Buffalo Theatre Ensemble (BTE), the professional equity theater company in residence at the McAninch Arts Center (MAC), will present three classic plays: "Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women,” “Dial M for Murder” and “One Man, Two Guvnors” as part of its 40th season.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday in the MAC’s Playhouse Theater, located on the Glen Ellyn campus of College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd. Tickets are $46 for adults and $44 for seniors. For ticket information, visit atthemac.org.

For each play, there will be a pre-show discussion before the Thursday preview performance and a post-show discussion following the second Friday performance. There will also be an American Sign Language (ASL) performance on the fourth Thursday of each run.

“Forty years of sharing stories on stage has been made possible by our outstanding community of audience members who have made Buffalo Theatre Ensemble their theatrical home,” said Interim Managing Artistic Director Daniel Millhouse. “These plays, filled with humor and heart, are a thank you to our loyal patrons and an open invitation to new friends to experience Buffalo Theatre Ensemble during this milestone season.”

“Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women”

Nov. 12 to Dec. 13

Director: Daniel Millhouse

In Lauren Gunderson’s fresh and heartfelt adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel “Little Women,” the beloved four March sisters step onto the stage with new vitality and emotional clarity. As Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy navigate growing up during the Civil War in Massachusetts, they chase dreams, confront loss and discover the fierce power of family. Gunderson, co-writer of the popular “Christmas at Pemberley” trilogy, illuminates Alcott’s timeless story, celebrating imagination, resilience and the enduring bonds that shape who we become.

“Dial M for Murder”

Jan. 28 to Feb. 28, 2027

Director: Steve Scott

Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the original by Frederick Knott, “Dial M for Murder” is a sophisticated game of cat and mouse that unfolds into a classic suspense thriller when a carefully constructed murder plot begins to unravel in unexpected ways. What follows is a razor-sharp battle of wits filled with deception, twists and chilling surprises. Originally written for a 1952 BBC broadcast, Knott’s play was adapted for the London and Broadway stages, television and a 1954 Alfred Hitchcock film starring Ray Milland, Grace Kelly and Robert Cummings.

“One Man, Two Guvnors”

May 6 to June 6, 2027

Director: Connie Canaday Howard

“One Man, Two Guvnors” by Richard Bean, based on “The Servant of Two Masters” by Carlo Goldoni, follows the perpetually hungry Francis Henshall, who accidentally winds up employed by two men: a fearsome gangster and a criminal on the run. Both guvnors are entangled in a web of schemes, shakedowns and seductions. To keep his double-dealing a secret, Henshall must juggle both guvnors, chase a decent meal and win the girl. Playwright Bean transports the classic commedia dell’arte tale “The Servant of Two Masters” (1746) into the bright, brash world of seaside Brighton in 1963.

Learn more about BTE performances.