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Quinnipiac University Theater

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Theatre Arts Center Overview

The Theatre Arts Center on Sherman Avenue

The flexible, 12,000-square-foot Theatre Arts Center is a purposefully designed performance space, featuring a baby Steinway piano and a completely customizable layout.

The facility includes a costume shop and storage, a scene shop, a lighting and management booth and academic spaces, making it the heart of theatric production and performance at Quinnipiac.

A male student holds a script and performs in front of a black curtain during an audition

Under the bright lights

Connor Whiteley ’19 auditions for an upcoming performance Saturday, September 9, 2017, at the Theatre Arts Center.

Three students with scripts rehearse a scene in the grass outside the Theatre Arts Center building with other students nearby.

Autumn auditions

Students rehearse their scenes outside of the Theatre Arts Center during audition call backs for a fall performance.

2020-21 Season Upcoming Productions

Play Reading: ‘Yellowman’ by Dael Orlandersmith

Join us for a virtual reading of Dael Orlandersmith’s "Yellowman" directed by Aleta Staton.

Friday, October 9, 7:30 p.m. ET | Join→
Saturday October 10, at 2 p.m. ET | Join→
This event will take place virtually and is free and open to the public

About the play:
In "Yellowman," a finalist for the 2002 Pulitzer Prize in Drama, Alma and Eugene have known each other since they were young children. As their friendship blossoms into love, Alma struggles to free herself from her mother’s poverty and alcoholism, while Eugene must contend with the legacy of being “yellow”—lighter-skinned than his brutal and unforgiving father.

Join the Friday production
Join the Saturday production

2019-20 Season Past Productions

2019-20 Season Past Productions

Red Speedo

2 male actors on stage, sitting on a bench, speaking to each other in the staged swimming pool area

Red Speedo

By Lucas Hnath
Directed by Mariah Sage

Ray has swum his way to the eve of the Olympic trials. If he makes the team, he’ll get a deal with Speedo. If he gets a deal with Speedo, he’ll never need a real job. So when someone’s stash of performance-enhancing drugs is found in the locker room fridge, threatening the entire team’s Olympic fate, Ray has to crush the rumors or risk losing everything. A sharp and stylish play about swimming, survival of the fittest, and the American dream of a level playing field — or of leveling the field yourself.

Download the program (PDF)

Baltimore

2 female actresses sit and talk to each other during the performance

Baltimore

By Kirsten Greenidge
Directed by Aleta Staton

When a racially charged incident divides her first-year students, reluctant resident adviser Shelby finds herself in the middle of a conversation she does not want to have. As pressure to address the controversy mounts from residents, the new dean, and even her best friend, Shelby must decide if she will enter the fray or watch her community come apart at the seams. Sharp, funny and searing, Baltimore is a timely drama about racism on college campuses.

Download the program (PDF)

RAGE

a group of student surround a main character on stage at the dress rehearsal for RAGE

RAGE

Book & lyrics by Elizabeth Dinkova
Original music and additional lyrics by Frederick Kennedy
Directed by Elizabeth Dinkova

Adapted from the novel, ”Rage,“ and essay, ”Guns,“ by Stephen King
”Rage“ © 1977 Stephen King
“Guns” © 2013 Stephen King

A play with music, RAGE tells the story of a writer’s decades-long struggle with his first novel, “Rage,” a diary of a school shooter, which “inspired” readers with deadly results. As the writer plunges back into his early work to discover the causes of teenage disenfranchisement and violence, he is forced to confront uncomfortable truths about the thin line between creation and destruction.

Download the program (PDF)

Interdisciplinary discussion of ‘RAGE’

The theater department’s upcoming production of “RAGE,” which addresses gun violence in schools, was the topic of a panel discussion February 12 exploring the reasons behind its decision to take on a subject that can spark controversy.

Read the full article

2020 New Play Festival

The 2020 New Play Festival is a collaboration between The Barrow Group, an off-broadway New York City producing Theater Company, and the Quinnipiac University Theater Program. Traditionally, nearly 50 QU students will take on the roles of playwright, director, actor and stage manager for seven world premier productions at the TBG MainStage Theatre just steps away from Times Square! Below are synopses of some of the productions created by QU students.  

Headshot of Nick Fetherston

Nick Fetherston

Playwright of "Not Long Ago, In A Forest Not Very Far Away"

Not Long Ago, In A Forest Not Very Far Away

Kenny wants nothing more than to shoot his Star Wars fan-film, but when Alex shows up at his film sight, Kenny can’t get over the deep disturbance in the Force…

Read the full play

Playwright: Nick Fetherston
Quinnipiac University: Doubt, a Parable (Father Flynn), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lysander), Seven Minutes in Heaven (Derek), The 2019 New Play Festival (Nick, “Can I Help You”; John, “Warehouse”), Little Shop of Horrors (Audrey II Puppeteer), The Rocky Horror Picture Show Shadow Cast (Brad), As We EMERGE: Monologues of the Formerly Incarcerated (Stage Manager), The 2018 New Play Festival (Stage Manager, “Colby’s Trucks”)
The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center: “Growing Pains” NTI Fall 2019 Showcase (Ensemble Member, “The Game of Life”; Company Stage Manager)
The Legacy Theater: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lysander), Hamlet (Rosencrantz)
Education: National Theater Institute Fall 2019, Quinnipiac University, Theater Major

Headshot of Paige Parton

Paige Parton

Playwright of "U-HAUL"

U-HAUL

“U-Haul” explores the final moments once a relationship is over. Alice and Beatrice have come back together for one final moment and are trying to pack up their old apartment, with that pack up feelings and words which were left unsaid. They are looking for closure in their final moments together, however closure look different for both of them.

