UIS Visual Arts Gallery presents sculptural installations by Khara Koffel

WHAT: University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery will host a reception with Jacksonville, Illinois sculptor Khara Koffel.

WHEN: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. with a presentation by Koffel beginning at 6:00 p.m.

WHERE: Public Affairs Center, Conference Room "G" followed by a reception at the Visual Arts Gallery

DETAILS: The artwork is inspired by personal stories, relationships, and memories that relate not only to the life of the artist, but to the viewer as well. Khara Koffel is a faculty member in the Art Department at MacMurray College, and has exhibited her work at galleries across the country. The at some point exhibit will be on display in the gallery from Thursday, November 5 through Wednesday, November 25, 2009.

There will be food and refreshments provided at the November 18, 2009 reception. The artist’s talk, reception, and exhibit are free and open to the public.

The Visual Arts Gallery is located in room 201 of the Health and Sciences Building on the UIS campus. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

For further information, go to www.uis.edu/visualarts/ or contact the gallery by phone at 217/206-6506 or by e-mail at gallery@uis.edu.

Theatre open auditions for Student-Directed Scenes

WHAT: Students who are currently taking THE/COM 476, Directing for the Theatre will be holding open auditions for their final project scenes.

WHEN: Wednesday, October 28 from 3:45pm – 6pm and Thursday, October 29 from 2pm – 4:30pm in the University of Illinois Springfield VPA Room 170.

DETAILS: Everyone is welcome to audition; auditions will consist of cold readings from the various plays directed by the students.

For more information contact Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson at mthom1@uis.edu.

UIS Chorus to perform at Springfield's Vachel Lindsay Home

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Chorus, under the direction of Dr. Sharon Graf, will perform at the Vachel Lindsay Home in Springfield.

WHEN: Saturday, October 17, 2009 at 2:00 p.m.

WHERE: 603 South 5th Street, Springfield, Illinois

ADDITIONAL INFO: This will be the vocal group’s first performance of the semester and the first ever at the historic home of poet Nicholas Vachel Lindsay.

The event will feature music from a variety of countries, cultures and historical periods. Highlights include songs from Russia, China, and a selection sung in Swahili.

The current UIS Chorus program began in 2001 and is comprised of students, faculty, staff and alumni as well as Springfield community members, all with a variety of skill levels. After the Vachel Lindsay event, the next Chorus performance will be at the UIS Showcase Concert, which features the Chorus, Chamber Orchestra and Band and will be held at the PAC Studio Theatre at the University of Illinois at Springfield campus on December 4, 2009, at 7:30 p.m.

For more information on the UIS Chorus or the upcoming performance contact Dr. Sharon Graf at 217/206-6240 or by e-mail at music@uis.edu.

Homecoming 2009: Mashed Potato sculpting

University of Illinois Springfield students got creative with a popular mashed vegetable during Homecoming Week 2009.

Assistant Director of Student Life Beth Hoag came up with the idea for mashed potato sculpting last year. The event was such big hit she decided to bring it back again with a few rules. Students had to design something based on UIS or the homecoming theme “There’s No Place Like Homecoming”.

UIS Food Service prepared 25 pounds of “extra stiff” potatoes for students to use. They decorated the mashed wonders with everything from food coloring to feathers and glitter.

“It’s almost like play doh just a little softer,” said junior business major Baily Meek. “I wouldn’t have expected it to be like that”.

Volunteers judged each design on creativity and theme. The winner of the contest was rewarded with a $50 gift card.

Click Here for a full list of Homecoming 2009 events.

PAPS: Anne Feeney & David Rovics in Concert

WHAT: University of Illinois Springfield presents Political Art and the Public Sphere featuring folk singers, songwriters, and activists Anne Feeney & David Rovics in concert.

WHEN: Monday, October 5, 2009 at 6:00 p.m.

WHERE: Brookens Auditorium on the lower level of Brookens Library at UIS

ADDITIONAL INFO: Anne Feeney and David Rovics share an interest in using their music to raise questions about social and political issues, to share with listeners some of the history of the diverse struggles of the impoverished, marginalized and exploited, and to inspire people to work together for social and economic justice.

With her conscience and consciousness shaped by the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement, Anne Feeney has been called the best labor singer in North America. Rovics, who writes journalism pieces periodically as he tours the world, has been called the musical voice of the progressive movement in the US and the musical version of Democracy Now! Accomplished musicians and songwriters, both allow their music to be downloaded and shared with organizers, other activists and myriad fans.

For more information contact Richard Gilman-Opalsky at 217/206-8328 or rgilm3@uis.edu.

UIS and Benedictine to host co-exhibit with internationally acclaimed Russian artist

The first North American solo exhibition of the artwork of Sergei Chepik is being announced by Benedictine University at Springfield and the University of Illinois Springfield, co-exhibitors. This first-ever co-exhibit by the two Universities will display forty lithographs by the internationally acclaimed Russian artist who currently resides in Paris. The prints were inspired by the novel The White Guard by Mikhail Bulgakov and were commissioned in 2006, with an initial exhibit held in 2008 at the Bulgakov Museum in Moscow.

Displaying remarkably powerful images of the Russian Revolution, the Chepik co-exhibit will begin October 1, 2009, at both the BUS Becker Library Gallery and the UIS Visual Arts Gallery, running through November 5 and October 28, respectively.

An opening reception will be held at 6:30 p.m. on October 7 in the UIS Visual Arts Gallery with a gallery talk by associate professor Rosina Neginsky, personal friend of the artist and author of Sergei Chepik: Between East and West, published by Benedictine University at Springfield.

A closing reception will be held from 6:30–8:30 p.m. on November 5 in the Brinkerhoff Home on the Benedictine campus with a gallery talk by Neginsky. The November 5 closing reception will occur together with the 2.2 release gala for Quiddity International Literary Journal and Public-Radio Program, published and produced by Benedictine University at Springfield and NPR member WUIS. Quiddity 2.2 includes Sergei Chepik as a featured artist.

For further information, please contact:
Marianne Stremsterfer
Benedictine University at Springfield
mstremsterfer@sci.edu
(217) 525-1420, ext. 518

Liz Murphy Thomas
University of Illinois Springfield
thomas.elizabeth@uis.edu
(217) 206-7547

Speakers Series: Shakespeare Behind Bars

WHAT: University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speakers Series presents Shakespeare Behind Bars film viewing followed by a discussion moderated by Shakespeare theater director Curt Tofteland.

WHEN: Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.

WHERE: Public Affairs Center (PAC) Studio Theatre at UIS

ADDITIONAL INFO: Take Shakespeare's final play The Tempest with its violent seas, windswept island, crucial connection to nature, and underlying theme of forgiveness, and bring it into a prison, the ultimate venue of confinement. The result is an extraordinary story about the creative process and the power of art to heal and redeem--in a place where the very act of participation in theatre is a human triumph and a means of personal liberation.

In Hank Rogerson's revelatory trip into and around this prison production, we embark on a year-long journey with the Shakespeare Behind Bars theatre troupe. Led by Shakespearean volunteer director Curt Tofteland, the prisoners cast themselves in roles reflecting their personal history and fate. Their individual stories, including information about their heinous crimes, are interwoven with the plot of The Tempest as the inmates delve deeply into the characters they portray while confronting their personal demons. http://www.shakespearebehindbars.com/

For more information and a list of other speakers series events visit http://illinois.edu/goto/speakerseries or contact Kimberly Craig at 217/206-6245 or craig.kimberly@uis.edu.

Speakers Series presents Arthur Danto: Prints

WHAT: University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speakers Series presents Arthur Danto: Prints gallery of the artist’s work and discussion.

WHEN: Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at 5:30 p.m.

WHERE: Brookens Auditorium on the lower level of Brookens Library at UIS

ADDITIONAL INFO: Arthur C. Danto is considered one of the most important philosophers of art in the world. His undeniable influence on modern art criticism has affected the way that art is thought of and discussed around the world. Danto will talk about his work, as well art and aesthetics.

While many people are familiar with Danto as a philosopher and critic, Danto was also an artist early in his career. An exhibit of Danto’s work will be featured in the UIS Visual Arts Gallery from August 27 – September 23, 2009. This work, a series of woodcut prints produced from 1956 through 1963 has not been exhibited publicly since 1960. For more information on the exhibit visit: www.uis.edu/visualarts/gallery.html

Click here to visit an online slide show of Danto prints on display.

For more information and a list of other speakers series events visit http://illinois.edu/goto/speakerseries or contact Kimberly Craig at 217/206-6245 or craig.kimberly@uis.edu.

UIS Theatre Program holds auditions for fall 2009 production

The Theatre Program at the University of Illinois Springfield will hold open auditions for the first production of its 2009-2010 season – Neil LaBute’s The Shape of Things – on Tuesday, September 8, and Wednesday, September 9, beginning at 7 p.m. both nights in the Studio Theatre, located on level one of the Public Affairs Center on the UIS campus. Call-backs will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday, September 10.

Auditions are open to anyone, with or without experience. Auditions will consist of “cold readings” from the script, and prepared monologues and resumes are appreciated but are not required.

The Shape of Things is set in a liberal arts college, in a conservative Midwestern town. In the production, four characters struggle to find their voice in matters of love and art. After a chance meeting in a museum, Evelyn and Adam become embroiled in an intense affair. Before long, Evelyn steers Adam toward a new appearance and character. The final, shocking exhibition reveals Evelyn’s true intentions and challenges long-held ideas about art and love.

UIS Associate Professor of Theatre Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson will direct. Production dates are November 13-15 and 19-21. Beginning with this production, evening curtain times will be changed to 7:30 p.m., instead of 8 p.m. as in the past. Sunday performances remain at 2 p.m.

Those interested in working backstage (stage managers, props crew, sound research, costumes, dresser, running crew) are asked to attend one night of auditions to fill out an audition form and indicate area of interest. Thibodeaux-Thompson will meet with those interested in working backstage and discuss the area of interest.

For more information about auditions, the play, or helping behind the scenes, contact Thibodeaux-Thompson at 217/206-6613, or go to www.uis.edu/theatre.

Visual Arts Gallery presents artwork by Arthur Danto

The UIS Visual Arts Gallery will be presenting a series of woodcut prints by world-renowned author, philosopher and artist Arthur C. Danto. The artwork, which was last exhibited in 1960, will be on display in the gallery from Thursday, August 27, through September 23.

Danto is the author of more than twenty books and is currently the Johnsonian Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Columbia University.

There will be a presentation by Danto on September 23 at 5:30 p.m. in Brookens Auditorium, located on the lower level of Brookens Library. The presentation will be followed by a reception, including food and refreshments, until 8 p.m. at the Visual Arts Gallery. The artist’s talk, reception and exhibit are free and open to the public.

The Visual Arts Gallery is located in room 201 of the Health and Sciences Building on the UIS campus. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. For further information, go to www.uis.edu/visualarts/ or contact the gallery by phone at 217/206-6506 or by e-mail at gallery@uis.edu.

Theatre Program announced schedule for 2009-2010 season

The University of Illinois at Springfield’s Theatre Program has announced the schedule for the 2009-2010 season with productions that tell the stories of conflicted relationships.

The fall production is The Shape of Things by Neil LaBute. Set in a liberal arts college, in a conservative Midwestern town, four characters struggle to find their voice in matters of love and art. After a chance meeting in a museum, Evelyn and Adam become embroiled in an intense affair. Before long, Evelyn steers Adam toward a new appearance and character. The final, shocking exhibition reveals Evelyn’s true intentions and challenges our most deeply entrenched ideas about art and love.

UIS Assistant Professor of Theatre Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson will direct. Production dates are November 13-15 and 19-21. Open auditions will be held September 8-10, from 7 to 10 p.m. each day, in the Studio Theatre at UIS.

