Category: Play

Play Submissions for The Theatre Co. of the Ozarks being accepted now through December 31!

Accepting Submissions here!

The Theatre Co. of the Ozarks is now accepting play submissions here for their 2025/2026 season! Please email tc***********@***il.com for any questions that the form doesn’t answer!

It’s that time of the year again: play submission time! You may submit today through December 31st!

Non-directors, now would be the time to start flattering the directors, bringing them coffee from Six Sisters, buying them cupcakes from The Cake Shop, etc., if you want them to choose a certain play! 😜

In all seriousness, if you are *not* an Ozark Arts Council-approved director but would like to see a specific show, there is a list of approved directors that you may choose from and submit.

OAC-Approved Directors: please make sure you are as detailed as possible when filling out the form! Happy rights and royalties hunting!

Auditions: Thursday September 18 at 6:00pm and Sunday September 21 at 2:00pm for The Christmas Tree Farm

Auditions! Thursday, September 18 at 6pm and Sunday, September 21 at 2PM for The Christmas Tree Farm!

Auditions for The Christmas Tree Farm will be held at 12 Oaks Estate at 7210 AR 7 in Harrison. Performance dates are December 11-14, 2025.  

Please register by clicking HERE to audition!

The Requirements

  • Only those auditioning may be present, unless the auditioner is a minor.
  • Sides for cold reads will be chosen by the director.
  • Ages 16 and up ONLY.

The Story

The Christmas Tree Farm will be performed as dinner theatre (as well as a brunch and charcuterie/dessert theatre) Live at the Twelve Oaks December 11-14. December 11 at 6:00pm will be a charcuterie and dessert theatre, December 12 and 13 at 6:00pm will be a dinner theatre, December 13 and 14 at 1:00pm will be a brunch theatre (please note that there are 2 (two) performances on December 13.

A series of vignettes, mostly love stories, taking place at a Christmas tree farm, including a breakup, a breakdown, a meet cute, four Santas, a film director, high school sweethearts, and some carolers. A holiday play about love and joy.

Please register to audition at our ticketing page!

Thank you for supporting the Arts and good luck!

Next to Normal, April 10–11 & 17–18 at 7pm, April 12 & 19 at 2pm! #LiveAtTheLyric!

The Ozark Arts Council Presents:

Next to Normal

Friday–Saturday, April 10–11 & 17–18, 7:00PM
Sunday, April 12 & 19, 2:00PM

The Ozark Arts Council and NorthArk Drama present 3-time Tony Award-Winning Next to Normal performed at the Historic 1929 Lyric Theater April 10–11 and 17–18 at 7:00PM, April 12 and 19 at 2:00PM. Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors (55+) and students, and $11 for children (11 and under), when bought in advance; prices rise $4 if purchased at the door—$19 for adults, $17 for seniors and students, and $15 for children. Tickets will be on sale soon!

Next to Normal, with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt, explores how one suburban household copes with crisis and mental illness. Winner of three 2009 Tony Awards, including Best Musical Score and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize, Next to Normal was also chosen as “one of the year’s ten best shows” by critics around the country, including The Los AngelesTimes, The Washington Post, Rolling Stone and The New York Times.

Dad’s an architect; Mom rushes to pack lunches and pour cereal; their daughter and son are bright, wise-cracking teens, appearing to be a typical American family. And yet their lives are anything but normal because the mother has been battling bipolar disorder for 16 years. Next to Normaltakes audiences into the minds and hearts of each character, presenting their family’s story with love, sympathy and heart.

This deeply moving piece of theatre provides a wonderful opportunity for performers to explore dramatic material and showcase vocal talents with an energetic pop/rock score. Next to Normal is an emotional powerhouse that addresses such issues as grieving a loss, ethics in modern psychiatry, and suburban life and is ideal for community theatres, as well as colleges and regional theatre companies.

Join us at the Lyric for Next to Normal April 10–11 and 17–18 at 7:00PM, April 12 and 19 at 2:00PM. Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors (55+) and students, and $11 for children (11 and under), when bought in advance; prices rise $3 if purchased at the door—$18 for adults, $16 for seniors and students, and $14 for children. #LiveAtTheLyric. When tickets go on sale, they will be available here at TheLyric.org or by clicking any “Get Tickets” link.

