University Theatre at Kearney

08/31/2026

Come One, Come All!

Today we begin auditions for our fall production of ROY GETS PLAYED! This is a brand new work by UNK alum, Billy Deardoff, based on characters he created for the radio series, THE ROY CHRONICLES, aired on KLPR.

These auditions are open to EVERYONE - students, faculty, staff, and community members (ages 17-117) - so bring a friend and come take a shot at the limelight!

Auditions:
Mon., Aug. 31 (3:00pm-6:00pm)
Tues., Sept. 1 (6:30pm-9:00pm)

UNK Studio Theatre (Fine Arts Building, Room 103)

For the full scoop, please visit:
https://www.unk.edu/academics/theatre/unk-theatre-dance-auditions.php

08/26/2026

We're still here! And tonight is the night we REALLY get the semester started!

All students with an interest in Theatre at UNK are invited to attend our annual Ice Cream Social & Welcome! We'll start with a bit of Ice Cream in the east hallway of the FAB, then move into the Miriam Drake Theatre for a brief welcome chat.

Hope to see a lot of new faces there!! (And of course our returning students, too! :) )

04/22/2026

The storm rages on for one more weekend! So channel your inner Sherlock, and join us for the final performances of Joe DiPietro's masterful murder mystery, AN OLD-FASHIONED FAMILY MURDER.

Performances:
April 23-25 @ 7:30pm
April 26 @ 2:00pm

Box Office: (308) 865-8417 or [email protected]

General Admission tickets: $10 for adults, with discounts for students, seniors, groups (10+) and UNK students.

Sneak Peek:

“An Old-Fashioned Family Murder" opens Thursday and runs through April 26.

04/09/2026

A dark and stormy night is in the forecast for the Miriam Drake Theatre! If you can brave the weather, take a seat and put your (Junior) Detective skills to the test with Joe DiPietro's witty whodunit, AN OLD-FASHIONED FAMILY MURDER.

Performances:
April 16-18 @ 7:30pm
April 23-25 @ 7:30pm
April 26 @ 2:00pm

Box Office: (308) 865-8417 or [email protected]

General Admission tickets: $10 for adults, with discounts for students, seniors, groups (10+) and UNK students.

01/21/2026

We're at it again!

We are excited to announce that we just received rights to produce AN OLD-FASHIONED FAMILY MURDER by Joe DiPietro this spring, and we're starting the process RIGHT AWAY...like THIS WEEK!

Auditions for this productions are open to ALL UNK STUDENTS, and are set to take place this Thursday and Friday:
January 22: 6:00-8:00pm
January 23: 3:00-5:00pm

*Fear not, you don't need to sign-up for an audition slot, and nothing at all needs to be prepared in advance. Just swing by the Miriam Drake Theatre at the beginning of either audition session and plan to strut your stuff for our director!

For more details, please visit: https://www.unk.edu/.../unk-theatre-dance-auditions.php

10/22/2025

COME ONE, COME ALL!!

Be a part of Theatre at UNK this Fall!!! In December, we will be presenting four student-directed one-act plays as a final project for our Play Direction class. In the past, these class productions have been minimally produced, but since this is all we have on stage this semester, we're extending performances to a 3-day run, and bumping up the production values.

Auditions for these four one-act pieces (30-minutes each) will be held this Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, October 22-24 (see times in the image), in the Miriam Drake Theatre. With four casts to fill, the directors will be looking for a wide variety of actors to bring these pieces to life.

These auditions are open to literally EVERYONE (18+), not just UNK students. To try for your moment in the limelight, all you need is the courage to read a few scenes for the directors. These are meant to be cold readings, so nothing needs to be prepared in advance.

If you think this sounds like JUST the opportunity you've been waiting for, please stop by the Miriam Drake Theatre any time during any of the audition sessions to show our student directors what you've got!

05/02/2025

Opening Night is upon us!

The excitement in the air over the last two days of rehearsals has been thrilling! Welcoming our alumni cast members back to campus, and watching them work with current students to prepare this "farewell" musical r***e, has reminded us all why it is that we do what we do. We are so excited to open the doors for audiences this evening as we celebrate Musical Theatre at UNK!

FREE ADMISSION FOR ALL!
Advance reservations are strongly encouraged.

Performances:
May 2 & 3 @ 7:30pm
May 4 @ 2:00pm

Box Office:
(308) 865-8417

Performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in the Miriam Drake Theatre.

04/25/2025

As we close our last full season of theatre at UNK, we highlight the Musical Theatre Program and recognize the impact it has had on this campus.

The University Theatre at Kearney’s production of "…and Happily Ever After" is a magnificent musical r***e marking the end of the Musical Theatre Program at UNK. With a variety of selections from twenty-three popular musicals – including everything from "South Pacific" and "Phantom" to "Movin’ Out" and "Jagged Little Pill" – this celebration of Musical Theatre features the talents of current Music and Theatre students, as well as accomplished alumni from the past 20+ years. There couldn’t be a more fitting finale for the Musical Theatre Program at UNK than "…and Happily Ever After."

FREE ADMISSION FOR ALL!
Advance reservations are strongly encouraged.

Performances:
May 2 & 3 @ 7:30pm
May 4 @ 2:00pm

Box Office:
(308) 865-8417

03/26/2025

FINAL CASTING FOR SPRING 2025!!

Tomorrow and Friday will be the last opportunities for students, faculty, staff, community members - just plain EVERYONE - to try for a spot on the Studio Theatre stage. Students in the Spring 2025 Play Direction class will be auditioning for their final projects, and they need your help to make it all happen!!

Auditions for the four one-act pieces (30 to 45-minutes each) will be held this Thursday and Friday, March 27 & 28, 3:30-5:30pm in the Studio Theatre. With four casts to fill, the directors will be looking for a wide variety of actors to bring these pieces to life.

These auditions are open to literally EVERYONE (18+), not just UNK students. All it takes to try for your moment in the limelight is the courage to read a few scenes for the directors. These are meant to be cold readings, so nothing at all needs to be prepared in advance. If you think this sounds like JUST the opportunity you've been waiting for, please stop by the Studio Theatre any time during either audition session to strut your stuff for our student directors!

03/03/2025

It's the end of the world as we know it!

This week only, we'll be making the earth shake with Peter Sinn Nachtrieb's BOOM in our Studio Theatre.

BOOM is a quirky, apocalyptic, not-so-romantic comedy that offers a unique perspective on the nature of life, survival, and reproduction. Sometime in the future’s past, a grad student in Marine Biology lures a Journalism student to his subterranean research lab with an online personal ad that promises a casual “no strings attached” encounter. However, fearing the apocalypse is close at hand, their casual date quickly takes on evolutionary significance with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance. Will an “intensely significant coupling” lead to another big bang? Or is mankind’s fate in the hands of someone watching from outside the fishbowl?

If you don't have your tickets yet, be sure to make reservations soon, as seating in the Studio Theatre is limited.

Performances:
Wed-Sat, 3/5-3/8 @ 7:30pm
Sun, 3/9 @ 2:00pm
Box Office: (308) 865-8417

*PLEASE NOTE: THIS PRODUCTION IS FOR MATURE AUDIENCES.*