The spring production is The Runner Stumbles by Milan Stitt. The setting is in a remote northern Michigan parish in 1911, where a young nun, Sister Rita, mysteriously dies. Her superior, Father Rivard, is charged with the crime.

As the trial unfolds four years later, the story alternates between the past and the present, revealing a conflicted relationship between the young nun and the priest. Sister Rita tries to inject color and life into the rural, drab town, bringing more tension to the surface. Part-courtroom drama, part-memory play and part-romance, the play explores conflicts between duty to the church and duty to self, forbidden passions, and divisions between strict traditional morality and complex human emotions.

UIS Assistant Professor of Theatre Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson will direct. Productions dates are April 23-25 and April 29-May 1. Open auditions will be held on January 31-February 2.

Beginning with the fall 2009 production, evening curtain times will be changed to 7:30 p.m., instead of 8 p.m. as in the past. Sunday performances remain at 2 p.m.

For more information about auditions, the plays, or the Theatre Program at UIS, go to www.uis.edu/theatre .

UIS Music presents Spring Showcase Concert

University of Illinois at Springfield Music will present its annual Spring Showcase Concert on Friday, May 1, at 7:30 p.m. in the Studio Theatre, located on the lower level of the Public Affairs Center on the UIS campus.

A live webcast of the event will also be available.

The concert will feature the UIS Band, Chorus and Chamber Orchestra. The UIS Band will present a program designed to kick off the summer concert season, presenting works by Henry Fillmore, D’Arcangelo, Andrew Boysen Jr., and Percy Grainger.

In addition to their individual repertoire, the Chorus and Chamber Orchestra will also combine and perform Eric Whitacre’s Five Hebrew Love Songs.

The program is free and open to the public. Donations benefiting the UIS Music Student Merit Award will be accepted.

For more information, contact Todd Cranson, director of the Chamber Orchestra and Band, at 217/206-7549.

UIS Theatre’s 2008-2009 season concludes with Shakespeare’s "As You Like It"

The Theatre Program at the University of Illinois at Springfield will conclude its 2008-2009 season with the play As You Like It by William Shakespeare, opening Friday, April 17. Six performances will be presented in the Studio Theatre, on the lower level of the Public Affairs Center at UIS - on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, April 17, 18, and 19, and Thursday, Friday, Saturday, April 23, 24, and 25. All shows will begin at 8 p.m. except the Sunday performance (April 19), which will begin at 2 p.m.

As You Like It is set in France, where Duke Senior and his followers are hiding in the Forest of Arden after Duke Senior is usurped and exiled by his brother, Duke Frederick. Duke Senior’s daughter, Rosalind, is permitted to stay at court because she and Frederick’s daughter are close. But when Rosalind falls in love at first sight with young Orlando, and after Orlando is forced to flee persecution by his older brother, Rosalind and Celia flee to the Forest of Arden, and Rosalind disguises herself as a man.

As is common in many of Shakespeare’s plays, confusion and mistaken identity ensue, lovers pine for each other, and Duke Senior and his followers search for meaning while in hiding in the Forest of Arden.

Characters in the play include Duke Frederick; Duke Senior; Rosalind, daughter to Duke Senior; Celia, daughter to Duke Frederick and Rosalind’s cousin; Orlando, youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys; Oliver and Jacques, his brothers; Adam and Dennis, servants to Orlando and Oliver respectively; Touchstone, a court Fool; Charles and Le Beau, part of Duke Frederick’s court; and Jacques and Amiens, lords attending to Duke Senior. Other characters are Corin and Silvius, shepherds; Phoebe, a shepherdess; Audrey, a goatkeeper; William, who is in love with Audrey; and Sir Oliver Martext, a parish priest.

Eighteen actors are playing 23 roles in the production. The cast is Dwight Langford* (Orlando); Ben Beams* (Oliver); Matt Craven* (Jacques the brother/Dennis); Patrick O’Brien (servant/Sir Oliver Martext); Aasne Vigesaa (Rosalind); Ashley Warren* (Celia); Joey Cruse* (Touchstone); Kevin Purcell (Duke Frederick/Corin); Larry Smith (Charles/William); Karina Diaz* (Le Beau); Kevin Cline (a lord); Tom Hutchinson (Duke Senior); Ted Keylon (Jacques the lord); Nick Teeter* (Amiens); Nicole Butts (a lord); Roger Boyd* (Silvius); and Sarah Clinch* (Phoebe).* denotes a UIS student.

UIS Associate Professor and Director of Theatre Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson will direct.

Tickets – $12 general adult; $10 senior citizen, 65+ with photo ID; $8 UIS faculty/staff with current I-card; $6 all students with current school ID – are available now at the UIS Ticket Office, located on level two of the Public Affairs Center. Purchase tickets in person, by phone at 217/206-6160 or 800/207-6960 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or online at www.uis.edu/theatre. Tickets will also be available at the ticket office on the day of the performance, beginning 90 minutes before curtain time.

For more information, contact Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson at 217/206-6613.

UIS hosts 6th annual U of I Communication Collaboration Conference

The Sixth Annual University of Illinois Communication Collaboration (UICC) Conference will be held at the University of Illinois at Springfield on Friday, April 10.

The conference will take place in University Hall Building, room 2008, on the UIS campus from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Communication students from all three University of Illinois campuses will participate in an academic forum where they are able to present their planned, in-progress and finished work.

Guest speaker Dr. Sandra Metts will speak on “The Role of Emotion Experience and Expression in the Development and Maintenance of Close Relationships” at 11 a.m.

The conference is free and open to the public. Attendees of the conference must register by Wednesday, April 8. For more information or to register, contact conference organizers at uicc2009@gmail.com.

UIS to hold Symbolism conference in Monticello

The University of Illinois at Springfield will be holding a three-day conference called “Symbolism, Its Origins and Its Consequences” from April 22 through April 25 at Allerton Park and Retreat Center in Monticello, Illinois.

The purpose of the conference is to explore the origins of Symbolism, a variety of Symbolist manifestations in art, literature, music and philosophy, its consequences in art and literature, and to understand how ideas moved from one European country to another.

Symbolism was based on a certain world view that expressed itself in different genres in different countries. European Symbolism was a complex movement that started in England, then moved to France, back to England, and then finally into Russian culture.

The keynote address for the conference will be given by Geneviève Lacambre, general honorary curator of the patrimony at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, and is titled “Toward Symbolism: Gustave Moreau and the Masters of the Past and his Contemporaries.”

Each day of the conference will be comprised of various sessions focusing on Symbolism, with breaks for meals. Registration fees are $180, and $90 for students.

The conference is co-sponsored by the Strategic Initiative Grant from the UIS Provost’s Office and UIS’ Information Technology Services, Visual Arts Department and the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Lodging can be booked at the Allerton Retreat Center by calling 217/333-3287. For more information or to register for the conference, go online to http://www.uis.edu/hosted-orgs/conferences/symbolism/index.html or contact Rosina Neginsky, organizer and coordinator of the conference, at 217/206-7431.

Central Illinois: Patchwork of People resumes with second program

“Central Illinois: Patchwork of People”, a thought-provoking, three-session educational series examining the people and cultures that have influenced life in central Illinois, continues on Tuesday, April 21 at the University of Illinois at Springfield.

The program will be held in the Public Affairs Center rooms C/D and will focus on “How They Lived at Home.” Speakers will be Dr. Stacy Pratt McDermott, Assistant Editor of Papers of Abraham Lincoln, who will speak on “Domestic Law, Matrimony and Divorce in Sangamon County: 1837-1861,” and Dr. Stacey Robertson, Director of Women’s Studies at Bradley University in Peoria, who will speak on “Myths and Realities in the Lives of Frontier Women.”

UIS alumnus William Furry, Executive Director of the Illinois State Historical Society, is the moderator of the series. Sponsors of the event are the UIS Alumni SAGE Society and the Illinois State Historical Society. This program is made possible in part by a grant from the Illinois Humanities Council.

A hot buffet luncheon is available at 11:30 a.m., and the presentations are from 12 to 1:30 p.m. The presentations are free and open to the public, but there is a cost of $20 for those with lunch reservations.

Paid reservations are required for the luncheon by Tuesday, April 14. Pre-registration is also requested from those attending the presentations but not eating lunch.

To register or for more information, visit www.uiaa.org/uis or contact the Office of UIS Alumni Relations at 217/206-7395 or alumni @uis.edu.

The Central Illinois Patchwork of People series will hold its final program on Tuesday, May 19, and the topic will be “How They Made a Living.” Speakers will be Taylor Pensoneau, Retired President of the Illinois Coal Association and Illinois author, and Dr. Debra Reid, Associate Professor of History at Eastern Illinois University.

"The Lazarus Project" author to hold reading and Q&A session at UIS

As part of the Verbal Arts Festival and the Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series at the University of Illinois at Springfield, Aleksandar Hemon, author of the 2008 novel The Lazarus Project, will be holding a reading, presentation, and question and answer session on Friday, April 3, at 7 p.m.

The program will be held in the Studio Theater, on the lower level of the Public Affairs Center on the UIS campus. It is free and open to the public.

Hemon, a native of Bosnia, is also the author of Nowhere Man and The Question of Bruno. The Lazarus Project was one of five finalists for the National Book Critics Circle Award in Fiction.

For more information, contact Michael Gammon at mgamm01s@uis.edu or 217/206-7460.

Smithereens' lead singer to perform at WUIS studio

Pat DiNizio, the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the Smithereens, will appear in Springfield on Thursday, April 9 for a benefit “living room” concert at 7:30 p.m. for WUIS, the public radio affiliate based at the University of Illinois at Springfield campus.

DiNizio is currently traveling around the country doing a series of living room concerts in people’s homes. He will perform in the WUIS Suggs’ Performance Studio, which will take on a living room motif for the show, for an audience of up to 50 people.

DiNizio will showcase acoustic versions of Smithereens songs, along with performances from his tribute to Buddy Holly released this year on the 50th anniversary of Holly’s death.

“The show will allow DiNizio and fans to interact, and proceeds will go to the fund dedicated to the performance studio. It will also be recorded for later broadcast,” said Bill Wheelhouse, WUIS General Manager.

Admission is $50 per person, with proceeds going to the WUIS Suggs Performance Studio Fund. For more information or to make a reservation for the show, call WUIS at 217/206-6516.

Day for "Celebration of Animals and Nature in Myth and Legend"

The University of Illinois at Springfield will be hosting an event called “Celebration of Animals and Nature in Myth and Legend” on Tuesday, April 7. The event is presented by UIS’ College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Office of Undergraduate Education ECCE Speaker Series, along with the Lincoln Memorial Gardens and Illinois’ Nature in Legend and Story.

The event will feature seasoned storytellers, who will explore some of the ways in which cultures define themselves through unique relationships to fauna and flora. The program will look at ways in which nature and culture combine in the construction of human, as well as tribal, identity, so that social issues are inseparable from environmental concerns.

The keynote presentation, “Celebration of Animals & Nature in Legend & Myth,” will be held from 10 to 11:45 a.m. in Brookens Auditorium, located on the lower level of Brookens Library on the UIS campus. ECCE Speaker Series students will receive academic credit for their attendance at this event only.

A Nature Storytelling Workshop for Educators will take place from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., also in Brookens Auditorium.

From 7:30 to 9 p.m., a Storytelling in the Round, Author’s Reception and Book Signing event will be held at Lincoln Memorial Gardens’ Nature Center, Council Ring 3. The cost to attend the evening event is $5; students with a UIS I-card will be admitted at no cost. Due to limited seating, pre-registration is required for this event by calling the Lincoln Memorial Gardens Nature Center at 217/529-1111.

