EMU Theatre brings Shakespeare’s heartwarming tale of mystery and magic to life in an original musical, featuring hit songs from the ’80s and ’90s and dynamic choreographed dance numbers. “The Winter’s Tale: A Musical Adaptation” comes to the Lee Eshleman Studio Theater, with nightly shows at 7:30 p.m. from April 9-12.

Tickets for the show are on sale at and will be available at the door, though seating inside the theater is limited and tickets have been known to sell out quickly. Tickets range from $6 for EMU and JMU students, $10 for children and other students, $18 for seniors (65+), and $20 for adults.

“The Winter’s Tale” follows two kingdoms torn apart by jealousy, a lost queen, and the love that may bring them back together. When Leontes, the tyrannical king of Sicilia (Elie Hoover), suspects his wife Hermione (Jubilee Soper) of unfaithfulness with Polixenes, king of Bohemia (Samuel Castaneda), he becomes so enraged that he orders her jailed and their infant daughter abandoned.

Sixteen years later, as the seasons shift from winter to spring, the story moves to Bohemia, where Leontes’ daughter, Perdita (Emilee White), is now grown and has captured the heart of Florizel (Kayden Beidler), the brash and dramatic son of Polixenes. Will their love be enough to reunite the two kingdoms?

Perhaps best known for the stage direction, “Exit, pursued by a bear,” this sweet and complex romance is written in Shakespeare’s signature iambic pentameter. But this adaptation adds a “nice little twist,” said guest director Haley Davis: a mix of 1980s and ’90s chart-toppers, personally selected by EMU’s talented student cast, woven throughout the play. It’s sure to have the whole audience singing along.

Frequent EMU Theatre collaborator Jim Clemens returns as music director, performing iconic rock ballads and pop rock songs on piano, while student Bryan Joya-Estrada, who also portrays the Shepherd, plays various instruments.

The costumes, designed by Rebecca Bailey, blend early modern and Renaissance elements with an ’80s and ’90s punk rock aesthetic, Davis said.

Rounding out the crew are Shannon Dove as technical director, Sierra Priest as choreographer, and Sarah Peak as stage manager.

The play will be performed in the round, with audience members seated on all sides of the raised stage and in the upper balcony.

“It’s more fun when you have the audience right there at your toes,” said Davis, an administrative-professional faculty member of James Madison University’s School of Theatre and Dance. “You can look up at the heavens or down at the earth, and you have people there to share the moment with.”

It was only after the audition process that it became clear to the production team which play to perform. “In a special way, this play was chosen based on the people rather than the other way around,” she said. “I found that this approach, coupled with the students musically adapting the play, gave the team unique agency in the story they wanted to tell.”

Beidler, who plays the roles of Florizel and Antigonus, said they love how collaborative the show has felt. “It was so fun helping pick the music, and it really feels like we’ve made this show ours,” they said.

Hoover, who portrays Leontes and Autolycus, said, “It’s fun getting to play characters who are both so different from each other and from me.”

One of the play’s most striking moments is when it travels over 16 years, transporting the characters from Sicilia to Bohemia, from a harsh winter to a forgiving spring. The shift has also felt meaningful for the students, who began rehearsals in winter and are gradually emerging into spring themselves.

“I want audiences to walk away with a sense of hope,” Davis said. “Things can look bleak and cold and scary, but there’s something better around the corner if we hold on and let time do what it needs to do.”

Cast
Leontes/Autolycus — Elie Hoover
Hermione — Jubilee Soper
Mamillius/Perdita — Emilee White
Camillo — Erin Batten
Polixenes — Samuel Casteneda
Paulina — Elena Middlebrook
Florizel/Antigonus — Kayden Beidler
Shepherd/Officer — Bryan Joya-Estrada
Lord/Messenger — Kyah Young

Crew
Director — Haley Davis
Music Director — Jim Clemens
Technical Director — Shannon Dove
Costumer — Rebecca Bailey
Choreographer — Sierra Priest
Stage Manager — Sarah Peak

An original musical premiering at EMU’s MainStage Theater this week brings audiences the captivating, never-before-seen story of a Russian poet, nun and saint who saved countless lives during World War II and was killed for it. Created by EMU professors Jerry Holsopple and Justin Poole, “On the Breath of God: The Life of Maria Skobtsova” runs from Friday-Saturday, March 28-29 @ 7 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday, April 3-5 @ 7 p.m.; and on Sunday, March 30 @ 2 p.m.

The sweeping drama traces the remarkable life of Skobtsova, played by EMU senior Reah Clymer, from impetuous teen to chain-smoking nun who sheltered refugees and helped many Jews escape Nazi-occupied Paris. Known as “Mother Maria,” she was arrested and sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp, where she was executed.

