

April 15 — 24, 2022

Russell Hall, Gorham Campus

Are you a board game aficionado and enjoy the unfurling of a great whodunit? Are you prepared to join six mysterious guests who attend an unusual dinner party where murder and blackmail are both on the menu? If you have answered "yes", then enter the mansion for the hilarious classic detective game of Clue onstage.

It's a dark and stormy night, and you've been invited to a very unusual dinner party. Each of the guests has an alias, the butler offers a variety of weapons, and the host is, well . . . dead. So whodunnit? Join the iconic oddballs known as Scarlet, Plum, White, Green, Peacock, and Mustard as they race to find the murderer in Boddy Manor before the body count stacks up. Based on the cult classic film and the popular board game, Clue is a madcap comedy that will keep you guessing until the final twist. 

Past 21-22 Season Productions

The Marvelous Meep Island Adventure

Based on the play Meep by Ed Swidey
Directed by Sara Valentine

October 8 — 17, 2021 

Various Locations: See below for details

On the marvelous Meep Island, the Meeps play all day long; until, one fine day, the Somethings come along…Are these Somethings unpleasant? Will these Somethings be kind? What sort of Somethings did the little Meeps find? Come be part of our story and see how it ends; maybe Somethings and Meeps can somehow be friends. A free theatre event for audiences of all ages, presented outside in October on a variety of stages. Bring a blanket, chairs, a picnic; tell your friends and join the fun! This one-hour theatrical adventure is meant for everyone!

Presented by the University of Southern Maine Department of Theatre in partnership with the towns of Gorham, Westbrook, South Portland, Portland, Freeport, Bowdoinham, Lewiston and Auburn.