Dean College Announces 2025-2026 Performing Arts Season

Dean College proudly announces its new 2025-2026 season of theatre and dance performances featuring current Dean students, award-winning faculty, and renowned guest artists and directors. Running from October through May, the lineup includes 12 different productions.

“The performing arts have the power to inspire, challenge, and unite us,” said Stephen Ursprung, Dean of the Schools of Performing Arts. “This upcoming season reflects the passion and dedication of our students and faculty, and we’re honored to share their creative voices with audiences throughout the year.”

Regularly priced tickets range from $12 to $22 per show. Full-season ticket packages offer a 25 percent discount off the regular single-ticket prices. The Full Season Package (eight performances) is $132 for the general public and $72 for senior citizens and non-Dean students. All shows for Dean students are $5. 

The Theatre Series Package (four performances – “The Wolves,” “Cabaret,” “Much Ado About Nothing,” and “The Prom”) is $66 for the general public and $36 for senior citizens and non-Dean students. 

The Dance Series Package (four performances – “Fall Dance Concert,” “Faculty Dance Works,” “Choreographers’ Concert,” and “Dance Company”) is $66 for the general public and $36 for senior citizens and non-Dean students. 

Ticket packages are now available online at www.dean.edu/performance. Individual show tickets will be available beginning September 2. 

2025-2026 Performing Arts Season 

 

“The Wolves” 

Written by Sarah DeLappe

• October 15-19, 2025
• Main Stage
• A contemporary play that follows the experiences of a high school girls’ indoor soccer team. The drama unfolds entirely during their pre-game warm-ups as nine teenage girls navigate complex issues of adolescence, identity, and social dynamics.
• Presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.   (www.concordtheatricals.com).

“Fall Dance Concert”

• October 31-November 1, 2025
• Guidrey Center
• This performance showcases student choreography, celebrating the creative voices of Dean’s dance majors and demonstrating a range of choreographic perspectives.

“Cabaret”

Book by Joe Masteroff; Based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood; Music by John Kander; Lyrics by Fred Ebb

• November 12-16, 2025
• Main Stage
• Daring, provocative, and exuberantly entertaining, this musical explores the dark and heady life of Bohemian Berlin as Germany slowly yields to the emerging Third Reich.
• Presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark (www.concordtheatricals.com).

“New Dancer Showcase”

• November 21-22, 2025
• Main Stage
• A program of dance works created by Dean’s upperclassmen dance majors and performed by Dean’s first-year dance majors.

“New Thespian Showcase”

• November 22-23, 2025
• Main Stage
• A program of monologues, scenes, songs, and theatre works brought to the stage by Dean’s first-year theatre majors.

“Faculty Dance Works”

• December 5-6, 2025
• Main Stage
• Two energetic and exciting evenings of dance, featuring outstanding works conceived by the Joan Phelps Palladino School of Dance faculty. 

“Much Ado About Nothing”

Written by William Shakespeare

• February 18-22, 2026
• Main Stage
• One of Shakespeare’s last comedies, “Much Ado About Nothing” was first presented in 1598 and feels as contemporary as if it were written yesterday. The classic play is chock-full of surprises, laughs, relationships that feel familiar, and unforgettable characters navigating their way through impossible circumstances.

“Choreographers’ Concert”

• February 27-28, 2026
• Main Stage
• Dean student choreographers will have selected works showcased and adjudicated by renowned industry professionals in this two-night concert. Join us to enjoy the creative talents of emerging choreographers in a full production setting. Friday evening’s presentation will feature live commentary from guest artists following each work, while the program will be reprised as a regular concert on Saturday evening. 
• Please note: The performances may differ each night, so please ensure you attend the appropriate performance if you hope to see specific students.

“The Prom”

Book and lyrics by Chad Beguelin; Book by Bob Martin; Music by Matthew Sklar; Based on an original concept by Jack Viertel; Original Broadway Production directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw

• April 8-12, 2026
• Main Stage
• In this comedic and heartwarming musical, four Broadway stars come together to support a high school girl in a small town who faces backlash from the school’s PTA for wanting to attend prom with her girlfriend. Winner of the Drama Desk Award for Best Musical, “The Prom” expertly captures all the humor and heart of a classic musical comedy with a message that resonates with audiences now more than ever.
• Presented through special arrangement with, and all authorized performance materials are supplied by, Theatrical Rights Worldwide 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 640, New York, NY 10036 (www.theatricalrights.com).

“Dance Company”

• April 23-26, 2026
• Main Stage
• Faculty and guest choreographers will showcase the impressive talent of Dean’s dance majors through a variety of new and restaged dance works, featuring a diverse program of dance genres.

“Theatre Senior Showcase”

• April 26-27, 2026
• Main Stage
• Featuring scenes, songs, and monologues, the “Theatre Senior Showcase” is a celebration of the Class of 2026 and the cohort’s formal introduction to the professional theatre community.

“Dance Senior Showcase”

• May 1-2, 2026
• Main Stage
• Creating a performance from the ground up, Dean’s talented senior dance students share their choreography, performance, and production expertise in this annual collaborative showcase.

Dean has moved to a ticketless validation system for all events. There are two ways to receive your online tickets: digitally, via your mobile device (highly preferred), or by printing your receipt at home and picking up your tickets at the Will Call line at the Main Stage kiosk starting 60 minutes prior to performances with a valid ID. 

All events and performances are subject to change. Please visit www.dean.edu/performance for all up-to-date times and applicable venue policies. Ticket holders who do not comply with venue policies will not be admitted. 

Please note: Dean College welcomes children and families to our performances. However, infants and children under 2 years of age are not allowed in the theatre, and an adult must accompany children under 16. All patrons must have their own ticketed seats; lap sitting is not permitted. Only ADA-certified service animals are allowed in the theatre.