The 2026 Film Festival at UC Davis showcases short films created by UC Davis students and recent alumni as well as submissions from student filmmakers from Northern California colleges and universities. This year’s festival is being produced by a team of students who are mentored by Julie Wyman, associate professor of cinema and digital media.

Homer’s ancient epic is given new life in the UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance’s presentation of "The Odyssey in Shadow," a large-scale cinematic shadow theater experience. The production will preview on June 1 and will run on June 2, 3 and 4 in the Arena Theatre, Wright Hall.

“Relative Motion,” the UC Davis 2026 Spring Dance Concert, showcases new works by student choreographers. The Department of Theatre and Dance is presenting the concert starting on May 14 and runs for two weekends in the Main Theatre, Wright Hall. 

'The Drowsy Chaperone' tells the story of a man looking back on his life via his relationship to an audio recording of an old musical from 1928. Using his imagination only, "the Man in the Chair,” drawing from old Hollywood and musical theatre tropes and stereotypes, sends the stars of the musical into a mash-up performance wherein hilarity, beauty and chaos ensue.

Winner of two Tony Awards, for Best Book and Best Original Score, The Drowsy Chaperone is a loving send-up of the Golden Age of the Broadway musical. The UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance presents the hilarious musical in the Main Theatre, Wright Hall, and runs Feb. 26, 27, 28 and March 5, 6 at 7 p.m. and Feb. 28 and March 7 at 2 p.m.

Featuring a small ensemble of select dancers, Control/Shift, explores dance as it intersects with technologies of control and for connection. A highlight of the performance will be a post-show event providing insight into the creative process behind the choreographies and how they developed. 

In "Rules of Play," the UC Davis Spring Dance Concert for 2025, choreographers and dancers will present work aimed at helping audiences reflect on which "rules" of life benefit society and which may need to be revised or upended. The program is curated by Doria E. Charlson, visiting professor of theatre and dance, and showcases new works developed and performed by undergraduate students.

The flowers are in bloom, the sun is starting to stay out and, with the start of the spring quarter, comes many events throughout the College of Letters and Science. From lectures and workshops to music, art shows and tea gatherings, there is something to learn, see and do wherever you go in Davis this month.

A minimalist work of experimental theater, "Small Mouth Sounds" casts the audience as voyeurs in an entertaining adventure that gradually turns more serious. Set at a rustic retreat, the dramedy, presented by the UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance, opens Feb. 27 in the Wyatt Pavilion Theatre.

The moment Vinh Ton got accepted at UC Davis, he started a spreadsheet. He already knew he would major in statistics, but he also wanted to minor in theater & dance. As a transfer student, packing everything into two years would require careful planning, and it wasn’t too soon to start.