If our ticketing area doesn’t appear below,
please tap/click here to Get Tickets!

Peter and the Starcatcher, June 12–13 & June 19–20 at 7pm, June 14 & 21 at 2pm! #LiveAtTheLyric!

The Ozark Arts Council Presents:

Peter and the Starcatcher

Friday–Saturday, June 12–13 & 19–20, 7:00PM
Sunday, Jun 14 & 21, 2:00PM

The Ozark Arts Council presents Peter and the Starcatcher performed at the Historic 1929 Lyric Theater June 12–13 and 19–20 at 7:00PM, June 14 and 21 at 2:00PM. Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors (55+) and students, and $11 for children (11 and under), when bought in advance; prices rise $4 if purchased at the door—$19 for adults, $17 for seniors and students, and $15 for children. Tickets will be on sale soon!

Tony-nominated Peter and the Starcatcher upends the century-old story of how a miserable orphan comes to be The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up (a.k.a. Peter Pan). A wildly theatrical adaptation of Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson’s best-selling novels, the play was conceived for the stage by directors Roger Rees and Alex Timbers and written by Rick Elice with music by Wayne Barker. From marauding pirates and jungle tyrants to unwilling comrades and unlikely heroes, Peter and the Starcatcher playfully explores the depths of greed and despair and the bonds of friendship, duty, and love.

A young orphan and his mates are shipped off from Victorian England to a distant island ruled by the evil King Zarboff. They know nothing of the mysterious trunk in the captain’s cabin, containing a precious, otherworldly cargo. At sea, the boys are discovered by a precocious young girl named Molly, a Starcatcher-in-training, who realizes that the trunk’s precious cargo is starstuff, a celestial substance so powerful it must never fall into the wrong hands. When the ship is taken over by pirates – led by the fearsome Black Stache, a villain determined to claim the trunk and its treasure for his own – the journey quickly becomes a thrilling adventure.

Join us for Peter and the Starcatcher performed at the Historic 1929 Lyric Theater June 12–13 and 19–20 at 7:00PM, June 14 and 21 at 2:00PM. Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors (55+) and students, and $11 for children (11 and under), when bought in advance; prices rise $3 if purchased at the door—$18 for adults, $16 for seniors and students, and $14 for children. TICKETS ON SALE SOON! #LiveAtTheLyric. When tickets are available, they will be here at TheLyric.org or by clicking any “Get Tickets” link.

If our ticketing area doesn’t appear below,
please tap/click here to Get Tickets!

Comedy & Dinner Theatre: The Christmas Tree Farm! Twelve Oaks Estate, October at 6:00pm and October 27, 2024 at 1:00pm

The Ozark Arts Council Presents:
The Christmas Tree Farm

Thursday December 11, 6:00pm 
with charcuterie and dessert preceding
Friday–Saturday, December 12–13, 6:00PM
with a full dinner preceding
Saturday–Sunday, December 13–14, 1:00PM
with brunch preceding

The Christmas Tree Farm will be performed at Twelve Oaks Estate on December 11 at 6:00PM (preceded by charcuterie and dessert), Friday–Saturday December 12–13 at 6:00pm (preceded by a full dinner), and Saturday–Sunday December 13–14 at 1:00PM (preceded by brunch). Please note: there are 2 performances on Saturday at 1:00pm (for brunch) and 6:00pm (for dinner).

Tickets: $50 – dinner; $40 – brunch; $30 – charcuterie/dessert. Tickets will be on sale soon!

“Isn’t it nice when something delivers precisely on what it promises? THE CHRISTMAS TREE FARM … is just such a considerate holiday present. An 80-minute rom-com full of meet-cutes and holiday charm, the play is a yummy Christmas cookie of a holiday show. The play is fun and often adorable, but that is not to call it trivial or without substance: this is by no means a plot rolled off the Hallmark Channel assembly line. Instead, playwright Adam Szymkowicz turns a warm, thoughtful eye on the people, relationships, and unavoidable tensions that weave themselves through a local tree farm.” ⁠—⁠NJ.com

A series of vignettes, mostly love stories, all take place at a Christmas tree farm owned by the narrator. From breakups to breakdowns, meet cutes to maybe too many Santas, this holiday play about love and joy will help put you in that holly jolly spirit while you get to feast on the delicious delights of Twelve Oaks dining.

