ESU Department of Theatre Announces 2024-2025 Season

East Stroudsburg University's theatre department is proud to announces the 2024-25 season with a promise of unforgettable storytelling and exceptional performances that will captivate audiences throughout the year.

The season kicks off with Wait Until Dark, an edge-of-your-seat suspense by Frederick Knott, October 24-27 in the Dale Snow Theatre. Set in a shadowy Greenwich Village apartment, this gripping thriller tells the story of Susy Hendrix, a blind woman targeted by three con men searching for a hidden stash of drugs. As night falls, Susy must outmaneuver her cruel adversaries in a deadly game of cat and mouse. With its intense atmosphere, unexpected twists, and terrifying climax, Wait Until Dark is a pulse-pounding theatrical experience that will leave you breathless until the very last moment.

The season continues February 13-16 in the Smith-McFarland Theatre with Ride the Cyclone, a darkly whimsical musical that follows six teenagers whose lives are tragically cut short in a rollercoaster accident. In a surreal twist, they find themselves plunged into a mysterious limbo, where they must compete for a chance to return to life. Each teen shares their story through a series of eclectic, haunting, and hilarious songs exploring their dreams, regrets, and hopes for redemption. Hailed by Playbill as "a 90-minute thrill ride," Ride the Cyclone has become a viral sensation with its blend of quirky humor and an unforgettable score as it celebrates life, death, and everything in between.

The theatre season concludes in the Smith-McFarland Theatre April 10-13 with Arthur Miller's The Crucible, a riveting tale of fear, power, and betrayal set during the Salem witch trials. As paranoia grips a small town, neighbors turn against each other in a frenzy of accusations and moral panic. The play that coined the term "witch hunt" to describe modern paranoia, The Crucible continues to chill audiences through its brutal depiction of a society where the only refuge against conspiracy theories is found in dangerously oppressive conformity.

Curtain times for all productions are 7:30 p.m. Thursday - Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. The Dale Snow Theatre and Smith-McFarland Theatre are both located in the ESU's Fine and Performing Arts Center, Normal and Marguerite streets, East Stroudsburg.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visits www.esu.edu/theatre-performances, or email [email protected].