Administration

Communications

C-SC celebrates 25th Annual Guest Artist Production
Thursday, March 31, 2011

CANTON, Mo. -- Culver-Stockton College students will have the opportunity to share the stage with C-SC alums as the Theatre Department presents its 25th annual Guest Artist Production. Five decades of alumni will be represented as “The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail” is staged beginning Thursday, April 7.

C-SC alums have prominent roles both on stage and behind the scenes of the production. Ben Martin ’75 is this year’s guest artist and will fill the role of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Greg Owen ‘84 is scenic designer for the play; Shelli Beck ’86 is dramaturg and will focus on development and research for the production; and Tony Luetkenhaus ’06 is lighting designer.

Other cast include, Zach Martin, senior theatre major from Decatur, Ill., is Waldo’s understudy; Kathy Holstein, sophomore arts management major from Branson, Mo., as Lydian; Amanda Eisele, senior arts management major from Mexico, Mo., as Mother; Nick Johnson, sophomore theatre major from Fieldon, Ill., as Henry; Brant Beckman, junior history major from St. Louis, Mo., as John; Patrick Parsons, senior criminal justice major from Memphis, Mo., as Bailey; Beau Becraft, senior communications major from Memphis, Mo., as Ball; Erin Carmody, senior speech and theatre education major from St. Louis, Mo., as Ellen; Travis Dahlhauser, senior speech education major from Rockford, Ill., as Sam; Jeff DeGraw, junior arts management major from Canton, Mo., as Edward; Treston Garner, freshman theatre major from Merriam Woods Village, Mo., as Williams; Ian Heath, junior theatre and legal studies major from St. Louis, Mo., as a Passer-by; Aaron Bjornsen, senior religion major from Urbana, Iowa, as the Drunk; Tim Maples, sophomore musical theatre major from Chicago, Ill., as the farmer; Lisa Button, freshman accounting and finance major from Adel, Iowa, as a woman; Danielle Hauer, senior arts management major from Troy, Mo.; Hollyann Lillie, sophomore musical history major from Roscoe, Ill.; Victoria Tolivar, freshman theatre major from Hannibal, Mo.; Kirsten Sindelar, sophomore musical history major from Sherrard, Ill.; Kayla Vanderbilt, sophomore psychology major from Lemont, Ill.; and Reba Best, sophomore biology and pre-med major from Tovey, Ill.; will play the townspeople and Whitney Colston, senior theatre major from Neosho, Mo., will serve as the assistant director.

"The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail" will be staged Thursday, April 7 - 9 at 7:30 p.m. in the Mabee Little Theatre inside the Robert W. Brown Performing Arts Center on the C-SC campus. An afternoon performance is also scheduled for Sunday, April 10 at 3 p.m.

Each year, the C-SC Fine Arts Department brings a guest artist to campus. It is an opportunity for students and faculty to experience theatre with a professional actor/actress. Students are able to work with the actor on stage, behind the scenes and in workshops and master classes; learning new techniques in the art and sharing first-hand experience of how the profession plays out on a day-to-day basis.

Culver-Stockton is the only school in the region to bring in a professional guest artist working in theatre, television and/or film each year to work with students. Previous guest artists include, Robert Costanzo (2008) of the film Mafiosa and Michael Brainard (2005) of TV’s All My Children.