Speakers include James Bruchac, nationally-known cultural educator and author; Dr. Boria Sax, UIS adjunct professor of the course “Animals and Civilization”; Betsy Irwin, education coordinator at Lincoln Memorial Gardens; and Cathy Mosley, president of the Illinois-based Nature in Legend and Story.

For more information, go online to www.uis.edu/clas/animalsandnature.html or contact Holly McCracken at 217/206-7421 or hmccr1@uis.edu.

Visual Arts Gallery hosts Vogele print collection

Highlights from the Vogele Print Collection will be on display at the Visual Arts Gallery at the University of Illinois at Springfield from Monday, March 30 through Wednesday, April 22. An opening reception will be held in the gallery, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Friday, April 17.

The reception and exhibit are free and open to the public. The reception will be held in conjunction with UIS’ Arts Night.

The gallery is proud to present work from a collection of more than 20 prints by leading American contemporary artists donated by Robert and Ruth Vogele to the University’s permanent collection. Included in the collection are prints by Jim Dine, Sol LeWitt and Philip Pearlstein, among others. The Vogeles are alumni of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The Visual Arts Gallery is located in room 201 of the Health and Sciences Building on the UIS campus. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

For more information, go to www.uis.edu/visualarts or contact the gallery by phone at 217/206-6506 or by e-mail at gallery@uis.edu.

Early birthday party to be held for Lincoln

By Nick Rogers, for the University of Illinois at Springfield



Fire stoked in a belly or fear struck in a heart isn’t a traditional measure of success for a piece of music. For Jay Ungar, that essence is inherent to the hits of the ‘60s.

The 1860s, that is.

“Without recordings and radio and all that, many more people played an instrument, and everybody sang,” says Ungar, a fiddler and mandolin player. “It was part of the fabric of the culture. Music also had an effect during the war, when a powerful song like ‘Battle Cry of Freedom’ was said to actually affect the outcome of battle.”

The Civil War, and its preceding tensions, dictated the emotions behind much of America’s popular music from the 1840s to 1860s. However, those tunes echoed not just a tumultuously changing society or combat’s chaos, but also a trans-generational importance of home comforts, family milestones and community togetherness.

In that more joyous spirit, the University of Illinois at Springfield will host “An Early Birthday Party for A. Lincoln” at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31 in Sangamon Auditorium.

Headlining this musical bicentennial celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s birth will be Ungar and his wife, Molly Mason, who plays mandolin, guitar and piano. The duo is best known for “Ashokan Farewell,” a haunting instrumental immortalized in popular culture by its memorable use in “The Civil War,” Ken Burns’ 1990 PBS documentary. Ungar and Mason will perform that, along with many 19th-century tunes.

Accompanying them will be two Springfield arts groups with UIS connections – the 10th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry Band and the Springfield International Folk Dancers. Including those groups, says Sangamon Auditorium director Robert A. Vaughn, continues the auditorium’s ongoing mission to foster local collaboration and expand outreach.

“We’ve made great strides to improve that sense of university ownership while further strengthening collaborative ties with civic arts organizations,” Vaughn says. “It provides the opportunity to see the auditorium as more than just a place that people can go and see performances, but as a tool to enrich curriculum.”

For this artistic complement to Lincoln’s bicentennial birthday on Feb. 12, Vaughn purposely avoided scheduling it at the same time as other planned celebrations.

“I thought it wouldn’t make a lot of sense to try to crowd the calendar at that time, but to have a more modest celebration out on campus,” Vaughn says.

Modest, perhaps, but its deep fidelity to the time period is, in one instance, literal icing on the cake. Shortly after its mustering in 1861, the 10th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry became one of few such regiments to have its own 12-member band. Today, the band is a 25-member group of central Illinois musicians who wear Civil War-style cavalry uniforms and play antique brass instruments and re-produced drums.

Conducting the cavalry band is Todd Cranson, assistant director of co-curricular music at UIS and director of the UIS band and chamber orchestra. Cranson’s polished-ebony baton, inlaid with silver, once belonged to the leader of the 2nd Iowa Cavalry Band, which frequently performed for Abraham Lincoln.

Cranson also has collaborated with Ungar and Mason on adapting their existing arrangements to include the cavalry band’s instrumentation. Although string groups and brass bands of the day often played the same songs, they rarely played together. Modern amplification has simplified blending the instruments, Cranson says.

Among the folk dancers joining the cavalry band onstage during “The Mary Lincoln Polka” will be Amy Zepp – a UIS graduate student in public administration and a graduate assistant at Sangamon Auditorium.

“People were just starting to learn the traditional polka that we think of today,” Zepp says of that selection’s period-specific choreography. “It will be similar to what people are familiar with now, but somewhat more traditional. The positioning of the couple will be farther apart, as such close dancing was considered inappropriate.”

Lastly, in the auditorium lobby after the performance, complimentary birthday cake – from a Mary Todd Lincoln recipe – will be served, along with punch and coffee.

When selecting Ungar and Mason to perform, Vaughn was particularly stricken by the suitability of “Ashokan Farewell.” Ungar composed the piece in 1982 as an elegy for the end of a musically memorable summer. Eight years later, Burns used it numerous times during “The Civil War,” and the tune propelled the soundtrack to a 1991 Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album.

Ungar says he may have “unintentionally Americanized” the Scottish lament style with “Ashokan Farewell.” But it since has become synonymous with both the era’s musical style and a general sense of human sadness or longing.

“We hear from a lot of people who’ve not ever seen the ‘Civil War’ series who write me almost in shock, asking, ‘Why am I crying when I hear this tune?’ It’s gratifying to know it touches many people in that way,” Mason says.

“I thought it was embarrassing to play that tune with tears coming out of the corner of my eye,” Ungar says. “But when I saw it did the same for others, it was magical.”

Prior to the concert, Ungar will present a fiddling workshop discussing his music at 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29 in the Visual and Performing Arts Building. Those interested in participating may call (217) 206-8405.

Alongside “Ashokan Farewell” on the Jan. 31 program will be selections tied to the country’s mid-19th-century mood, Lincoln’s musical preferences and his political legacy.

“The Vacant Chair” sadly chronicles a family gathering with a seat left open in memory of a fallen soldier. A sing-along medley that Ungar and Mason dub “Hits of the ’60s” will touch on popular Union and Confederate melodies.

“We came to understand that the songs of the north were sung in the south and vice versa,” Ungar says. “We were still one cultural unit in some ways. Everyone knew all the songs, and the most powerful ones, the other side would have their own lyrics for them.”

Mason hopes to perform “Listen to the Mockingbird,” an 1855 song reported to be Lincoln’s favorite and one that has lived on as a fiddle-contest favorite.

“The identity in the music we’re looking at here has a very strong emotional content,” Ungar says. “It is very playable and danceable, and has lyrics that speak very directly of people’s feelings, inner life and higher goals to aspire to.”

“It’s one part educational and one part historical to a modern audience, but the major portion is for entertainment,” Cranson says. “The kind of thing it seems Abe liked the most is fun.”

Tickets for “An Early Birthday Party for A. Lincoln” are $37 and are available: online at http://www.sangamonauditorium.org/; by calling (217) 206-6160 or toll free at (800) 207-6960; or from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Sangamon Auditorium Ticket Office.

Spring auditions to be held for As You Like It

The Theatre Program at the University of Illinois at Springfield will hold open auditions for the 2009 spring production – As You Like It by William Shakespeare – on Sunday, January 25, and Monday, January 26, beginning at 7 p.m. both nights, in the Studio Theatre, located on level one of the Public Affairs Center on the UIS campus. Call-backs will be at the same time and place on Tuesday, January 27.

Auditions are open to anyone, with or without experience. UIS Director of Theatre Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson, who will direct, noted that everyone auditioning is strongly encouraged to read the play in advance. He added that headshots and resumes, as well as brief prepared monologues, are appreciated but not mandatory. Anyone interested in working backstage on the production should also plan to attend one night of auditions.

As You Like It is generally regarded as one of Shakespeare’s finest comedies. The setting is France, where Duke Senior -- usurped and exiled by his brother, Duke Frederick – has gone into hiding in the Forest of Arden with his followers. Duke Senior’s daughter, Rosalind, is permitted to stay at court because she and Frederick’s daughter Celia are close. However, Rosalind soon falls in love with Orlando, and when the young man is forced to leave court to escape persecution by his older brother, Rosalind (disguised as a boy) and Celia (disguised as "his" sister) also flee to the Forest. After much confusion, mistaken identity, and love-struck pining, Duke Frederick repents, Duke Senior is restored to his rightful position, and everybody lives happily ever after. (Plot synopsis from The Shakespeare Resource Center at http://www.bardweb.net/)

Thibodeaux-Thompson also noted that this production of As You Like It will be translated into a modern-day setting, while remaining faithful to Shakespeare’s original play.

A limited number of scripts are available for 24-hour checkout from UIS’ Brookens Library. In addition, some copies are available for 24-hour check-out, with a refundable $10 cash deposit, from the Communication/Theatre program office in UIS’ University Hall, room 3010, phone 206-6790, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m.

Rehearsals will begin Sunday, February 1, and are generally scheduled for Sunday through Thursday nights from 7 to 10 p.m. Production dates are April 17, 18, 19 and 23, 24, 25.


More information about auditions is available at www.uis.edu/theatre/auditions.html or contact Thibodeaux-Thompson by phone at 206-6613 or by e-mail at ethib1@uis.edu.

Art Students League Holiday Sale

• 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Thursday, December 11
• PAC concourse
• Artwork and art supplies

Ira Glass coming to Sangamon Auditorium this week

Host of NPR's This American Life will present "Radio Stories and Other Stories"

Popular National Public Radio host Ira Glass will visit the University of Illinois at Springfield's Sangamon Auditorium on Saturday, December 13, at 8 p.m. to present "Radio Stories and Other Stories," based on his award-winning Showtime and public radio shows. The event is sponsored by ACE Hardware and 91.9 WUIS Public Radio.

Glass is the affable host and producer of the quirky hit show This American Life, now heard by millions of public radio listeners each week and recently adapted for television by Showtime. He travels the country meeting everyday people from all walks of life telling "unexpected stories that happen to be true." Glass will share some of his favorite yarns and answer questions from the audience when he visits Sangamon Auditorium.

Glass began his career as an intern at National Public Radio's headquarters in Washington, DC, in 1978, when he was 19 years old. Over the years, he worked on nearly every NPR news program and held virtually every production job – including tape cutter, newscast writer, desk assistant, editor, producer, and substitute host (for Talk of the Nation and Weekend All Things Considered) -- in NPR's Washington headquarters. He moved to Chicago in 1989 and put This American Life on the air in November 1995. Under Glass' editorial direction, the program has won the highest honors for broadcasting and journalistic excellence, including the Peabody and DuPont-Columbia awards, as well as the Edward R. Murrow and the Overseas Press Club awards.

Tickets for this event are $42 or $37 and are on sale now. Order tickets, or call the Sangamon Auditorium Ticket Office at 217/206-6160 or toll free at 800-207-6960. Tickets can also be purchased in-person at the Ticket Office, which is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Individual tickets to all Visiting Artist Series and Family Events are on sale now, and tickets to Broadway shows go on sale approximately six weeks prior to each event. Patrons can receive a discount through the Create Your Own Series option by choosing at least five events from the Visiting Artists Series, Broadway Series, and Family Events. Please call the Ticket Office for more information.

About Sangamon Auditorium, UIS
Sangamon Auditorium, located on the campus of the University of Illinois at Springfield, hosts more than 120 performances annually. Also home to the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and Springfield Ballet Company, it is the only auditorium of its kind and size in the Springfield area, with a seating capacity of 2,018. Sangamon Auditorium continues to fulfill its mission of presenting and supporting varied cultural and educational professional arts activities to audiences in Springfield, Sangamon County, and the surrounding areas. The auditorium administrative offices can be reached at 217/206-6150 or by e-mail at onstage@uis.edu.

