Marion, OH — Five Nights on Campus performing arts series is stepping it up and stepping out — literally and figuratively. On Thursday, May 14, Ohio State Marion transforms campus into a vibrant neighborhood festival for the final performance of the season, Who We Are Now: A Celebration of Marion, OH.
Who We Are Now is an evening that blends community gathering, live storytelling, local history, and the triumphant return of The Marion Open. What begins as a block‑party‑style celebration evolves into a reflective performance of Marion’s stories, then bursts back into civic pride with the energy of a drum corps finale. It’s a night built around one idea: belonging — to a place, to a history, to each other.
Directed by Ohio State Marion Dean and Director and higher‑education innovator Dr. Jennifer Schlueter, Who We Are Now is a signature event of Marion’s America 250 celebration. Schlueter has collaborated with dozens of contributors, storytellers, historians, artists, and neighbors to craft an evening that honors Marion’s past while celebrating the people shaping its future.
“Marion has given me so much,” Schlueter shared. “This project is my way of giving something back — a space where our community can see itself, hear itself, and celebrate itself.”
The evening begins at 6:30 p.m. with a lively outdoor festival featuring local food, live music, lawn games, and community memory‑sharing. Guests are invited to bring personal memorabilia to be scanned on-site by Ohio State Marion volunteers in partnership with the Marion Historical Society. Birch Tree Bookery will offer curated local‑history titles, and subject‑matter experts will be available for informal conversations about Marion’s story.
At 7:30 p.m., the celebration moves indoors for an original performance created by Ohio State Marion and the Marion community. Real stories — tender, funny, inherited, hard‑won — are brought to life on stage through live narration and musical performances by local artists and groups.
The night crescendos at 8:00 p.m. with the long‑awaited return of The Marion Open, launched by the powerful sound of Marion Harding High School’s drum and bugle corps. Thanks to the Marion Arts Legacy Alliance and Pillar Credit Union, this beloved tradition comes home to Marion after a long hiatus.
The event also marks the beginning of a larger storytelling effort: community memories gathered throughout the evening will help shape a major performance at the Marion Palace Theatre in December 2026, concluding Marion’s America 250 celebration.
Ticket prices for Who We Are Now: A Celebration of Marion, OH are $10 general admission, $9 for seniors 60 and up, and $4 for all students (K-12) and college students. Ohio State Marion & Marion Technical College faculty/staff are eligible to purchase $8 discount tickets. Season ticket packages and patron memberships offer discounted rates and exclusive benefits. Tickets are available at the door or by contacting Jodi Somerlot at (740) 725-6156 or somerlot.30@osu.edu.
Special thanks to sponsors including Marion Technical College, Stifel, UniPrint, Wm. Kay Davis Foundation, and iHeart Media, and our event partners The Ohio State University Alumni Club of Marion County and Buckeye Backers.
All Five Night’s performances are in Morrill Hall Auditorium at Ohio State Marion. Doors to the auditorium open at 7 p.m., with seating on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information or to register for tickets visit https://go.osu.edu/fivenights.
Come for the festival. Stay for the performance. Leave knowing a little more about the place we call home.