Submitted by Oddfellows Playhouse
(April 30, 2026) — Oddfellows Playhouse Teen Repertory Company will present the world premiere of Mel Chomsky’s History of the World on May 14 – 16 and 22 – 23, 2026. All performances will be held at Oddfellows Playhouse, 128 Washington Street in Middletown.
Mel Chomsky’s History of the World is an original comedy written and directed by Playhouse Artistic Director Dic Wheeler. This high-energy play blends theater, circus, and Commedia dell’Arte. Beginning in Melilli, Sicily in 1626, three performers are swept into a wild time-travel adventure led by a dead philosopher-comedian, Mel Chomsky, journeying from Melilli to Mattabasset, ancient Greece, the American Revolution and beyond. It’s a bold, slapstick ride through history that explores the ongoing tension between democracy and authoritarianism.
Writer/director Wheeler, who will be leaving the Playhouse in June, says about the production: “I wanted my final show at Oddfellows to celebrate my life-long love of physical comedy, Commedia and circus, but also be a commentary about the current state of the world. The play combines the broad comedy of Mel Brooks with the world view of Noam Chomsky, throwing in a dollop of Dr. Who. The cast includes familiar characters like Socrates, George Washington, Marie Antoinette and Pope Leo X, plus many others throughout time and space, but at the heart are three archetypes of Commedia – the Miser Pantalone, the hungry servant Arlecchino, and his love and protector Colombina – all led by their tour guide Mel Chomsky.”
Mel Chomsky’s History of the World, which features a cast of 17 performers ages 14 -21, is written by Dic Wheeler with original music by Eric Kuhn. Tickets are $20 for adults and $12 for kids and students. “Big Hearted Oddfellow” tickets are available for $30 for anyone who really loves and values theater and its impact on the lives of young people. May 14, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. is a “Pay What You Can” Preview.
Performances will be at 7:00 p.m. on May 14, 15, 16, 22 and 23, and at 2:00 p.m. on May 23, 2026. Mel Chomsky’s History of the World contains strong language and ridiculous situations. For more information, call (860) 347-6143, email info@oddfellows.org, or go to www.oddfellows.org.
The Teen Repertory Company 2026 production of Mel Chomsky’s History of the World is made possible thanks to a Semiquincentennial Arts Engagement Grant from the City of Middletown/Arts and Culture Office and production support from ARTFARM. Support for the 2025 – ‘26 mainstage production season is provided by the Tinty Foundation; Cornelia T. Bailey Charitable Trust; Maximilian E. and Marion O. Hoffman Foundation; and the George and Grace Long Foundation. Additional funding for the Playhouse comes from the Connecticut Office of the Arts/DECD; The Fund for Greater Hartford; State of Connecticut Judicial Branch (Youth Violence Prevention); Middletown Youth Services Bureau; City of Middletown Health Department; Community Foundation of Middlesex County; Middlesex United Way; Liberty Bank Foundation; Connecticut Humanities (Directed Local Funds); Eversource Energy Foundation; many generous individual donors; and you, supporting youth arts in Connecticut by purchasing a ticket for this performance.
Photo above by John Ward
