The Clemson Players, Clemson University’s student theatre ensemble co-sponsored by the department of performing arts, is returning this February to finish out its 2025-26 season on a high note.
Last semester featured a flourishing run for the Players, showcasing their take on “Antigone” and cult-favorite dark comedy musical “Ride the Cyclone.” The ensemble is transitioning from a successful fall semester into an exciting spring lineup.
This semester’s pair of shows features a diversity of genres, ranging from classical comedy to modern satire, and will share student-led work as the semester progresses.
The semester will commence with a run of William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” directed by Kerrie Seymour. This romantic comedy centers on a young heroine, Viola, who washes up on the shores of Illyria. The story develops as Viola disguises herself as “Cesario” to navigate this strange, wonderful new land and the relationships that develop.
Themes of mistaken identities and gender fluidity are explored as festive chaos erupts, and Viola finds her true self and true love in the process.
The Clemson Players invite those who love the modern adaptation of this story, “She’s the Man,” to watch “Twelfth Night” unfold on stage this semester. Audiences are guaranteed to see timeless humor and entertaining chaos no matter which of the three performances they attend.
The production will run Feb. 27-28 at 7:30 p.m., and March 1 with a matinee at 3:00 p.m., in the Brooks Theatre.
The Players’ final production of the semester is “Dead Man’s Cell Phone,” an imaginative and thought-provoking comedy that explores how we memorialize the dead and how that remembrance changes us.
The play begins with a ringing cell phone in a cafe and quickly sparks the surreal journey of “a woman forced to confront her own assumptions about morality, redemption and the need to connect in a technologically obsessed world,” the Brooks Center describes in the play’s description.
The play, written by Sarah Ruhl, will be directed by Meredith Cameron, a senior performing arts major. Cameron is taking on this role as her senior capstone project at the University, which is rooted in community-focused research and execution that will shape the final production audience’s experience when “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” takes the stage this April.
Showtimes are April 13-18 at 7:30 p.m. and April 19 at 3:00 p.m. in the Bellamy Theatre.
Through ambitious programming and student-driven leadership, the Clemson Players continue to serve as a creative home for theatrical voices on campus. This spring season reflects the ensemble’s commitment to impactful storytelling and meaningful engagement with the Clemson community.
Tickets for both productions are on sale now at the Brooks Center box office or online.
