The Prairie Repertory Theatre will begin its 54th season this summer opening with the iconic musical “Grease,” followed by the timeless classic “Romeo and Juliet.”

The third performance will be the fast-paced comedic British farce “Out of Order,” and the season will close with the charming musical “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.”

The season kicks off June 11 at the Oscar Larson Theatre and the first production will transport viewers back into the 1950s with “Grease.”

The performance of “Romeo and Juliet,” is a partnership with the South Dakota Shakespeare Festival. Their professional actors along with students will perform at the Sylvan Green.

According to Bill Wilburn, artistic director of the Prairie Repertory Theatre, this marks the first outdoor performance in recent years, with the last taking place over 20 years ago. Parking will be available at the Alumni Center as well as handicap parking in the Pugsley lot.

The performances return to the Oscar Larson Theatre with the chaotic comedy “Out of Order.” The story written by Ray Cooney follows a government minister’s attempt to lie his way out of an embarrassing situation.

The season will conclude July 19 with “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” a lively musical set in 1850s Oregon. It will be a meaningful end to the season as it was chosen in honor of former Director of Theatre Ray Peterson who passed away last year. The performances will be at the Oscar Larson Theatre.

“One of his favorite shows that he ever worked on was Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. We picked the show to do it in honor of him,” Wilburn said.

“Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” will also have a sensory friendly performance for those with sensory needs. The lights will be dimmed, noises will be dialed back and it won’t follow traditional theater rules. It will be a good choice for families with young children and first-time theater goers as well.

Each show will be about two hours long, with a 15-minute intermission.

Tickets are available online now at SDState Prairie Repertory Theatre or in person at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center lobby box office, which is open from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Students can buy individual performance tickets for $11.50. A single performance ticket is $27 for adults and $25 for children, seniors and military. Also offered is the Prairie Repertory Theatre Season subscription that includes one ticket to each performance for $88 for adults and $82 for children, seniors and military.

The theatre will also provide many experiences after shows for no additional cost including backstage tours and cast meet and greets most nights. A talk back with the cast will be held after performances of “Romeo and Juliet.”

Every Tuesday night before each performance is the final dress rehearsal and will be open to the public. Rather than requiring tickets for this event patrons pay what they can.

“Everyone should have access to the arts, if you can’t afford anything, come join the show for free,” Wilburn said.

More experiences will be announced on the Prairie Repertory Theatre website as they are developed.

Production for this season began in the fall with the hiring of designers and technicians. Auditions for actors took place from January to February.

Over 600 people were auditioned, with half from SDSU and the rest from all over the world. This year’s company features 44 students.

“People come in from around the world, more recently PRT has said from a local SDSU thing to a more international group of people,” said Carl Steinlicht, a senior theatre major and math master’s student from Brookings.

Rehearsals for this season will begin May 19, just 23 days before the season opens with “Grease.”

A musical takes about 93 hours of rehearsals and 60 hours for plays.

“They [performances] go back-to-back-to-back, and it takes a small army to put them together,” Wilburn said of the productions.

Students working in the Prairie Repertory Theatre will receive a $2000 stipend directly funded from ticket fees.

“For people who want to work in theatre, it’s a great way to meet others and build your resume.” said Peyton Weise, a senior in theatre and public relations from Milbank, the publicity and box office head for Prairie Repertory Theatre.

The most important aspect of the internship is the connections students build.

“It builds lifelong friendships.” said Grant Taylor, a senior in theatre from Brookings.

“There is something for everyone,” Wilburn said. “It’s going to be a dancing summer.”