Following two semesters marked by COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines, UNCW’s theatre department has announced the Mainstage performances slated for the upcoming academic year. Four productions are designated for in-person showings in the Cultural Arts Building Mainstage Theatre, though subject to change depending on the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The fall semester will open with the production “A Taste of Honey,” written by English dramatist Shelagh Delaney and directed by Ed Wagenseller. The play was designed by Delaney to vividly portray the fabric of working-class life in the late 1950s and 1960s and to give women and queer voices space in the public sphere. 

“A Taste of Honey” is an “exhilarating portrayal of the vulnerabilities and strengths of the female spirit in a deprived and restless world,” according to the 2021-2022 season announcement.

The theatre department’s rendition of “A Taste of Honey” is scheduled for Sept. 23-26 and Sept. 30-Oct. 3. 

Near the end of the fall semester, a production of “The Christians,” written by Tony-nominated Lucas Hnath and directed by Christopher Marino, is set to be performed Nov. 11-14 and Nov. 18-21. The play, which premiered in 2015, is an attempt to capture a nuanced glimpse into the machinations of American Christianity. It is set at a growing evangelical megachurch and is described as “a big-little play about faith in America—and the trouble with changing your mind,” according to the announcement. 

Previous performances of “The Christians,” which encourages profound thought, involved a chalkboard set up in the lobby with questions about theatergoers’ personal religious beliefs, to be completed with Post-it notes.

Following, “The Christians” is a production of William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” directed by Robin Post which follows the dramatics of an exiled sorcerer and his daughter Miranda. Beyond listing the dates for the play, scheduled for Feb. 17-20 and Feb. 24-27, the theatre department has not specified what format this adaptation will be. Post directed the department’s first devised piece, an original work created from cast member’s stories and outside interviews, titled “Am I Next? Voices of Wilmington, NC,” last fall.

The final production, slated for March 31-April 3 and April 7-10 is “The Moors,” written by New York-based writer Jen Silverman and directed by Paul Castagno. The play is a “satiric and contemporary homage to the 19th century Brontë sisters” and a dark comedy. 

Tickets for the performances will be made public closer to the performance dates and will be available for reservation here.