Playing Shakespeare

2 p.m., Tuesday, December 9, in VPA 170, the Acting Studio

Students will perform two contrasting Shakespearean monologs -- "audition packages" that are a major piece of their work in the course.

For details, contact Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson at 6-6613.

UIS music groups to present Fall Showcase Concert

Music groups at the University of Illinois at Springfield will present their annual Fall Showcase concert beginning at 7:30 p.m. Friday, December 12, in the Studio Theatre, located on the lower level of the Public Affairs Center on the UIS campus. The event is free and open to the public; however tax-deductible contributions to the UIS Music Student Merit Award will be accepted.

The program will feature the UIS Chorus, Band, Chamber Orchestra, and related small ensembles.

The UIS Chorus will perform a variety of vocal selections including secular music by Mozart, an Agnus Dei setting by Hassler, American folk songs, and a contemporary composition featuring a Zimbabwean proverb. The UIS Chamber Orchestra will perform works by Respighi and Hindemith. Three small ensembles will perform Renaissance works, and the UIS Jazz Workshop will share their interpretation of some American classics.

The UIS Band will pay homage to the 200th birthday of President Abraham Lincoln with two works -- Francis Scala's Union March, written for Lincoln's 1861 inauguration, and Aaron Copland's A Lincoln Portrait, featuring David Kuhn narrating as Civil War General Benjamin H. Grierson.

Audience members who arrive early can hear a pre-concert lecture by Jessica Davis, graduate student in musicology at the U of I at Urbana-Champaign. The lecture will begin at 7 p.m. in the Studio Theatre lobby; doors will open for the concert immediately following the lecture.

For more information, contact Sharon Graf, associate professor of Ethnomusicology, at 206-6570.

UIS to co-sponsor "Merry TubaChristmas 2008"

Two performances of "A Merry TubaChristmas" will be held Saturday, December 13, in downtown Springfield. The first performance will be inside the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum at 1 p.m., followed by a second performance (weather permitting) on the steps of the Old State Capitol at 2 p.m. The concerts are open to the public and are free, except for the price of admission to the museum.

All tuba and euphonium/baritone players in the area are invited to take part in the concerts, which are sponsored by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and the University of Illinois at Springfield. Both concerts will be directed by Todd Cranson, UIS Director of Bands.

Created by Harvey Phillips in 1974, Merry TubaChristmas is celebrating its 35th anniversary with concerts in over 200 cities throughout the United States and in several foreign countries. Under the program, tuba and euphonium players of all ages gather every Christmas season to pay respect to the great artists/teachers who represent their heritage. While the size and make-up of each TubaChristmas ensemble varies by community, every performance features traditional Christmas carols specially arranged for the first TubaChristmas -- December 22, 1974, in New York City's Rockefeller Plaza -- by American composer Alec Wilder.

Musicians who would like to play in the concerts should register at Union Station across from the Lincoln Museum at 11 a.m. There is a $5 registration fee, and music books will be available for $15. A short rehearsal will be held in the station at noon. All participating musicians will be admitted to the museum free.

For more information, contact Cranson at 217/206-7549, or Jerry Dunn at 217/854-7442.

UIS Visual Arts Gallery to hold annual silent auction

The Visual Arts Gallery at the University of Illinois at Springfield will hold its 18th Annual Benefit and Silent Auction fundraiser Tuesday, December 9, through Thursday, December 11. Art in every medium – including paintings, drawings, prints, ceramics, and photography – will be on display for silent bids each day in the gallery, located in room 201 of the Health and Sciences Building on the UIS campus. The event concludes Thursday evening with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. in the gallery, with final bids placed at 7 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public.

Gallery manager Morgan Carroll said that donations of artwork will be accepted through December 3. Inclusion of donated items is subject to approval by the faculty of UIS' Visual Arts department.

The auction is the gallery's only fundraiser and all proceeds are used to support future exhibitions. The 2008 fall season included "Talking Stones," an exhibition by visual and performance artist James Luna, and "An Indian from India/Bollywood Satirized," a group of selected works from two exhibitions focused on culture by photographer Anuu Palakunnathu Matthew.

Regular gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Contact Carroll by phone at 206-6506 or by e-mail at gallery@uis.edu for more information or to arrange to drop off a donation.

Brookens to host "An Evening with Ray Bradbury"

Brookens Library will host an evening with legendary author Ray Bradbury, via a live satellite interview, beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday, November 19, in Brookens Auditorium. The program and a reception in the PAC restaurant immediately following are free and open to the public.

Bradbury is the author of such classics as Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, and Something Wicked This Way Comes. From his home in Los Angeles, he will discuss his life and work in a conversation with Dr. Loren Logsdon, professor emeritus of English and Western Civilization & Culture at Eureka College. Logsdon, a friend of Bradbury and an expert on his writing, will open the evening with a short address.

Bradbury is a native of Waukegan, Illinois, and one of 35 Illinois authors whose names are engraved on the fourth floor frieze of the Illinois State Library. Fahrenheit 451 is a cautionary tale about a media-obsessed society where citizens have stopped reading. Some of its themes are censorship, freedom of expression, and the effects of television and technology on society.

The program is part of The Big Read in West Central Illinois. For more information about the program at UIS, contact the office of the dean of Library Instructional Services at 6-6597.

Veggie Club art show

Accepting submissions through 5 p.m., Wednesday, December 3
Artwork should relate to nature, animals, or vegetarianism

• Exhibit runs December 3 to 5, in Brookens concourse
• Opening night reception begins at 6 p.m.
• 1st and 2nd place prizes awarded
  

For more information, contact Ashleen Woods at awood03s@uis.edu

UIS to host artist's talk "Strangers in a Familiar Land"

The Visual Arts Visiting Speakers Series at the University of Illinois at Springfield will present "Strangers in a Familiar Land," a brown bag talk featuring Jeff Curto, beginning at noon on Friday, November 21, in UIS' Visual Arts Gallery. The event is free and open to the public.

Curto (left) is coordinator and professor of photography at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, where he has taught since 1984. His presentation at UIS will complement and expand on "Indians from India," the concurrent exhibition by contemporary photographer Annu Palakunnathu Matthew. Matthew’s work references 19th century colonial photography in this country and India.

The Visual Arts Gallery is located in room 201 of the Health and Sciences Building on the UIS campus. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. For further information, go to www.uis.edu/visualarts/ or contact the gallery by phone at 217/206-6506 or by e-mail at visarts-ga@uis.edu.

Artist's lecture and demonstration

Featuring Doug Jeppesen, associate professor of ceramics, Waubonsee College, Sugar Grove

Wednesday, November 12
Ceramics studio, VPA 76

• Demonstration: 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m.
• Lecture: 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
  

Sponsors: Visual Arts Department, UIS Speakers Award Committee

Cherryholmes Christmas kicks off the holiday season at Sangamon Auditorium

Kick off the holiday season at Sangamon Auditorium with Cherryholmes Christmas on Saturday, November 22, at 8 p.m. Presented in cooperation with Midwest Bluegrass Festivals and 91.9 WUIS Public Radio.

Until April 1999, this dynamic family band did not exist, and half of its youthful members hadn't even picked up an instrument. By 2005, this high-energy Nashville-based group was named IBMA's Entertainers of the Year. Since then, Cherryholmes has been nominated for a Grammy (for their self-titled album in 2006) and their latest album, Cherryholmes II Black and White, debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top Bluegrass chart.

Watch a Cherryholmes video
Read the Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine November cover story

Audience members at this performance are invited to help UIS support the Central Illinois Food Bank by bringing canned goods for the Holiday Stars Project. The goal of this campus-wide community service project is to collect 4016 pounds of food. Donations will be collected in the Sangamon Auditorium lobby prior to the performance.

Tickets for this event are $37 or $32 and are on sale now. Order tickets online or call the Sangamon Auditorium Ticket Office at (217) 206-6160 or toll free at 800-207-6960. Tickets can also be purchased in-person at the Ticket Office, which is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Individual tickets to all Visiting Artist Series and Family Events are on sale now, and tickets to Broadway shows go on sale approximately six weeks prior to each event. Patrons can receive a discount through the Create Your Own Series option by simply choosing at least five events from the Visiting Artists Series, Broadway Series, and Family Events at UIS. Please call the Ticket Office for more information.

About Sangamon Auditorium, UIS
Sangamon Auditorium, located on the campus of the University of Illinois at Springfield, hosts more than 120 performances annually. Also home to the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and Springfield Ballet Company, it is the only auditorium of its kind and size in the Springfield area, with a seating capacity of 2,018. Sangamon Auditorium continues to fulfill its mission of presenting and supporting varied cultural and educational professional arts activities to audiences in Springfield, Sangamon County, and the surrounding areas. The auditorium administrative offices can be reached at (217) 206-6150 or by e-mail at onstage@uis.edu.

UIS to display paintings by UN award-winning artist

"One Night of Grace," paintings by Nigerian artist Ibiyinka Olufemi Alao, will be on display in the Student Access Gallery at the University of Illinois at Springfield from Monday, November 17, through Friday, November 21. (The painting "One Night of Grace" is shown at left.)

An artist's talk beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 18, will be held in conference room H of the Public Affairs Center on the UIS campus. A reception will also be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, November 20, in the Access Gallery, which is located in the Visual and Performing Arts Building on the east side of the campus. Get directions

The exhibit, artist's talk, and reception are all free and open to the public.

The events are sponsored by the UIS Art Students League; co-sponsors are the Illinois Department of Public Health Center for Minority Health Services and Springfield School District 186.

Alao recently took first place in the prestigious United Nations International Art Competition. His winning entry, "Girls and a Greener Environment," chronicles the life of a young girl from infancy to adulthood, and the values she acquires along the way.

His paintings have been exhibited in this country at a number of venues, including the Harvard Business School, the Indianapolis Art Center, the Martin Luther King Art Center, the African Unity Festival, the Nigerian Consulate, the Nigerian Embassy, the United Nations headquarters, the World Bank headquarters, and the Empire State Building. His work has been published by the Metropolitan Museum and the Smithsonian Institution.

Alao is currently touring the United States with his art, working with school-aged children, and giving talks about the mystery and magic of Africa.

For more information about the exhibit at UIS, contact Dannyl Madura, Art Students League president, at 217/220-2320 or dmadu2@uis.edu.

WUIS marks War of the Worlds 70th anniversary

In observance of the 70th anniversary of Orson Welles' infamous radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds, WUIS, in association with Gordon Productions, will present a re-creation of the original program at 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 30, at the Hoogland Center for the Arts in downtown Springfield.

WUIS will broadcast the performance on Halloween night at 9 p.m.

With a nod to the night that the Mercury Theatre radio group panicked America, the live show at the Hoogland Center will be presented as if it were an actual 1930s radio show. The actors will be dressed in period costumes, reading from scripts, while sound men provide all of the appropriate sound effects.

Cast members are Kevin Purcell (reading the Orson Welles role), Don Schneider, Pat Foster, Dennis Rendleman, Flynn Hanners, Brett Rutherford, and Steve Krampitz, along with local broadcasters Dave Leonatti (WUIS), Bob Murray (WTAX), Jim Leach (WMAY), Johnny Molson (ALICE 97.7/WMAY), and Joe Crain (NewsChannel 20).

Tickets for the stage performance are $12, and can be picked up at the Hoogland box office, by calling 523-2787, or online.

For information about the broadcast on Halloween night, call WUIS at 217/206-6516.

See an article about the performance from the October 30 State Journal-Register.

