Rockford University

Describe the Night
2025-11-20 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | Maddox Theatre – Clark Arts Center, 5050 E. State St. , Rockford, IL, 61108, United States
November 20-23, 2025 (Thursday-Saturday, 7:30 pm; Sunday 2 pm)
Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center
Director, Prof. Deborah Mogford
In 2010 a Polish Air Force Flight plane crashed near the Russian City of Smolensky killing the president of Poland, along with 18 members of the Polish Parliament. There is evidence suggesting this air disaster may have been an act of terrorism. Or is this just a conspiracy theory? The truth behind the incident sparked the mind of Rajiv Joseph to write an intense espionage thriller, Describe the Night. Joseph explores the historical friendship between the writer Isaac Babel and Nikolai Yezhov, the military man who helped create the KGB. How do their lives intertwine with a mysterious Stasi agent? This epic play traces the lives of seven people connected by history and myth over 90 years while asking the question how often does time, hate, and ruthlessness turn truth into lies and lies into truth. DESCRIBE THE NIGHT is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection. (www.dramatists.com)

Post-Digital Landscapes
2025-11-21 18:00 - 20:00 | Rockford University Art Gallery – Clark Arts Center, 5050 E. State St. , Rockford, IL, 61108, United States
Curtis Anthony Bozif, Ruth Lantz, & Jonathan Worcester
On Display: October 27th – December 12th
Reception: Friday, November 21st, 6:00-8:00PM
Artist Talk: Friday, November 21st, 7:00PM
Curtis Anthony Bozif is a Chicago-based visual artist and art writer. He was born in 1982 in St. Louis, Missouri. He earned his BFA in Painting and Art History from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2006. That same year, he moved to Chicago where, in 2008, he earned his MFA from the Department of Art Theory & Practice at Northwestern University. His art has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is held in numerous private collections throughout the country. To date, his art criticism has been featured in Newcity, Bridge,and the Reader. Since 2008, Bozif has worked as a Digitization Specialist in the Digital Products & Data Curation workgroup at the Northwestern University Libraries where he specializes in cultural heritage imaging and digital assets and project management with an emphasis on color management, image quality standards, analytics, and quality control. Aside from making his own art, Bozif enjoys thinking and writing about other peoples’ art; reading about art, history, ecology, and nature; hiking, backpacking, and camping; and listening to jazz and classical music. He keeps his studio and lives with his wife, Zoë, and their growing family of houseplants, in the lakeside neighborhood of Rogers Park on Chicago’s far northside.
Ruth Lantz, an Urbana, IL based artist, received her Masters in Visual Studies from the Pacific
Northwest College of Art (PNCA) in Portland, OR in 2010. Her work has been featured nationally at numerous galleries and institutions, including the Rockford Art Museum (Rockford, IL), Russo Lee Gallery (Portland, OR) Disjecta (Portland, OR), Washington State University Vancouver (Vancouver, WA), Governors State University (University Park, IL), St. Louis Artist’s Guild (St. Louis, MO), Northern Illinois University (Dekalb, IL) and Indianapolis Art Center (Indianapolis, IN). Her work was featured at the Portland International Airport and she was a presenter in the “Making a Better Painting” Symposium at the Hoffman Gallery at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, OR. Lantz is the founder of Crit Connection, a project providing networking opportunities and resources to emerging and mid-career artists.
Jonathan Worcester lives and works in Chicago, IL. He received his MFA in Painting and Drawing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2024, and his BA from Sarah Lawrence College in 2015. He is the Departmental Specialist in the Applied Arts of Europe Department at the Art Institute of Chicago and currently a Teaching Fellow in Painting and Drawing at SAIC.

Holiday Magic: A Night at the Movies, Part 2
2025-12-05 19:30 - 21:00 | Maddox Theatre – Clark Arts Center, 5050 E. State St. , Rockford, IL, 61108, United States
December 5, 2025 (Friday, 7:30 pm)
Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center
Director, Prof. Timm Adams
Escape to a magical evening of unforgettable songs from Hollywood’s most memorable holiday movies. Rockford University choirs and soloists will take you on a nostalgic journey through the years with music from White Christmas, Meet Me in St. Louis, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Love Actually, Nightmare Before Christmas, and more. And no holiday movie music celebration would be complete without paying tribute to Rudolph, Frosty, and the Grinch!

Alice in Winter Wonderland
2025-12-06 19:30 - 21:00 | Maddox Theatre – Clark Arts Center, 5050 E. State St. , Rockford, IL, 61108, United States
December 6-7, 2025
Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center
Director, Sara Goodger
Alice is having a horrible holiday. Her parents are busy, her neighbors are mean, and her brother is totally annoying. On top of all that, she has homework — on Christmas Eve! — which involves writing a book report on Alice in Wonderland. While reading, Alice becomes drowsy, sees a White Rabbit, and follows it down a rabbit hole, plummeting her into Wonderland in the middle of winter. Now it’s up to Alice, and many of Lewis Carroll’s iconic characters, to restore Wonder to Wonderland. A contemporary, heartfelt reimagining of the classic story that is sure to bring joy and warmth to the holiday season. Join us for this enchanting and timeless tale for the whole family as we kick-off the month of December.

