ROCKFORD UNIVERSITY ON STAGE: DRAMA THROUGH THE AGES

Rockford University on Stage:

Since as early as the 1800s, Rockford University students have staged productions formally and informally for the campus and Rockford communities.

Before the establishment of the Department of Performing Arts, the Drama Club staged plays including “Nicholas Nickleby” (1890), “A Scrap of Paper” (1894), and “Medea” (1896). These early productions were often Shakespearean, classic plays, or original creations written by students. They were made up of all-female casts.

In recent years, the university’s performing arts department

In 1896, students staged “Medea” fully in Greek, with Jean Newcomber (center) as Medea.

The cast and orchestra for the production of “Belle of Barcelona” in 1925.

1890 1896

A few of the all-female cast members of “Nicholas Nickleby” in 1890. 1917 1925

The entire 1917 student cast of “As You Like It.”

Drama through the Ages

has produced eight mainstage shows annually for friends, family, alumni, faculty, staff, and the greater Rockford community. Audience members are invited to join the student performers in exploring different cultures, uplifting unique art forms, and connecting themes from the classroom to a modern and changing global society. Thanks to donor support of the recent Restore Our Sound fundraising campaign, the sound systems in the university’s Maddox and Cheek theatres were updated in 2020 to enhance the student and audience experience.

Students Joan Evans, Corinne Johnson, and Joan Densmore in “The Importance of Being Earnest” staged on December 19, 1946. Built in the 1960s, Maddox Theatre was named after President William Arthur Maddox (president from 1919-1933), and designed by Professor Edward Hearn of UCLA. Its hydraulic forestage can convert to four special arrangements and seat more than 500 audience members.

1940 s 1946

In the 1940s, under the presidency of Mary Ashby Cheek, the first official college theater was built. Potts Theatre was named for Abbie Findlay Potts Ph.D., an English literature professor from 1924-1948. 1960 s 1960 s

For many years, outdoor theater was part of the annual May Day festivities and events to close out the academic year. Pictured here is outdoor theater from the early 1960s.

Drama through the Ages

The first student production performed in Maddox Theatre was “The Lark,” which premiered on April 9, 1970, and ran four days.

1970 1970 s

Students performed the hit musical “Chicago” in 1993.

1993 1998

Clark Arts Center, which houses classrooms, design studios, and the Maddox and Cheek theatres, was dedicated on May 16, 1970. Construction was made possible by a bequest from Mrs. Effie White Clark in September 1967. Knox Fowler, a performing arts professor from 1961-1974, assisted with the design. In 1998, Rockford University put on the French play “The Bald Soprano” to kick off its performing arts season.

Students performed the musical “The Robber Bridegroom” in 2010.

2010 2020

The 2020-2021 performing arts season kicked off with “COVID Cavalcade: A Socially Distanced Entertainment,” a revue created by Jeff Hendry, chair of the Department of Performing Arts. The show centered on COVID-19 and the quarantine experience. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the cast and crew had to develop new protocol, prioritizing social distancing and other protective measures. A historic production, it is one that generations of Rockford students, faculty, and alumni will note and discuss.

FRIENDS OF THE PERFORMING ARTS

Share Your Passion for the Arts!

Join Friends of the Performing Arts (FOPA) and help ensure that Rockford University performing arts students are supported by and connected to alumni and the community.

FOPA’s tagline is “Act on the Excitement.” As live performances begin again and arts venues fully open doors to audiences after limited operation throughout the pandemic, it is indeed an exciting time to renew enthusiasm around the arts.

Alumni and friends of the university from near and far are invited to join this group by visiting rockford.edu/alumni/fopa, completing the membership form, and making an annual investment of $100 or more.