The Christmas Tree Farm will be performed at Twelve Oaks Estate on December 11 at 6:00PM (preceded by charcuterie and dessert), Friday–Saturday December 12–13 at 6:00pm (preceded by a full dinner), and Saturday–Sunday December 13–14 at 1:00PM (preceded by brunch). Please note: there are 2 performances on Saturday at 1:00pm (for brunch) and 6:00pm (for dinner). Tickets on sale in November.

If our ticketing area doesn’t appear below,
please tap/click here to Get Tickets!

OAC Ticketing Link

Our Town, November 14–15 & November 21–22 at 7pm, November 16 & 23 at 2pm! #LiveAtTheLyric!

The Ozark Arts Council Presents:

Our Town

Friday–Saturday, November 14–15 & 21–22, 7:00PM
Sunday, November 16 & 23, 2:00PM

The Ozark Arts Council presents Thornton Wilder’s Our Town performed at the Historic 1929 Lyric Theater November 14–15 and 21–22 at 7:00PM, November 16 and 23 at 2:00PM. Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors (55+) and students, and $11 for children (11 and under), when bought in advance; prices rise $4 if purchased at the door—$19 for adults, $17 for seniors and students, and $15 for children. Tickets will be on sale soon!

This edition of the play differs only slightly from previous acting editions, yet it presents Our Town as Thornton Wilder wished it to be performed. Described by Edward Albee as “the greatest American play ever written,” Our Town presents the small town of Grover’s Corners in three acts: “Daily Life,” “Love and Marriage” and “Death and Eternity.” Narrated by a stage manager and performed with minimal props and sets, the play depicts the simple daily lives of the Webb and Gibbs families as their children fall in love, marry, and eventually – in one of the most famous scenes in American theatre – die. Thornton Wilder’s final word on how he wanted his play performed is an invaluable addition to the American stage and to the libraries of theatre lovers internationally.

Join us at the Lyric for Our Town November 14–15 and 21–22 at 7:00PM, November 16 and 23 at 2:00PM. Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors (55+) and students, and $11 for children (11 and under), when bought in advance; prices rise $4 if purchased at the door—$19 for adults, $17 for seniors and students, and $15 for children. Tickets will be on sale soon!

If our ticketing area doesn’t appear below,
please tap/click here to Get Tickets!

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, September 26–27 & October 3–4 at 7pm, September 28 & October 5 at 2pm! #LiveAtTheLyric!

The Ozark Arts Council Presents
a Musical Comedy:

The 25th Annual
Putnam County
Spelling Bee

Friday–Saturday
September 26–27 & October 3–4, 7:00PM
Sunday
September 28 & October 5, 2:00PM

The Ozark Arts Council presents Disney’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, performed live at the Historic 1929 Lyric Theater September 26–27 and October 3–4 at 7:00PM, September 28 and October 5 at 2:00PM. Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors (55+) and students, and $11 for children (11 and under), when bought in advance; prices rise $4 if purchased at the door—$19 for adults, $17 for seniors and students, and $15 for children. Tickets are on sale now!

Winner of the Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee has charmed audiences across the country with its effortless wit and humor. Featuring a fast-paced, wildly funny, and touching book by Rachel Sheinkin and a truly fresh and vibrant score by William Finn, this bee is one unforgettable experience.

An eclectic group of six mid-pubescents vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life un-affirming “ding” of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. Six spellers enter; one speller leaves a champion! (At least the losers get a juice box!)

A riotous ride, complete with audience participation, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a delightful den of comedic genius. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a fast-paced crowd pleaser and an instant theatre patron favorite.

Join us at the Lyric for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee September 26–27 and October 3–4 at 7:00PM, September 28 and October 5 at 2:00PM. Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors (55+) and students, and $11 for children (11 and under), when bought in advance; prices rise $4 if purchased at the door—$19 for adults, $17 for seniors and students, and $15 for children. #LiveAtTheLyric!

If our ticketing area doesn’t appear below,
please tap/click here to Get Tickets!

