Playwright Randall David Cook of New York will visit Brownville Village Theatre for the world premier of “Death at Downton!” on July 7.

The Brownville Village Theatre (BVT) celebrates 56 seasons this summer!

BVT is proud to produce four plays and one musical, running June 9 through August 13. One of Nebraska’s oldest repertory theatres, the Brownville Village Theatre is a true repertory theatre, rehearsing and performing shows simultaneously, and never performing the same show back-to-back. The theatre is in the charming arts and culture village of Brownville, Nebraska, a beautiful escape in rural southeast Nebraska. Make a quick weekend getaway to Brownville!

The Brownville Village Theatre takes pride in producing a variety of shows in repertory. This summer, the season includes “The Hello Girls” (book by Peter Mills and Cara Reichel, music and lyrics by Peter Mills), “Deliver Us from Mama!” (by Jesse Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten), “It Came from Mars” (a play by Joseph Zettelmaier), “The Fox on the Fairway” (a hilarious farce by Ken Ludwig), and “Disasterpiece Theatre presents: Death at Downton! An Aristocratic Upstairs-Downstairs Murder-Mystery Parody, Because Longer Titles Are A Certain Indicator of High Quality and Refined Taste” (a play by Randall David Cook).

The 2023 season kicked off Friday, June 9, with “The Hello Girls.” Ragtime, jazz, and tight harmonies help tell the story of the incredible hello girls, the women who answered their call and went on to go down in history as the USA’s first female soldiers. One hundred years ago, during World War I, there was a need for switchboard operators, and it was women (not men) who were most qualified for the job. In this new musical, experience what these trailblazing women went through on their groundbreaking journey that would help win the first world war. A show that asks us, “If you have a chance, will you answer the call?”

Mama’s back in this hilarious sequel to last year’s show “Mama Won’t Fly.” Join the returning cast in the race to beat the stork when Walker Sprunt’s wife, Hayley, goes into labor with their first child. The problem? She’s in Alabama, and he is in L.A., trying his best to get through a surprise visit from his meddling mother and bossy big sister. Unfortunately, an air traffic controllers’ strike has just begun across the nation and Walker is at a loss for what to do. But his Mama, as usual, is not. When she proclaims, “Family road trip!” from experience, Walker knows disaster can’t be far behind. This show premiered Saturday, June 10.

Opening on June 23 will be “It Came from Mars.” Comedic chaos ensues when a New York radio station drama troupe attempts to rehearse their play the same night their rival station (The Mercury Theatre on the Air) releases their War of the Worlds broadcast. Believing the broadcast to be real, the inharmonious band of actors attempt to barricade themselves from the impending alien attack. The “end of the world” brings about its own share of laugh out loud problems and surprising resolutions.

The fourth play of the season to open will be “The Fox on the Fairway,” a hilarious farce, and it will debut on July 6. The farce begins as Quail Valley Country Club prepares to take on archrival Crouching Squirrel in the Annual Inner-Club Golf Tournament. With a sizable wager at stake, the contest plays out amidst three love affairs, a disappearing diamond, objectionable sweaters, and an exploding vase. A charmingly madcap adventure about love, life, and man’s eternal love affair with . . . golf. This play does contain mild adult language and themes.

The world premiere of Death at Downton! will begin on July 7 with a special event to kick it off. The play is a deliciously cheeky take on the much beloved PBS costume drama. The loquacious title really tells you all you need to know but suffice it to say that “Death at Downton!” starts with a single dead body in the drawing room and ends with many more. And no, the butler did not do it. But who did? Come find out in the world premiere of this wicked and hilarious new play where aspic, turtle soup, and murder are all ready to be served.

For the world premier of “Death at Downton!” on July 7, theatregoers are invited to attend a unique event as BVT will host a pre-show cocktail hour and post-show snacks and drinks will be available on the theatre lawn following the show. Those attending will have a chance to meet and mingle with the playwright, Randall David Cook of New York, and the costumed cast. Come dressed in your 1920s elegance and join in the fun for the Brownville event of the summer. All inclusive tickets are only $25 and are limited.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $9 for students 18 years old and under. BVT also offers a $12 ticket rate for groups of 10 or more. Flex tickets include five admissions for $60 and are available through July 9.

For a complete listing of the 2023 productions and to purchase tickets, go to: www.brownvillevillagetheatre.com/current-shows2.html. Reservations can be made online with a credit or debit card. For more information, call 402-825-4121 or email bvt1967@windstream.net.

BVT brings in a small talented cast from all over the United States to perform, build, and create its productions. It is a uniquely fun experience to see a show at the Brownville Village Theatre surrounded by deep history and tradition.

The Brownville Village Theatre is one of the oldest repertory theatres in the state of Nebraska. Its success is due to its summer repertory season employing 12-15 young theatre artists from all over the nation. The theatre’s home is over a century old and was formerly the Brownville Christian Church. Annually, the theatre brings over 3,000 audience members locally and throughout the Midwest to Brownville.

The artistic directors for the theatre are Mitch Bean and Rachel Curtiss, a husband-and-wife duo who are committed to the tradition and growth of the Brownville Village Theatre. Both have been with BVT sometime having begun as members of the company since 2012.