Simpson Productions 2025-26 Season

ANTHROPOLOGY By Lauren Gunderson

Director, Ann Woldt
Oct. 3-4 at 7:30 pm and Oct. 5 at 2:00 pm
Barnum Studio Theatre

Merril has gone through what no sister should ever go through- the disappearance of her sister, Angie. In an effort to help manage her grief, Merril assembles all the digital material that Angie has left behind and creates a ‘virtual Angie’. Virtual Angie is helpful until it begins to unravel the real Angie’s disappearance. anthropology raises compelling questions about the ethics of artificial intelligence, the nature of memory, and the lengths to which individuals will go to preserve or recreate lost loved ones.

anthropology prompts reflection on the role of technology in our lives, especially in moments of loss, and challenges the audience to consider the boundaries between digital simulations and authentic human experiences.

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

Book and Lyrics by Howard Ashman
Music by Alan Menken
Director, Jennifer Nostrala
Musical Director, Damon Stevens
Nov. 14-15 at 7:30 pm and Nov. 16 at 2:00 pm
In conjunction with the 28th annual High School Theatre Festival
Pote Theatre

The delightfully dark and wildly entertaining musical Little Shop of Horrors blends doo-wop, Motown, and rock-and-roll to tell the quirky tale of Seymour, a meek floral assistant who discovers a strange plant with a secret thirst for human blood. As the plant grows, so does Seymour’s fame–but at a horrifying cost. With catchy songs, eccentric characters, and a touch of horror-comedy, Little Shop of Horrors has become a beloved staple of American musical theatre.

THE OLD MAID & THE THIEF

By Gian Carlo Menotti
Conductor, Damon Stevens
Director, Ann Woldt
Barnum Studio Theatre
Feb. 20-21 at 7:30 pm and Feb. 22 at 2 pm, 2025

Originally commissioned for radio in 1939, The Old Maid and the Thief is a witty and satirical tale of gossip, deception, and the facades we maintain in the name of propriety. Set in a quiet American town, the opera follows the lives of Miss Todd and her housemaid Letitia as they take in a charming wanderer—only to find themselves entangled in increasingly outrageous moral compromises.

This production brings Menotti’s lively score and sharp humor to life in a clever recreation of that first radio play that’s as thought-provoking as it is entertaining.

THE CHILDREN’S HOUR