The Asbury Theatre Department has finally announced its 2025-2026 theatre season. This season will include a diverse genre of shows from 80s musical to Greek tragedy.
The first show of the season will be Walking into a New World, a student cabaret which was cast at the end of the spring 2025 semester. The cast of the cabaret is comprised of theatre majors and minors. The cabaret largely consists of songs from popular Broadway musicals, with some parodies as well. The show will be performed Sept. 18-20.
This season also features an original work written by Communications professor Jim Shores titled “40 Acres.” “40 Acres” is a story about racism in the church. In the play, a black family moves to a megachurch to bring people to Christ, “because they are a little off in their beliefs,” stated senior theatre major Bek Askey, who is a part of the stage managing team for the show. Askey is excited to be involved in the project, “because it’s an original work that’s written by one of my favorite profs… It is a topic that is more mature and culturally sensitive than projects I have been involved in in the past, and I am really excited to try something new.” The show will make its debut Nov. 6-15.
In addition to being a part of the stage managing team for “40 Acres,” Askey will also be directing the final show of the season, the 80s musical “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” is a musical retelling of the biblical story of Joseph. Askey is excited to bring a new vision to this story. Asbury will be doing this musical “with 10 people in the round,” and there will also be, “people playing multiple characters, lots of quick changes and fun lighting,” stated Askey. Performances will take place April 9-18.
Before audiences step into the biblical story of Joseph, the Asbury theatre department will be putting on a production of the classic Greek tragedy, “Antigone.” The tragedy centers around Antigone, a young woman who goes against the king’s order by burying her brother. The play offers thought-provoking commentary regarding whether it is more important to obey human law or higher moral law. The show will be performed Feb. 26- Mar. 7.
Although “Walking into a New World” and “40 Acres” have already been cast, students of any major will have the opportunity to audition for “Antigone” and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” later in the semester. While auditioning for a play can seem daunting, Askey states that “the theatre is a place for people to find belonging,” continuing, “I feel like everybody has a place in the theatre if they want. Whether that is onstage or with the tech team. It’s a great time too!” Askey also adds that if you did theatre in high school, this is a great time to “bring back those tap shoes and sing and dance with your friends and have a good time.”
With a mix of comedy, tragedy, original work and classic musical theatre, this year’s shows are designed to appeal to a wide range of audiences.
Tickets will be available through the Asbury box office, online and in person. Students interested in getting involved are encouraged to audition later this semester or join the tech team. As Askey said, “Theatre is a place for people to find belonging,” and this season offers plenty of opportunities for students to do just that.
Photo courtesy of Asbury Theatre Instagram.