UIS Theatre Program opens season with "Cloud 9"

The Theatre Program at the University of Illinois at Springfield will open its 2008-2009 season with the British play Cloud 9 by Caryl Churchill. Six performances will be presented in the Studio Theatre, lower level of the Public Affairs Center at UIS -- on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, November 7, 8, and 9, and Thursday, Friday, Saturday, November 13, 14, and 15. All shows will begin at 8 p.m. except the Sunday performance (November 9), which will begin at 2 p.m.

Described by the New York Times as "intelligent, inventive, and funny," Cloud 9 explores the politics of sexuality and sexual identity. Using cross-gender casting and role-doubling, Churchill creates a stinging and satirical look at the relationships between the sexually repressed Victorian era and the sexually liberated late 20th century. Act 1 takes place in British Colonial Africa in 1880, where the characters secretly attempt to resist the constraints of Victorianism. Act 2 takes place in London 100 years later – although the characters have aged only 25 years – and everyone has thrown off their 19th century restraint. (Note: This production is intended for mature audiences and is not suitable for children.)

Act 1 characters include Clive, a government official; his wife, Betty; their daughter, Victoria; Clive's friend Harry, an explorer; Mrs. Saunders, a "new" woman, challenging the Victorian ideals; Clive's son, Edward, who still plays with dolls; and Joshua, a servant. By Act 2, some of the same characters return, having aged only 25 years, and they are affected by their encounters with new characters -- Gerry, Lin, Cathy, and Martin. Various roles are cross-gender cast, and almost all of the actors play one role in Act 1, and a different role in Act 2.

The cast is: Troy Thomas-Pfaffe (Clive/Martin); *Dwight Langford (Betty/Gerry); *Leif Mogren (Joshua/Edward); *Colleen Kabbes (Edward/Betty); Mary Myers (Maud); *Ashley Warren (Ellen/Victoria); *Cassie Oswald (Mrs. Saunders/Lin); and *Roger Boyd (Harry Bagley/ Cathy/Soldier). * denotes a UIS student

UIS Assistant Professor of Theatre Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson will direct.

The performances on November 8 and November 13 are also presented as part of UIS' ECCE Speaker Series -- events that aim to exemplify engaged citizenship as part of the university’s effort to foster appreciation for and practice of diversity and the active effort to make a difference in the world. These performances will include post-show discussions with the cast, director, and dramaturg.

Tickets – $12 general adult; $10 senior citizen, 55+ with photo ID; $8 UIS faculty/staff with current i-card; $6 all students with current school ID – are available now at the UIS Ticket Office, located on level two of the Public Affairs Center. Purchase tickets in person, by phone at 217/206-6160 or 800/207-6960 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or online at www.uis.edu/theatre. Tickets will also be available at the ticket office on the day of the performance, beginning 90 minutes before curtain time.

The spring production will be Shakespeare's comedy As You Like It, directed by UIS Director of Theatre Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson. Production dates are April 17-19 and 23-25.

For more information about the plays, or about UIS' Theatre program.

For information about the ECCE Speakers Series, contact series coordinator Kimberly Craig at 206-6245.

UIS Visual Arts Gallery to present photography exhibit "Indians from India"

Selections from "Indians from India," works by noted photographer Annu Palakunnathu Matthew, will be on display in the Visual Arts Gallery at the University of Illinois at Springfield from Monday, November 3, through Wednesday, December 3.

An artist's talk and discussion session will be presented at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 6, in the gallery, followed by an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. The artist's talk, reception, and exhibit are free and open to the public. The gallery is located in room 201 of the Health and Sciences Building on the UIS campus.

Matthew is an associate professor of Art (Photography) at the University of Rhode Island whose work can be seen in numerous collections, including at the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York.

Of "Indians from India" she notes, "As an immigrant, I'm often questioned about where I'm 'really from.' When I say that I am Indian, I often have to clarify that I'm an Indian from India, not an American-Indian." In this portfolio, she compares early photographs of Native Americans with those taken by 19th century British photographers in India.

Since Bombay is home to a thriving movie industry -- producing more than 1,000 films each year -- the city has come to be known as "Bollywood." Matthew notes that her work "Bollywood Satirized" is a commentary on the social expectations she experienced growing up in India. Using digital technology to alter Indian movie posters, she re-interprets the images to humorously challenge the traditional gender roles and behavior of Indian society.

The artist's talk and discussion session on November 6 is also presented as part of the ECCE Speakers Series at UIS -- events that aim to exemplify engaged citizenship as part of the university's effort to foster appreciation for and practice of diversity and the active effort to make a difference in the world.

Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. For further information, contact the gallery by phone at 217/206-6506 or by e-mail at visarts-ga@uis.edu. For more information about Dr. Matthew's presentation, contact Liz Thomas, UIS assistant professor of Visual Art, at 206-7547.

For information about the ECCE Speakers Series, contact series coordinator Kimberly Craig at 206-6245 or send an e-mail to speakerseries@uis.edu.

An Evening with David Crosby and Graham Nash at Sangamon Auditorium

Legendary musicians David Crosby and Graham Nash will take the stage at the University of Illinois at Springfield's Sangamon Auditorium on Sunday, October 26 at 8 p.m., sponsored by 100.5 WYMG - Springfield's Classic Rock.

Grammy-winning Rock-and-Roll-Hall-of-Famers, Crosby and Nash embark on a tour as "two together." Billed as "An Evening with David Crosby and Graham Nash," this special performance offers a rare opportunity to savor an intimate, harmony-heavy experience with two of rock's most legendary singer-songwriters.

"This is a rare treat for central Illinois," said Bob Vaughn, director of Sangamon Auditorium. "We often have to travel to Chicago or St. Louis to see big-name performers like David Crosby and Graham Nash -- and pay twice the price. The show is selling very well, but we often release tickets that are being held for various reasons. For those who haven't yet purchased tickets, my advice is to call the Ticket Office. The staff will be happy to assist you in placing your order."

Tickets for this event are $52 or $42 and are on sale now. Order tickets online, or call the Sangamon Auditorium Ticket Office at 217/206-6160 or toll free at 800-207-6960. Tickets can also be purchased in-person at the Ticket Office, which is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Individual tickets to all Visiting Artist Series and Family Events are on sale now, and tickets to Broadway shows go on sale approximately six weeks prior to each event. Patrons can receive a discount through the Create Your Own Series option by simply choosing at least five events from the Visiting Artists Series, Broadway Series and Family Events at UIS. Please call the Ticket Office for more information.

About Sangamon Auditorium, UIS
Sangamon Auditorium, located on the campus of the University of Illinois at Springfield, hosts more than 120 performances annually. Also home to the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and Springfield Ballet Company, it is the only auditorium of its kind and size in the Springfield area, with a seating capacity of 2,018. Sangamon Auditorium continues to fulfill its mission of presenting and supporting varied cultural and educational professional arts activities to audiences in Springfield, Sangamon County, and the surrounding areas. The auditorium administrative offices can be reached at 217/206-6150 or by e-mail at onstage@uis.edu.

UIS music groups to present concerts, open rehearsals

Music groups at the University of Illinois at Springfield will present a series of three concerts/open rehearsals in October. All programs are open to the public and will be held in the Office of Electronic Media TV Studio, located in the lower level of the Public Affairs Center on the UIS campus.

These informal concerts will feature the UIS Concert Band, Chamber Orchestra, and Chorus as they rehearse for future performances. In addition to enjoying a variety of music, the audience will learn how musical groups prepare to perform and will be able to talk with ensemble members.

The schedule is: Concert Band – 4 p.m., Monday, October 20; Chorus – 7 p.m., Tuesday, October 21; and Chamber Orchestra – 5:30 p.m., Thursday, October 30.

Admission is free; however, donations to the UIS Music Student Merit Award will be accepted.

UIS Music’s annual Fall Showcase concert will be Friday, December 12, at 7:30 p.m. in the PAC Studio Theatre at UIS.

UIS Music ensembles welcome participation by students, faculty, staff, and community members. For information, call 206-6790, or send an e-mail to music@uis.edu.

Renowned Flamenco dancer Jose Porcel coming to Sangamon Auditorium, UIS

The University of Illinois at Springfield will be hosting a performance by Compañía Flamenco José Porcel as part of the Visiting Artists Series on Thursday, October 16, at 7:30 p.m. at Sangamon Auditorium, UIS. A pre-show discussion will take place prior to the performance at 6:45 p.m.

Direct from Spain, Porcel and his company of dancers represent the best in classic, traditional flamenco while melding contemporary styles and moves. The evening promises fiery footwork, brilliant costumes, evocative choreography, and music from an onstage ensemble of guitarists and vocalists.

A former principal with the National Ballet of Spain, Porcel has performed to wide acclaim and his music and dance spectacles display both creativity and the desire to challenge convention while honoring tradition. Spain's El Pais praised Porcel for the "stamp that differentiates him from the typical dancer, with his breadth and lean profile, his strong dramatic accent that helps him to command respect on the stage."

Tickets for this event are $37, 32 and 20. To order, visit the Sangamon Auditorium website, or call the Sangamon Auditorium Ticket Office at 217/206-6160 or toll free at 800-207-6960. Tickets can also be purchased in-person at the Ticket Office, which is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Individual tickets to all Visiting Artist Series and Family Events are on sale now, and tickets to Broadway shows go on sale approximately six weeks prior to each event. Patrons can receive a discount through the Create Your Own Series option by simply choosing at least five events from the Visiting Artists Series, Broadway Series, and Family Events at UIS. Call the Ticket Office for more information.

This presentation is supported by the Performing Arts Fund, a program of Arts Midwest funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes a great nation deserves great art, with additional contributions from General Mills Foundation, Land O' Lakes Foundation, and the Illinois Arts Council.

Sangamon Auditorium, UIS
Located on the campus of the University of Illinois at Springfield, the auditorium hosts more than 120 performances annually. Home to the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and Springfield Ballet Company, it is the only auditorium of its kind and size in the Springfield area with a seating capacity of 2,018.

With a staff of 11 full-time employees, graduate assistants, more than 400 volunteers, ushers, and local stagehands, Sangamon Auditorium continues to fulfill its mission of presenting and supporting varied cultural and educational professional arts activities to the audiences in Springfield, Sangamon County, and the surrounding areas. The Auditorium administrative offices can be reached at 217/206-6150 or by e-mail at onstage@uis.edu.

Sangamon Auditorium kicks off Family Events with The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley

The University of Illinois at Springfield's Sangamon Auditorium will kick off its 2008-2009 Family Series with The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley on Friday, October 10, at 7 p.m. Family Series sponsors are ABC News Channel 20, Continuous Country 104.5 WFMB, and 99.7 KISS FM.

Based on the popular children's book series by Jeff Brown, this musical tells the story of Stanley Lambchop, an ordinary boy who is flattened when the bulletin board above his bed comes loose and falls on top of him. Now he can slide under locked doors, roll up like a mat or become a trampoline -- his friends even fly him like a kite. But there has to be more, and Stanley knows just what to do. Putting himself in a big envelope, he travels the world as a human letter!

Free pre-show activities for children will take place in the Sangamon Auditorium lobby beginning at 6 p.m. Activities include mask making, a dance presentation by the Springfield Youth Performance Group, and the opportunity for children to make their own Flat Stanley to take home.

