Enjoy a night at the theater in Tattnall Square Center for the Arts with Mercer University student actors, directors, designers, writers and stage managers at the helm. The 2025-26 Mercer Theatre season empowers student creators to take leadership in vital areas on stage and behind the scenes, with senior capstone projects assisting the lineup.
“Our fall season is guided by student interests, featuring productions that showcase senior capstone projects in acting and directing,” said Frani Rollins, associate professor of theatre. “Having students who contribute so grandly to a Mercer Theatre season in their final year always makes the department stronger and more vibrant.”
Rollins said the two announced titles are bold, unique and for adult audiences only: “They are productions you simply will not find being produced anywhere else in Middle Georgia.”
In the spring, a show will be devised with students and community members as a collaborative project. More details on the subject matter, dates and location will become available later this year.
“Each performance, and the transitions in between, will ask a lot of our space and production team,” Rollins said. “We recognize the incredible growth and potential that comes from this challenge, and our program’s strength in collaborating effectively with students, staff and faculty will help us rise to the occasion.”
Mercer Theatre welcomes anyone to get involved in its productions, even those who have not taken a theater class. To participate, contact Rollins at rollins_f@mercer.edu.
Mercer Theatre 2025-26 Season
Gidion’s Knot
By Johnna Adams
7:30 p.m. Sept. 11-14 and Sept. 18-20 | 2:30 p.m. Sept. 14 and Sept. 21
A grieving mother and a middle school teacher engage in a tense and emotionally charged parent-teacher conference following the tragic suicide of a young boy. As the conversation unfolds, painful truths about the student, his writing, and the adults around him are revealed. The play explores themes of grief, responsibility, and the blurred lines between creativity and appropriateness.
A Night at the Grand Guignol: The Crimson Stage, When My Body Cried Out
By Angie Taylor Anderson
7:30 p.m. Oct. 31, Nov. 1-2 and Nov. 6-8 | 2:30 p.m. Nov. 2 and Nov. 9
Inspired by the shock and spectacle of The Grand Guignol (a historic form of French horror), this original production dives into the macabre with a series of short, visceral plays that explore humanity’s darkest impulses. Blending horror, humor and theatrical illusion, the show confronts audiences with tales of madness, revenge and the grotesque. It’s a thrilling homage to early horror theater that challenges the line between terror and entertainment.
A Devised Work
Show times, dates and location TBD
This free, community-devised production builds on the legacy of a past outdoor spectacle, inviting local voices to reimagine its themes through fresh stories and collective creativity. Developed in collaboration with student artists, faculty and staff, and local community members, the performance blends movement, music, puppetry and visual storytelling in an immersive outdoor setting. Celebrating shared experience and imagination, the piece transforms public space into a stage for connection, reflection and celebration for all ages.
