Detroit Mercy Theatre Company

09/04/2026

Students -- weren’t able to join us yesterday but still interested in getting involved?

Scan the QR code or visit forms.cloud.microsoft/r/4KPXTaemmx and let us know!

09/03/2026

The party must go on!

Due to inclement weather, the Theatre Welcome Party has been moved to Briggs 101.

Stop by, grab some pizza and learn how you can be involved with theatre on campus!

09/02/2026

Student auditions for Detroit Mercy Theatre Company's fall and winter shows:

☔️ EURYDICE by Sarah Ruhl

🪶 BORN WITH TEETH by Liz Duffy Adams

🤣 HOMECOMING IMPROV SHOW

Date: Monday, Sept. 14
When: 7-10 p.m. (Callbacks will immediately follow auditions)
Where: Detroit Mercy Black Box Theatre, Student Union Lower Level

➡ Audition Requirements: Prepare one 90-second monologue from a classical theatre text and one 30-second acapella song of your choosing.

➡ Character breakdowns and rehearsal schedule can be found here: www.udmercy.edu/life/theatre/auditions

Questions? Email [email protected]

09/01/2026

🎭 Students: interested in learning more about how you can be involved with theatre on campus?

Join Detroit Mercy Theatre Company this Thursday for food, swag, and information about the season!

Questions? Email [email protected]

08/31/2026

Let's make it a great year!

08/27/2026

08/12/2026

🎭 The director for the third show of Season 56, “The Trail to Oregon!,” will be Andrew Papa!

Andrew earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Broadcast & Cinematic Arts at Central Michigan University, a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre at Wayne State University and holds a Certificate in Advanced Theatre Training from The Moscow Art Theatre School in Moscow, Russia. He is also a Fitzmaurice Voicework® certified teacher and has studied at the Stratford Festival in Ontario and The Second City Training Center in Chicago, Illinois. Papa regularly teaches Fundamentals of Acting, Fundamentals of Human Expression, Introduction to the Arts, Voice and Movement and several other courses.

Andrew has performed as an actor with the Tipping Point Theatre, Williamston Theatre, Shakespeare Royal Oak and the Matrix Theatre Company, among several others. He has also worked as a dialect/text/speech coach on professional theatre productions and with clients one-on-one. Recent research interests include dramaturgy, performance anxiety, and performance theory and pedagogy. His research and other scholarly publications have appeared in the Voice and Speech Review and Methods: A Journal of Acting Pedagogy. Papa joined Detroit Mercy in 2015 and became chair of the Department of Performing Arts in 2023.

08/11/2026

🎭 Join us in welcoming Kelli Crump, director of our second show this season, the Detroit premiere of BORN WITH TEETH by Liz Duffy Adams!

Kelli Crump is a proud Detroit native who holds a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from the National Theatre Conservatory and a Master of Arts in Arts Administration from the University of Michigan. She is also a graduate of Central Michigan University and has studied Shakespeare at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.

Crump is a recipient of the 2025 Outstanding Acting Teacher Fellowship presented by the National Alliance of Acting Teachers, The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival and The Juilliard School. She is also a recipient of the NAPAT Classical Acting Award, the VASTA Vocal Excellence Award, the Charlene Gordon Arts Impact Award, the John Cauble Emerging Leader Award and the Region III ASPIRE Faculty Fellowship Award presented by the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.

She has worked with many of our nation’s most critically acclaimed and award-winning professional theatre organizations, including the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and Magic Theatre in San Francisco. For more than a decade, Crump has worked as a teaching artist, exposing others to the depth, richness and excitement of culturally inclusive, anti-racist and socially conscious live theatre.
Crump is a national councilor and proud member of Actors’ Equity Association, SAG/AFTRA, and was an official Tony Award voter for the 2023-24 Broadway season.

Kelli joins the Department of Performing Arts as an instructor this fall. Welcome, Kelli!

08/10/2026

🎭 Meet the director: Kennikki Jones-Jones!

Kennikki Jones-Jones will be back to direct Season 56's first show of the season: EURYDICE by Sarah Ruhl. Kennikki previously directed 2024’s PHOTOGRAPH 51.

Kennikki is an accomplished writer/director and creative consultant with a strong background in filmmaking and theatre. She earned her BFA in Theatre from Wayne State University and her Master of Fine Arts degree in Film Production from Florida State University's College of Motion Picture Arts. Throughout her career, Kennikki has gained recognition for her work, which has been showcased at various domestic and international film festivals.

With a deep commitment to her community, Kennikki is an active member of the Detroit theatre and film scene. She is known for her dedication to merging both disciplines and finding innovative ways to engage audiences. Currently, she holds the position of Head of the Film Department for the Obsidian Theatre Festival, where she oversees all the film production phases of the festival.

In addition to her involvement in the theatre festival, Kennikki is the founder and operator of Crabby Production, an independent production company. This venture allows her to pursue her passion for producing, writing, and directing content, with a particular interest in the horror genre. By utilizing horror as a means to heal underprivileged communities, she aims to create impactful narratives that resonate with audiences and address important social issues. She frequently collaborates with theatres and dance studios to bring their productions to the small screen.

Kennikki's commitment to education is evident through her roles as an adjunct professor at Wayne State University and as a Teaching Arts of film and theatre with YArts, an endeavor that allows her to engage, mentor, and introduce elementary school students to both industries.

Welcome back, Kennikki!

08/04/2026

🎭 As we celebrate a successful first season in the new Detroit Mercy Black Box Theatre, we're taking a moment to look back at the spaces that have shaped theatre at University of Detroit Mercy.

Up Next: The Detroit Mercy Black Box Theatre

Join us as we take a walk down memory lane, and share your U of D/Mercy/UDM theatre stories in the comments below! ⬇️

*Research compiled by Katherine Mutschler ’25 and Sarah Rusk