Tickets for this event are $25 for adults or $14 for children 12 and under and are on sale now. To order tickets visit www.SangamonAuditorium.org or call the Sangamon Auditorium Ticket Office at 217/206-6160 or toll free at 800-207-6960. Tickets can also be purchased in-person at the Ticket Office, which is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Individual tickets to all Visiting Artist Series and Family Events are on sale now, and tickets to Broadway shows go on sale approximately six weeks prior to each event. Patrons can receive a discount through the Create Your Own Series option by simply choosing at least five events from the Visiting Artists Series, Broadway Series, and Family Events at UIS. Please call the Ticket Office for more information.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

About Sangamon Auditorium, UIS
Sangamon Auditorium, located on the campus of the University of Illinois at Springfield, hosts more than 120 performances annually. Also home to the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and Springfield Ballet Company, it is the only auditorium of its kind and size in the Springfield area, with a seating capacity of 2,018. Sangamon Auditorium continues to fulfill its mission of presenting and supporting varied cultural and educational professional arts activities to audiences in Springfield, Sangamon County, and the surrounding areas. The auditorium administrative offices can be reached at 217/206-6150 or by e-mail at onstage@uis.edu.

UIS to present performance of multimedia play "99 Questions"

99 Questions You’ve Always Wanted to Ask an African American but Were Too Afraid for Fear They’d Break Their Foot Off in Your A**, a new multi-media play addressing stereotypes commonly held about African Americans, will be presented beginning at 7 p.m., Wednesday, October 1, in the Studio Theatre, lower level of the Public Affairs Center at the University of Illinois at Springfield. The performance is free and open to the public.

Created by actor/playwright/professor Mark Cryer (above left) in response to a racial slur written on a college student's door, 99 Questions is an attempt to break down barriers and begin conversations about race.

Cryer began his exploration armed with a video camera and a simple offer to anyone who chose to respond to the question "What have you always wanted to ask an African American, but were too afraid?" The result has been called "insightful, funny, poignant, and powerful."

An associate professor at Hamilton College where he teaches a variety of courses in acting and African American theatre, Cryer previously taught at Cornell University and Hobart and William Smith Colleges. His other plays include Objects in the Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear, Buzzard Luck, and No Other People. His acting credits include performances off-Broadway, in television, film, and at many regional theatres.

The UIS Theatre program is co-sponsoring the performance, which is also presented as part of the ECCE Speakers Series at UIS -- events that aim to exemplify engaged citizenship as part of the university’s effort to foster appreciation for and practice of diversity and the active effort to make a difference in the world.

Upcoming ECCE programs include "Japan and a Changing Asia," with international security expert R. Michael Schiffer, on October 6; "Lawyers, 'Lawfare,' the War on Terrorism, and the Rule of Law," with law professor Steve Vladeck, on October 9; and a screening and discussion of the documentary "What We Want, What We Believe" on October 13.

See the complete schedule of speakers and topics for the 2008 Fall Semester.

For more information about the performance of "99 Questions," contact Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson, UIS assistant professor of Theatre, at 206-8307.

For information about any ECCE event, contact series coordinator Kimberly Craig at 206-6245 or send an e-mail to speakerseries@uis.edu.

UIS to take part in progressive reception for art exhibits commemorating 1908 race riot

Other venues will be the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and the Illinois State Museum

The University of Illinois at Springfield will be one of three host sites on Friday, September 19, for a progressive reception featuring art exhibits commemorating the Springfield Race Riot of 1908.

Other hosts for "Through the Eyes of Artists: Looking Back, Looking Forward" are the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and the Illinois State Museum. The event is free and open to the public and will feature artwork that captures the essence of the riot, its meaning, and what it can say to us today.

The reception begins at the Lincoln Presidential Library, Sixth and Jefferson Streets, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.; progresses to the State Museum, Spring and Edwards Streets, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.; and concludes at the UIS Visual Arts Gallery, located in room 201 of the Health and Sciences Building on the UIS campus, from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

Mike Miller, UIS associate professor of Visual Arts, is one of the organizers of the event, as well as a participating artist in the show at the Illinois State Museum. "Visual art is a powerful tool for instigating meaningful dialogue about critical issues in contemporary society," said Miller. "'Through the Eyes of Artists' continues a promising trend in the Springfield arts community of institutions working together to advance a common theme."

The exhibit at UIS will be "Talking Stones" (left) a multi-media installation project by Native American visual and performance artist James Luna, which will remain on display in the Gallery through October 22.

Luna notes that his installation springs from the idea that, in the right time and place, organic substances such as stones can "transcend the world of utilitarian tools and become objects that hold a spiritual soul and speak of knowledge of the other world." A special place in "Talking Stones" will accommodate a brick from the riot that "cast a dark shadow on the history of Springfield."

"In 1908…," the display at the Lincoln Presidential Library, features a work by Brian Gillis, formerly an assistant professor of Visual Arts at UIS. In this exhibit, Gillis turns historical sources into artworks that coax visitors into becoming witnesses. Sources include maps, arrest records, court proceedings, death records, National Guard documents, and oral histories.

The State Museum will present "Across the Divide: Reconsidering the Other," an exhibit featuring works in a variety of media by 16 leading contemporary artists that look back and forward and deal with race, ethnicity, religion, and other geo-political issues.

For more information on "Through the Eyes of Artists" call 217/558-8934 or go to www.abelincolnmuseum.org.

UIS Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. For further information on "Talking Stones," go to www.uis.edu/visualarts/ or contact the gallery by phone at 217/206-6506 or by e-mail at visarts-ga@uis.edu.

UIS political art series resumes for fall with documentary on 1908 riot

The University of Illinois at Springfield series Political Art and the Public Sphere resumes for the fall semester with a screening of the documentary "Springfield Had No Shame" at 6 p.m. Monday, September 15, in Brookens Auditorium, lower level of Brookens Library on the UIS campus. Both the film and the discussion session that follows are free and open to the public.

Written and produced by David Antoine, staff member in the Office of Electronic Media at UIS, this film examines Springfield's August 1908 race riot through historical photographs, dramatic readings, and re-enactments of original newspaper accounts. Comments from historians and eyewitnesses are also included.

Political Art and the Public Sphere is a monthly event on the UIS campus; each program features a showing or performance of some kind of "political art," followed by a group discussion of the issues it raises. "The basic idea is to consider how 'art' raises provocative social and political questions," said series facilitator Richard Gilman-Opalsky, UIS assistant professor of political philosophy.

This fall the PAPS series will focus on questions of race and class in 20th century American politics. Topics for subsequent programs will include the Black Panther Party and the disenfranchisement of black voters in the 2004 elections.

"Public spheres are the places where people come together to communicate, to evaluate, and to circulate ideas and arguments," said Gilman-Opalsky. "In the public sphere, people form a collective political opinion and will. Ultimately and ideally, the public sphere brings the interests and demands of the public to bear on those who hold power."

The presentation of "Springfield Had No Shame" is also co-sponsored by the ECCE Speakers Series at UIS – events that aim to exemplify engaged citizenship as part of the university's effort to foster appreciation for and practice of diversity and the active effort to make a difference in the world.

The next PAPS event will be a showing of the film "What We Want, What We Believe" at 6 p.m. Monday, October 13, in Brookens Auditorium. For more information about the PAPS series, contact Gilman-Opalsky by phone at 206-8328 or by e-mail at rgilm3@uis.edu.

Auditions set for UIS Theatre's fall production of Cloud 9

The Theatre Program at the University of Illinois at Springfield will hold open auditions for the first production of its 2008-2009 season – Cloud 9 by Caryl Churchill – on Sunday, September 14, and Monday, September 15, beginning at 7 p.m. both nights, in the Studio Theatre, located on level one of the Public Affairs Center on the UIS campus. Call-backs will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 16.

Auditions are open to anyone, with or without experience. Assistant Professor of Theatre Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson, who will direct, noted that while auditions will consist of cold readings from the script, everyone auditioning is strongly encouraged to read the play in advance. She added that headshots and resumes, as well as brief prepared monologues, are appreciated but not mandatory. Anyone interested in working backstage on the production should also plan to attend one night of auditions.

Roles are available for three women and four men, however Thibodeaux-Thompson said that, depending on role-doubling, more women may be cast.

In Cloud 9, Churchill explores the politics of sexuality and sexual identity. Using cross-gender casting and role-doubling, she creates a satirical look at the relationships between the sexually repressed Victorian era and the sexually liberated 20th century. Act I takes place in British Colonial Africa in 1880, where the characters are subjected to, and secretly attempt to resist, the rigid constraints of Victorianism. Act II takes place in 1980 in London – although the characters have aged only 25 years – where everyone has thrown off the sexual restraints of the 19th century.

A limited number of scripts are available for 24-hour checkout with a refundable $10 cash deposit, from the Communication/Theatre program office in UIS' University Hall, room 3010, phone 206-6790, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Scripts are also on reserve in UIS' Brookens Library.

Casting should be completed by September 19. Thibodeaux-Thompson noted that rehearsals will begin Sunday, September 21, and are generally scheduled for Sunday through Thursday nights from 7 to 10 p.m. Production dates are November 7 through 9 and 13 through 15.

For more information about auditions, the play, or helping behind the scenes with such things as costumes, props, and stage-managing, contact Thibodeaux-Thompson at 217/206-8307 or mthom1@uis.edu, or go to www.uis.edu/theatre.

WUIS to air special Jacksonville Symphony programs in August

Public radio WUIS/WIPA will air four programs of "Forty-five Years of Great Music" from the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and Chorale during August. The programs will be broadcast from 1 to 3 p.m. on four consecutive Fridays beginning August 1; rebroadcasts will be from 10 p.m. to midnight on the following Monday.

Recorded live in historic Rammelkamp Chapel on campus at Illinois College in Jacksonville, the programs will also feature interviews with JSO conductor Garrett Allman. Allman is currently celebrating 27 seasons as the symphony's music director and conductor and is also an associate professor of music at Illinois College, where he conducts the Concert Choir and Brass Ensemble.

The first program, "Operatic Gems," will feature lyric soprano Diane Dietz in an evening of operatic favorites including "Ah! Je veux vivre" from Gounod's Romeo et Juliette. The August 8 presentation will showcase accordionist Maria Merkelo and violinist Dorothy Matirano playing works by Dominick Argento and Johannes Brahms. The third program, on August 15, will feature the Illinois College Concert Choir with "Choral Gems." The August 22 program brings the husband-and-wife duo of Erik and Heidi Harris, members of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, to perform the Grand Duo Concertante by Giovanni Bottesini.

WUIS-WIPA is a listener-supported public radio service of the Center for State Policy and Leadership at the University of Illinois at Springfield. WUIS' mission is to satisfy a curious, societally engaged audience through programming and community outreach.

For more information or for the program schedule, visit www.wuis.org or contact WUIS Music Director Karl Scroggin at 217/206-6407.

New subscriber series subscriptions on sale now at UIS' Sangamon Auditorium

Sangamon Auditorium at the University of Illinois at Springfield announces that new subscriber series subscriptions are on sale now to the general public.

In an effort to create greater flexibility for Auditorium patrons, Sangamon Auditorium is again featuring a variety of series/subscription opportunities for the 2008-2009 Performing Arts Season. Based on a similar make-up of last year's performing arts season, Sangamon Auditorium continues to present a Visiting Artists series, showcasing the very best of traditional performing arts; a Broadway series, bringing some of the best in Broadway, direct from New York; and a Family series, providing programming that can be enjoyed by family and friends together.

Subscribers receive a variety of benefits that only subscribers get to enjoy. These benefits include up to a 20% savings on series tickets; the best seats at the best prices before the general public; same seat location within the series subscription selected; lost ticket insurance, available only to subscribers; and many other choice benefits.

For more information about the University of Illinois at Springfield’s 2008-2009 Performing Arts Season at Sangamon Auditorium, or to place subscription orders, visit www.SangamonAuditorium.org or call the Sangamon Auditorium Ticket Office at 217/206-6160 or 800/207-6960, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Single tickets and Create Your Own series packages go on sale to the general public on August 22, 2008, at 10 a.m. after series subscriptions have been placed. Individual Broadway events go on sale approximately six weeks prior to each engagement.

