As 2021 draws to a close, so does the season of shows at Susquehanna Stage. This year’s theme was “Pulling Back the Curtain”. These were plays and musicals that took place either in or around theatre. What better way to celebrate a return to the stage after being dark for so long? 
The youth and teen production of Pippin began the 2021 season. This show is about a young prince on his search for meaning and significance, and was well-attended by family and community members alike.
Following Pippin was Noises Off, a hilarious comedy about a troupe of actors putting on a play called Nothing’s On. Audience members got to see the onstage and backstage happenings of this madcap crew of actors.
Next onstage was the grand summer theatre production of Follies. This piece centers around a crumbling theatre and a group of former performers that have come to reminisce one last time about their prior life in that theatre. This show, complete with show-stopping musical numbers, elaborate dances, and gorgeous costume design, sold out for several performances.
In the Fall, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) made its way to the stage. In ninety minutes, three actors performed every one of Shakespeare’s plays in an absolutely nonstop, hilarious manner. Audiences who hated Shakespeare and audiences who loved Shakespeare thoroughly enjoyed this show.
The most recent performance was the musical theater classic, Cabaret. Centering around the nightlife in 1930s Berlin and seeing the beginning of the rise of the Nazis to power, this show was beautiful, entertaining, and chilling. As one actor said, “it’s a funny show, until it’s not.”
Susquehanna’s final performance, coming to the stage from December 3rd through 12th, is All is Calm. This show, which is an all-male acapella musical about the WWI Christmas Truce of 1914, received rave reviews from audience members and sold out almost every show when it was performed at the theatre in 2016. The show is returning to the stage with most of the original cast and a few new faces!
In between the mainstage productions were staged readings in the Undercurrent series. These shows are one-night only staged readings of shows by contemporary playwrights, writing about relevant topics to today’s society. Each staged reading was well-attended, beautifully acted, and thought-provoking. In 2022, this series will return with five staged readings throughout the year.
Susquehanna Stage’s mainstage lineup in 2022 is entitled “A Season of Love”. The season will start in February with a one-weekend-only performance of Love Letters, followed by a teen production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in May. A Raisin in the Sun follows in June, and the big summer show (meow!) will open at the end of July. In the Fall, there will be a youth performance of James and the Giant Peach in September, and the play Agnes of God in October. To round out the year, there will be a musical that summarizes the theme of the season in December. Keep an eye out for the announcements of the Summer and Christmas shows, and they hope to see you in 2022!