What is Connecticut Repertory Theatre?

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) is the producing arm of the University of Connecticut's Department of Dramatic Arts. It produces under a year-round contract with the Actors' Equity Association and serves as a cultural center for Connecticut and the New England region. Its defining feature is a working model that mixes visiting professional artists—including Equity actors—with faculty members and the department's student artists.

Who runs it and how it is staffed

CRT's productions are directed and designed by, and cast with, a combination of:

• Visiting professional artists, including Actors' Equity actors
• Faculty members from the Department of Dramatic Arts
• Student artists in the department

The organization states that it operates on the belief that "the synergy between professional and student artists creates a unique learning environment for the development of extraordinary theater." In practice, this means a CRT production is neither a purely academic exercise nor a standalone professional company—it is a shared stage where students work alongside contracted professionals.

What a season looks like

CRT's published 2026–27 season shows the range of work and the venues involved:

The season spans a Shakespeare comedy, a literary adaptation, a contemporary play, and a musical—performed across three different spaces on campus. Urinetown is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI), with authorized performance materials supplied by MTI.

How to attend or stay informed

• Tickets and Flex Passes: CRT offers Flex Passes advertised as providing discounts and flexibility; the site links to details and purchase for each production and for Flex Passes.
• Box office: 860-486-2113 | [email protected]
• Mailing list: The site invites visitors to join its email list for updates.
• Social channels: Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

If you are deciding whether to go, the practical starting points are the specific production page (for dates, venue, and ticket links) and the Flex Pass page if you plan to attend more than one show. The site does not publish prices in the material available here, so confirm cost and availability through the box office or the linked purchase pages.

Why it matters beyond the stage

CRT describes itself as a cultural center for Connecticut and New England, not just a campus activity. That role comes from combining a year-round Equity contract—unusual for a university-affiliated theater—with public-facing programming across multiple venues. For students, it is a credit-bearing-adjacent training environment with professional peers; for audiences, it is a regional theater with a repertory-style season.

The organization also publishes a land acknowledgement recognizing the territory of the Mohegan, Mashantucket Pequot, Eastern Pequot, Schaghticoke, Golden Hill Paugussett, Nipmuc, and Lenape Peoples.