Belhaven Theatre Opens Season With The Drowning Girls

JACKSON, Miss (August 22, 2025) – Belhaven University’s Theater Department will present "The Drowning Girls," a chilling and poetic retelling of a true-crime story, in the Barber Theater Sept. 18–20 and Sept. 25–27.

Chair and Professor Dr. Elissa Sartwell will direct the production. The play tells the story of three women, Bessie, Alice and Margaret, who were murdered in their homes by their husband, George Joseph Smith. An Edwardian opportunist, Smith married women, collected life insurance policies on them, and then drowned them.

Full of rich imagery, numerous characters, quirky humor and lyrical language, The Drowning Girls combines breathtaking fantasia with sharp social critique.

Showtimes include:

Thursday, September 18 at 7 p.m.
Friday, September 19 at 7 p.m.
Saturday, September 20 at 7 p.m.
Thursday, September 25 at 7 p.m.
Friday, September 26 at 7 p.m.
Saturday, September 27 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and Belhaven alumni, and complimentary for Belhaven students, faculty and staff. Viewers may reserve tickets beginning September 11 by emailing boxoffice@belhaven.edu or calling 601-974-6478. Doors open 30 minutes before each performance.

This is just one of the many exciting events from Belhaven’s School of Arts. Check out Arts Ablaze for plays, dance and music concerts, poetry readings, gallery exhibits and more happening this year.