Auditions: Monday August 25 and Tuesday August 26 at 6:00pm for Our Town

Auditions! Monday, August 25 and Tuesday, August 26 at 6:00PM for

Our Town!

Auditions for Our Town will be held at North Ark College, room M134. Performance dates are November 14-16 and November 21-23, 2025.  

Please register by clicking HERE to audition!

The Requirements

  • Only those auditioning may be present, unless the auditioner is a minor.
  • Sides for cold reads will be chosen by the director.
  • Ages 8 and up ONLY.

The Story

Our Town will be performed Live at the Lyric November 14-15 and November 21-22, 2025 at 7:00PM, Sunday November 16 and November 17, 2025 at 2:00PM.

 

This edition of the play differs only slightly from previous acting editions, yet it presents Our Town as Thornton Wilder wished it to be performed. Described by Edward Albee as “the greatest American play ever written,” Our Town presents the small town of Grover’s Corners in three acts: “Daily Life,” “Love and Marriage” and “Death and Eternity.” Narrated by a stage manager and performed with minimal props and sets, the play depicts the simple daily lives of the Webb and Gibbs families as their children fall in love, marry, and eventually – in one of the most famous scenes in American theatre – die. Thornton Wilder’s final word on how he wanted his play performed is an invaluable addition to the American stage and to the libraries of theatre lovers internationally.

Please register to audition at our ticketing page!

Thank you for supporting the Arts and good luck!

Summer Workshop for kids!

The Summer Kidz Workshop is now taking applicants!

SIGN UP HERE!

We are excited to announce our upcoming summer workshop! We are now accepting applications for students ages 8 to 17. Applications are due by Monday June 30, 2025.

The dates are Monday-Thursday July 14-17 and July 21-24 from 1pm-4pm. We will provide snacks and water, but it is always a good idea to have your child bring their own water bottle and snacks if they prefer something in particular or have allergies.
The cost of the workshop is $25 per child. There are several scholarships available based on need. Please email us at in**@**************il.org if you feel you are in need of a scholarship.

This workshop will be a combination of mini workshops for improv, acting, set building, lighting design, and much more! They will be hosted by qualified and experienced adults and Theatre students in high school and college.

Please make plans to attend the mandatory parent/guardian meeting on Monday July 7 at 5:30pm to get all the info. Please bring your registered child(ren) so we can meet them! But don’t forget to register first!

Auditions: Saturday July 26 and Sunday July 27 at 6:00pm for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee!

Auditions! Saturday, July 26 and Sunday, July 27 at 6:00PM for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee!

Auditions for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will be held at The Historic 1929 Lyric Theater. Performance dates are September 26-28 and October 3-5, 2025. Ages 16 and up ONLY. 

Please register by clicking HERE to audition!

The Requirements

  • Only those auditioning may be present, unless the auditioner is a minor
  • Ages 16 and up ONLY.
  • Please prepare ONE 30 second to 1 minute portion of a song to sing that showcases your singing ability. We recommend songs from musical theatre, but anything that shows off your voice is acceptable. (You will be singing it a capella.) 
  • Please prepare a 1-2 minute comedic monologue (memorized if possible, but not required). If you are unable to find a monologue, directors will have a selection from which you may choose.
  • Sides for cold reads will be chosen by the director.
  • Auditions will consist of singing your song, reading your monologue, and cold reads.

The Story

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will be performed Live at the Lyric September 26-27 and October 3-4, 2025 at 7:00PM, Sunday September 28 and October 5, 2025 at 2:00PM.

Winner of the Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee has charmed audiences across the country with its effortless wit and humor. Featuring a fast-paced, wildly funny and touching book by Rachel Sheinkin and a truly fresh and vibrant score by William Finn, this bee is one unforgettable experience.

An eclectic group of six mid-pubescents vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life un-affirming “ding” of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. Six spellers enter; one speller leaves a champion! At least the losers get a juice box.

A riotous ride, complete with audience participation, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a delightful den of comedic genius. The small cast and unit set make this a perfect option for high schools or community theatres. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a fast-paced crowd pleaser and an instant theatre patron favorite.

Please register to audition at our ticketing page!

Thank you for supporting the Arts and good luck!