Christopher Michael Kadden

Opening night at the South Bend Civic Theatre's In The Heights a highly anticipated production for the local community theatre. The run has been completely sold out and the audience is lively while we wait for the show to begin. Scenic designer Kyle Chamberlin has done an incredible job with the design for this show. As you walk into the theatre you feel as if Washington Heights has been brought to life with every detail of the set from the crosswalk to the ATM machine. Before the show began Executive Director Aaron Nichols talked about the year long process of the show and how the theatre had reached out the local latino communities to bring in a more diverse cast. The South Bend Civic Theatre has done a good job casting this show and bringing in a new audience as well.

University of Notre Dame Film, Television and Theatre present a stellar production of Karen Zacarias Native Gardens a dark comedy. The play takes place entirely in the backyards of a latinx couple that has just moved in and an elderly couple who have lived there for years. The scenic designer (Marcus Stephens) has done a wonderful job with the two backyards from which the audience is either on one couples side of the yard or the other. This at times was hard to see other scenes but the actors do their best with the space they are given.

Auditions for South Bend Civic Theatre's production of 'The Nerd' will be held on Sunday, March 4th and Monday March 5th at 6pm.

The University of Notre Dame's Department of Film, Television, and Theatre (FTT) announces Karen Zacarias' Native Gardens, a good-natured comedy about new neighbors, border walls, and what it means to be American, in the Philbin Studio Theatre at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, February 22 - March 4.

Enchanted Evening features professional musicians from across the country alongside familiar faces from past performances at South Bend Civic Theatre performing great love songs from the Broadway canon. From Rodgers and Hammerstein classics through musical comedy to modern rock, this concert will have something for every valentine.

South Bend Civic Theatre is proud to present God of Carnage. The production will run February 16-25 in the Civic's Warner Studio Theatre. God of Carnage was written by Yazmina Reza, with an English Translation by Christopher Hampton

On Friday, December 8th I had the pleasure of seeing Clay High School's production of Rent. I was a bit nervous to see a high school put on this Pulitzer and Tony winning musical that focuses on the aids epidemic of the 1980's and the many ways it affect everyone involved. Clay has done a great job shedding a positive light on this incredible show. The team Meaghan Beard (Director), Aaron Albin (Music Director), Mark Kosten (Choreographer) have put together a well oiled machine that both suites the show and the cast as whole. The choreography was well suited during moments of the show that sometimes lack due to context but they were able to use the ensemble in more ways that worked really well. The band was extraordinary to listen to throughout the show which was a difference from other high school shows. From time to time it was hard to hear the actors due to microphone issues which actors adjusted their volume. Other than that the show was very well received by audience members.