Theatre Season 2007-08

The 2007-08 season for the Knox College Department of Theatre and Dance will feature "Cloud 9," by Caryl Churchill; the English language world premiere of "Rosa and Blanca," by German playwright Rebekka Kricheldorf; "Hamlet," by William Shakespeare; and a formal dance concert.

Tickets for Knox College mainstage theatre and dance productions are available at the door or in advance by calling the Student Activities Office, 309 341 7489.

Student-directed theatre productions in Studio Theatre, and student-produced dance concerts in the Auxiliary Gymnasium/Dance Center are free.

2007-08 Season - Mainstage Productions

Caryl Churchill's "Cloud 9," scheduled for October 31 through November 3, 2007,  is a farce that examines identity politics. The play is directed by Kelly Hogan, visiting instructor in theatre.

The production will feature a seven-member ensemble, double-cast in cross-gender and cross-racial roles. The show is set in a hyper-real world that moves from colonial Africa to Great Britain in the 1970s.

"The play reveals our contemporary world in a postmodern reality," Hogan said. "It highlights the absence of power that anticipates the advent of the patriarchal figure, the inversion of gendered masculine and feminine identities, and the shift toward the assimilation of the postcolonial hybrid persona."

"Rosa and Blanca," by Rebekka Kricheldorf, will receive its English language world premiere from February 20 through February 23, 2008.

Translated and directed by Neil Blackadder, assistant professor of theatre, the play is a modern retelling of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale of Snow-White and Rose-Red.

"'Rosa and Blanca' is magical realism set in a fantastical world," Blackadder said. "Sisters Rosa and Blanca and their mother interact with a cast of animal friends in the forest, as well as an abusive dwarf and a mysterious, handsome bear. The characters' speeches are divided into short lines like verse, though the vernacular is very contemporary."

Shakespeare's "Hamlet," the spring term theatre production, is presented from May 7 through May 10, 2008. It is directed by Elizabeth Carlin-Metz, associate professor of theatre.

"The production will focus on the text and the relationships in a minimalist, alley theatre style," said Carlin-Metz. "The cast will make only minimal costume changes, and will remain on-stage throughout the production. The actors will have to make significant physical changes in order to convey new characters, and they'll also provide a devised sound landscape."

The 2008 spring term dance concert, May 22 through May 24, 2008, is produced by Jennifer Smith, assistant professor of dance. It will feature student and faculty performers, in works choreographed by faculty, advanced students, and guest choreographers.

2005 production of Caryl Churchill's "Skriker," directed by Elizabeth Carlin Metz.

2006 production of "Nora," Ingmar Bergman's adaptation of Ibsen's "A Doll's House," directed by Neil Blackadder.

2005 Spring Dance Concert.