Centre Stage hopes to build on record-breaking year with 2023-24 season

Penn State Centre Stage (PSCS) saw record-breaking ticket sales in 2022-23, creating excitement heading into the 2023-24 season, which kicks off on Aug. 30. Through five productions from October 2022 to March 2023, PSCS, the professional arm of the School of Theatre, sold just more than 12,000 tickets, besting the previous high by about 2,000 tickets. The program returned to performing live shows during the 2021-22 season following COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. According to Rick Lombardo, director of the School of Theatre, the return to live productions has energized the local theatre community. “To set an all-time sales record in just our second year back speaks to the hunger for theatre and live connection that exists in both our on-campus and off-campus communities,” Lombardo said. Following the banner year, Lombardo said the 2023-24 production line-up is creating excitement for what the season holds. PSCS will put on eight productions in addition to a sneak preview event on Aug. 30 at 5:30 p.m. in the Playhouse Theatre. This sneak preview will showcase pieces from the eight shows and give the audience a taste of what is to come this season. Tickets for the event can be purchased online. The lineup for this year includes: “Hit the Wall,” a play telling the story of the historic Stonewall Riots; “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812,” an electro pop opera that tells the story of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace; “Bonnets: How Ladies of Good Breeding are Induced to Murder,” a rock ‘n roll story of love, lust and jealousy; Charles Dickens' “A Christmas Carol,” the classic Christmas story that PSCS and the School of Theatre are putting on as a benefit event; “Urinetown,” a musical satire on modern society; “Tartuffe,” a satire on religious hypocrisy; “Bernarda Alba,” a musical retelling of The House of Bernarda Alba; and “Falsettos,” a musical highlighting the life of a modern family. The season kicks off with “Hit the Wall'' on Oct. 3. Tickets are $23 for the evening shows, $20 for preview/matinees and $15 for students. Ticket prices vary for each show this season and can be purchased at https://wpsu1-psu-arts.pantheonsite.io/outreach/penn-state-centre-stage/