Department Productions

Written by Robert Harling

Directed by Brady Huffman

Performance Dates: November 7, 8, 15 @7:30pm, November 16 @2:00pm

Synopsis:

The action is set in Truvy’s beauty salon in Chinquapin, Louisiana. Helped by her eager new assistant, Annelle, the outspoken, wise-cracking Truvy dispenses shampoos and free advice to the town’s rich curmudgeon, Ouiser; an eccentric millionaire, Miss Clairee, who has a raging sweet tooth; and the local social leader, M’Lynn, whose daughter, Shelby (the prettiest girl in town), is about to marry. Filled with hilarious repartee, the play takes a turn when, in the second act, Shelby risks pregnancy and loses her life. The sudden realization of their mortality affects the other women but also draws on their underlying strength, unity, and love.

Written by James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim

Directed by Gregory Ramos

Musical Direction by Co Nguyen

Performance Dates: March 28, April 3 @7:30pm, March 29 @1:00pm and 6:00pm, and April 4 @2:00pm

Synopsis:

Widely held as a musical theater classic, INTO THE WOODS is a witty and whimsical take on familiar fairy tales. A dark comedy, the story takes inspiration from the more frightening elements of the original folks tales, including themes of death, betrayal, and dreams that never come true. The winner of the TONY Award for best music and best book, the show has become an international sensation.

Written and Directed by Gregory Ramos

Performance Dates: May 29th and 30th, July 28th, 2025

Premiering at the University of Redlands before it tours to the world-renowned Edinburgh Festival in Scotland for our May Term Travel Course.

Synopsis:

ACTS OF KINDNESS is a docudrama inspired by interviews in El Paso, Texas USA, after a mass shooting that claimed the lives of twenty-three innocent people. Told through a multitude of different characters, the play grapples with gun control, the divided U.S. political landscape, and the ongoing issue of immigration in America. Heartfelt, engrossing, and intimate, the play is a tribute to the victims and survivors of the event and a cautionary tale about gun violence in America. A community rises to reach collective healing and an understanding of our shared humanity.

By Johann Strauss II.
Directed by Cindy Snyder
Conductor: Co Nguyen

Performance Dates: February 21 and 22, 2025

Synopsis:

Set in 19th-century Vienna, the story revolves around a wealthy man, Gabriel von Eisenstein, who is sentenced to jail but instead attends a grand ball hosted by Prince Orlofsky. Eisenstein’s wife, Rosalinde, and their maid, Adele, also attend in disguise. The evening is filled with mistaken identities, flirtations, and humorous deceptions, all orchestrated by Dr. Falke as part of an elaborate prank to avenge an earlier joke Eisenstein played on him. The opera concludes with the revelation of the ruse and a joyous reconciliation.

By Josefina López
Directed by Gregory Ramos

Performance Dates: November 8, 9, 16, 17, 2024

Synopsis:

Set in a tiny sewing factory in East L.A., this is the outrageously funny story of five full-figured Mexican-American women who are racing to meet nearly impossible production deadlines in order to keep their tiny factory from going under. And while they work, hiding from the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service), they talk... about their husbands and lovers, their children, their dreams for the future. The story is told from the point of view of Ana, the youngest among them. Just graduated from high school, Ana dreams of getting out of the barrio and going off to college and becoming a famous writer. Although she needs the money, Ana doesn't like working at the factory and has little respect for the coworkers, who make fun of her ambitions and what they consider her idealistic feminist philosophies. However, Ana keeps coming to her job and chronicling her experiences in a journal. As the summer unfolds, she slowly gains an understanding and appreciation of the work and the women, eventually writing an essay that wins her a journalism fellowship which will take her to New York City. This play, a microcosm of the Latina immigrant experience, celebrates real women's bodies, the power of women, and the incredible bond that happens when women work together.

Audition and crew information for Real Women Have Curves