“You really see the arc to Maria’s life,” Poole said. “By the end of the play, you’re completely invested in who she is, and you see this dramatic transformation she goes through.”

The fourth collaboration between Holsopple and Poole, “On the Breath of God” brings together a multigenerational cast and crew of EMU students, alumni, faculty/staff and community members. The musical features a chorus of four women mystics from history, singing lyrics taken directly from their texts to Celtic folk melodies, performed by musicians Perry Blosser ’18 (violin), Benjamin Brantley (guitar), and Dirk Holsopple ’10 (Uilleann pipes). These mystics, played by students Elie Hoover and Erin Batten and alumnae Caitlin Holsapple ’16 and Elizabeth Eby ’22, surround Skobtsova during pivotal moments in her life. Though invisible to her, they influence her decisions through their words.

“Celtic music is able to hold trauma and hope together,” Holsopple said. “That’s what this story is. It’s the story of a woman who endured all kinds of trauma and never lost the ability to have hope and keep doing what she believed was right, up until the very end.”

Clymer delivers a masterful performance as Skobtsova, pouring her soul into the multifaceted character, capturing her playfulness, fierceness and suffering. “Mother Maria lived a tough life,” Clymer said. “She lost two daughters, went through two divorces, lived through war and displacement and deportation, and was thrown in jail multiple times. I’ve had to go there, emotionally, in every rehearsal.”

The set design is minimalist yet imaginative. Backlit stained glass panels form the backdrop, paired with an animated collage of photos projected onto two screens. While most characters in the play wear neutral-toned, period-specific clothing, with Skobtsova dressed in a Russian Orthodox nun’s habit, the mystics don flowing robes accented with pops of color. Frequent EMU Theatre collaborator Rachel Herrick returns as costume designer. Rounding out the crew are Shannon Dove (technical director and set design), Robert Weaver (light designer), Tom Carr (sound technician), and Sarah Peak (stage manager), among others.

Despite the play’s early- to mid-20th century setting, Clymer said its themes are just as relevant today. “This story is so timely,” she said. “It’s about immigration. It’s about refugees. It’s about war and political turmoil.”

Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, $10 for children 18 and under, and $6 for university students. For tickets, visit:

Read a preview of the play from the Daily News-Record .

Cast

Liz “Maria” Skobtsova – Reah Clymer
Sophia – Melody Wilson
Jura/Sailor – Ross Haun
Alexander Blok/Captain/Father Dimitri – Adam Hoover
Dmitri/Daniil/Peters – Joe Seitz
Father/Metropolitan – Shannon Dove
Evgenia/Klara – Kay Pettus 
Ana/Ida – Alexis Lewis
Gardener/Father Kern/SS Officer – Nathanael Eby
Lyuba/Nun at Lourmel House/Inna – Cassidy Walker
Nun/Irena – Emilee White
Therese of Lisieux/Hildegard of Bingen – Elie Hoover
Hadewijch of Flanders – Elizabeth Eby
Mechthild of Magdeburg – Caitlyn Holsapple 
Julian of Norwich/Theresa of Avila – Erin Batten
Young Liz/Giana – Vienna Poole
Young Giana/Nastia – Felicity Poole

Crew

Co-creator – Justin Poole
Co-creator – Jerry Holsopple
Costume designer – Rachel Herrick
Technical Director/Set Design – Shannon Dove
Light Designer – Robert Weaver 
Sound Technician – Tom Carr
Stage Manager – Sarah Peak
Assistant Stage Manager – Jordyn Thompson 
Video Production Assistant – Zack Furr
Video Production Assistant – Oslyn Mejia Gomez
Cast and Crew Photographer/Video Production Assistant – Cassidy Walker
Video Production Assistant – Willem Hedrick 
Video Production Assistant – Allie Watkins

Musicians

Violin – Perry Blosser
Guitar – Benjamin Brantley
Irish Pipes – Dirk Holsopple

“This year’s festivities will feature a ‘lion’s share’ of new and exciting events, including the Royal City Celebration, which invites all class reunions, affinity groups, department and club gatherings to meet at Thomas Plaza and the Front Lawn for food, fellowship and fun!” said Deanna Reed, Harrisonburg mayor and EMU director of alumni engagement & community connections. “In addition to the gathering, which promises to be the largest at Homecoming, all are invited to follow the ‘yellow brick road’ to campus for musical theater showings, athletic events, and the return of the ever-popular TenTalks presentations. This year there’s no place like HOMEcoming!”

