CINEMA 7x7
The 5th Annual 49 Hour Film Festival
A TheatreXpress Student Production
Sep. 13-15 Production Weekend
Sep. 27 Showcase @ 7:30 PM
The Studio Theatre
Modeled after the international 48 Hour Film Project, which hosts events all around the globe, the students of TheatreXpress are proud to produce their own version—complete with one extra hour for good measure. Participation is open to all TLU community members and their network of family and friends. Beginning on a Friday evening, entrants will receive the basic parameters of the competition. You draw a genre from a hat. You’re assigned a required character, line of dialogue, and prop. The rest is up to you, as you make a movie in one intense weekend. Completed films are due just 49 hours later and will be featured on September 27th.
Viewer discretion advised: may contain mature subject matter.
Viewer discretion advised: may contain mature subject matter.
RADIUM GIRLS
by D.W. Gregory
Oct. 25, 26, Nov. 1 & 2 @ 7:30 PM
Oct. 27 & Nov. 1 @ 2:30 PM
The Studio Theatre
In 1926, radium was a miracle cure, Madame Curie was an international celebrity, and luminous wristwatches were the latest rage—until the girls who painted them began to fall ill with a mysterious disease. Inspired by a true story, RADIUM GIRLS traces the efforts of Grace Fryer, a dial painter, as she fights for her day in court. Her chief adversary is her former employer, Arthur Roeder, an idealistic man who cannot bring himself to believe that the same element that shrinks tumors could have anything to do with the terrifying rash of illnesses among his employees. As the case goes on, however, Grace finds herself battling not just with the U.S. Radium Corporation, but with her own family and friends, who fear that her campaign for justice will backfire. Written with warmth and humor, RADIUM GIRLS offers a wry, unflinching look at the American obsessions with wealth and the commercialization of science, even when human life is at risk.
THE LIGHTNING THIEF: The Percy Jackson Musical
Book by Joe Tracz
Music & Lyrics by Rob Rokicki
Adapted from the book THE LIGHTNING THIEF, by Rick Riordan
Feb. 21, 22, 28, & Mar. 1 @ 7:30 PM
Feb. 23 & 28 @ 2:30 PM
The Studio Theatre
This thrilling musical adaptation of Rick Riordan's bestselling book opened on Broadway in 2019. When teenager Percy Jackson discovers he's the half-blood son of a Greek god, he and his friends embark on an epic journey to find Zeus' stolen lightning bolt. When Percy becomes the prime suspect, he has to find and return the bolt to prove his innocence and prevent a war between the gods. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the thief. He must travel to the Underworld and back; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and come to terms with the father who abandoned him. Featuring a dynamic original rock score, THE LIGHTNING THIEF: The Percy Jackson Musical is an action-packed mythical adventure "worthy of the gods" (Time Out New York).
30 NEO-FUTURIST PLAYS FROM TOO MUCH LIGHT MAKES THE BABY GO BLIND
(30 Plays in 60 Minutes)
by Greg Allen
A TheatreXpress Student production
Spring 2025 TBA
The Stephen & Mary Birch Texas Theater • Seguin, TX
Divide 60 in half and you get 30 plays. It’s "half-life" math! Having opened in 1988 by The Neo-Futurists and still playing today as the longest-running show in Chicago history, TOO MUCH LIGHT MAKES THE BABY GO BLIND is an ensemble experiment in presenting "30 Plays in 60 Minutes" chosen from a collection of comic, tragic, political, personal, and abstract plays. Each two-minute play is performed in random order with an interactive audience. An onstage 60-minute timer keeps everyone honest. Every performance is unique, reflecting the choices, lives, and experiences of all in attendance. Start the timer… Go!
Viewer discretion advised: contains mature subject matter.
Viewer discretion advised: contains mature subject matter.
HEART & THE FIST
by Ella McCarthy
A TheatreXpress Production
Featured during XpressFest.25
The Studio Theatre
Created by TLU seniors Ella McCarthy and JaCori Gray, HEART & THE FIST is an original production that reveals a love story set against the backdrop of war and protest—subjects that are relevant for contemporary life today. The play follows the story of Cash and Mary, a young couple who meet in 1970 amidst the turbulence of the Vietnam War. Both are active in student protests of the draft and violence overseas. However, their world is upended when Cash receives his draft notice. Through their whirlwind romance, HEART & THE FIST explores the conflicts many young souls face during times of war—examining the human and relational impacts, ideas of masculinity, and generational trauma.
Viewer discretion advised: contains mature subject matter.
Viewer discretion advised: contains mature subject matter.
XPRESSFEST.25
A TheatreXpress Student Production
Admission is free to all events. No tickets required.
Apr. 24-27, Times TBA
The 25th annual XpressFest (Silver Anniversary Edition) showcases original student plays, movies, and class projects. Join the student artists of TheatreXpress for this culmination of their annual work, including senior capstone projects.
Viewer discretion advised: may contain mature subject matter and language.
Viewer discretion advised: may contain mature subject matter and language.
THE MOVING PICTURES PROJECT
Coming Summer of 2025
TLU Dramatic Media has been promoting and producing independent film and media content for over twenty-five years. The year will feature a new short film to be produced in the summer of 2025 as part of our Moving Pictures Project. It continues our commitment to film production and collaboration between students, faculty members, and regional professional artists
All dates, times, and content are subject to change.