Review: Faith, ideals, humanity themes of 'The Runner Stumbles'

Although the UIS Theatre's production of "The Runner Stumbles" is set a full century ago, when Catholic Church rituals and practices were much more structured and Catholics were struggling to gain acceptance in America's predominantly Protestant culture, its themes and plot elements remain timely.

On one level, "Runner", which plays today, Sunday, and April 29-May 1 at the University of Illinois Springfield Studio Theatre, appears to present familiar, almost stereotyped, images of a tradition-bound, repressive Catholic Church and backward, suspicious small-town residents, blended with a traditional murder mystery. But on a deeper level it is about the eternal struggle to reconcile faith, reason, and emotion and aspire to high ideals without losing touch with one's humanity.

Directed by Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson, the two-act drama by Milan Stitt -- based on an actual court case -- takes place in a Michigan logging town in 1911, where the former Catholic parish pastor, Father Rivard (Dug Hall) is on trial for the murder of a young nun, Sister Rita (Ellyn Thorson) four years earlier.

The review was published in a April 24, 2010, article in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article:
20100424-SJR-Review-The-Runner-Stumbles.pdf

UIS play looks at questions of duty, faith

On its surface, “The Runner Stumbles” is a murder mystery about whether a priest killed a nun.

Milan Stitt’s play, which opens Friday in a production by UIS Theatre, digs much deeper than that, looking at questions of faith and duty, to oneself and God.

Director Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson, an assistant professor of theater at the University of Illinois Springfield, said the story has a timeless quality.

Based on a true story from rural Michigan in 1911, the story unfolds in flashbacks. It opens with Father Rivard (Dug Hall) in jail, accused of murdering Sister Rita (Ellyn Thorson).

The play was featured in a April 22, 2010, article in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article:
20100422-SJR-UIS-play-looks-at-duty-faith.pdf

Review: 'Shape of Things' pushes boundaries of art, love

By the final curtain, the first line in “The Shape of Things” could be directed at every character: “You stepped over the line.”

The Neil LaBute play, which opened Friday in the Studio Theatre at the University of Illinois Springfield, follows four college students testing the boundaries of love and life — and each other.

As Adam, Joey Cruse displays some of the same fecklessness he used to great comic effect as Leo Bloom in “The Producers” this year at The Muni. Evelyn has to be everything Adam isn’t, and Carol Schulte plays the role with enough of an edge to make you wonder if everything is as it seems.

Lauren Braden’s Jenny blends likability with vulnerability, and Kevin Brownell’s Phil steals several scenes with some of the funniest lines in the play.

The review was published in an November 14, 2009 edition of the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article:
20091114-SJR-Review-Shape-of-Things.pdf

Young characters walk fine line in UIS play

At the center of “The Shape of Things” is the line between art and life.

The Neil LaBute play, which opens Friday at UIS Theatre, begins with a literal interpretation of that divide when Adam, a college student and part-time museum security guard, finds Evelyn on the wrong side of a velvet rope guarding a statue.

Suffice to say that Evelyn’s can of spray paint was just a small indication of how dirty she’s willing to get smudging the line between art and life.

“In other words, how much should art be infused in our daily living?” director Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson said. “Is art something that should just be seen on the occasional weekend visit to the museum, and keep it over there, safe? Or should we live all our lives artistically?”

The play was featured in an November 12, 2009 article in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article:
20091112-SJR-Young-characters-UIS-play.pdf

Best of Springfield 2009: Best Theatrical Production - Drama

BEST THEATRICAL PRODUCTION - DRAMA

As You Like It
University of Illinois at Springfield

Shakespeare’s tale of love, deception and cross-dressing has been performed many times, many ways, in many places. For the first time ever, UIS was the stage, and its students not-so-merely the players. Associate Professor of Theatre, Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson tells us that the show came about as schoolwork. “For the 2008-2009 school year, my idea was to offer, in tandem, a Shakespeare class and a Shakespeare production.” The class, “Playing Shakespeare,” was offered for the first time in the fall of 2008 and by spring, they were ready to take the stage, with Thibodeaux-Thompson encouraging his students to audition. “We had a total of 18 actors in 23 roles. Approximately 80 percent were students, with 20 percent community actors, faculty and alumni. I enjoy a mix of students and community actors. I was very proud in a lot of ways.”

The honor was given the the Illinois Times in an October 29, 2009 edition.

Download a PDF of the article.
20091029-ILTimes-Best%20of%20Springfield%202009.pdf