Sangamon Auditorium, UIS

Located on the campus of the University of Illinois at Springfield, the auditorium hosts more than 120 performances annually. Home to the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and Springfield Ballet Company, it is the only auditorium of its kind and size in the Springfield area with a seating capacity of 2,018.

With a staff of 11 full-time employees, graduate assistants, more than 400 volunteers, ushers, and local stagehands, Sangamon Auditorium continues to fulfill its mission of presenting and supporting varied cultural and educational professional arts activities to the audiences in Springfield, Sangamon County, and the surrounding areas. The Auditorium administrative offices can be reached at 217/206-6150 or by e-mail at onstage@uis.edu.

UIS Old Time Music Jam

An informal event, open to everyone – including those who just want to listen.

• Musicians of all skill levels are welcome.
  

• 7 to 9:30 p.m., monthly in VPA 33
  

For more information, including a schedule

For directions to campus

Library to screen documentary on writers' colony

The Friends of Brookens Library will host a showing of the documentary Inside the Handy Writers' Colony on Tuesday, June 24, at 5:30 p.m. in Brookens Auditorium, located on the lower level of Brookens Library at the University of Illinois at Springfield. The event is free and open to the public.

Writer, director, producer Dawn Shapiro drew heavily on materials housed in the Brookens Library Archives to make this film about the Marshall, Illinois, writers' colony whose most famous member was James Jones, author of From Here to Eternity.

Founded in 1950 by Lowney and Harry Handy, the colony in its heyday supported numerous young writers, many of whose works were published. The colony dissolved after Lowney Handy died in 1964.

Shapiro will attend the screening, which will be followed by a question-and-answer session.

For more information, contact Jane Treadwell, UIS dean of library instructional services, at 206-6597.

See more information about the Handy Writers' Colony materials housed in Brookens Archives

The James Jones Literary Society

More about Friends of Brookens Library

Strawbridge-Shepherd House to be site of painting event

Members of the Sangamon Watercolor Society will be painting at the historic Strawbridge-Shepherd House, located on Shepherd Road between the UIS and LLCC campuses, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 14.

Rachel Hasenyager, office manager for Alumni Relations at UIS and a member of the society, said that the event is open to anyone at any skill level. “Since we love to paint on location, we thought since this house has historical significance and is being restored, we’ll be painting outdoors around the house,” she said. She added that if the weather is bad, the event will move inside the house.

Landscape architect Sue Massie will give a short presentation to begin the event.

For more information, call Hasenyager at 6-7395.

Read an article about the group, and the event at UIS, from the June 5, 2008, State Journal-Register.

Book signing with Carol Manley

The University of Illinois at Springfield will host a book signing with award-winning author Carol Manley from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 11, in the Public Affairs Center restaurant on the UIS campus. The event is free and open to the public. The restaurant is located on the lower level of the PAC.

Manley will sign copies of her latest novel, Church Booty, runner-up for the third annual Tartts Fiction Award.

Manley is a 2003 graduate of UIS and received her master's degree in English. She is currently a guest editor of the People's Poetry column in Illinois Times.

In 2006, Manley won a $7,000 Illinois Arts Council fellowship, as well as first place, third place, and seven honorable mentions in the categories of literary/mainstream short fiction and non-rhyming poetry in a contest sponsored by Writer's Digest.

Read a review of Church Booty by author Rodd Whelpley.

Book details: Church Booty, Livingston Press, 2008, 140 pages, $15.95

UIS announces 08-09 Performing Arts Season at Sangamon Auditorium

The University of Illinois at Springfield announced the 2008-2009 Performing Arts Season at Sangamon Auditorium on Thursday, June 5.

Based on a similar make-up of last year's performing arts season, Sangamon Auditorium will continue to present a Visiting Artists series (formerly known as the Performing Arts Series), a Broadway series, and a variety of Family Events at UIS.

This year's Visiting Artists at UIS series showcases the very best of traditional performing arts. Patrons can experience classical ballet, world and modern dance, world music, rock 'n roll icons, the best in political humor, and more.

The Broadway at UIS series brings some of the best in Broadway, direct from New York. This year's series features all-time favorites and several shows that continue to be the hottest tickets on Broadway.

Family Events at UIS help support Sangamon Auditorium's goal of providing family programming to give young people the opportunity to experience live professional performing arts programs and to provide quality arts entertainment that can be enjoyed by family and friends together.

Series subscriptions go on sale to new and renewing subscribers Friday, June 6, at 10 a.m. For more information about the University of Illinois at Springfield's 2008-2009 Performing Arts Season at Sangamon Auditorium, or to place subscription orders, visit www.SangamonAuditorium.org or call the Sangamon Auditorium Ticket Office at 217/206-6160 or 800/207-6960, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Single tickets and Create Your Own series packages go on sale to the general public on August 22 at 10 a.m., after series subscriptions have been placed. Individual Broadway events go on sale approximately six weeks prior to each engagement.

Visiting Artists at UIS

Neil Berg's 100 Years of Broadway
Saturday, October 4, 2008, 8 p.m.

Neil Berg's 100 Years of Broadway re-creates the biggest moments from the most spectacular shows of the century - featuring the actual stars that helped make them famous.

Select Broadway names light up the stage with Neil Berg's brilliantly revived arrangements of classic songs from hit shows like The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Aida, Little Shop of Horrors, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Jekyll & Hyde. A Broadway review you won't want to miss!

Sponsors: Friends of Sangamon Auditorium and Newscenter 17

Compañía Flamenco José Porcel
José Porcel, Artistic Director
Thursday, October 16, 2008, 7:30 p.m.

Direct from Spain, José Porcel and his company of dancers represent the best in classic, traditional flamenco while flawlessly melding contemporary styles and moves. Prepare for an evening of fiery footwork; brilliant costumes; evocative, sensual choreography; and brilliant musicianship from an onstage ensemble of guitarists and vocalists.

This presentation is supported by the Performing Arts Fund, a program of Arts Midwest funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes a great nation deserves great art, with additional contributions from General Mills Foundation, Land O' Lakes Foundation, and the Illinois Arts Council.

An Evening with David Crosby and Graham Nash
Sunday, October 26, 2008, 7 p.m.

Grammy-winning, Rock and Roll Hall of Famers David Crosby and Graham Nash have embarked on a tour as "two together" and are coming to Sangamon Auditorium. This special performance offers a rare opportunity to savor an intimate, harmony-heavy experience with two of rock's most legendary singer-songwriters.

Capitol Steps
Friday, October 31, 2008, 8 p.m.

On the eve of the national election!

Twenty-five years ago, the Capitol Steps began as a group of Senate staffers who set out to satirize the very people and places that employed them. Most current cast members have worked on Capitol Hill: some for Democrats, some for Republicans, and others for politicians who firmly straddle the fence. The performers dig into current headlines to create their own song parodies and skits mixed with their special brand of satirical humor.

Sponsor: Springfield Scene Magazine

Presented in collaboration with the College of Public Affairs and Administration and the Center for State Policy and Leadership

Direct from West Africa: The Song and Dance Ensemble of West Africa
Friday, November 7, 2008, 8 p.m.

The countries of West Africa have united behind their rich musical traditions to form this incredible and unique ensemble. Comprised of singers, dancers, and musicians from the various cultures of West Africa, this company combines the traditional rhythms, instruments, folklore, and mythology of nations such as Togo, Senegal, Guinea, Ghana, Benin, The Ivory Coast, and Mauritania to paint a colorful and exciting picture of the oral and musical histories of these diverse people.

Presented in cooperation with UIS Multicultural Student Affairs

Cherryholmes Christmas
Saturday, November 22, 2008, 8 p.m.

Until April of 1999, this dynamic family band did not exist, and half of its youthful members hadn't even picked up an instrument. In five short years, this high-energy, Nashville-based group was named 2005 IBMA's Entertainers of the Year. Since then, Cherryholmes has been nominated for a Grammy for their self-titled album in 2006 and their latest album -- Cherryholmes II Black and White -- debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top Bluegrass chart.

Presented in cooperation with Midwest Bluegrass Festivals and 91.9 WUIS Public Radio

Ira Glass: Radio Stories and Other Stories
Saturday, December 13, 2008, 8 p.m.

Ira Glass is the affable host and producer of the quirky hit show This American Life, now heard by millions of public radio listeners each week and recently adapted for television by Showtime. He travels the country meeting everyday people from all walks of life, telling "unexpected stories that happen to be true." Glass will share some of his favorite yarns and answer questions from the audience when he visits Sangamon Auditorium for the first time.

Sponsor: Ace Hardware of Springfield and 91.9 - WUIS Public Radio

A Columbia Artists Production - Direct from Moscow
Russian National Ballet Company - Giselle
Thursday, January 22, 2009, 7:30 p.m.

The Russian National Ballet Company was founded in Moscow during the transitional period of Perestroika in the late 1980s and incorporated graduates from the great Russian choreographic schools of Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Perm. Today, the Russian National Ballet Theatre is its own institution, with a full compliment of dancers of singular instruction and vast experience, many of whom have been with the company since its inception.

Presented in cooperation with the Springfield Ballet Company

This presentation is supported by the Performing Arts Fund, a program of Arts Midwest funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes a great nation deserves great art, with additional contributions from General Mills Foundation, Land O' Lakes Foundation, and the Illinois Arts Council.

Jay Ungar and Molly Mason: An Early Birthday Party for A. Lincoln
featuring the 10th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry Band and the Springfield International Folk Dancers
Saturday, January 31, 2009, 8 p.m.

Since joining forces in the late 1970s, Jay Ungar and Molly Mason have become one of the most celebrated duos on the American acoustic music scene. Their performance of Jay's haunting composition Ashokan Farewell in Ken Burns' The Civil War earned the couple international acclaim, including an Emmy nomination for the song and a Grammy award for the soundtrack. Teamed with the 10th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry Band and the Springfield International Folk Dancers, the University of Illinois at Springfield and Sangamon Auditorium say, Happy Early Birthday A. Lincoln!

Presented in collaboration with UIS Music

National Acrobats of China
Sunday, February 8, 2009, 3 p.m.

Direct from China, this dazzling company of 35 performers mesmerizes and mystifies with its stunning displays of the best in Chinese martial arts, illusion, and acrobats, all set to traditional music. Founded over 50 years ago, this troupe has been one of the most influential acrobatic ensembles in the world, having won every important award in international competitions. From plate-spinning to cycling stunts to bench-juggling with their feet, The National Acrobats of China never cease to amaze audiences around the globe.

Ensemble Galilei with Neal Conan: First Person: Stories from the Edge of the World
Saturday, February 21, 2009, 8 p.m.

First Person: Stories from the Edge of the World is a remarkable collaboration between the National Geographic Society, NPR’s Neal Conan, and Ensemble Galilei. Spectacular photographs and images projected on a large on-stage screen, Neal Conan's compelling narration, and evocative music created specifically for this project, work seamlessly to take the audience along on some of the world's most extraordinary expeditions.

Presented in cooperation with 91.9 WUIS Public Radio

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
Saturday, February 28, 2009, 8 p.m.

Hailed as "an extraordinarily versatile orchestra" by The Los Angeles Times, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra is composed of jazz music's leading soloists under the leadership of musical director Wynton Marsalis. Drawing from an extensive repertoire that includes original compositions by Mr. Marsalis, Ted Nash, Ron Westray, and other members of the orchestra, as well as the masterworks of Ellington, Mingus, Coltrane, and other great jazz composers, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra's concerts are internationally critically acclaimed.

