The School of Theatre and Dance announced their five productions planned for Fall 2026. The shows will be student-designed with guest directors and faculty directors.
The five shows planned are “Comedy Cabaret,” “The Color Purple,” “Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really,” “Ride the Cyclone” and a shadow-cast of the cult-classic “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
The fall season will kick off with “Comedy Cabaret,” an annual production overseen by Ric Walker, associate professor in the School of Theatre and Dance.
Over the course of three weekends, students will perform a self-written sketch show. After each weekend of performances, the show is typically re-written and performed again with new material.
“Comedy Cabaret” will run October 8–10, 15–17 and 22–24.
“The Color Purple,” based on the novel by Alice Walker, will be directed by 2002 Columbia alum and associate professor Khanisha Foster.
The story follows Celie, an African American girl living in Georgia in the early 1900s, who faces abuse by both her father and husband. The story follows themes of female empowerment and resilience as Celie overcomes decades of mistreatment and discovers her own self-worth.
Jayla Watts, a senior theatre arts production and practice major, is set to assistant direct “The Color Purple.”
The production process is still in early stages for this show, but Watts already feels that a great community is being built within the production team.
“The theatre department considers how a story and a character’s identity can be something a student takes pride in portraying,” Watts said. “This representation results in the want to make art within their community and feel so deeply connected towards it.”
“The Color Purple” will run November 5–14.
“Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really,” an adaptation of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” will be directed by guest director Megan Carney. Carney is the artistic director for About Face Theatre located in Irving Park.
Moe Kuhlmann, senior theatre arts production and practice major, said they are looking forward to a fresh perspective being brought into the production.
“I’ve worked before with someone who didn’t teach here, but they had done a lot of productions here. It’s nice to have someone come in with a fresh set of eyes,” Kuhlmann said.
The adaptation gender-bends the story of “Dracula” and explores nineteenth-century power dynamics. The story will follow a female-led cast as they strike back against gender roles in their fight against the legendary vampire.
“Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really,” will run December 2–12.
“Ride the Cyclone” follows a high school choir after they pass away in a roller coaster accident. One teenager is given a chance to return from limbo and continue living. All of the teenagers compete to give their reasons why they should be the one to live.
The show dissects the teenage experience as the characters reminisce on their lives filled with academic pressure, unrequited love and dissatisfaction. There is currently no director attached to this production.
“Ride the Cyclone” will run December 9–12.
A shadow-cast film screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” will be brought to Columbia’s mainstage in the Fall 2026 season, slated to be directed by student director Felix Livingston, a senior film and television major.
Livingston started directing “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” his freshman year. Two productions were performed at Film Row Cinema in the 1104 S. Wabash building. This year’s production follows an absence in the annual production last year.
“I’m really looking forward to being able to do a wider promotion for ‘Rocky’,” Livingston said. “In previous years, despite the incredible turnout, everything was done mostly through word of mouth. I’m hoping this year more people can audition and be involved in the show”
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” will be performed on October 30.
More student-led and faculty-directed productions will be announced throughout the semester.
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