Ball State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance will present Veal, a dystopian revenge thriller with comedic elements by Jojo Jones. The production is co-directed by Dee Dee Batteast, ’07, instructor of theatre, and guest director Payten Romig, ’24.
Performances will take place Feb. 19–22 and Feb. 24–26 at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee performance at 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 21, in the Fine Arts Building and David Owsley Museum of Art, Room 217. Tickets are available through the College of Fine Arts’ Box Office at Sursa Performance Hall, in person, by phone at 765-285-8749, or online.
Set in a fractured future after a violent coup, Veal blends sharp humor with psychological tension as it examines how memory, identity, and authority collide when the past refuses to stay buried. The play follows Chelsea, a young woman newly crowned queen of North America, as she reunites with a small group of former classmates under extraordinary circumstances—forcing them to confront lingering power dynamics, long-held resentments, and the consequences of childhood cruelty.
“This fast paced 90-minute piece is a time warped comedy that asks us to confront our desire to climb into the safety of the past when the uncertainty of the present is overwhelming,” said Ms. Batteast. “Nostalgia only works if we all collectively agree on what was good, who was there, and how it felt. Otherwise, inevitably the past we are attempting to return to as a collective feels less like the warmth of home video and more like the cold harsh reality of a long overdue trial. You will laugh, you will gasp, you will remember what it was like.”
The production was developed and premiered at A Red Orchid Theatre in Chicago in 2025.
The Department of Theatre and Dance is part of Ball State’s
College of Fine Arts. Learn more about the department’s other upcoming theatrical performances
online.