The Wittenberg Theatre and Dance program consistently offers a collaborative community and creative outlet for students. This year continues the tradition with several performances.
The first mainstage production at Chakeres Memorial Theatre will be Everybody by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, directed by Lo Williams, a Chicago-based director who describes her craft as storytelling and her medium as directing, producing, writing, and performing.
After receiving her BFA in theatre arts from Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University, Williams directed and co-directed multiple shows and was the 2025-2026 Maggio directing fellow at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. Believing that theatre is for everyone, she aims to reimagine, reshape, and reclaim her medium to represent the global majority. Much of her past work relates to social activism and sharing the untold stories of oppressed groups around the world.
Everybody is an adaptation of the medieval play Everyman, and its inclusion in the fall schedule continues Wittenberg's tradition of performing and adapting classic plays.
A dark comedy about the meaning of life, death, and everything in between, the play follows the aftermath of Death summoning the lead character “Everybody” to their grave. Senior Bailey Smith '27 from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, will play and interpret the lead role for his senior capstone.
Williams emphasizes, “‘Everybody’ could be any of us, and I want people to consider for themselves how far they’re willing to go for their fellow neighbors.”
According to Assistant Professor of Theatre and Dance and Department Chair Adrienne Oehlers, Williams brings a new perspective to this classic play.
When asked what most excites her about directing Everybody, Williams states, “I have some surprises that I’m doubting someone reading the play for the first time will be able to anticipate.…”
Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 29-31, and 2 p.m., Nov. 1, in Chakeres Memorial Theatre, 905 Woodlawn Ave.
Following Everybody, Jules Bigl '28 from Loveland, Ohio, is directing and set designing the play Midsummer (Abridged) by Larry Nehring, a shortened adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream in the Student Lab Theatre. A double major in art history and environmental science, Bigl has been an active member of the Wittenberg Theatre and Dance Program since their freshman year and recently played Ferdinand in a local production of The Tempest performed in an abandoned amphitheater in Yellow Springs, Ohio.
Wittenberg’s Student Lab productions give student directors creative freedom to interpret the written material and organize the set and production. Bigl chose Midsummer (Abridged) after a discussion with Oehlers. Bigl fell in love with classic plays because of Midsummer, and it is their favorite Shakespearean play. They aim to make Shakespeare accessible to everyone by getting to the heart of the story.
Oehlers describes the play as “a hilarious one-act romp where only four actors are portraying all the many characters in the show.”
Performances are at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 5-7, and 2 p.m., Nov. 8, at the Student Lab Theatre, 225 N. Fountain Ave.
The Fall Dance Concert directed by Christeen Stridsberg is the final performance of the semester. The show is almost completely choreographed, performed, and stage-managed by students. Dancers auditioned for Fall Dance Concert at the beginning of the semester, and choreographers chose dancers who best fit their piece.
Dancers can be in as many dances as they would like. Some only participate in one dance while others are involved in more than 10 dances. Student choreographers choose and cut their music, schedule their rehearsals, and form a creative vision for every piece, including dance style, costuming, and lighting.
Students from all disciplines and interests across campus and with all levels of dance experience participate in Dance Concert. Stridsberg stresses that dance is for everyone and that dancing in college is a privilege everyone should take advantage of when they can.
Fall Dance Concert mixes dance styles with popular music, songs from musical theatre, and more. Students rehearse each dance weekly and will come together to showcase their hard work at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 12-14, and at 2 p.m., Nov. 15, in Chakeres Memorial Theatre.
The Fall 2026 season began in late August thanks to the passion and dedication of the students. Like many Wittenberg shows, Singing the Blues: A Blue-Themed Cabaret was organized, directed, and performed by students. Juniors Gabby Fronk and Ellah Smith planned Singing the Blues before arriving on campus for the Fall semester.
The cast gathered in the Student Lab Theatre to rehearse every night during the first week of classes. Performances took place on Aug. 28 and 29 and included songs from Disney movies and Broadway shows with blue-themed album covers. Many of these performers later collaborated with alumni for the Homecoming Cabaret on Saturday, Oct. 3.
Wittenberg’s Theatre and Dance productions are free and open to the public. For more information about Wittenberg Theatre and Dance and the upcoming season and to reserve tickets, visit https://www.wittenberg.edu/academics/thdn. Tickets are currently available for Everybody and Midsummer (Abridged).
Follow Wittenberg University Theatre and Dance on the mobile app Eventbrite for updates when tickets post for each show.
Follow the Theatre and Dance program on Instagram and TikTok at @wittheatredance and on Facebook at Wittenberg University Theatre & Dance.
Upcoming Fall 2026 Performances and Events:
• Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Oct. 29, 30, and 31: Everybody by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, 7:30 p.m., Chakeres Memorial Theatre, Guest Directed: Lo Williams
• Sunday, Nov. 1: Everybody by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, 2 p.m., Chakeres Memorial Theatre, Guest Directed: Lo Williams
• Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Nov. 5, 6, and 7: Midsummer (Abridged) by Larry Nehring, 7:30 p.m., Student Lab Theatre, Student Directed: Jules Bigl
• Sunday, Nov. 8: Midsummer (Abridged) by Larry Nehring, 7:30 p.m., Student Lab Theatre, Student Directed: Jules Bigl
• Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Nov. 12, 13, and 14: Fall Dance Concert, Chakeres Memorial Theatre, Student Choreographed, Directed: Christeen Stridsberg
• Sunday, Nov. 15: Fall Dance Concert, Chakeres Memorial Theatre, Student Choreographed, Directed: Christeen Stridsberg
Past Fall 2026 Performances and Events:
• Friday and Saturday, Aug. 28 and 29: Singing the Blues: a blue-themed cabaret, 6 p.m., Student Lab Theatre, Student-Directed: Ellah Smith and Gabby Fronk
• Saturday, Oct. 3: Homecoming Cabaret, 7 p.m., Founders Pub, Benham-Pence Student Center, Organized by current student Ellah Smith with alumni Corey Ragan and Justin Dilley
Written By: Jillian Paskvan, Class of 2027
