SAAC announces 2024-2025 theatre season
Make no “mistake” about it. The 2024-2025 South Arkansas Arts Center’s slate of theatrical productions is sure to entertain and delight audiences both young and old. On May 6, SAAC’s theatre committee announced its lineup of titles for the 2024-2025 theatre season during their announcement party “A Season of Mistakes and Acceptance” held on the SAAC stage.
“The play reading committee had their work cut out for them as they looked at over 150 different play options. We knew we wanted to throw things back a little with one of the choices while punching into the future with the other two picks – a little past mixed with a little future.” said theatre committee chair Rhett Davis. “The shows are a lot of fun, and I think audiences will be delighted by the three selections. The stories are all about overcoming mistakes and finding acceptance in either admitting wrongdoings or pushing forward to finding a better solution.”
After a 9-year hiatus, SAAC is bringing back a Christmas production in December, 2024 with “A Christmas Carol,” based on the classic novel written by Charles Dickens. Sponsored by Nexans Amercable and Southern Bancorp, “A Christmas Carol” is a classic Christmas story with an important message about the true wealth of love. A mean-spirited, miserly old man named Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley as well as by the spirits of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Future. During this process, Scrooge transforms into a kinder, gentler man.
In April of 2025, “The Play That Goes Wrong,” written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields, will be gracing the SAAC stage. This play is a comedy play about a theater production that goes horribly wrong. As the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society attempts to put on a murder mystery play, everything that can go awry does. The inept cast and crew’s attempts to salvage the show lead to
more chaos and laughter as the play derails in the most absurd and ridiculous ways. This production is presented by arrangement with Dramatist Play Service under license from Mischief Worldwide Ltd. and is sponsored by Murphy Pitard Jewelers and All About Flowers.
To round out the 2024-2025 season, the hit Broadway musical “Hairspray” will make an appearance on the SAAC stage in July, 2025 through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). Sponsored by Murphy USA, “Hairspray” follows the story of 1960s teenager Tracy Turnblad who dreams of dancing on a popular television dance program but faces discrimination due to her size. However, Tracy’s passion and talent catches the attention of the show’s host and she becomes an overnight sensation. Using her newfound platform, Tracy advocates for racial integration on the show, challenging the status quo and fighting against discrimination and segregation. Along the way, Tracy falls in love as well as befriends several characters who support her cause. With its catchy songs, energetic dance numbers, and heartwarming story of acceptance and inclusivity, “Hairspray” ultimately delivers a message of unity and the importance of standing up for what is right.
For more information about the upcoming theater season, please visit the SAAC website at www. saac-arts.org or call the SAAC office at 870-862-5474. SAAC is located at 110 East Fifth Street, El Dorado, Arkansas.