Merced theater performances are ready to bloom this spring
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Two plays open April 10 in Merced: Doctor Faustus and The Laramie Project.
- Playhouse Merced stages Oliver Jr. May 1–10; Season Preview May 29
- The Laramie Project runs Apr 10–19 with seven shows; talkbacks on Apr 10, 11 and 16.
It’s a big month for theater in Merced.
Between two plays opening this weekend and Playhouse Merced announcing its season preview in May, it is time to get tickets for all your spring performances.
Performances this weekend
Two shows will open this weekend: “Doctor Faustus” at Merced Multicultural Arts Center and “The Laramie Project” at the Merced College Theater.
“Doctor Faustus,” being produced by Merced Shakespearefest, tells the story of a brilliant scholar who exchanges his soul for power and riches. The play was written by Christopher Marlowe — a contemporary of William Shakespeare — and promises “a dangerous deal with the devil which quickly turns into a spectacle of excess, illusion and loss of control. It is a world of dark humor, bold visuals, music, dance, seen through a contemporary lens.”
Tickets for the production are $10 and can be purchased online at tinyurl.com/DocFaustus. Performances are Friday and Saturday at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center, 645 W. Main St.
Also this weekend, the Merced College Theater will host the opening performance of “The Laramie Project” by Moisés Kaufman. “The Laramie Project” portrays the community response to the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming who was brutally beaten and left to die. The play uses more than 200 real interviews with residents of Laramie to examine the aftermath of the tragic crime.
On Friday’s opening night, as well as performances scheduled for Saturday and April 16, Matthew Shepard’s father, Dennis Shepard, will join for a discussion after the show.
Seven performances of “The Laramie Project” are scheduled between opening night Friday and the final performance April 19. General admission tickets are $15, and tickets for students and veterans are $10. Organizers note the recommended audience for this production is age 14 and up, as it includes strong language, mature themes and descriptions of violence.
Tickets are available for purchase at the box office one hour before each show, or online at www.tix.com/ticket-sales/mccd/4916.
More performances in Merced in May
Looking ahead, several performances have been scheduled for May.
Those who have been wondering when Playhouse Merced will resume performances can celebrate; the theater will host performances of “Oliver Jr!” from May 1-10. The show — originally cast and planned for last fall — is a children’s musical based on “Oliver Twist” by Charles Dickens.
Then, on May 29, Playhouse Merced will host its 2026-27 Season Preview, where theater lovers can get a sense of what to expect in the next year. Tickets for the Season Preview are $50 and will go on sale on through the Playhouse website.
Finally, the Merced Multicultural Arts Center has announced a one-night-only performance of a new production, “Piper the Musical” by Eric Stephen Bocks. The performance will be May 30 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale for $15-20 at tinyurl.com/PipertheMusical.
