Geneseo performing arts announces 2026-27 season
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For the first time, The Lamron is announcing SUNY Geneseo’s upcoming fully produced theatrical season—one that brings a clear theme, thoughtful selection process, and a strong sense of community to the stage.
The Department for the Performing Arts has officially revealed its 2026-27 lineup, centered around the theme, women writers. The season will feature two musicals and one play, each exploring relationships, storytelling, and the idea of both family and chosen family. “The theme of our season is women writers, so the two musicals and the play are all written by women,” said Sara Singer, a junior musical theatre major and one of the musical theatre representatives involved in the selection process.
The season will open with Little Women: The Musical, running Feb. 3 to 7, 2027, in the Robert E. Sinclair Black Box Theatre. Directed and choreographed by Scott Scaffidi with music direction by Don Kot, Coordinator of Musical Theatre and Chair of the Play Selection Committee, the show brings Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel to life through a more intimate, character-driven production.
In the spring, the department will stage Once Upon a Mattress from Apr. 14 to 18, 2027, in the Alice Austin Theatre. Directed by Melanie Blood, the Dean for Workforce Development & Associate Provost for Curriculum, with choreography by Katie LeSuer and music direction by Don Kot, the larger-scale musical offers a comedic, high-energy contrast to the winter production.
Closing out the season is Matt & Ben, a play by Mindy Kaling and Brenda Withers, running May 6 to 9, 2027 in the Robert E. Sinclair Black Box Theatre. Known for its gender-bent casting and comedic take on Hollywood’s Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, the show rounds out the season’s focus on relationships and storytelling.
According to Don Kot, the shows were chosen not only for their artistic value, but also for how they connect thematically. “Other themes that came up for us were family and chosen family,” he explained, “the March sisters in Little Women—it’s about family, Once Upon a Mattress is family and chosen family… and then Matt & Ben is chosen family.”
The selection process itself is far from simple. Each year, a committee made up of faculty, staff, and students works together to narrow down a long list of potential shows. Joan Floriano, the Coordinator of Voice, described the process as highly collaborative. “We meet, and we talk, and we try to honor what the students are interested in first,” she said.
Student input plays a major role in shaping the final decision. Representatives are elected by their peers and bring feedback directly into discussions. “When we have some names of shows,” Singer explained, “we ask around and see what people are interested in doing. What gets excitement is really the biggest thing.”
From there, the committee works to balance artistic ambition with practical considerations. Brendan Doyle, the Technical Director for the department, emphasized the importance of feasibility. “Part of my role… is just to assess what is within our grasp and what we can meaningfully put on stage and really support,” he said. “I want to make sure that whatever we are setting ourselves up for, everyone’s gonna be in a good place to succeed.”
That balance leads to a season that is both creatively exciting and achievable. “It’s all a very comprehensive process, we really are thoughtful about it,” Floriano added. “We narrow it down from a very long list, and we really think it through in every aspect.” The process begins with a wide range of possibilities: “I think we started with at least a dozen options for each of these slots in the season,” Doyle noted, “that we’ve whittled down to one each.”
Beyond the shows themselves, accessibility and inclusion remain central to the department’s mission. “These shows are open to the whole campus [to audition for],” Kot said, emphasizing that participation is not limited to theatre or musical theatre majors. “For the past many years, we’re so happy to have non-majors in our shows… they were such an addition.”
Auditions for the 2026-27 season will take place in Fall 2026, beginning with Little Women on Oct. 7, followed by Once Upon a Mattress on Oct. 21. Additional information will be shared as the dates approach.
As the department looks ahead to the new season, one thing is clear: the productions are not just about performance, but about collaboration, representation, and storytelling that resonates with both performers and audiences.
Students interested in getting involved or learning more can follow the musical theatre program on Instagram at @geneseo_musicaltheatre or visit the SUNY Geneseo website for more updates.