Knutson Theatre

AS YOU LIKE IT

by William Shakespeare

Knutson Theatre, Sept. 28 – Oct. 1, 2023

As You Like It follows its heroine, Rosalind, as she flees persecution in her uncle's court, accompanied by her cousin, Celia, to find safety and, eventually, love, in the Forest of Arden where they encounter a variety of memorable characters. Shakespeare’s classic comedy has stunning language, famous passages, and wonderful imagery. This beautiful play shows the ways in which love, friendship, and forgiveness work to heal and bring people together, with plenty of laughs and surprises along the way!

Content Disclosure: Adult Themes.

Ride the Cyclone

Book, Music & Lyrics by Jacob Richmond & Brooke Maxwell

Knutson Theatre, Nov 17 – 19 & Nov. 30 – Dec. 3, 2023

In this hilarious and outlandish story, the lives of six teenagers from a Canadian chamber choir are cut short in a freak accident aboard a roller coaster. When they awake in limbo, a mechanical fortune teller invites each to tell a story to win a prize like no other--the chance to return to life. Boasting a variety of musical genres and a hilarious ensemble cast, this wildly popular musical is a funny yet moving look at the consequences of our actions and what makes a life well-lived!

Content Disclosure: Violence, Adult Themes, and Self Harm.

MISDEMEANOR DREAM

USD Theatre proudly hosts Spiderwoman Theater and their touring production, Misdemeanor Dream

Co-creators and storyweaving team leaders are director Muriel Miguel; choreographer Penny Couchie (co-artistic director of Aanmataagzi in Nipissing First Nation); and vocal choreographer Imelda Villalon.

Knutson Theatre, Feb. 23 – 24, 2024

Misdemeanor Dream is a celebration of Indigenous storytelling, bringing together a multigenerational ensemble of performers, installation artists and knowledge keepers from Native and First Nations communities across the U.S. and Canada. The production is woven with the stories and original languages of the ensemble -- personal and community stories that are both contemporary and from the past. With projection and live performance, the audience meets spirits, tricksters, fairies, and little people who tell their stories of chaos and reclamation, adversity and hope: of “between-worlds” journeys from the spirit-world to the Earth, through the stars, the underworld, and up from the sea. In these transformations, there is an urgency for action - to dream and to reclaim languages, cultures and collective futures.  Misdemeanor Dream  introduces us to Spiderwoman’s “storyweaving” technique.  Inter-woven across disciplines, the show blends traditional and contemporary narratives, movement, text, sound, installation art and projection. 

Bat Boy: The Musical

Book by Keythe Farley & Brian Flemming, Music & Lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe

Knutson Theatre, Apr. 18 – 21, 2024

Based on a story in The Weekly World News, Bat Boy: The Musical is a comedy/horror rock musical about a half boy/half bat creature who is discovered in a cave near Hope Falls, West Virginia. Bat Boy is brought to the home of the town veterinarian, where he is eventually accepted as a member of the family and taught to act like a "normal" boy by the veterinarian's family. Bat Boy is happy with his new life, but when he naively tries to fit in with the narrow-minded people of Hope Falls, they turn on him after discovering the shocking story of his unholy origin.

Content Disclosure: Violence, Adult Themes, and Sexual Content.

Arena Theatre

Ada and the Engine

by Lauren Gunderson

Arena Theatre, Oct. 19 – 22, 2023

Ada Byron Lovelace is a brilliant but impulsive young girl, during the height of Britain's Industrial Revolution. Reviled by society because of her infamous father, Ada struggles to accept her role in the world. Until she is introduced to inventor Charles Babbage, her soulmate, and his computing engines. Ada, having found someone who truly understands her, unleashes her wonderfully creative intellect to create a world in which music, art, math, and science are able to converge. Unfortunately, it is a world that Ada may never get to see. This story is filled with romance, passion, friendship, and dreams of a future that benefit the world. 

Content Disclosure: Adult Themes

Ron L. Moyer One-Act Plays

Arena Theatre, Mar 22 – 24, 2023 

USD’s popular annual festival of short plays, directed by graduate and advanced undergraduate directing students, performed on the Arena Stage.

Content Disclosure: Adult Themes