The 2026–2027 Theatre and Performance Studies season at the University of Missouri unfolds under the theme “Roots and Wings,” exploring how connection and courage help us grow.
From the family-friendly charm of summer repertory to bold new student-written works and beloved literary adaptations. Expect stories of friendship, community, truth-telling, and transformation, each production honoring where we come from while imagining where we might fly next.
Summer Repertory Theatre
Larry D. Clark’s Summer Repertory Theatre kicks off the season with a warm, family-friendly celebration of storytelling. This summer’s production brings gentle humor and heartfelt moments to audiences of all ages, offering a joyful theatrical experience that captures the spirit of friendship and discovery.
A Year with Frog and Toad
July 2 & 9 | 6 p.m.
July 3, 10 & 11 | 10 a.m. & 2 p.m.
July 5 & 12 | 2 p.m.
Directed by Dr. Joy Powell
This Tony-nominated family musical follows best friends Frog and Toad through four fun-filled seasons. From raking leaves to sledding down snowy hills, their adventures highlight themes of friendship, kindness, and acceptance. With jazzy, upbeat music and whimsical humor, A Year with Frog and Toad celebrates life’s simple joys for audiences of all ages.
Fall 2026 Performances
This fall, experience a vibrant trio of productions that explore identity and imagination. Experience intimate solo storytelling with Life and Literature, a family-centered celebration of community and belonging with Just Ask!: The Musical, and the enduring heart and ambition of Little Women: The Musical.
Life and Literature Series
September 17-19 | 7:30 p.m.
September 20 | 2 p.m.
Directed by Dr. Heather Carver
Life and Literature invites audiences into an intimate evening of solo performance presented by the Center for Applied Theatre and Drama Research. Staged in the close-up atmosphere of Studio 4, these personal, thought-provoking works explore lived experience through storytelling that is direct, human, and quietly powerful.
Just Ask!: The Musical
October 7-9 | 7:30 p.m.
October 10 & 11 | 2 p.m. & 2 p.m.
Directed by Alyssa Durbin
Just Ask! is a heartwarming musical for the whole family! The story follows a group of friends who transform a vacant lot into a community garden. Along the way, they learn about each other’s access needs and discover that, like plants, people grow best when their needs are met and they have a safe place to take root, flourish, and gain wings to fly!
Little Women: The Musical
November 5-7 & 12-14 | 7:30 p.m.
November 8 & 15 | 2 p.m.
Directed by Dr. Joy Powell
Based on Alcott’s beloved novel, Little Women follows the four March sisters—Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy—on their journeys of love, loss, growth, and independence during the Civil War era. At the center is Jo, determined to break boundaries as a writer, whose storytelling becomes the heartbeat of the musical.
Spring 2027 Performances
This spring, we're bringing bold ideas and fresh movement to the stage. Discover inventive new voices in the Mizzou New Play Series, grapple with urgent questions of truth and community in a classic drama, and close the season with a dynamic dance concert celebrating tradition and transformation.
An Enemy of the People
March 17-20 | 7:30 p.m.
March 21 | 2 p.m.
Directed by Reagan Venturi
Dr. Thomas Stockmann discovers the town baths are poisoned, posing an imminent danger to public health. Peter, Stockmann’s older brother and town Mayor, demands that the truth be censored, as it threatens to undermine his political integrity and bankrupt the town. Stockmann, unwilling to lie, publishes his findings in an independent newspaper. Insulted, Peter calls for the violent exile of Thomas and his family, inciting the townspeople to rally behind him.
“Roots and Wings” Dance Concert
April 22-24 | 7:30 p.m.
April 25 | 2 p.m.
Directed by Emily Ehling
Roots and Wings is a repertory dance concert, featuring four new choreographic works. Choreographers play with the contrast of grounded and light movement, honoring traditional roots while imagining new paths within their genre.