Friday, October 30, 2009

Best of Springfield 2009: Best Theatrical Production - Drama

BEST THEATRICAL PRODUCTION - DRAMA

As You Like It
University of Illinois at Springfield

Shakespeare’s tale of love, deception and cross-dressing has been performed many times, many ways, in many places. For the first time ever, UIS was the stage, and its students not-so-merely the players. Associate Professor of Theatre, Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson tells us that the show came about as schoolwork. “For the 2008-2009 school year, my idea was to offer, in tandem, a Shakespeare class and a Shakespeare production.” The class, “Playing Shakespeare,” was offered for the first time in the fall of 2008 and by spring, they were ready to take the stage, with Thibodeaux-Thompson encouraging his students to audition. “We had a total of 18 actors in 23 roles. Approximately 80 percent were students, with 20 percent community actors, faculty and alumni. I enjoy a mix of students and community actors. I was very proud in a lot of ways.”

The honor was given the the Illinois Times in an October 29, 2009 edition.

Download a PDF of the article.
20091029-ILTimes-Best%20of%20Springfield%202009.pdf