Springfield has a much healthier theater scene than
many small cities this size. Hot on the heels of the recent electrifying
production of the David Mamet play Glengarry
Glenn Ross (as well as Pump Boys & Dinettes, Thoroughly Modern Millie and War of the Worlds) comes the
premiere of the locally-produced play Paint it
Red, playing Friday and Saturday, Nov. 7-8 at 8
p.m. at the Hoogland Center for the Arts.
Paint it Red tells the
story of the 1908 Springfield race riot (see next page). The script was
researched and written by Judi O’Brien Anderson and David Logan, both
professors at Springfield College-Benedictine University. The play,
produced in conjunction with the 1908 Race Riots Commemoration Commission,
is made up of dramatic monologues (much like
Spoon River Anthology) capturing the emotion
and the many injustices that occurred during this tragic period in
Springfield’s past, told by the victims, rioters and citizens who
either fought to prevent the riot or allowed it to happen. Directed by
Valerie Parga, the two performances are free to the public and donations
will be accepted for the Year of Reconciliation Scholarship at the college.
This is a powerful piece of theater and there is some language that might
be unsuitable for young children. For more information, call 524-1420,
extension 290.
Another not-to-be-missed production opening this
weekend: Caryl Churchill’s Cloud 9, presented in the Studio Theatre, lower level of the Public
Affairs Center at UIS — Nov. 7-9 and 13-15. All shows begin at 8 p.m.
except for the Sunday performance (11/9) which begins at 2 p.m. You really
have to give yourself over to this play because it almost defies
description. Men play roles of women, women play roles of men, and
Churchill pulls the rug out from under our preconceived notions all through
the show. Act 1 takes place in British Colonial Africa in 1880. Act 2 takes
place in London 100 years later — but the characters from Act 1 have
only aged 25 years. The play begins as a period farce and ends up as a
realistic comedy-drama. I saw the original production in 1981 and
it’s one of those plays that people talk about for days after seeing
it.
“It’s a play I’ve loved for over 20
years,” says director Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson, “and am so
glad I’m finally getting the chance to sink my teeth into it as a
director. Even in 2008, we realize how frighteningly true the issues
Churchill addresses are.”
This production is also intended for mature audiences.
Call 206-6160 for tickets (or online at www.uis.edu/theatre).
Illinois College TheatreWorks in Jacksonville is
presenting Arthur Miller’s Playing for
Time, a play about a group of women in
Auschwitz who created their own orchestra. Nancy Taylor Porter directs the
play, which runs Nov. 6-8 at 7:30 p.m. For tickets call 245-3471 (or online
at www.ic.edu/theatre).
And yet another “for mature audiences”
show plays next week: A.D.H.D. Entertainment Productions presents an
evening of comedy shorts titled Dirty Words!
Danger, Adult Content 2, Nov. 14-15 in the Club
Room at the Hoogland Center for the Arts (curtain time: 8:01 p.m.). The
two-act evening of comedies features Nancy Cole, Grace Hughes, Connor
McNamara, Mary Young, Jeff Nevins, Mac Warren, Gina DeCroix and Patrick
Russell.
The show also features the music of
Springfield’s Billy Joel cover band
Silly Joel. The show will sell out, so reserve
your tickets (523-2787).
Next week brings Steel
Magnolias, the comedy-drama that makes us laugh
and cry, revived here by Springfield Theatre Centre (also at the Hoogland
Center) Nov. 14-16 and 21-23. Fred Wassell directs the play about a group
of women in a small Louisiana town who meet at the local beauty shop.
Featured are some great actresses: Pam Brown, Felicia Coulter, Shelly
Flickinger, Cassie Poe, Linda Schneider and Carrie Shultz (523-2787 or
online at tickets.scfta.org).
Sangamon Auditorium is presenting the Song and Dance Ensemble of West Africa for one night, Nov. 7, and a tour of the 1950s musical The Pajama Game plays for
one night Monday, Nov. 10, at 7:30. Call 206-06160 or get tickets online at
www.uis.edu/sangamonauditorium.
Finally, the comedy It
Had To Be You plays the Little Theatre On the
Square in Sullivan Nov. 6-16 (Thursdays through Sundays), starring Cindy
Williams and Eddie Mekka (both of TV’s
Laverne & Shirley days). It’s a
kind of zany romantic comedy that could be a good date night show (for the
older set anyway). Call the box office at 217-728-7375 for tickets.
This article appears in Oct 30 – Nov 5, 2008.
