University of Jamestown stages Moon Over Buffalo Feb. 5-7 at DeNault Auditorium

The University of Jamestown Theatre Arts Department will present Ken Ludwig’s Moon Over Buffalo with three evening performances Feb. 5, 6 and 7, each beginning at 7:30 p.m. in DeNault Auditorium at the Reiland Fine Arts Center on the University of Jamestown campus. The production is mounted by students and is part of the college’s theatre season.

Set in Buffalo, New York in the 1950s, the show centers on a once-famous acting couple trying to revive career and marriage when news arrives that a famous film director may attend their performance. "Set in Buffalo, New York during the 1950s, the play follows George and Charlotte Hay, a once-famous acting couple now struggling to keep their careers and marriage afloat. When they learn that a famous film director may attend their performance, they see it as their last chance at stardom. What follows is a fast-paced farce filled with mistaken identities, backstage chaos, missed cues, romantic misunderstandings, and plenty of slapstick humor." Publicity for the run highlights the play’s rapid-fire dialogue and physical comedy as a backstage romp that gives local audiences a taste of repertory theatre and theatrical craft.

The student-produced staging matters for Jamestown in practical and civic ways. It offers hands-on training for University of Jamestown theatre students while drawing audiences to campus arts events that support the Reiland Fine Arts Center and the broader local economy. The Jamestown production also foregrounds themes of work, midlife reinvention and the precariousness of creative careers, topics that resonate in a community that values both higher education and local arts access.

Practical ticket and accessibility information is available through the Reiland Box Office. "Tickets can be reserved by calling the Reiland Box Office at 701-252-3467, extension 5435, or by emailing tickets@uj.edu. Audience members are encouraged to reserve seats in advance for this popular comedy production." The university’s main campus is at 6000 College Lane, Jamestown. For patrons who need accommodations, the university lists TTY/TDD services at 1-800-366-6888 and encourages contacting the box office for specific needs or current health and accessibility policies.

To avoid confusion for readers following regional theatre schedules, note that a separate community company, Town & Gown Theatre in Stillwater, Oklahoma, is mounting its own production of Moon Over Buffalo with different dates and ticketing; the Jamestown run is a distinct, student-led presentation on the UJ campus.

For residents, the show is an opportunity to support student artists, attend live performance at DeNault Auditorium, and engage with a comedic yet human story about careers and relationships. Reserve seats early through the Reiland Box Office and check with the box office for any last-minute updates or accommodations.