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Argenta Contemporary Theatre’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory continues to build momentum with a new review from Koty Mansfield, who calls the production “a golden ticket to great theatre.” Mansfield’s review captures what audiences have been experiencing all week: a production that leans fully into imagination, performance, and the shared joy of live theatre. Mansfield calls Gus Howell's performance as a "revelation." "His ability to conjure raw emotion is beyond his year

Called “pure theatrical fun” by BroadwayWorld critic Theresa Bertram, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is delighting audiences at Argenta Contemporary Theatre. The production features a cast Bertram describes as “absolutely stacked with A-list local talent,” led by Case Dillard’s “mesmerizing” Willy Wonka—filled with a “playful unpredictability” that brings both magic and humanity to the role. At its heart, she highlights the connection between Wonka and Charlie as “a beauti

This summer, ACTing Up is led by a faculty of nationally and internationally recognized artists—all with deep connections to Arkansas. Our teaching artists bring decades of experience from Broadway tours, Off-Broadway productions, regional theatres, film sets, university classrooms, and creative studios across the country. Designed as an immersive, three-week experience, ACTing Up invites students to train, collaborate, and create in a supportive, ensemble-driven environment.

Photography by Royce West. Case Dillard doesn’t approach Willy Wonka as a fixed character—he treats him as something constantly shifting. In Argenta Contemporary Theatre’s production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, that unpredictability becomes the engine of the performance. For Dillard, the role isn’t defined by familiarity, but by contradiction. “The musical theatre canon has few roles that are as diverse and nuanced as Willy Wonka,” he says. “You never know what you’