With three major local theater companies and a resilient firecracker of a theater and dance department at hand, it’s always a good time for students at the University of Nevada, Reno to make playgoing their new weekend obsession.
This fall and winter, here’s what Reno’s theater world has in store:
Here at the University, the Department of Theatre and Dance won’t be mounting their musical and play this year until the spring. But fret not! The Fall Dance Festival will be the first production held in the fully-equipped Redfield Proscenium Theatre in over a year. Featuring choreography from students and alumni, the showcase promises dance in all flavors. It’ll run Nov. 2 to Nov. 4.
For those bold enough to venture off-campus, Good Luck Macbeth‘s recently opened “Misery” brings psychological horror to the stage. Following a novelist who finds himself trapped in the home of his self-proclaimed “number one fan,” the production boasts a new cast every weekend, and closes Oct. 28.
To mark the season, a rollicking parody of “Die Hard,” “Die Difficult,” finishes Good Luck Macbeth’s 2023 slate, running Dec. 1 to Dec. 22.
At Reno Little Theater, a beloved Christmas classic gets a tongue-in-cheek treatment. From Nov. 10 to Dec. 17, a slapstick twist on “It’s a Wonderful Life” will pit an actor playing the lead in a radio play based on the beloved film against a sound effects team determined to thwart his performance.
Meanwhile, Bruka Theatre brings an immersive, experimental theater experience to its downtown venue for Halloween. “The Reflections of Tarantula Jones” runs until Oct. 29, and with plot details kept mostly under wraps, the mystery may be enough to lure you to Bruka’s moody lobby on Virginia and 1st.
“Christmas With the Crawfords,” a campy comedy full of celebrity pastiche, will hit Bruka Theatre’s stage from Dec. 1 to Dec. 22. For those who’ll be here over winter break, the annual Biggest Little Theater and New Works Festival will bring brand new plays to the stage Jan. 17 to Jan. 20.
Finally, two touring Broadway productions will make a stop at the Pioneer Center before next semester. “Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas” will run there from Nov. 21 to 26. It’ll be followed by “SIX,” running Jan. 2 to Jan. 7 — a pop-tastic take on the lives of six women unfortunate enough to marry England’s Henry VIII.
Peregrine Hart can be reached at peregrineh@unr.edu or on Instagram @pintofperegrine.
