Category Archives: On Stage

Wright State Theatre will present its first streaming musical production of the year, THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY online only, March 26-28. With music and lyrics by Drama Desk Award nominees Neil Bartram and Brian Hill (The Story of My Life, Broadway), The THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY is a joyous and moving look at our surprisingly interconnected lives. Whether you’re allergic to cats, in love for the first or tenth time, a child of divorce, a germaphobe or a first-term college student figuring out your place in life, audiences are sure to see a bit of themselves in this fresh new musical.

Through a collection of witty and moving songs, scenes and monologues, THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY introduces a group of college students experiencing their first independence and the joys and heartbreaks, the liaisons and losses, the inevitability and the wonder of human connection that comes with it.

“Take a Physics manual, blend it with the sound of The Book of Mormon, the hilariously nerdy references of The Big Bang Theory , a sprinkle of Chicago, few drops of Glee, bake it in a Broadway bowl, use all the originality you can have….That’s the successful recipe for the spectacular song cycle, THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY.”– Live Like Tom

Directed by Greg Hellems (Head of Wright State’s Musical Theatre program) and Musical Directed by R. Wade Russo, this is Wright State Theatre’s first filmed musical. Hellems says, “Finding a cinematic expression for Theory has been an exciting opportunity. The show is unapologetically about recognizing the need for human relationships and the experience of making and losing those interactions. The lyrics have taken on a whole new meaning now that many of those connections have been disrupted by the real obstacles presented by Covid-19.

For theatre artists, shooting a film has been a rewarding new challenge. Working without a film crew, the cast and production team have explored the medium of film in the most accessible of ways, our iPhones. For everyone working on this production, this was our first chance to be back in rehearsal and in performance since March of 2020. I was so moved the first night the cast sang together live, I was teary eyed. After a year of waiting, having a chance to make art again has been joyful.”. In an intensely collaborative process of filming with students, alumni and staff across Wright State’s Dayton campus, the company has found creative and unusual ways to create joyful art in the midst of the pandemic.