Building upon the success of ART's first two productions in Neil Simon's acclaimed autobiographical trilogy, Brighton Beach Memoirs and Biloxi Blues, we present the much-anticipated final installment. In Broadway Bound, the 1987 Tony Award nominee for Best Play, Eugene Jerome and his brother Stanley pair up to write a comedy sketch for CBS. Inspiration is hard to come by, and they use their dysfunctional family as a model. But when feelings get hurt and family secrets come out, they discover harsh truths about who they are and learn lessons about love, forgiveness, and hope while pursuing their dream to reach New York.

Adult language and mature themes.

This production has been made possible by donors to the College of Fine Arts Dean's Fund for Excellence and is offered through the generous support of the 2007 Summer Arts Festival, a program of the Office of Summer and Winter Session.

An American classic, this romantic comedy by award-winning playwright William Inge inspired a 1956 film starring Marilyn Monroe. When a raging March snowstorm blows into a Kansas town, eight unlikely strangers become stranded overnight in a bus stop diner. There’s the town sheriff who tries to help a young nightclub singer escape from a headstrong cowboy who, with the help of a ranch hand, wants to force her into marriage; the café owner and the bus driver who finally find time to develop their friendship into something more; and the middle-age former college professor who courts the naïve girl who works at the café. Over the course of the night, they realize that each has something to learn about life, love, and, most of all, themselves.

Mature themes.

Based on Voltaire’s satirical masterpiece, Candide features a brilliant score by Leonard Bernstein, including its famous overture and songs like “The Best of All Possible Worlds,” “Glitter and Be Gay,” and “Make Our Garden Grow.” This musical treasure tells the story of Candide, a young man who is determined to follow his instructor’s creed of mindless optimism, that "all is for the best…in this best of all worlds." However, when Candide and his companions leave the sheltered safety of their home to set out on a great journey filled with adventures, his outlook on life is challenged. As he endures the loss of his love and many other hardships, Candide begins to doubt the voracity of his scholar's philosophy.

Adult content and mature themes.

Winner of the 1960 Tony Award for Best Play, The Miracle Worker tells the incredible story of Helen Keller, a young woman trapped in a world of silence and darkness for twelve years. Deaf, blind, and mute, with no way to communicate, she fought anyone who tried to help her with an intense, furious desperation. Then Annie Sullivan came. A strong, determined, half-blind woman fueled by her troubled past, she began the daunting struggle to reach Helen and bring her into the world at last.

One of Shakespeare’s earliest plays, made popular by the 1999 film "Titus" starring Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange, Titus Andronicus is a sordid tale of revenge spawned from political turmoil. At the outset, Titus’ loyalty to the Roman state is absolute and he displays his civic virtue in his willingness to sacrifice his sons in battle to preserve the empire. Yet under the rule of a new emperor and his wife, Queen of the Goths, Rome becomes an unjust place that preys on Titus' remaining family. Realizing that all of his sacrifices are in vain, Titus turns his fierce loyalty away from the state solely to the remnants of his kin, planning a vendetta against the royal family that will lead to their bloody end.

Adult content and violence.

This smash musical was one of the most popular of the 2001 Broadway season, winning three 2002 Tony Awards and receiving nationwide critical acclaim. Urinetown is set in an Orwellian-type world where a depletion of the earth’s water supply has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. A single malevolent company holds a monopoly over the amenities, profiting by charging fees for one of humanity’s most basic needs. Among the people, a hero rises up who believes it’s not just a “privilege to pee” — it’s a fundamental right. Bobby Strong leads the revolution in this comedic, satirical, spirited musical with hit songs like “It’s a Privilege to Pee,” “Follow Your Heart,” and “Run Freedom Run.”

Mature themes and violence.