Arts and Culture

Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance will present “A Streetcar Named Desire,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Tennessee Williams, Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 19-21 and 26-28, in the Panowski Black Box Theatre. The show will be directed by assistant professor Kaitlyn Frotton.

Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance will present “Cupid's Cabaret,” an immersive and potentially interactive performance set at a 1980s high school prom. 

Northern Michigan University's Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center will unveil two exhibits in its new gallery space in 223 Harden Hall: "The Conservationists: George Shiras III, Theodore Roosevelt and the Migratory Bird Act"; and a permanent display of artifacts, photographs and stories about NMU. The opening reception begins at noon Saturday, Jan. 31.

Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance made a strong showing at the American College Theatre Festival (ACTF) Region 3 Festival in Madison earlier this month. Senior Liam Fisher was the region winner in the Music Theatre Intensive vocal category, and freshman Neel Archis Manish was region runner-up for the Irene Ryan acting award. NMU's production of CTRL+ALT+DELETE, directed by Jimmy Ludwig, also won the BOLD Audience Choice Award after two sold-out performances at the festival.

Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance will host a staged reading of "Tragedy Sound," a play written by NMU alumna Karen Saari, at 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, in Jamrich 1100. The reading is free and open to the public. The production follows three U.P. women who are lifelong friends as they find themselves stranded on Lake Superior after accepting a dare to embark on a canoeing trip.

“Letters Jim Harrison May Never Read.” “Walt Whitman and His Lake Superior Baptism.” “John Lennon at the Old Marquette Inn.” “Chagall Taught Me How to Drive.” These are some of the titles featured in Northern Michigan University English Professor Russell Thorburn's latest collection of poetry, "And the Heart Will Not Quicken." The book is populated by imaginative scenarios featuring pop culture, artistic and literary legends who move freely across various decades and countries.

Northern Michigan University's CO/LAB Dance Company will present a concert anchored by the premiere of “Love is a Burning Thing: A choreography tribute to Johnny Cash.” CO/LAB artistic director and assistant professor Karina Johnson choreographed the contemporary ballet piece, which uses several familiar Cash songs to showcase how people experience relationships in their lives. 

Northern Michigan University recently held a dedication ceremony for a new permanent display of flags in the Superior Dome representing each of the five Upper Peninsula tribal nations: the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians; the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa; and the Keweenaw Bay, Hannahville and Bay Mills Indian Communities.

Northern Michigan University's School of Art and Design is hosting its Fall 2025 Senior Exhibition at the DeVos Art Museum. A closing reception is scheduled from 7-9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12, with an awards announcement at 8 p.m. 

Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance will present a family friendly, “amped-up spectacle” of the holiday classic "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" Dec. 4-6 and 11-13. On a related note, Theatre and Dance will bring back its “Letters to Santa” campaign in collaboration with Honor Credit Union. Children who participate will receive a buy one-get one ticket offer for this or a future NMU production.