HILLSDALE COUNTY'S COMMUNITY THEATRE

Dramatized by Joseph Robinette

from the story by C.S. Lewis.

The intense action features chases, duels and escapes as the witch is determined to keep Narnia in her possession and to end the reign of Aslan. All the memorable episodes from the story are represented in this exciting dramatization: the temptation of Edmund by the witch, the slaying of the evil wolf by Peter, the witnessing of Aslan's resurrection by Susan and Lucy, the crowing of the four new rulers of Narnia, and more. The supporting characters are also here: the unicorn, the centaur and other forest animals, along with Father Christmas, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver and Tumnus the Faun. This story of love, faith, courage and giving, with its triumph of good over evil, is a true celebration of life. 


A SAUK DEBUT!

Book and Lyrics by ALAN JAY LERNER

Music by FREDERICK LOEWE
Adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s Play and Gabriel Pascal’s Motion Picture “PYGMALION”
Original Production Directed and Staged by Moss Hart


​MAINSTAGE SEASON - Eliza Doolittle is a young flower seller with an unmistakable Cockney accent which keeps her in the lower rungs of Edwardian society. When Professor Henry Higgins tries to teach her how to speak like a proper lady, an unlikely friendship begins to flourish.  The tale of a cockney flower girl transformed into an elegant lady features one of musical theatre’s greatest scores, including: “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?,” “With a Little Bit of Luck,” “The Rain in Spain,” “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “On the Street Where You Live,” “Get Me to the Church on Time,” and “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face.” This production will feature the unique, beautiful two-piano musical arrangement. 


FIRST SAUK PRODUCTION IN 43 YEARS!

Music by Richard Rodgers

Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Based on the play Green Grow the Lilacs by Lynn Riggs


MAINSTAGE SEASON - Rodgers & Hammerstein’s first collaboration remains, in many ways, their most innovative, setting the standards and rules of modern musical theatre. In a Western territory just after the turn of the 20th century, a high-spirited rivalry between local farmers and cowboys provides a colorful background for Curly, a charming cowboy, and Laurey, a feisty farm girl, to play out their love story. Their romantic journey, as bumpy as a surrey ride down a country road, contrasts with the comic exploits of brazen Ado Annie and hapless Will Parker in a musical adventure embracing hope, determination and the promise of a new land.


FIRST SAUK PRODUCTION IN 25 YEARS!

By A.A. Milne

Adapted by Kathryn Schultz Miller


This play is a faithful adaptation of A. A. Milne's first book of Pooh stories: Winnie-the-Pooh. Welcome to Christopher Robin's "100 Aker Wood", home of all your favorite childhood friends: Piglet, Rabbit, Eeyore, Owl, Kanga, Roo and of course that "hunny" loving bear, Pooh. Balloons, Heffalumps and Donkey-tails take the stage and everyone celebrates at a woodsy party. Happy Birthday to all of us and three cheers for the wonderful Winnie-the-Pooh!

A collection of short plays by various authors.

SAUKSECONDS SEASON - Our annual celebration of the short play. Titles to be announced. 

By Karen Schaeffer

SAUKSECONDS SEASON - In this lightning-quick farce, four women travel to Dot’s Northwoods cabin to consume copious amounts of wine, laugh at their lives, trade stories and chat about their book club’s latest selection. However, after the third case of wine comes through the door, it becomes clear there will be more stewing than reviewing. Carol, who is monitoring her temperature for the best “window of opportunity” to get pregnant, gets a ride to the cabin from her husband, Rick, who is hoping the “time is right” for a quick tryst. She sends him home, frustrated, in a snowstorm, only to discover that her temperature shows she IS ready, and calls him to drive back and hide out in a shed until she can sneak him in with a special porchlight signal. Meg, recently widowed, is having a secret affair with Dot’s son, only to find he has shown up at the cabin unexpectedly and wants to further their relationship in stealth. Meg sends him to hide in a boathouse until he sees her special porchlight signal and the coast is clear to rejoin her in the cabin. Ellie, the youngest and Meg’s daughter, would rather not be a part of the weekend with her “elders” and meets a young townie, inviting him to hide out in a barn. When he sees her special porchlight signal, he climbs into her bedroom window and sneaks her out to a local bar after the other ladies retire. The only obstacle to each of the ladies’ secret endeavors is Dot, who wants to stay up all night and party with the girls. So they make sure they ply her with plenty of party favors, and Dot proceeds to pass out. The ladies move Dot’s lifeless body from floor to closet to room, as the bottles tip up, the secrets spill out and the men sneak in. The madcap, door-slamming chaos comes to a head when Dot wakes up and discovers her girls’ weekend is full of men!

By Bess Wohl


SAUKSECONDS SEASON - In the overwhelming quiet of the woods, six runaways from city life embark on a silent retreat. As these strangers confront internal demons both profound and absurd, their vows of silence collide with the achingly human need to connect. Filled with awkward humor, this strange and compassionate new play asks how we address life’s biggest questions when words fail us.


This production includes strong language and adult situations that may not be suitable for all audiences.

Adapted by Christopher Sergel.

From the book by S.E. Hinton

MAINSTAGE SEASON - The Outsiders is a searing story of real kids in real situations with real consequences seen through the eyes of young Ponyboy. Territorial battles between the have-it-made rich kids — the Socs — and Ponyboy’s tough, underprivileged “greaser” family and friends are just a part of life. But even in the midst of urban gang warfare, somehow Ponyboy can’t forget a short poem that speaks to their fragile young lives. This heroic story of belonging, friendship, and maintaining hope in the face of struggle is a powerful reminder of what young people encounter every day. 


A SAUK DEBUT!

Lyrics by Tim Rice

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber

MAINSTAGE SEASON - What’s the buzz? The first musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice to be produced for the professional stage, Jesus Christ Superstar has wowed audiences for over 50 years. A timeless work, the rock opera is set against the backdrop of an extraordinary and universally known series of events but seen, unusually, through the eyes of Judas Iscariot. Loosely based on the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Superstar follows the last week of Jesus Christ’s life. The story, told entirely through song, explores the personal relationships and struggles between Jesus, Judas, Mary Magdalene, his disciples, his followers and the Roman Empire. The iconic 1970s rock score contains such well-known numbers as “Superstar,” “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” and “Gethsemane.”


A SAUK DEBUT!