{"id":169087,"date":"2026-09-23T14:05:02","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T18:05:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/?p=169087"},"modified":"2026-09-23T16:09:59","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T20:09:59","slug":"wright-state-and-dayton-performing-arts-alliance-collaborate-on-production-of-west-side-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2026\/09\/23\/wright-state-and-dayton-performing-arts-alliance-collaborate-on-production-of-west-side-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Wright State and Dayton Performing Arts Alliance collaborate on production of \u2018West Side Story\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"A<\/a>

Wright State students, alumni and faculty will work and perform alongside industry professionals in the production of “West Side Story.” (Courtesy of the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance)<\/p><\/div>\n

Wright State University students will share the stage with working professional performers from the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance in a production of the famed Broadway and film musical \u201cWest Side Story<\/a>\u201d at the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center on Sept. 26 and 27.<\/p>\n

The production brings together Wright State students, alumni and faculty with artists from Dayton Opera, Dayton Ballet and Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, providing students with hands-on experience in a professional-scale theatrical production.<\/p>\n

This is the second collaboration between Wright State and the arts alliance as part of a biennial series. The first production, \u201cSouth Pacific,\u201d was performed in 2024.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe collaboration between the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance and Wright State University is really strong in this production,\u201d said theatre emeritus faculty member Joe Deer, who is directing \u201cWest Side Story.\u201d<\/p>\n

The demanding nature of \u201cWest Side Story\u201d also makes it a natural fit for Wright State\u2019s approach to preparing students for careers in the performing arts<\/a>, Deer said.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018West Side Story\u2019 is the most triple threat kind of production you could ever imagine, meaning that everybody has to sing, everybody has to dance and everybody has to act, very often all at the same time,\u201d he said. \u201cFor the students from Wright State University who are part of the company, that idea of being a triple threat is just baked into the philosophy of how they study, how the productions at Wright State work and how they pursue their careers.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Grace Goodwin, who graduated from Wright State in spring 2026, performing in \u201cWest Side Story\u201d is a childhood dream come true.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw the show live, and my Puerto Rican grandmother and I would watch the film version with Rita Moreno as well. Getting to do a show I adore with this cast and creative team is an absolute privilege,\u201d said Goodwin. \u201cPerforming with some of people I went to school with feels like being home. I love my Raider family so much, and I\u2019m honored to get to join them in Dayton again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like Goodwin, Wright State acting<\/a> major Hunter Gee is getting real-world, professional experience for his resume as a member of the cast.<\/p>\n

\u201cWorking with current faculty, students and recent alumni of Wright State has been a full-circle experience, as I am witnessing the brilliant work of my mentors and peers that I have grown to know in the studio,\u201d said Gee. \u201cSharing the stage with the professional actors has been an incredible introduction to the industry outside of the educational studios, as they bring additional experiences and offerings to the table. I have gained such valuable insights on storytelling and crafting a piece through collaboration, and I am so excited to share this production with audiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Deer, the opportunity to direct \u201cWest Side Story\u201d holds personal meaning.<\/p>\n

Deer\u2019s connection to \u201cWest Side Story\u201d dates to his career as a Broadway dancer, when he worked with performers who were part of the original production and film.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really been ingrained in me \u2014 the traditions of the show and the vitality of a story that seems to never get old,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Jamie Cordes, a senior lecturer in theatre, hopes audiences will see that a story written in the 1950s is still relevant today. Cordes plays Lieutenant Shrank, a police officer trying to keep the peace between rival gangs, the Jets and the Sharks.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing the collaboration of arts organizations from Dayton and Wright State on a piece as powerful as \u2018West Side Story\u2019 is exciting,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is special to work alongside current students and graduates of Wright State as fellow artists, rather than teacher to student. Doing the work together to tell an impactful story and sharing the stage as colleagues is one reason why I do what I do as an educator.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wright State theatre alumnus Jake Lockwood is excited to return to the Schuster Center stage to play Gladhand.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have never had the opportunity to do \u2018West Side Story.\u2019 As a lifelong fan of the show, this is a true bucket list moment for me,\u201d said Lockwood. \u201cComing together with my Wright State family is a special treat. Working with Joe is always an honor and watching our students, past and present, step into their professional lives is extremely rewarding.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a 61-piece orchestra, a full set, costumes and lighting by former Wright State faculty member Matt Benjamin, Deer promises Dayton audiences have never seen a production of \u201cWest Side Story\u201d like this.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is going to be a really beautiful production. The level of artistry is as strong as you could ever want,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

How to go<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Performances of \u201cWest Side Story\u201d will take place on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 27, at 2:30 p.m. at the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center in downtown Dayton. Tickets may be purchased at daytonperformingarts.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Learn more at daytonperformingarts.org\/production\/west-side-story<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the second collaboration between Wright State and Dayton Performing Arts Alliance, the university’s students, alumni and faculty will work and perform alongside industry professionals. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":169093,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[722,733,4859,725,747,715,2061],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-169087","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics","category-alumni","category-fine-and-performing-arts","category-home-news-sidebar","category-liberal-arts","category-news","category-undergraduate"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169087","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=169087"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169087\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":169134,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169087\/revisions\/169134"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/169093"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=169087"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=169087"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=169087"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}