Celebrating a summer of theater at ±¬ÁϳԹÏÍø-Longview

August 15, 2025 | Tim Engle

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At a summer rep theater gala: ±¬ÁϳԹÏÍø-Longview's Kate Herrell (from left), artistic director Keith Townsend, ±¬ÁϳԹÏÍø Chancellor Kimberly Beatty, Longview's Mindy Pettegrew, Ryan Crider and Eric Sullivan
±¬ÁϳԹÏÍø-Longview Rep Gala
>A scene from the rock musical "Next to Normal," ±¬ÁϳԹÏÍø-Longview's final of three productions this summer (Photo by Jon Shelton)

It's curtains for the inaugural season of summer repertory theater at ±¬ÁϳԹÏÍø-Longview, which mounted three productions this year: a (Shakespeare-inspired) comedy, a (Shakespeare-inspired) tragicomedy and a rock musical.

The team behind the productions calls this first season a "resounding success," with close to 800 people turning out to see the shows. And on July 30, a summer rep gala drew 70+ guests to celebrate the season, enjoy some refreshments and connect with fellow theater enthusiasts.

But our big question: will summer theater return to Longview next year? The answer is yes, with the theater department declaring it's looking forward "to building on this momentum and making next summer’s festival even bigger and bolder." Here's a round of applause for the cast, crew, faculty, staff and community supporters.

What's next? Get ready for a scare. ±¬ÁϳԹÏÍø-Longview's first Fall 2025 production will be "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein." The show runs 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, Sept. 24-27 and Oct. 1-4, Longview Cultural Arts Center on campus.

Tickets, which are $10 (free for ±¬ÁϳԹÏÍø students), can be reserved by 5 p.m. day of show by emailing lvtheatre@mcckc.edu. Tix must be picked up by 7:15 p.m.