With the return of many in-person events both on and off-campus, live performances are having a resurgence of their own. I’ve attended or plan to attend a fair amount recently, ranging between concerts, comedy shows, and theater performances. In fact, finding live shows has been made easy by the wonderful variety of talent brought to us by our campus partners and RSOs! If you’re looking for some activities where you can sit down and enjoy a good show without having to stray far from campus, then wait no longer, because UD’s RSOs provide a wide variety of live entertainment.
Concerts
As many may know, the Crew initially organized a concert for Wednesday, April 20th with Jack Harlow as the headliner. While the event was canceled due to a number of complications, the Crew goes above and beyond with their large-scale events that engage the entire campus community every year! More information can be found on their Instagram, @thecrewud, and at https://linktr.ee/thecrewud. That isn’t the only concert present on campus, though. Groups like “Take the Mic” organize concerts throughout the semester, oftentimes including local bands! They recently held one in Perkins Student Center, with a number of bands ranging in style between beach pop, slowcore, and indie emo. Be sure to check around the Student Centers for news about any other events like this one, especially the flyers on the walls and bulletins in Perkins and Trabant.
Theater
As fun as a good concert is, UD is also home to a wonderful theater scene! HTAC and E52 are two student theater groups on campus that each host two shows during each semester. I had the chance to see HTAC’s production of High School Musical and help usher show-goers back in March, and it was such a great time. HTAC will also be putting on The Wedding Singer in the Bacchus Theater below Perkins from April 29–May 1 and May 5–May 7 if you are interested in catching a performance! E-52 held performances of The Lottery and No Exit recently in Bacchus, and performed She Kills Monsters on April 29 and April 30. Having seen previous work of theirs, such as the musical Assassins, I’m not surprised that it was a fantastic show. The Resident Ensemble Players (REP) is another source of live theater. The Resident Ensemble Players are a group of professional actors who perform near the Amy E. DuPont music building at the Roselle Center for the Arts (CFA), and they put on excellent shows. I had the opportunity to see a performance of August: Osage County put on by the REP back in 2019 with my UNIV class, and I’m so glad I got to. They’ll be performing Yeah Baby from April 21 through May 8, and I highly encourage everyone to take the opportunity to see it.
Variety
Finally, there are many live performances that can fall under other categories. A capella groups like the MelUDees and Deltones occasionally do live performances, providing a musical experience alternative to concerts or musical theater. There are also improv groups on campus hosting comedy events throughout the year, like the Rubber Chickens. One can find a combination of music and comedy in WVUD’s open mic nights, which provide all sorts of live entertainment; the most recent open mic hosted musical performances, stand-up routines, and even some poetry! Lastly, the Lavender Programming Board hosted a drag show on April 28; while I’ve yet to have the opportunity to attend one of the group’s shows, I’m well-aware of the amazing talent they gather at each show, from local drag kings and queens to high-profile names in the world of drag.
There are so many opportunities to experience live performances of all kinds across campus, and if there are none that suit your taste that are taking place in the near future, you could even try and organize your own! I often remember when Redding hosted Coffeehouse talent shows in the past, which is something I can imagine being the perfect idea for a NET or floor bonding event. Whatever the avenue, live performances have a way of bringing the community together.
Check out the various groups mentioned in this post below!
