Welcome to Theatre at Mendocino College
Fall 2025
Mendocino College Theatre Arts Department Presents:
Big Love
By Charles L. Mee
Directed by Lucas Verbrugghe
In this bold and beautiful re-imagining of one of the western world’s oldest written plays, 50 brides flee a forced marriage to their 50 cousins and seek refuge at a beautiful Italian villa. But when the grooms show up in their helicopter, mayhem ensues. Filled with pop songs, slow dances, and feats of physical endurance, the characters fight to the death for their right to exist … and to love. The question is, who will be left standing at the end?
WHEN: October 16-26, 2025
- Thursday October 16 • 7:30 PM • (pay what you wish preview)
- Friday October 17 • 7:30 PM (gala opening night, food and wine included in ticket price!)
- Saturday October 18 • 7:30 PM
- Thursday October 23 • 7:30 PM (special discount show, all tickets $10)
- Friday October 24 • 7:30 PM
- Saturday October 25 • 7:30 PM
- Sunday October 26 • 2 PM (matinee performance)
WHERE: MENDOCINO COLLEGE, CENTER THEATRE
Center for the Visual & Performing Arts
1000 Hensley Creek Road, Ukiah.
TICKETS: $20, $15 students and seniors. Pay what you wish preview is Thursday October 17. Special discount show: Thursday October 24, all tickets $10. Advance tickets are available at the Mendocino Book Company in Ukiah, and online at www.ArtsMendocino.org. For additional information, call (707) 468-3172.
SPRING 2025
The Mendocino College Theatre Arts Department presents
Mendocino Stories:
Journalistic Theatre Project
Co-directed by nationally acclaimed solo artist Dan Hoyle, Broadway and Hollywood actor Lucas Near-Verbrugghe and Mendocino College Theatre Director Reid Edelman, this culmination of a year-long project will be an original production based on a Mendocino County theme and utilizing the innovative “journalistic theatre” process developed by Dan Hoyle.
Performances March 13-23, 2025 in the Mendocino College Center Theatre
Thursday March 13 • 7:30 PM • (pay what you wish preview)
Friday March 14 • 7:30 PM (opening night!)
Saturday March 15 • 7:30 PM
Thursday March 20 • 7:30 PM (special discount show, all tickets $10)
Friday March 21 • 7:30 PM
Saturday March 22 • 7:30 PM
Sunday March 23 • 2 PM (matinee performance)
TICKETS: $20, $15 students and seniors. Pay what you wish preview is Thursday March 13. Special discount show: Thursday March 20, all tickets $10. Advance tickets are available at the Mendocino Book Company in Ukiah, and online at www.ArtsMendocino.org. For additional information, call (707) 468-3172.
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The Mendocino College Theatre Arts Department presents
The 18th Annual Festival of New Plays
Ten student-directed plays by local playwrights
Performances May 15-17, 2025 in the Mendocino College Little Theatre
Friday May 16 • 7:30 PM
Saturday May 17 • 7:30 PM (benefits College Foundation, glass of wine included!)
TICKETS: $All tickets $10. Pay what you wish preview is Thursday May 15. Advance tickets are available at the Mendocino Book Company in Ukiah, and online at www.ArtsMendocino.org. For additional information, call (707) 468-3172.
TICKETS:
Tickets for Mendocino College Theatre productions are available starting 2 weeks before the first performance of each production at The Mendocino Book Company in Ukiah, online at www.ArtsMendocino.org and at the door one hour before curtain as available. For additional information, call (707) 468-3172.
NOW ON SALE!!
BIG LOVE
by Charles L. Mee
directed by Lucas Verbrugghe
In this bold and beautiful re-imagining of one of the western world’s oldest written plays, 50 brides flee a forced marriage to their 50 cousins and seek refuge at a beautiful Italian villa. But when the grooms show up in their helicopter, mayhem ensues. Filled with pop songs, slow dances, and feats of physical endurance, the characters fight to the death for their right to exist … and to love. The question is, who will be left standing at the end?
Performances October 16-26, 2025 in the Mendocino College Center Theatre
Thursday Oct 16 • 7:30 PM • (Pay-what-you-wish Preview)
Friday Oct 17 • 7:30 PM • (Opening Night!)
Saturday Oct 18 • 7:30 PM
Thursday Oct 23 • 7:30 PM (special discount show, all tickets $10)
Friday Oct 24 • 7:30 PM
Saturday Oct 25 • 7:30 PM
Sunday Oct 26 • 2 PM (matinee performance)
TICKETS: General admission is $20, $15 for students and seniors. Pay-what-you-wish Preview is Thursday, Oct 16. Special discount show: Thursday Oct 23, all tickets $10. Advance tickets are available at the Mendocino Book Company in Ukiah, and online at www.ArtsMendocino.org. For additional information, call (707) 468-3172.
Stay tuned for...
Rumors
By Neil Simon
March 5th - 15th, 2026
Rumors is a fast-paced who-done-it that promises to keep everyone at the
edge of their seats. When guests arrive at a dinner party to find the host unconscious and
the hostess missing, panic and confusion take center stage. It’s high society gone
hilariously wrong as cover-ups and misunderstandings spiral out of control.
Come see this delightful romp through deception, decorum, and disaster!
The Mendocino College Theatre Arts Department presents
The 19th Annual Festival of New Plays
Ten student-directed plays by local playwrights
May 14th-16th, 2026
For additional information, call (707) 468-3172.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THEATRE PRODUCTIONS
The Mendocino College Theatre Department Presents
Big Love
by Charles Lee
Performances October 16-26
AUDITIONS
Monday, August 11th @ 6 PM
In the Center Theatre on the Ukiah campus
Call-Backs as needed Tuesday, August 12th @6 PM
Mendocino College is holding Auditions for the Fall play, Big Love by Charles Mee! In this bold and beautiful re-imagining of one of the western world’s oldest written plays, 50 brides flee a forced marriage to their 50 cousins and seek refuge at a beautiful Italian villa. But when the grooms show up in their helicopter, mayhem ensues. Filled with pop songs, slow dances, and feats of physical endurance, the characters fight to the death for their right to exist … and to love. The question is, who will be left standing at the end?
Big Love calls for a large and diverse cast of 11-20 actors of all ages. There are many featured, non-speaking roles with great opportunities for actors of all experiences.
How do I audition?
If you’re interested in auditioning, sign up by emailing Lucas Verbrugghe at lverbrugghe@mendocino.edu. Simple as that!
What do I need to prepare?
There is no need to prepare for the audition! There will be material from the play for you to read out loud for the audition. Simply arrive ready to jump in and be courageous. However, if you do have a 60-90 second monologue, I would love to see it! Either way, I strongly recommend that you read the play before hand if possible (link below).
To read the play visit: https://www.charlesmee.org/big-love.shtml
Or you can click the link below to access a PDF.
Want to be involved but don’t want to act?
We also need production crew to assist with scenery, costumes, props, lighting and stage management.
For more information, please e-mail lverbrugghe@mendocino.edu or call (707) 468-3172.
For additional production photos since Fall 2016, visit our albums on FACEBOOK.
Production Photos 2000-2016
Click on cover photos below to view each album.
Photos by Ilena Yeru Pegan (starting 2016) and Evan Johnson (2000-2015).
