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Pair of Pulitzer Prize Recipients to Bookend 2026-27 Lindsey Wilson University Theatre Season

LWU theatre season to feature 'Proof,' 'Secret Garden,' 'Darker the Night, Brighter the Stars,' 'Sanders Family Christmas' and 'Rent.'

by Duane Bonifer

COLUMBIA, Ky. (08/12/2026) — Two iconic stories of the American stage are among the five productions scheduled for the 2026-27 theatre season at Lindsey Wilson University.

In addition to David Auburn's award-winning drama "Proof" and the rock musical "Rent" by Jonathan Larson, Lindsey Wilson will present the musical adaptation of the classic children's story "The Secret Garden" with lyrics by Louisville, Kentucky, native Marsha Norman; John Cariani's new play, "Darker the Night, Brighter the Stars;" and the musical comedy "Sanders Family Christmas," a sequel to the bluegrass gospel musical "Smoke on the Mountain."

All productions, which are open to the public, will be held in V.P. Henry Auditorium.

"This season is full of energy and compelling stories that will engage audiences on several levels," said Lindsey Wilson theatre professor Robert Brock, who is also director of the university's theatre program. "It's also a season that will have a lot of opportunities for students who want to get involved with the university's theatre program."

'Proof' opens season

Auburn's "Proof" will open the season with performances from Oct. 29-Nov. 1. The winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play, "Proof" is about the daughter of a recently deceased mathematical genius who is struggling with her mathematical genius and possible mental illness. This will be the second time Lindsey Wilson has presented the play, the first production occurring in fall 2014.

"I think it's one of the best plays written in the last 40 years," said Brock, who will direct the play.

"The Secret Garden" is based on the 1911 novel of the same name by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The musical adaptation features the music of the late Lucy Simon, sister of pop singer Carly Simon, and lyrics by the Pulitzer Prize-winning Norman.

It will be presented Nov. 12-15 to the public as well as to area schools during the week of Nov. 9.

"'The Secret Garden' is such a beautiful story," said graduate assistant Kassidy Phelps '24, who will direct it. "It's also an inspiring story full of joy and not giving up. And the music is absolutely beautiful."

Cariani's "Darker the Night, Brighter the Stars" is the third installment of what's become his Maine seasonal quartet, which also includes "Almost, Maine" and "Last Gas." The Lindsey Wilson Department of Theatre has produced "Almost, Maine," along with Cariani's comedy "Love/Sick."

"Darker the Night, Brighter the Stars" will be presented Nov. 19-22.

Like "Almost, Maine," "Darker the Night, Brighter the Stars" is set in the mythical northernmost town of Almost, Maine, and it features several loosely connected touching vignettes about relationships.

"John Cariani's writing has such a great, quirky sense of humor," said Brock, who will direct "Darker the Night, Brighter the Stars." "His scenes are touching because they're about people who have to connect in different ways, which audiences can relate to."

The fall semester will close with "Sanders Family Christmas" from Dec. 3-6. Brock said he chose to direct the musical comedy -- which is a sequel to the Connie Ray and Alan Bailey bluegrass gospel musical "Smoke on the Mountain" -- because of the popularity of "Smoke on the Mountain" the two times it was presented.

In "Sanders Family Christmas," the setting is once again Mount Pleasant, North Carolina, but this time it takes place on Christmas Eve 1941, 17 days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Songs featured include "I Wonder as I Wander," the American Christmas carol and folk hymn by famed Louisville folklorist and singer John Jacob Niles.

"The show has Christmas combined with a very touching story," said Brock. "It's a reminder how music can bring people together in a dark world."

'Rent' in the spring

Larson's mega-Broadway hit "Rent" will be presented April 21-25. A rock musical loosely based on Giacomo Puccini's opera "La Boheme," "Rent" became a cultural force during the dozen years and more than 5,000 performances it ran on Broadway. It received a plethora of honors, including a Pulitzer Prize and four Tony Awards.

Although set at the end of the 1980s and populated by characters from Generation X, "Rent" has resonated with subsequent generations, whose members have found new meaning in its storylines.

"Some people might say that a story set nearly 40 years ago is dated, but 'Rent' is not more dated than 'La Boheme,' which debuted in the late-1890s," said Brock. "It's a timeless, powerful story because it's about young people who are living on the edge and trying to figure out what life is about."

For ticket information about Lindsey Wilson's 2026-27 season, go to lindsey.edu/theatre or contact the Lindsey Wilson Theatre Department at theatre@lindsey.edu or 270-384-8044.

Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson offers 30 undergraduate majors, five graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university's 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.

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The 2026-27 Lindsey Wilson University Theatre season will open with David Auburn’s award-winning drama “Proof,” which was last produced at Lindsey Wilson in fall 2014 (pictured).

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