‘The desire to belong’
Cady Heron has danced with nomads and scaled Kilimanjaro. In “Mean Girls,” the Kenya-raised teenager faces her greatest challenge yet: American high school. WashU’s Performing Arts Department will present the celebrated musical in Edison Theatre Oct. 22 to 25.
Hotchner Festival highlights WashU playwrights
Three new plays by Chinonso Anyanwu, Anna Schwartz and Frauke Thielecke will receive world premiere staged readings Sept. 19 and 20 as part of the 2026 A.E. Hotchner Playwriting Festival.
‘The Color Purple’ opens Black Rep’s 50th season
The Black Rep will launch its 50th anniversary season Sept. 11 with the Tony Award-winning musical “The Color Purple” in WashU’s Edison Theatre.
Das’ ‘Faith, Family and Flag’ wins book award
Joanna Dee Das, an associate professor of performing arts in WashU Arts & Sciences, has won the 2026 Book Award from the International Society for the Study of Musicals.
Steven Isserlis and Connie Shih perform April 30
British cellist Steven Isserlis and Canadian pianist Connie Shih will perform the music of Beethoven, Schumann, Kabalevsky and Kaprálová Thursday, April 30, as part of WashU’s Great Artists Series.
AI and Creativity
What does AI mean for the future of human creativity? Janet Rafner of the University of Southern Denmark in Odense, an expert in hybrid intelligence and human–AI co-creativity, joins Sandro Galea to discuss AI’s role in the creative space.
Janet Rafner
Major gift strengthens WashU’s Shakespeare summer program
Alumni Lesley Malin and Scott Helm have made a $1.35 million gift to support WashU’s annual summer theater program at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London, which is hosted by the Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences.
WashU Dance Collective presents ‘Alchemy’
The WashU Dance Collective, the resident dance company of the Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences, will present “Alchemy,” an evening of new and original choreography, April 10 and 11 in Edison Theatre.
Catalyst Quartet to perform April 12
Acclaimed Grammy-winning ensemble the Catalyst Quartet will perform works by Florence Price, Libby Larsen and Antonín Dvořák for WashU’s Great Artists Series April 12.
WashU announces 2026-27 Great Artists Series
The Department of Music in WashU Arts & Sciences has announced the lineup for its 2026-27 Great Artists Series. The series will include five regular-season performances as well as a special 10th anniversary celebration with Grammy-winning pianist Yuja Wang.
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