The homecoming website is your complete source for events, updates, and registration.

EMU’s alumni award winners are:
Dr. Lee Roy Berry Jr. ’66; Kendra Conrad Bailey ’03, MA ’05; and Seth Crissman ’09. MDiv ’15.

EMU Athletics will recognize four Hall of Honor awardees:
longtime employee and coach Roland Landes; standout jumper and sprinter Michael Allen ’13; volleyball, basketball and softball player Gina Campbell Troyer ’93; and basketball star Bianca Ygarza ’14.

Look for the ⓕ Facebook icon that denotes a livestreamed event. Go to the to view these events; recordings will also be available after the event. You do not need a Facebook account to view the livestream.

Athletics events will be streamed through the website.

Here are a few highlights of the weekend. See the full schedule for more details.

Friday

– Jubilee Alumni, those who have graduated 50 years ago or more, will gather for a program and luncheon that includes the induction of the class of 1974. * ⓕ

– Art Gallery Opening, from 4-5 p.m. in the Margaret Martin Gehman Gallery, features artworks from EMU alumni artists Rebecca Souder Gish ’09, Rhoda Miller ’03, and Jon Styer ’07. 

– Musical Theater Production of “Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical.” EMU students and community members play multiple roles in this epic rock musical version of Rick Riordan’s beloved young-adult novels about an underachieving kid who discovers he is a demigod. Tickets for the show, held in the Studio Theater at 7 p.m., are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, $10 for children 18 and younger, and $6 for college students. 

Saturday

– Recognizing Hall of Honor and alumni award winners, the Opening Celebration Breakfast features a welcome by President Susan Schultz Huxman.

– A Hall of Honor Ceremony at the MainStage Theater from 10-11 a.m. will celebrate this year’s inductees.

– New to this year’s lineup of events, the Royal City Celebration invites all class reunions, affinity groups, department and club gatherings to follow the yellow brick road for food, fellowship, and fun! Meal tickets to the gathering, held from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Thomas Plaza and the Front Lawn, are $20 for adults and $9 for children ages 5 to 11. *

– See Royals athletics in action on the brand new Turf Field with Field Hockey vs. Sweet Briar at noon, Women’s Soccer vs. Guilford at 3 p.m., and Men’s Soccer vs. Lynchburg at 6 p.m. The Women’s Volleyball team takes on Lynchburg in Yoder Arena at 2 p.m.

– Prepare to be impacted, influenced and inspired at the annual EMU TenTalks. Modeled on TED Talks presentations, this event in Suter Science Center 106 from 2-3 p.m. features alumna and novelist Ashley Mellinger ’24; Adesola Johnson, senior biology major; and Dr. Mark Metzler Sawin, EMU professor of history, speaking for 10 minutes each with a Q&A at the end. * ⓕ

– Turn out for the new track & field complex dedication at 3:30 p.m.

– “Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical.” Another chance to catch this exhilarating spectacle starting at 7 p.m. in the Studio Theater.

Sunday

– Worship with EMU Chamber Singers at 9:30 a.m. at Park View Mennonite Church.

– “Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical.” A third and final showing of the epic rock musical, capping Homecoming and Family Weekend 2024, starts at 7 p.m.

*Registration required

Based on Disney’s beloved 1989 animated classic, the stage musical premiered on Broadway in 2008. Ariel, a young mermaid princess played by senior Afton Rhodes-Lehman, dreams of the world above the sea and falls in love with a human, Prince Eric — played by senior Thaddeus Jackson — much to the dismay of her father, King Triton. She makes a deal with Ursula, a half-octopus sea witch played by community member Holly Hanks Wanta, and gives up her voice in exchange for a chance to become human and win Prince Eric’s heart. But, she only has three days to find true love; if she fails in her quest, her soul will belong to Ursula. 

“It’s been an exciting new world to dive into,” said Rhodes-Lehman, who grew up wearing Ariel-themed bracelets and sketching pictures of the Disney princess in her notebooks. “I feel like every kid grows up with that one movie idol and for me it was Ariel. Although, this version of Ariel is deeper and more fleshed-out than the one in the movies.”

The show is directed and produced by EMU Theatre Program Director Justin Poole with music direction from EMU faculty member Kyle Remnant and longtime collaborators Angie Clemens and Jim Clemens. It features a multigenerational cast and crew ranging in age from elementary through high school, as well as EMU students, staff, alumni and community members. Rounding out the artistic staff are EMU student Thomas Erickson (light operator), EMU faculty/staff members Shannon Dove (tech director) and Rachel Herrick (costume designer), EMU alums Jareya Harder ’22 (stage manager) and Robert Weaver ’18 (lighting designer), guest sound technician Tom Carr and resident choreographer Ellie de Waal.