Read the full play

Playwright: Paige Parton
Quinnipiac University: RAGE the Musical (Assistant Director), Baltimore (Producer), Seven Minutes in Heaven (Director), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Helena), Rumors (Cookie Cusack), Dog Sees God (CB’s Sister), The Imaginary Invalid (Stage Manager), The 2019 New Play Festival (Director, “Last Words”; Sheryl, “Surviving The Holidays”) The 2018 New Play Festival (Director, “Watch Your Back”), The 2017 New Play Festival (Stage Manager, “Not a Love Story”; Playwright, “Sloth Season”; Tina, “The Outlines They Live”) 
National Theatre Connections Project 2014: The Crazy Sexy Cool Girl’s Fan Club (Prancheeta) Awards: Alpha Psi Omega, Phi Sigma Tau
Education: Quinnipiac University, Theater Major

Side by side headshots of Abby Nasworthy and Matteo Longobardi

Abby Nasworthy and Matteo Longobardi

Playwrights of "William's Willy"

William’s Willy

William’s Willy is a ri(dick)ulous raunchy comedy about new parents, Ben and Karen, and their newborn son, William. However, they run into a bit of an issue when it comes to discussing his… you know. Maybe their doctor, Christine, can help.

Read the full play

Playwright: Abigail Nasworthy
Quinnipiac University: RAGE the Musical (Assistant Director), The 2019 New Play Festival (Warehouse, Warehouse), Seven Minutes in Heaven (Assistant Director), Next to Normal (Assistant Stage Manager), No Exit (Assistant Stage Manager), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Snout/Wall), The 2018 New Play Festival (Stage Manager, ‘A Watercolor Sky’), Rumors (Props Coordinator), The Imaginary Invalid (Bonnefoy), Little Shop of Horrors (Assistant Stage Manager)
Education: National Theater Institute Fall 2019, Quinnipiac University, Theater Major

Playwright: Matteo Longobardi 
Quinnipiac University: Bad Jews (Lighting Designer), Seven Minutes in Heaven (Lighting Designer), Next to Normal (Stage Manager), No Exit (Stage Manager) A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Stage Manager), Rumors (Lighting Designer),  Little Shop of Horrors (Stage Manager), Clark Gable Slept Here (Stage Manager), The Imaginary Invalid (Assistant Lighting Designer), Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead (Assistant Stage Manager), The Clean House (Assistant Stage Manager), Rocky Horror Picture Show Shadow Cast (Stage Manager), The 2019 New Play Festival (Vinny, “Special Delivery”; Stage Manager “Surviving the Holidays”)
Education: Quinnipiac University, Civil Engineering major

Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery

Past Theater Productions

Book & lyrics by Elizabeth Dinkova; Original music and additional lyrics by Frederick Kennedy; Directed by Elizabeth Dinkova. February 27-March 1, 2020. Quinnipiac University Theatre Arts Center. The play with music RAGE tells the story of a writer’s decades-long struggle with his first novel, Rage, a diary of a school shooter, which “inspired” readers with deadly results. As the writer plunges back into his early work to discover the causes of teenage disenfranchisement and violence, he is forced to confront uncomfortable truths about the thin line between creation and destruction.

RAGE

Book & lyrics by Elizabeth Dinkova; Original music and additional lyrics by Frederick Kennedy; Directed by Elizabeth Dinkova. February 27-March 1, 2020. Quinnipiac University Theatre Arts Center. The play with music RAGE tells the story of a writer’s decades-long struggle with his first novel, Rage, a diary of a school shooter, which “inspired” readers with deadly results. As the writer plunges back into his early work to discover the causes of teenage disenfranchisement and violence, he is forced to confront uncomfortable truths about the thin line between creation and destruction.

Visit Us

Visit the Theatre Arts Center

  • Theatre Arts Center

  • Theatre Arts Center

    
		                    
    515 Sherman Avenue 
Hamden, CT 06518

By car: Whitney Avenue to Sherman 
Avenue. Parking is onsite.

By shuttle: The Green and Orange 
Loop (between York Hill, Theatre Arts Center 
and Mount Carmel Campus)
    
		                    
		                    
		                
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			Students reading scripts in front of a black curtain in the Theatre Arts Center
		
	


	

		

			
 In the moment

			
Students audition during call backs for Doubt, A Parable at the Theatre Arts Center.

		

	

	




		
		
	






    


	







    
    
    



	
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“In theater, we teach that it’s not just the big moments that make life meaningful, but all of the small moments in between that make life truly special.”


	

		

		
Kevin Daly, Theater Program Director

		

	

	






		


		

			
			
		


		
	









    


	







    
    
    



	
More Information

	

		



    
    

	
For more information

	
	










        
        


                



    
    
    


Kevin Daly

Director of the Theater Program

Assistant Professor of Theater

kevin.daly@qu.edu

203-582-3500







        

        


                



    
    
    


To learn more about the Quinnipiac theater program, please visit qu.edu.








    
    
    

	
	
    	
    		
    	
    

	
	BA in Theater