Sponsor: United Community Bank

Susan Werner Duo
Friday, March 6, 2009, 8 p.m. UIS Studio Theatre

With six albums under her belt, an active touring career throughout the U.S., and a string of accolades from the likes of The Washington Post, The Village Voice, and The New Yorker, Susan Werner has become one of the defining artists of the folk music genre. Her songs effortlessly slide between folk, jazz, and pop, and are delivered with a sassy wit and classic mid-western charm.

Her new album The Gospel Truth explores the role of the Church in contemporary American life. Quite possibly the first "agnostic gospel" album, her new songs speak in a wide variety of voices, from faithful and traditional to the critical and even the unconvinced.

Reduced Shakespeare - History of United States Abridged
Friday, March 13, 2009, 8 p.m.

600 Years of History in 6000 seconds! From Washington to Watergate, yea verily from the Bering Straits to Baghdad, from New World to New World Order, the three cultural guerillas of the Reduced Shakespeare Company will take you on a 90-minute rollercoaster ride through the glorious quagmire that is American history.

The RSC tackles such controversial questions as: Who really discovered America? Why did Abe Lincoln free the slaves? How many Democrats does it take to screw in a light bulb? History is normally written by the winners... now it's the RSC's turn.

Presented in collaboration with the College of Public Affairs and Administration and the Center for State Policy and Leadership

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
Jim Vincent, Artistic Director
Thursday April 16, 2009, 7:30 p.m.

Under the dynamic leadership of Artistic Director Jim Vincent, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is among the most original forces in contemporary dance. Critically acclaimed for its exuberant, athletic, and innovative repertoire, HSDC's dancers display unparalleled versatility and virtuosity in performances that inspire, challenge, and engage audiences worldwide.

Sponsor: Omni Communications Group, Inc.

Funded in part by the National Dance Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Additional funding provided by The Ford Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, JP Morgan Chase Foundation, and MetLife Foundation.

Broadway at UIS

The Pajama Game
Monday, November 10, 2008, 7:30 p.m.

The must-see musical of the season!

Bright and riotously funny, this fast-paced, frisky tale is theatre at its very best with this sparkling, all-new production of the Tony Award-winning, Broadway smash hit – The Pajama Game. The feisty employee representative has found her match in the pajama shop superintendent and when the two get together, they wind up discussing a whole lot more than job actions! The high-energy score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross brims with popular hits and musical theatre standards such as "Hey There," "Steam Heat," and the hilarious "Hernando's Hideaway" that will keep you humming all the way home. For solid musical comedy, it's hard to beat The Pajama Game.

RAIN: The Beatles Experience
Tuesday, February 3, 2009, 7:30 p.m.

Experience what Beatlemania was all about, from Ed Sullivan to Abbey Road! They look like them and they sound just like them! "The next best thing to seeing the Beatles," raves the Denver Post. All the music and vocals are performed totally live! RAIN covers the Fab Four from the earliest beginnings through the psychedelic late '60s and their long-haired hippie, hard-rocking rooftop days. RAIN is a multi-media, multi-dimensional experience...a fusion of historical footage and hilarious television commercials from the 1960s lights up video screens and live cameras zoom in for close-ups. "Uncanny! RAIN are a quartet of fine musicians in their own right…as the Beatles, they triumph!" cheers the Boston Herald. "An adoring Valentine to the Beatles," declares the Washington Post. Sing along with your family and friends to such Beatlemaniac favorites as "Let It Be," "Hey Jude," "My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Come Together," and "Can't Buy Me Love."

25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Monday, February 16, 2009, 7:30 p.m.

In the Tony Award-winning new musical comedy 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, six young people in the throes of puberty, overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves, learn that winning isn't everything and that losing doesn't necessarily make you a loser. Spelling Bee has been hailed by the Wall Street Journal as "perfect in every possible way – that rarity of rarities, a super-smart musical that is also a bona fide crowd pleaser." This tuneful, offbeat, and at times heartwarming show offers audience members the opportunity (strictly voluntary) to become part of the action as on-stage spellers. The New York Times calls Spelling Bee "irresistible, riotously funny, and remarkably ingenious – gold stars all around."

Hairspray
Monday, March 16, 2009, 7:30 p.m.

It's 1962, and pleasantly plump Baltimore teen Tracy Turnblad has only one desire - to dance on the popular Corny Collins Show. When her dream comes true, Tracy is transformed from social outcast to sudden star, but she must use her newfound power to vanquish the reigning Teen Queen, win the affections of heartthrob Link Larkin, and integrate a TV network - all without denting her 'do! Don't miss Hairspray, Broadway's musical-comedy phenomenon that inspired a major motion picture and won eight 2003 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. As The New York Times says, "If life were everything it should be, it would be more like Hairspray. It's irresistible!"

Annie the Musical
Monday, April 13, 2009, 7:30 p.m.

Leapin' lizards! Annie is coming to Sangamon Auditorium, UIS! The timeless tale of Little Orphan Annie is back, giving a whole new generation the chance to experience this classic musical about never giving up hope. Boasting one of Broadway's most memorable scores, including "It's the Hard-Knock Life," "Easy Street," "N.Y.C.," and the ever-optimistic "Tomorrow," Annie is a delightful theatrical experience for the entire family. Don't miss this all-new production that Variety calls "a winner!"

Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy
Wednesday, April 22, 2009, 7:30 p.m.

Direct from Broadway, Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy is an exotic encounter inspired by nature's unpredictable creations that are brought to life by an international cast of 25 soaring aerialists, spine-bending contortionists, acrobats, jugglers, and musicians. The astounding feats performed in this action packed Cirque Dream are enhanced with over 150 spectacular costumes and set in a fantastical jungle ignited by striking visual effects. From the breathtaking aerial ballet of butterflies to the balancing giraffes, gigantic flowers and trees, this world-class explosion of athleticism, theatre, and imagination will exhilarate the entire family. In the ongoing tradition of extravagant touring shows, Neil Goldberg and Cirque Productions continue to blend European artistry with circus and Broadway theatrics in a dramatic fashion that transcends imagination and leaves its narration to the eyes of the beholder, making Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy a Broadway first.

Family Events at UIS

Sponsors: WICS News Channel 20, 104.5 WFMB, 99.7 KISS-FM

The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley
Friday, October 10, 2008, 7 p.m.

Stanley Lambchop is your normal, every day, run-of-the-mill kid. He's nothing out of the ordinary. But one night while he's sleeping, the bulletin board on the wall above his bed comes loose and falls – right on top of Stanley! And the next morning, Stanley Lambchop wakes up flat! Not just flat…really flat. At first it's not so bad. He can slide under locked doors. His friends fly him like a kite. And Stanley's the best in his class at Hide-n-Seek. But someone has to do something, and that someone is Stanley! If he has to be flat, at least he is going to make the best of it. Stanley is going to put himself in a big envelope and travel the world – as a human letter! And the adventure begins!

"Goodnight Moon" and "The Runaway Bunny"
Friday, January 30, 2009, 7 p.m.

Goodnight Moon is a celebration of familiar nighttime rituals, while The Runaway Bunny's pretend tale of leaving home evokes reassuring responses from his loving mum. Both tales feature endearing rabbit characters, and the soothing rhythms of bunny banter and dream-like imagery never fail to infuse young readers with a reassuring sense of security. Mermaid Theatre's staged adaptation will bring a new sense of appreciation to stories that have delighted several generations.

Series Subscriptions – Visiting Artists, Broadway, and the Family Series at UIS

In an effort to create greater flexibility for Auditorium patrons, Sangamon Auditorium will again feature a variety of series/subscription opportunities. Renewal and new subscription sales begin Friday, June 6, at 10 a.m. Current Visiting Artist, Broadway, and Family series subscribers will have the opportunity to renew their subscriptions until Friday, June 27.

By subscribing, patrons are guaranteed a variety of benefits that only subscribers get to enjoy.

• Receive up to a 20% savings on series tickets.

• Never hear the words "sold out!"

• Get the best seats at the best prices before the general public.

• Enjoy the same great seat at every show with the series subscription you select.

• Benefit from Lost Ticket insurance, available only to subscribers.

• Secure the right to renew the same great seat, or upgrade, year after year.

• Never wait in line to see your favorite show again!

Create Your Own Series (CYO)

This year, Sangamon Auditorium will feature a "Create Your Own Series" package that gives patrons the freedom to pick all the shows that they want to see from the Visiting Artists Series, Broadway Series, and Family Events at UIS and still receive many choice benefits.

• Create your own personal series, selecting the shows you want to see the most.

• Receive up to a 15% discount on the Visiting Artist and Family shows you select.

• Enjoy access to Broadway at UIS tickets before they go on sale to the general public.

To create a series, patrons simply choose at least five events from the Visiting Artists Series, Broadway Series, and Family Events at UIS.

Create Your Own Series packages can be ordered beginning Friday, August 22, at 10 a.m. Create Your Own Series packages are not guaranteed the same seat location for the events selected, but will receive the best seats available after all other series subscriptions have been filled. Patrons are welcome to purchase varying numbers of tickets to each event in their Create Your Own Series package.

Sangamon Auditorium, UIS

Located on the campus of the University of Illinois at Springfield, the auditorium hosts more than 120 performances annually. Home to the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and Springfield Ballet Company, it is the only auditorium of its kind and size in the Springfield area with a seating capacity of 2,018.

With a staff of 11 full-time employees, graduate assistants, more than 400 volunteers, ushers, and local stagehands, Sangamon Auditorium continues to fulfill its mission of presenting and supporting varied cultural and educational professional arts activities to the audiences in Springfield, Sangamon County, and the surrounding areas. The Auditorium administrative offices can be reached at 217/206-6150 or by e-mail at onstage@uis.edu.

UIS announces 2008-2009 Class Acts season at Sangamon Auditorium

The University of Illinois at Springfield announces the 2008-2009 Class Acts series at Sangamon Auditorium. The goal of Class Acts is to present a diverse performing arts program for youth in support of educational and cultural goals mandated by the State of Illinois for grades K through 12.

Now in its 23rd season, Class Acts strives to assist youth in understanding the nature of the performing arts by providing students with the experience of live performance and by furnishing instructional packets to assist teachers. It endeavors to introduce students to new ideas that will promote their personal and social well being as well as their educational growth through familiarizing them with new forms of communication and acquainting them with the existence of other cultures and the contributions they have made to the world.

These educational performances designed for young audiences take place during the school day. Students who attend area public or private schools often attend performances with their classes as field trips. Parents are encouraged to talk to their child's teacher about arranging a trip.

School teachers and administrators and home school parents can reserve tickets by calling the Sangamon Auditorium Ticket Office at 217.206.6160 or toll free at 800.207.6960 or online at www.SangamonAuditorium.org. Additional information about upcoming performances is available by contacting the Sangamon Auditorium Administrative Office at 217.206.6150. Tickets are $5.50 each, and every 16th ticket is free. The general public may purchase walk-up seats, if available, on the day of the scheduled event.

Youth programming in the Class Acts series, in conjunction with other Sangamon Auditorium events, is supported in part by the Helen Hamilton Performing Arts Endowment for Youth Fund, gifts from Elizabeth and Robert Staley, and a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. The 2008-2009 Class Acts season is sponsored by Siciliano.

Click here for detailed information about the 2008-2009 Class Acts season.



About Sangamon Auditorium at the University of Illinois at Springfield

Sangamon Auditorium is located at the University of Illinois at Springfield and hosts more than 120 performances annually. Also home to the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and Springfield Ballet Company, it is the only auditorium of its kind and size in the Springfield area, with a seating capacity of 2,018. Sangamon Auditorium continues to fulfill its mission of presenting and supporting varied cultural and educational professional arts activities to audiences in Springfield, Sangamon County, and the surrounding areas. The auditorium administrative offices can be reached at 217.206.6150 or by email at onstage@uis.edu.