The Krannert Dress Rehearsal (KDR) programs provide an opportunity to hear context about a performance from a director or other expert, and then to experience the production. The Krannert Center for the Performing Arts is an educational and performing arts complex located at 500 South Goodwin Street in Urbana. Students may register for Krannert Dress Rehearsal (KDR) events on the events calendar.
The following 2025 Krannert Dress Rehearsals are available for registration on our calendar. You must attend the talk and the performance to receive credit for the KDR. If the program is full when you go to register, please email chp@illinois.edu to be placed on a waitlist, and if there is a spot open, you will be notified by the day of the events.
“October Dance 2025” (dance performances)
Presenter and Concert Director Sara Hook
Date: Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Presentation: 6:45 – 7:15 p.m., Krannert Room
Performance: begins at 7:30 p.m., Tyron Festival Theatre
Description:
October Dance features the historic reconstruction of Katherine Dunham’s seminal work Afrique, choreographed in 1949. Dunham, who is considered the matriarch of Black Dance, had a career that spanned Broadway, concert stages, opera, TV, and Hollywood films and inspired artists such as Eartha Kitt and Alvin Ailey. This production of a Dunham classic is directed by George A. Miller Visiting Artist April Berry, a certified master teacher of the Dunham Technique and a former principal dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. In addition, former Hubbard Street dancer and choreographer Rena Butler offers a premiere along with Dance at Illinois resident artists: Dr. Cynthia Oliver performs a spoken word solo, Dr. C. Kemal Nance premieres a work for first-year students, and Associate Professor Roxane D’Orléans Juste performs with her sister, guest artist Sonia D’Orléans Juste.
“The Play That Goes Wrong” (comedy)
By Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields
Directors J.W. Morrissette and Aaron Muñoz
Dramaturg Ty Hudson
Date: Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Presentation: 6:30 – 7:15 p.m. Krannert Room
Performance: begins at 7:30 p.m., Colwell Playhouse
Description:
The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society, appearing through the generous support of special arts grants and artists exchanges has come all the way from the United Kingdom to perform their production of the single most riveting murder/mystery play ever crafted for the stage: The Murder at Haversham Manor. As the murder/mystery play progresses, this unlikely (and unlucky) endeavor begins to quite literally fall apart as technical mishaps, theatrical missteps, and mischief bring down the house in one of the funniest play-within-a-play productions ever to gloriously fail in full view of any audience.
To quote Scott, a random person on the internet, “My side hurt from laughing! This was a comedy masterpiece!” And Paul J. another random person from the Internet, “Funny, funny and even more funny!”
“A View from the Bridge” (play)
By Arthur Miller
Director Katayoun Salmasi
Dramaturg Jessica Elliott
Date: Thursday, November 6, 2025
Presentation: 6:30 – 7:15 p.m., Krannert Room
Performance: begins at 7:30 p.m., Studio Theatre
Description:
Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge confronts the forces that shape identity, community, and justice. Set in 1950s Brooklyn, it follows Eddie Carbone, an Italian-American longshoreman who takes in two undocumented relatives. When his niece falls in love with one of them, Eddie’s protectiveness begins to expose something deeper and more unsettling. What starts as care turns into control, and boundaries between love, pride, and power begin to erode.
This production places the audience in a position of witness, observing a world under pressure-shaped by judgment, surveillance, and the need to conform. .A View from the Bridge is an examination of exclusion, belonging, and the structures that define who is protected and who is at risk. The questions raised remain urgent: who is granted access to the American Dream-and who is left behind?
“Anastasia” (inspired by the 1997 animated film)
Stage Director Lara Brooks
Music Director Julie Jordan Gunn
Choreographer Aleksander Teçza
Date: Monday, November 10, 2025
Presentation: 6:30 – 7:15 p.m., Krannert Room
Performance: begins at 7:30 p.m., Tryon Festival Theatre
Description:
Experience the enchanting journey of Anastasia, a captivating musical that transports audiences from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the vibrant streets of 1920s Paris. Anya, a spirited young woman with a mysterious past, embarks on an adventure to uncover her true identity. Joined by a charming con man and lovable ex-aristocrat, she faces challenges and discovers love, courage, and the meaning of home. With a book by Terrence McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty, and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, this production brings to life the timeless story inspired by the 1997 animated film. Directed by Lara Brooks, choreographed by Aleksander Teçza, and musically directed by Julie Jordan Gunn, Anastasia is a spellbinding tale of self-discovery and hope.