Pirates of Penzance 
Music by Arthur Sullivan 
Libretto by W. S. Gilbert. 
Directed by Kristi Shamburger & Will Perkins 
Music Directed by Joseph Walker 

The Pirates of Penzance is a comic operetta by Gilbert and Sullivan that premiered in 1879. The story follows young Frederic, who was mistakenly apprenticed to a band of tender-hearted pirates until his 21st birthday. Upon completing his indenture, he decides to leave piracy behind and dedicates himself to exterminating pirates. He falls in love with Mabel, the daughter of Major-General Stanley, but complications arise when the Pirate King reveals that Frederic was born on February 29th in a leap year, meaning technically he’s only had five birthdays, not 21. Due to his strong sense of duty, Frederic reluctantly agrees to remain with the pirates until his actual 21st birthday—63 years later. The operetta features memorable characters, witty wordplay, and beloved musical numbers, including “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General” and “Poor Wandering One,” before concluding with a clever twist that allows for a happy ending.

MTSU Theatre and Dance is a proud participant of The Kennedy Center American Theatre Festival

Thank you, Ascend Federal Credit Union, for sponsoring MTSU Arts.

Special thanks to: 

Dr. Patrick Richey for his contribution to the TARDIS

Chris Click for his help in coordinating equipment for our orchestra

Joe Poe, Rachel Byrnes, Lauren Turnage, Cole Terranova

MTSU Production Services
MTSU College of Media and Entertainment
MTSU School of Music
MTSU College of Liberal Arts

The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, part of the Rubenstein Arts Access Program, is generously funded by David and Alice Rubenstein.

Special thanks to The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust for supporting the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

Additional support is provided by The Honorable Stuart Bernstein and Wilma E. Bernstein; the Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation; and Beatrice and Anthony Welters and the AnBryce Foundation.

KCACTF is part of JFKC: A Centennial Celebration of John F. Kennedy, inspired by five enduring Ideals often ascribed to JFK: Courage, Freedom, Justice, Service, and Gratitude. Support for JKFC: A Centennial Celebration of John F. Kennedy is provided by Ambassador Elizabeth Bagley, Chevron, the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, and Target.

Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President's Advisory Committee on the Arts. This production Is entered In the Kennedy Center American College Theater
Festival (KCACTF). The aims of this national theater education program are to identity and promote quality in college-level theater production. To this end, each production entered is eligible for a response by a regional KCACTF representative, and selected students and faculty are invited to participate in KCACTF programs involving scholarships. internships, grants, and awards for actors, directors, dramaturgs, playwrights, designers, stage managers and critics at both the regional and national levels.

Productions entered on the Participating level are eligible for invitation to the KCACTF regional festival and may also be considered for national awards recognizing outstanding achievement In production, design, direction and performance.

By entering this production, our theater department is sharing in the KCACTF goals to recognize. reward. and celebrate the exemplary work produced in college and university theaters across the nation.