"815 Elevate: The Leadership Series" Effective Communication for Conflict Resolution and Team Harmony
2025-12-16 16:00 - 18:00 | Rockford University, 5050 E. State St. , Rockford, IL, 61108, United States
Recognize the root causes of conflict, communicate clearly and assertively without escalating tension, listen actively and empathetically, transform disagreement into collaboration.

“815 Elevate: The Leadership Series” Making the Numbers Talk: Financial Literacy for Strategic Decision-Making
2026-01-20 16:00 - 18:00 | Rockford University, 5050 E. State St. , Rockford, IL, 61108, United States
This new and exciting year-long series of workshops brings a specialized focus on leadership, ranging from topics in effective communication and excel, to maximizing operational excellence and so much more! Register for three and get the fourth one on us!
A hands-on primer for understanding financial statements, budgeting, and using data to support leadership decisions.
Hosted from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM, in the Puri School of Business.
Learn more about the series and register by contacting: CPEL@Rockford.edu!

“815 Elevate: The Leadership Series” Operational Excellence Meets Human-Centered Culture
2026-02-17 16:00 - 18:00 | Rockford University, 5050 E. State St. , Rockford, IL, 61108, United States
This new and exciting year-long series of workshops brings a specialized focus on leadership, ranging from topics in effective communication and excel, to maximizing operational excellence and so much more! Register for three and get the fourth one on us!
Explore how leaders integrate lean/process improvement without losing employee engagement.
Hosted from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM, in the Puri School of Business.
Learn more about the series and register by contacting: CPEL@Rockford.edu!

Ride the Cyclone
2026-02-19 19:30 - 21:00 | Cheek Theatre – Clark Arts Center, 5050 E. State St. , Rockford, IL, 61108, United States
February 19-22, 2026, and February 26-28 (Thursday-Saturday, 7:30 pm; Sunday 2 pm)
Cheek Theatre, Clark Arts Center
Director, Prof. Marrissa Barnathan
In this hilarious and outlandish musical, the lives of six teenagers from a Canadian chamber choir are cut short in a freak accident aboard a roller coaster. When they awake in limbo, a mechanical fortune teller invites each character to tell a story to win a prize like no other — the chance to return to life. With an eclectic score and witty dialogue, Ride the Cyclone is a funny, moving look at what makes a life well-lived. Ride the Cyclone is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC. (www.broadwaylicensing.com)

Beyond the Business Summit: From Insight to Action
2026-03-17 16:00 - 18:00 | Rockford University, 5050 E. State St. , Rockford, IL, 61108, United States
You gave feedback, we listended. Beyond the Business Summit brings you the follow up to our annual summer Business Summit to keep the action going! This “mini” summit details enhancing collaboration between industry sectors.

“815 Elevate: The Leadership Series” TEAMS for Teams
2026-04-14 16:00 - 18:00 | Rockford University, 5050 E. State St. , Rockford, IL, 61108, United States
This new and exciting year-long series of workshops brings a specialized focus on leadership, ranging from topics in effective communication and excel, to maximizing operational excellence and so much more! Register for three and get the fourth one on us!
An interactive guide through TEAMS to improve efficiency, productivity and engagement.
Hosted from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM, in the Puri School of Business.
Learn more about the series and register by contacting: CPEL@Rockford.edu!

Choir Concert
2026-05-01 19:30 - 21:00 | Maddox Theatre – Clark Arts Center, 5050 E. State St. , Rockford, IL, 61108, United States
May 1, 2026 (Friday, 7:30 pm)
Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center
Director, Prof. Timm Adams
Join Rockford University choirs and soloists for an enchanting evening of songs.

“815 Elevate: The Leadership Series” Teaming Up with AI: Redefining How We Work
2026-05-19 16:00 - 18:00 | Rockford University, 5050 E. State St. , Rockford, IL, 61108, United States
This new and exciting year-long series of workshops brings a specialized focus on leadership, ranging from topics in effective communication and excel, to maximizing operational excellence and so much more! Register for three and get the fourth one on us!
Utilizing AI tools to enhance productivity and efficiency.
Hosted from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM, in the Puri School of Business.
Learn more about the series and register by contacting: CPEL@Rockford.edu!

“815 Elevate: The Leadership Series” Persuade with Purpose: Communication, Marketing, and Influence Among Peers
2026-05-19 16:00 - 18:00 | Rockford University, 5050 E. State St. , Rockford, IL, 61108, United States
This new and exciting year-long series of workshops brings a specialized focus on leadership, ranging from topics in effective communication and excel, to maximizing operational excellence and so much more! Register for three and get the fourth one on us!
Explore how to craft clear, compelling messages that resonate. Understand your audience and build trust; apply marketing principles to real-life conversations and peer influence through engaging activities and real-world examples.
Hosted from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM, in the Puri School of Business.
Learn more about the series and register by contacting: CPEL@Rockford.edu!
