Performing Art | Thursday, April 14,2005

backstage pass 4-14-05

Many of this weekend’s theatrical offerings are focused on the celebration of the official opening of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. A big downtown block

Performing Art | Thursday, March 31,2005

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By Phil Funkenbusch

Missouri-born, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lanford Wilson has been writing plays since the off-off-Broadway movement began in New York in the 1960s. His first plays were produced at

Performing Art | Thursday, March 17,2005

backstage pass 3-17-05

By Phil Funkenbusch

So many companies in the region have scheduled productions of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast during the next few months (including the Springfield Muni, St. Louis’ Muny Opera

Performing Art | Thursday, March 3,2005

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By Phil Funkenbusch

How long has it been since a high-school show caused controversy? A few years ago, Springfield High School’s production of a harmless Gilbert and Sullivan operetta caused a stir when a

Performing Art | Thursday, February 17,2005

Taken by Take

By Phil Funkenbusch

A deliriously affectionate ensemble of actors is having a ball in Springfield Theatre Centre’s production of the 1930s comedy You Can’t Take It with You, by Moss Hart and George

Performing Art | Thursday, February 3,2005

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By Phil Funkenbusch

Many area theaters take the opportunity to present new and innovative works during the winter months, something I noted in my last column. The latest example of this trend is Born with

Performing Art | Thursday, January 20,2005

Milo learns a lesson

By Phil Funkenbusch

The theater department at Parkland College in Champaign invites community members to participate in campus productions. By combining the talents of student and community actors, Parkland has be

Performing Art | Thursday, January 6,2005

A glimpse back, a look ahead

By Phil Funkenbusch

Let me mention some of the many good things that happened on area stages in 2004 before taking a look at what's planned for the Springfield-area theater scene this year. The Hoogland Center f

Performing Art | Thursday, December 9,2004

backstage pass 12-9-04

By Phil Funkenbusch

If you're looking for an alternative to Christmas-show overload, check out the Portuguese Rodeo Clown Company, which features three actors performing improvisations and other comic antics onsta

Performing Art | Wednesday, November 24,2004

backstage pass 11-25-04

By Phil Funkenbusch

It's Thanksgiving, and that means the start of the Christmas season. The holiday theater season kicks off next week with A Yuletide Festival of Song and Dance, a show by the Mature Mob that's being