Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson, the head of the UIS theatre department these last 10 years, is taking a sabbatical this semester, but he is staying home in Springfield. As head of an academic program, he does not normally have the time to act in productions. But his sabbatical has given him time to perform in what is now an American stage classic,
"True West," by Sam Shepard, in the Studio Theatre at UIS Feb. 24-26 and March 1-3 (7:30 p.m. except for a 2 p.m. matinee on Sun., Feb. 26). The production is directed by UIS theatre professor Milissa Thibodeaux-Thompson, Eric’s wife.
The play is about two estranged brothers who have not seen each other in many years. Austin (Craig Rauch), the younger brother, is a successful screenwriter. Lee (Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson), the older, is a drifter of sorts. They do not get along and the plot revolves around the reappearance of Lee to his brother and what ensues. Without giving too much away, this play about sibling rivalry also becomes a play about role reversals. The UIS production also features Tom Hutchinson and Susan Jeffers.
The play was featured in an February 23, 2012, article in the Illinois Times.
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