Wayne State graduate student Kyle Johnson as Francis Henshall in One Man, Two Guvnors

The Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance will kick off its 2015-16 season Oct. 2 with the annual President's Preview gala. Wayne State University President M. Roy Wilson will host the annual celebration at the Hilberry Theatre, featuring a dynamic program for Wayne State University donors, faculty members, students, subscribers, business partners and community members.

The preview will include a preshow reception at 7:15 p.m. and a performance of One Man, Two Guvnors at 8 p.m. The slapstick farce portrays the hilarious antics of Francis Henshall as he tries to keep his rival gangster employers from finding out about each other. The comedy is directed by Lenny Banovez from New York City's TITAN Theatre Company, who staged last year's Boeing, Boeing at the Hilberry.

After the President's Preview, the opportunity to enjoy live performance continues, with more than 20 productions offered on the Hilberry Theatre, Bonstelle Theatre, Studio Theatre, and Allesee Dance Theatre stages.

Community members who are interested in attending the President's Preview or learning more about the 2015-16 season are invited to call 313-577-2972 or visit theatreanddance.wayne.edu. 

At the Hilberry Theatre:

One Man, Two Guvnors by Richard Bean
Oct. 2-17
Hilarious antics of an easily confused double agent and a bad case of mistaken identity.

F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, adapted for the stage by Simon Levy
Oct. 30- Nov. 17/Jan. 7-9
A tale of obsession, greed and danger during the thrill, glamour and decadence of the Jazz Age.

Inspecting Carol by Daniel Sullivan and the Seattle Repertory Theatre
Dec. 4-20
Madcap antics backstage as the curtain almost doesn't rise.

Love's Labour's Lost by William Shakespeare
Jan. 29- Feb. 6/March 10-12
A battle of the sexes between men who have sworn off love and the ladies who convince them to change their minds.

Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris 
Feb. 26- March 5 /March 31- April 2
Integration during the civil rights era through the gentrification of the 21st century.

A Flea in Her Ear, a new version of Georges Feydeau's farce by David Ives
April 22- May 8
Suspicions of infidelity, a cunning rendezvous and ridiculous confusion.

At the Bonstelle Theatre:

Lysistrata: A Woman's Translation by Drue Robinson 
Oct. 9- 18
The men are at war. Their wives have had enough and offer an ultimatum: war or sex.

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl and adapted by David Wood 
Nov. 13-22
Follow young James into a land of spiders, earthworms and one giant peach.

December Dance Concert 
Dec. 11-12
Contemporary dance masters come together for one weekend only!

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry 
Feb. 12-21
A black family struggles to retain their dignity as they face racism when moving to an all-white neighborhood in the United States in the 1950s.

Spring Dance Concert 
March 3-4
Now in its 87th year, the annual Spring Dance Concert is the pinnacle of dance in Midtown Detroit.

Oklahoma! by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II 
April 15-24
A handsome cowboy competes with an ill-tempered ranch hand for the affection of a lovely young farm girl in this Pulitzer Prize-winning gem of American musical theatre. 

To purchase tickets or for more information about the Hilberry, Bonstelle, Studio, or Allesee Dance theatres, call 313-577-2972 or visit theatreanddance.wayne.edu.