Springfield has long championed community-based and what’s known as grassroots theater. We are now seeing a resurgence of such theater performances after a long COVID pause. It has caused me to reflect and wonder, what is it about these community projects? What brings these people together? Donna Jefferson’s theater journey has been a long trajectory […]
Arts Features
Posted inArts & Culture
The art of faith
Inspiring and creative art, music, poetry, performances and more will be featured in Springfield May 6 -15. The biennial Liturgical Arts Festival is back after a hiatus due to COVID-19. This is an interfaith celebration of the liturgical arts, reflecting mutual appreciation of artistic expression. While the festival is inspired by the diversity of faith […]
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Donations to make a difference
Margaret Herath, formerly of Springfield, now of Indiana, has fond childhood memories of going with her father, the late Guerry Suggs, to the Illinois State Museum. “He would take me to the Saturday movies and then we would walk around and see the dioramas. I loved seeing the diorama with the bobcat and wanted a […]
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Not your grandmother’s quilts
Nearly 500 creative and colorful quilts will fill the Orr Building at the Illinois State Fairgrounds March 18 and 19. This biennial event features quilts made by members of the Springfield Area Quilt Guild. It is one of the largest quilt shows in the Midwest and is not just for quilters. These aren’t your grandmother’s […]
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Rich drama about the Black experience
The late August Wilson (1945-2005) remains one of America’s most important playwrights, leaving behind enormously entertaining work that is a triumph of history and theatricality. The Springfield Theatre Centre’s production of Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean at the Hoogland – directed by Reggie Guyton – is a major event, a must-see for anyone who cares […]
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Central Illinois filmmakers at work
Julie Staley started Spencer Films two years ago and has been hard at work on several projects. Just completed shooting in Los Angeles is The Lie, a short film about heroin addiction. Staley says, “This addiction is affecting many, but we don’t make strides to get ahead; more momentum is needed, and the film helps […]
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Springfield’s own Nutcracker
The Nutcracker Ballet is as Christmassy as you can get, right up there with fir trees, twinkling lights and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. All over the globe, ballet companies vie to create the perfect Nutcracker, and families everywhere line up for tickets. This weekend, on the grand stage at UIS-PAC, as it has every year […]
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Boulevard of Broken Dreams
The Springfield Theatre Centre has given us an early holiday gift, a theatrical version of Green Day’s American Idiot, a powerful, courageous show that you must experience for yourself. Green Day’s American Idiot (at the Hoogland through Sunday) is a musical like no other. A vigorous reimagining of the seminal punk band’s 2004 album, which […]
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An arts trifecta for Springfield
For those committed to the cultural life of the capital city, there’s a rare opportunity Friday, Nov. 5. It’s a big win: a trifecta for the arts. It’s the trial run of a gorgeous new performance venue in Springfield and a sneak preview of a unique Illinois Symphony concert. And it’s a chance to celebrate […]
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Love is love, no matter what
Audiences are returning to live theater at a time of uncertainty and discord. Stop Kiss, Diana Son’s dark romantic comedy (and near-tragedy) speaks directly to the fears, anger and longing in our hearts. This fine UIS production under the capable direction of Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson – with a cast of exceptional actors from the theater program […]
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The neighborhood is going to art
It was a recent weekday afternoon in Springfield when Erin Washington was hanging crystal prisms from a neon-pink geodesic dome. The dome is outside of Springfield Art Association (SAA) in the Enos Park neighborhood. It is a bright pop of color that draws attention to the lawn, which includes a nearby mural and other displays […]
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Something old, yet new
How is it that the theatrical comedies of the 1930s and ’40s have retained their potency? The evergreen Arsenic and Old Lace (1941), refreshed by the Springfield Theatre Centre, is keeping audiences of your friends and neighbors laughing – rolling in the aisle laughing – from beginning to end. Do yourself a favor. Take a […]