The show features crowd-pleasing hits such as “Under the Sea,” “Part of Your World” and “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” and a number of new songs only found in the musical.

“It’s an immersive experience with a Broadway score that has a gravitas and beauty that surpasses what you find in both film adaptations,” said Poole, adding that there is plenty of interaction between the audience and cast. “It truly feels like a big Broadway production in terms of the musical and dance numbers.”

A painted backdrop behind the stage allows for cutouts and puppets to add another dimension to the story. The show opens with a group of children in front of the backdrop playing out scenes from “The Little Mermaid” with character puppets. As the overture music swells, the play comes to life on a stage that is transformed into an underwater world featuring sea creatures and three-fourths of the set made from recycled materials and found objects.

A treasure chest doubles as a sailing ship gliding across the stage on wheels. An assortment of umbrellas, rakes and beach balls piece together to form a giant fish during a rendition of “Under the Sea.” When Ariel is saving Prince Eric from his shipwreck, an enormous piece of white fabric combined with strobe lights faithfully recreates the effects of a thunderstorm at sea.

“We’re putting on a massive, elaborate spectacle on a shoestring budget,” said Poole. “That’s the magic of it.”

The musical is geared toward all ages, with singing along from the audience encouraged.

Tickets are $6-$10 for students and children and $18-$20 for adults and seniors. For tickets, visit /theatre/program/calendar.

Based on a scandalous slice of Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace,” this “lively, intelligent and utterly engrossing” (Time Out New York) sung-through musical adaptation by celebrated composer Dave Malloy premiered at Ars Nova in New York City in 2012. It debuted Off-Broadway the same year and on Broadway in 2016. Audience engagement has always been part of the show, and EMU Theater’s production is no exception. Breaking down barriers between audience and actors, this immersive experience features a cast of 11 students, alumni, faculty/staff, and community members singing and dancing to and with theatergoers who are seated around tables and an octagonal bar with an orchestra pit.

“It’s a cabaret café-like environment, and the workers of the cabaret café are serving up popcorn and non-alcoholic drinks and telling the story of ‘Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812’ from ‘War and Peace’” said EMU Theater faculty director Justin Poole.

Young and impulsive, Natasha Rostova—played by junior Spanish language & Hispanic studies and writing studies double major Hannah Landis (3/31, 4/13 and 4/15) and junior political science and sociology double major Greta Schrag (4/1, 4/14 and 4/16)—arrives in Moscow to await the return of her fiancé from the front lines. When she falls under the spell of the roguish Anatole, it is up to a family friend in the middle of an existential crisis, Pierre­—played by alumnus math major and music minor Joe Seitz ’22—to pick up the pieces of her shattered reputation.

“At a base level, it’s a fun show to be in and watch,” said Schrag, who is preparing for her vocally-challenging role with the help of EMU voice teacher Olivia Rominiyi. “At a deeper level, it’s a story about love and humanity and what it means to physically interact with the people around you.”

Cast members perform the role of one or two named characters and in the ensemble, wearing costumes that combine period and punkish-style elements—and singing songs that combine the feel of Indie folk-rock and electronic dance music with Russian folk and classical sounds, according to music directors Angela Clemens and Jim Clemens.

Rounding out the artistic staff are EMU students Alexis Lewis and Sarah Peak (stage managers), EMU faculty/staff members Shannon Dove (scene design) and Rachel Herrick (costume design), EMU alum and graduate student Hailey Holcomb ’17 (production assistant), EMU alumnus and guest lighting designer Robert Weaver ’18, and resident choreographer Ellie de Waal.

Tickets are $18-$20. For tickets, visit or call the EMU Box Office at (540) 432-4582.

“Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals.

NOTE: Paul Pinto, who originated the role of Balaga and was the associate music director in the Broadway production of “Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812,” will be the talkback speaker following the April 15 @ 7 p.m. and April 16 @ 2 p.m. performances.

‘Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812′ Cast                                                      

Natasha Rostova | Hannah Landis and Greta Schrag

Pierre Bezukhov | Joseph Seitz

Sonya Rostova | Afton Rhodes-Lehman

Marya Dmitriyevna | Holly Hanks Wanta

Anatole Kuragin | Adam Hoover

Andre Bolkonsky/Old Prince Bolkonsky | Jacob Nissley

Balaga | Bradley Kirkdorffer

Hélène Bezukhova | Eileen Hernon

Fedya Dolokhov | Marc Dowdy

Mary Bolkonsky/Female Opera Singer | Grace Altman