USI Theatre begins Spring Semester with two student-led shows

University of Southern Indiana Theatre is proud to kick off the 2025 Spring Semester with two student-directed shows in February.

35 MM: A Musical Exhibitionwill run Thursday through Saturday, February 6-8, in the Mallette Studio Theatre, located on the lower level of the College of Liberal Arts building.Shows will begin at 7 p.m.

The original production, based on photographs by Matthew Murphy, was scored and lyricized by Ryan Scott Oliver. The belief is that if a picture is worth a thousand words, what about a song? This intricately woven collection of stories told through song reimagines what the modern American musical can be. Each new image tells its story through movement, voice and emotion. Directed by USI Student Rayn Miller, 35 MMwill feature Soprano Brynne Stevens as Image 1, Alto LillyBea Ireland as the Photographer, Tenor Ethan Hoover as Image 2, Baritone Cooper Craig as Image 3 and Bass Will Monroe as Image 4.

The second show, The Taming, written by Lauren Gunderson and directed by USI Theatre student Chloe Kummer, will run Thursday through Saturday, February 20-22, in the Mallette Studio Theatre. Shows will begin at 7 p.m. Contestant Katherine has political aspirations to match her beauty pageant ambitions, and all she needs to revolutionize the American government is the help of one ultra-conservative senator's aide on the cusp of a career breakthrough and one bleeding-heart liberal blogger who will do anything for her cause. Joining Kummer will be Ashlyn Thornburg as Katherine, Jade Griffey as Patricia and Abby Scheller as Bianca.

The Mallette Studio Theatre gives students the chance to produce, design and stage theatrical works in a setting with limited faculty involvement and allows them to explore new topics and gain valuable skills that will translate into their field of choice. Due to its size, tickets are very limited and will sell quickly.

All tickets are general admission, are on a first-come first-served basis and may be purchased online at the USI Theatre website. Tickets are $5, and patrons are encouraged to purchase early, as day-of-sale box office tickets may not be available.

For more information or ticket purchase assistance, contact Adam Funkhouser at 812-465-7110 or by email at [email protected].