JBU Music & Theatre to Present 'The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940'

SILOAM SPRINGS, Arkansas (Sept. 18, 2026) - John Brown University's music & theatre department invites you to the play "The Musical Comedy of Murders of 1940," Sept. 25-26 at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m., and Oct. 3 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Berry Performing Arts Center on the Siloam Springs campus.

"The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940" is John Bishop's affectionate love letter to several theatrical traditions: the "old dark house" murder mystery, the backstage comedy and the breathless suspense of 1940s radio drama. Set in a moment shadowed by global uncertainty and the looming threat of war, the play borrows the atmosphere of danger from its historical setting and then gleefully turns it inside out. Like the radio thrillers and comic serials of the era, it delights in heightened characters, ominous clues, sudden reversals and the delicious suspicion that someone may be lurking just out of sight.

"The play is a love letter to the theatre and a gleeful parody of its excesses," said Josiah Wallace, JBU professor of theatre. "It celebrates and mocks artists, reminding us that theatre is a place where chaos can be transformed into craft. Our production embraces the play's signature mix of silliness, hijinks and danger. We hope you enjoy this world of mystery, mischief and theatrical mayhem - and leave reminded that laughter, too, is a serious art."

You can purchase tickets in advance at jbu.edu/tickets or at the door the night of the performance. Tickets are $15 for adults; $10 for seniors and JBU employees; $7 for children under 18 and $3 for JBU students.

John Brown University is a leading private Christian university, training students to honor God and serve others since 1919. Arkansas' top-ranked regional university (U.S. News) and Arkansas' No. 3 university (The Wall Street Journal), JBU enrolls more than 2,600 students from 35 states and 58 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, online and concurrent education programs. JBU offers over 50 undergraduate majors, with top programs including business, nursing, family and human services, engineering, teacher education, psychology, computer science, construction management, biology, Bible and visual arts. Seven graduate degrees are available in business, counseling, outdoor program management and cybersecurity.

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