The Taylor University Theatre will explore the way desires shape humanity with its 2026-2027 season.
The season’s theme is “What We Do With Our Longings.” Four unique shows will highlight a spectrum of human longings, including longings to be loved, treated justly and be known.
“Theatre at its best is always exploring the human condition,” Tracy Manning, the artistic director of the Taylor Theatre, said. “Part of what it means to be a person is to want things. We have desires and we have hungers, and those are complicated for us by our nature.
The season will embark on Sept. 24-27 with Shakespeare’s comedy “Twelfth Night.” The story follows Viola, who washes ashore in an unfamiliar country without her twin brother and must disguise her identity to survive.
Through a comedy of mistaken identity, the story explores the longing to be known and truly seen.
Stephen Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd” will bring a darker twist on Nov. 13-15 and 20-22.
The musical follows Benjamin Barker, who finds his life in shambles after returning from years of exile. Destruction and violence ensue as he becomes consumed with vengeance.
The story explores what happens when a longing for justice is fulfilled in the wrong way.
“‘Sweeney Todd’ isn’t necessarily the happiest musical, but it’s about a person who is trying to do something with their longing and the things that they’re searching for,” Molly Lemont, the technical director of the Taylor Theatre, said.
“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” adapted by Simon Stephens from the novel of the same name by Mark Haddon, will follow on Feb. 19-21 and 26-28. The play centers around Christopher, a 15-year-old boy who sets out on an investigation after finding his neighbor’s dog dead.
His story highlights the longing to be known and loved.
The season concludes on April 22-25 with “Crazy for You,” a musical by George and Ira Gershwin. The story follows Bobby Child, who follows his longing to perform at a failing theater in Nevada.
The story explores where ambition and a longing for joy intersect.
“It is lighthearted and buoyant, but it gives us serious themes to ponder,” Conor Angell, Music, Theatre and Dance department co-chair, music director for “Sweeney Todd” and stage director for “Crazy for You,” said. “At the story’s center, connection overcomes misguided ambition.”
The Taylor Theatre invites audiences to experience a diverse range of stories exploring how humanity is molded by longings. Tickets are available for pre-order by emailing boxoffice@taylor.edu.
