Two full productions, a third youth production and opportunities for students to learn from ESU theatre alumni are all part of the upcoming 72nd season of ESU Summer Theatre.
The first show of the season, “Cabaret,” opens June 12 with four showings.
A musical, “Cabaret” is set in a Berlin nightclub as the 1920s draw to a close. There, a garish Master of Ceremonies welcomes the audience and assures them they will forget all their troubles at the Cabaret.
Noah Mefford-Lee, who earned a bachelor’s of fine art degree in theatre from ESU in 2013, returned to his alma mater for a week to work with the company as scenic charge for “Cabaret.” Mefford-Lee, who now lives in New York City, is the scenic charge for CBS Broadcast Center. He works as the lead painter for “CBS Evening News,” “CBS Mornings,” “CBS Sports,” “The Drew Barrymore Show,” “Have I Got News for You,” “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” “48 Hours,” “60 Minutes” and any CBS Special Events including the Super Bowl.
Students will learn current painting techniques for stage and television from Mefford-Lee.
“Cabaret” will stage evening productions at 7:30 p.m. June 12 and 13 with afternoon matinees at 2 p.m. June 13 and 14. All performances will be in Ronald Q. Frederickson Theatre in Roosevelt Hall on the ESU campus.
Tickets cost $18 for adults, $13 for seniors, Theatre Guild members and ESU staff and faculty. ESU students are free. A select number of VIP tickets are available in the lounge next to the stage for $30. This production contains mature content and is not suitable for children under 13.
Shakespeare takes the stage with the second show, “Much Ado About Nothing,” which opens June 25.
One of the Bard’s most famous comic romps, the ESU production adds a “Yacht Rock” concept to the show, which will be presented outdoors. Known for the brilliant war of words between the feisty Beatrice and the staunch bachelor Benedicke, “Much Ado About Nothing” plays out amidst the brittle high spirits of a post-war house party.
“Much Ado About Nothing” will be staged on the lawn of Beach Hall, near 12th Avenue and Market Street. A cash bar with show-themed drinks will be available throughout the performance for the ultimate nautical experience. Audience members should bring lawn chairs or blankets to enjoy this one-of-a-kind outdoor theatrical event
Thanks to the generosity of Neil and Carol Roach, the show features four evening performances at 7:30 p.m. June 25 through 28. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, Theatre Guild members and ESU staff and faculty. ESU students are free.
“Cabaret” and “Much Ado About Nothing” are staged by the 2026 ESU Summer Theatre company, more than 30 students in roles as cast and crew with additional ESU faculty, musicians, alumni and guest performers supervising crew shops and adding their talents to the band in “Cabaret.”
The final show of the season is Disney’s “Finding Nemo KIDS” presented July 10 and 11.
“Finding Nemo KIDS” is a 30-minute musical adaptation of the beloved 2003 Pixar movie “Finding Nemo,” with new music by award-winning songwriting team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.
The show features an all-youth cast and is the culmination of a summer camp from June 29 through July 11. Students who finished school in fourth through eighth grade auditioned in May for their parts.
With a team of ESU students majoring in theatre education, the youth will learn speaking parts, songs and dance moves. The camp and production is led by Lexie Vega, theatre director at Emporia Middle School, who graduated from ESU in May 2025 with a bachelor of science in education degree in speech and theatre.
The 30-minute production will delight theatre-goers of all ages.
“Finding Nemo KIDS” will be staged twice, at 6 p.m. July 10 and 2 p.m. July 11 in the Karl C. Bruder Theatre in King Hall on the ESU campus. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, Theatre Guild members and ESU staff and faculty and $5 for children. ESU students are free.
To order tickets for any of the shows, go online to emporia.link/theatre-tickets.