HELLO, UNIVERSE

HELLO, UNIVERSE

by MELISSA LEILANI LARSON
directed by **FRAN DE LEON**
based on the book by **ERIN ENTRADA KELLY**
Mar 19 - Apr 4

BUY TICKETS

art by Aleksandra Gurneau/KNOCK, inc.

IT’S NOT BEING BRAVE IF YOU AREN’T SCARED

In one day, four middle schoolers find their lives intertwined when a prank goes wrong and one of them is trapped in a well with his guinea pig. Can they come together to prove that even the unlikeliest heroes can make a difference? Imaginations come to life as these four navigate friendship, courage, and a very important rescue mission. Told from the perspective of each teenager, coincidence and fate collide in this funny, poignant adaptation of Erin Entrada Kelly’s Newbery-winning novel.

Recommended for ages 8+.

GENERAL INFORMATION

DATES

Mar 19 - Apr 4, 2027

Pay What You Can: Mar 21 at 4 pm
sensory friendly: Mar 27 at 10 am
ASL interpretation: Apr 2 at 7 pm

The show runs for 75 minutes.

PRICE

Ticket prices range from $5-$22. Tickets for ages 2-17 are $20, $22 for ages 18-59, and $20 for ages 60 and older. Lap passes for children 3 and under are $5. Discounts for groups 10+ are also available. As ticketing for Hello, Universe is through Stages Theatre Company, please contact its box office at (952) 979-1111, option 4, or at info@stagestheatre.com with any questions.

VENUE INFO

Hello, Universe will take place at Stages Theatre Company, located at 1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins, MN 55343. There is a free public parking ramp on 11th Avenue just south of Mainstreet. Parking for those with mobility limitations is available at the rear of the Hopkins Center for the Arts (subject to availability) and on the street level of the public parking ramp.

MEET THE AUTHOR

ERIN ENTRADA KELLY (she/her) is a two-time Newbery medalist and National Book Award finalist whose work has been translated into more than a dozen languages. She is a New York Times bestselling author and teaches in the master’s program in writing for young readers at the University of San Francisco. She has a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from McNeese State University, an MFA in fiction from Rosemont College, and an honorary doctorate of fine arts from Moore College of Art and Design. She lives in Delaware.

MEET THE PLAYWRIGHT

MELISSA LEILANI LARSON (she/her) is a mixed-race Filipino American writer from Salt Lake City whose award-winning work has been seen on five continents. Her current work in progress, A Form of Flattery, is a BAPF 46 honorable mention finalist and a Portland Center Stage JAW finalist. Recent productions: Persuasion at Snow College; Little Happy Secrets at Middle Tennessee State; The Edible Complex at Wayne Theatre (tour); Pride and Prejudice at CenterPoint Legacy Theatre, Grand Theatre Co., and Texas Shakes; Bitter Lemon at Plan-B Theatre; Gin Mummy at Utah Valley University; Relative Space, a new musical, at Creekside Theatre Fest; Mestiza, or Mixed at Lift Every Voice Festival (American Stage); Sweetheart, Come at Pygmalion Theatre; The Post Office at schools across the country. Honors: AATE Distinguished Play Award, O’Neill semi-finalist, IRAM Best New Play Award, Mayhew Award, four AML Drama Awards, two Salt Like City Weekly “Best of” Awards. Mel is a member of the Plan-B Theatre Lab, Honor Roll!, and the Dramatists Guild. MFA: Iowa Playwrights Workshop.

MEET THE DIRECTOR

FRAN DE LEON (she/her) joined Theater Mu as artistic director in spring 2025. Fran began producing at 19, including her one-person show, Faces of America, which toured to over 500 venues. She has also served as co-artistic director of Will & Company, director of new talent for Playfair, an ensemble member of Critical Mass Performance Group, and as adjunct faculty at USC. Fran is a 2025 Drama League directing fellow and a finalist for the Barb Whitman Award. Selected commissions from: Segerstrom Center’s Arts Teach, TreePeople, Twelfth Night Rep, and Center Theatre Group. Selected TV credits: For All Mankind, For the People, Criminal Minds, Speechless, and The Brothers Sun.