Guess Who's Coming to Dinner at Visual and Performing Arts Center at WCSU

About the Show

A progressive white couple's proud liberal sensibilities are put to the test when their daughter brings her black fiance home to meet them. Blindsided by their daughter's whirlwind romance and fearful for her future, Matt and Christina Drayton quickly come to realize the difference between supporting a mixed-race couple in your newspaper and welcoming one into your family -- especially in 1967.

Special Captioned Performance on 5/11

The 2 p.m. performance of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner on Sunday, May 11 will be accompanied by supertitles for the hearing impaired, providing complete text captions of dialogue and important sound cues to ensure full accessibility for everyone in the audience.

Community Conversation After 5/10 Matinee

Join us immediately following the matinee performance on Saturday, May 10 for our Community Conversation with the director, cast, crew, and special guests Dr. Marisa Calvi-Rogers and Ben West. The conversation will be hosted by faculty dramaturg Dr. Donald P. Gagnon, and moderated by student dramaturgs Donovan Shaw and Oiara Quichiz. Admission to the Community Conversation is included with your ticket purchase to this performance.

Dr. Marisa Calvi-Rogers is a long-time educator. Following a successful career in the insurance industry she became a Business and Marketing teacher at Southington High School, Assistant Principal at Bristol Central High School and Principal at Bristol Eastern High School. After retiring, she works as a Marketing Adjunct at Connecticut State Community College at Three Rivers and as the Education Coordinator at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook. Dr. Calvi-Rogers earned her BA in Economics at Albertus Magnus College, MBA at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Sixth Year and Doctorate in Education Leadership from CCSU.

Ben West is a musical theatre artist and historian. His book, The American Musical, published by Routledge in 2024, chronicles a detailed and comprehensive history of the art form’s artistic evolution. He created twenty “Timeline Wall” exhibits for the Museum of Broadway that trace the history of the Broadway stage from 1732 to 2021 and highlight more than 500 productions and 100 artists. He has worked in various capacities on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regionally, and created and directed Unsung Carolyn Leigh for Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series. West has lectured and spoken at several institutions including Yale University, University of Michigan, the Dramatists Guild, and the Shubert Organization. He is a recipient of Lincoln Center’s Martin E. Segal Award. BenWestMusicals.com

About the Visual and Performing Arts Center

The Visual and Performing Arts Center at Western Connecticut State University is the premiere educational arts facility in the region. This $98,000,000, 130,000 square foot arts center boasts a multitude of dynamic spaces to delight audiences and invigorate artists. Facilities include the 350-seat Veronica Hagman Concert Hall which features three-tiered, 360 degree seating, the 350-seat MainStage Theatre, the versatile Studio Theatre, and the stunning and vibrant Art Gallery. All spaces are equipped with the finest technology in the arts industry, enhancing the work that appears on stage and on exhibition. This state-of-the-art center provides immeasurable creative and collaborative opportunities for students, faculty and patrons. Since opening in 2014, the Visual and Performing Arts Center has solidified its reputation of offering Broadway-caliber theatre and renowned jazz and classical concerts with affordable ticket prices, and innovative gallery exhibitions at no cost to the community.