Cast members in the spring 2025 performance of "Chicago" are pictured. (Photo courtesy of Michael Hall Photography)

ESCANABA — Bay College has announced a partnership with local community theater group Players de Noc to support the performing arts community in the wake of the devastating May 15 fire that damaged the Bonifas Arts Center and its historic theater.

Through this collaboration, upcoming productions by Players de Noc and the Missoula Children’s Theater will be hosted at Bay College’s Besse Theater. The state-of-the-art performance space on Bay College’s Escanaba campus will provide a welcoming stage for the community to continue enjoying high-quality, local theater productions.

“Players de Noc is happy to announce that we will be performing our 2025-2026 season of plays at the Besse Theater stage at Bay College. After the lightning-strike fire at the Bonifas Arts Center earlier this month rendered our traditional performance space unusable and our equipment inoperative, Bay College has generously given us the use of (its) Besse Theater space for the performance of our shows while we get back on our feet,” a Players de Noc statement noted. “We cannot fully express just how much this support from Bay means to us both as individual members and as an organization as a whole. Bay College has our heartfelt thanks. We aim to put on productions worthy of the space they have given us, as good or better than anything Players has done previously.

The forthcoming season at Bay’s Besse Theater will include the comedy “Don’t Mention My Name,” premiering the last weekend in September; a special one night performance of “Ten November” in honor of the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald; a Christmas season brace of one-acts The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and The Great Christmas Cookie Bake-Off!, premiering the first weekend in December; a radio show production of “It’s a Wonderful Life” on Dec. 19; and Mel Brooks’s comedic musical “The Producers” in March of 2026.

Bay College President Dr. Nerita Hughes said, “Bay College is honored to provide a temporary home to Players de Noc. As the community’s college, we are proud to be a part of the effort to sustain and celebrate the rich heritage of local performing arts. We look forward to an inspiring season of resilience, collaboration, and outstanding theater together.”

Further details about performance schedules and tickets for upcoming events at the Besse Theater will be announced in the coming weeks on the Players de Noc website at playersdenoc.org, Bay College website and on social media channels. For additional questions, contact the Bay College Event Services at events@baycollege.edu or 906-217-4040.