Love’s Labours Lost

Written by William Shakespeare

November 6-9, 2025

Nelda K. Balch Festival Playhouse, 129 Thompson St., Kalamazoo, MI 49007

Reimagined in the kaleidoscopic swirl of the 1970s, this show is a groovy, glitter-drenched romp through the far-out follies of love and intellect. In this adaptation, the King of Navarre and his pals—bell-bottomed and bantering—vow to renounce pleasure and devote themselves to cosmic enlightenment and study. But their plans are hilariously upended when a quartet of fierce and feminist ladies arrive, igniting a tug-of-war between head and heart. Amid disco beats, lava lamps, and love sonnets scribbled on vinyl sleeves, Shakespeare’s sharp wit meets flower power in a counter-cultural comedy of mistaken identities, poetic showdowns, and the grooviest declarations of love this side of Woodstock.

The Most Massive Woman Wins

Written by Madeleine George

February 26 – March 1, 2026

Nelda K. Balch Playhouse, 129 Thompson St. on Kalamazoo College’s campus.

Challenging, brutal and hilarious, four women of various shapes and sizes sitting in the waiting room of a liposuction clinic explore their perceptions of body image. The women reveal their experiences dealing with their weight issues through monologues, short scenes, and even schoolyard rhymes. From painful childhood memories to frustrations with the opposite sex, these experiences both haunt and empower these women as they imagine their way to a new vision of themselves as beautiful and whole.

Produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc. (www.playscripts.com)

William Wycherly’s The Country Wife

by Rachel Atkins

May 14-17, 2026

Nelda K. Balch Playhouse, 129 Thompson St. on Kalamazoo College’s campus.

“The Country Wife” is a comedy play written by William Wycherley, first performed in 1675, which explores themes of deception, gender roles, and marital fidelity within the context of Restoration England. The plot centers around Mr. Horner, a notorious seducer who pretends to be impotent to gain access to the wives of men who fear his charms. This ruse allows him to interact freely with women, including the naïve and sheltered Mrs. Pinchwife, whose husband, Jack Pinchwife, is obsessively protective and unaware of the burgeoning desires of his wife.

As the story unfolds, the comedy intensifies with misunderstandings, disguises, and the clash between societal norms and individual desires. The play critiques the rigid expectations placed on women and men, illustrating the complexity of relationships and the often absurd lengths to which individuals will go to maintain their social standing and personal desires.