Forbes Center for the Performing Arts

The current cast members of the Emmy-nominated television show Whose Line Is It Anyway? are proud to present their new improv tour Whose Live Anyway? The show is 90 minutes of hilarious improvised comedy and song, all based on audience suggestions, featuring Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Jeff B. Davis and Joel Murray. More

The American family takes center stage in this haunting and humorous work by rising playwright Stephen Karam. Winner of the 2016 Tony Award for Best Play, The Humans is “truly remarkable and exceptionally moving…a play about the horrors of ordinary life, and the love we need to counter them.” (Chicago Tribune) Features students from JMU’s School of Theatre and Dance. More

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Imagine you’re a million miles from Earth, your rocket ship breaks open, and now you’re floating in space with only 40 minutes of air left in your tank. Faced with this crisis, playwright and science fiction guru Ray Bradbury conjures up a fascinating story of life, fate, purpose, and death. Contains violence and strobe lighting. More

Celebrate 25 years of Rent with songs like “Seasons of Love” and “One Song Glory” in this pulsating production featuring students from JMU’s School of Theatre and Dance and School of Music! This Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical follows a year in the life of a group of bohemians in the East Village of New York City struggling to survive and create amidst the HIV/AIDS crisis. More

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On a late summer weekend, five siblings gather in their family homestead for a relaxing, kids-free get-together. Eventually, they debate on who should own the house and grapple with the most important question of all: what makes a family? Meanwhile, the house itself is reliving memories, too, in this world premiere by JMU student playwright Juleanna Green. Contains adult language. More

This neoclassical operatic gem by celebrated composer Igor Stravinsky features music that is some of his “most ingenious.” (The New York Times). The 1951 English opera is based on a series of 18th-century paintings by William Hogarth that depict the hellish rise and fall of the merchant and heir Tom Rakewell, a young man to whom it all comes too easily—and the inevitable price he has to pay. More

Cherokee actor and activist DeLanna Studi embarked on a six-week, 900-mile journey with her father along the Trail of Tears to retrace the path her great-great-grandparents took during the forced relocation of 17,000 Cherokee from their homelands in the 1830s. The result: her memoir and critically-acclaimed solo play AND SO WE WALKED. More

This effervescent musical theatre revue features JMU musical theatre students performing songs you know and love from your favorite Disney, Pixar, and other classic family movies. This one-hour “Forbes Family Fun” show is perfect for audiences of all ages. A 2 pm Sensory-Friendly Performance is being offered in partnership with JMU’s Office of Disability Services. More

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Enjoy a memorable evening of scenes, arias and duets from your favorite operas! JMU Opera Theater students will perform songs from operas like Puccini’s La Bohème and Madama Butterfly, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, Verdi’s Rigoletto and La Traviata, and Rossini’s The Barber of Seville. More

This “wildly-entertaining” (New York Daily News) musical showstopper features sizzling songs, dazzling dance numbers and a tantalizing tabloid tale! With a sassy score and Fosse-inspired jazz dance style, Chicago won six Tonys, including Best Revival of a Musical. This razzle-dazzle smash hit features students in JMU’s School of Theatre and Dance and School of Music. More

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Direct from Sydney Opera House, Meeting Mozart follows the journey of the mischievous musical wunderkind, his wife and muse Constanze, and a string quartet to discover some of his best-known and beloved music—from variations on “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” to his large-scale orchestral pieces. CDP Theatre Producers is Australia’s largest producer of high-quality theatre for young audiences. More

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Wisconsin Poet Laureate and Milwaukee’s 2021 Artist of the Year, Dasha Kelly Hamilton is a widely-respected writer, performance artist and creative change agent. In Makin’ Cake, she slices into American history, exploring race, culture and class in a refreshing and fun way. Dessert and dialogue with a cake reception will follow the performance. More

Considered one of the greatest operas of the 17th century, The Coronation of Poppea is Monteverdi’s final masterpiece. Composed in 1642, the Italian opera uses elegantly-crafted music of the Baroque era to paint a portrait of human beings wrestling with the demands of lust, honor, power and rank. Sung in Italian with English subtitles. More

When a scientist gives factory-produced, biological “replicants” the ability to feel pain, everything begins to slip out of the humans’ control. As humans lose the ability to reproduce and the robots become resentful of their position, the survival of humanity and humankind are at stake. R.U.R. gave the world the word “robot” and features students from JMU’s School of Theatre and Dance. More

JoWell-known comedian, actor, and mad scientist David Epley is his klutzy yet loveable alter ego Doktor Kaboom—with spiky hair, goofy goggles, and an extravagant German accent—in this riotous romp through an explosive lineup of science experiments that will make you erupt with laughter and bubble over with curiosity. Grab your safety goggles and lab coat for this interactive, family-friendly show. More

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