Campus News

by Kayla Eddy, Social Media & Web Coordinator

On Saturday, April 28th, the Rockford University Performing Arts Department and Friends of the Performing Arts (FOPA) hosted

A Celebration of 41 Years of Costume Design. The fashion show honored former RU professor and designer, Jeff Hendry, showcasing 41 of the costumes he designed for shows on campus and beyond.

The show also served as a fundraiser for the performing arts trip to Scotland in which students performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August. While FOPA set a goal of $5,000 for the event, the Rockford community came together and raised $7,500!

Notable models included Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara, State Representative Dave Vella, and State Senator Steve Stadelman, who walked the runway alongside students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community members! 

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This article is part of the 2023-2024 issue of Catalyst. 

Rockford University is thrilled to announce that our Performing Arts Department received a Rockford Area Arts Council 2024 Community Arts Access Grant for $2,500. 

Beth Drog, Chair of the RUPA department, attended the RAAC 2024 Access Grant Reception today at the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau in downtown Rockford, where she accepted this grant.

This grant will go toward the RUPA students attending the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. RU students will tour Edinburgh, learn about its rich history of performing arts, attend performances at the festival,  and perform their pieces for festival audiences. $2,000 will cover one student’s trip. 

Anyone interested in helping the RUPA department raise more money for their trip, can head here.  

By Sara Myers-Hogshead, Digital Media & Communications Specialist

Learning about an institution’s history often requires research. To make Rockford University’s history more engaging without reading a book or two, RU’s Performing Arts professor Deborah Mogford decided to produce a dramatization of its most famous class, just in time for one of the University’s busiest weekends. 

During homecoming weekend, Oct. 13, 2023, Rockford University’s Performing Arts department performed Mogford’s production, “The Addams Thread,” focusing on the university’s most well-known classes.

“It’s lovely to read a novel, I’m a big reader, but people remember stories they see visually,” Mogford said. “That’s the beauty of drama.”

Mogford wrote and directed the play as a dedication to the “Glorious Seventeen,” the seventeen women who graduated from Rockford Female Seminary in 1881, which includes notable Alumni Jane Addams, a Nobel Peace Prize Winner and the founder of Chicago’s Hull House. Mogford added that she also dedicates this play to all RU alumni. 

“Graduates of this university can attest to RU’s dedication to advancing knowledge for the students while fostering life-long intellectual curiosity,” Mogford said in the director’s note in the production’s program. “They can also speak to the school’s commitment to instilling in the student population a desire to seek a life of purpose, service, and leadership to the community they choose to inhabit.”

To create this production, Mogford said she researched Jane Addams’s valedictorian speech where she discovered Addams’s nickname for her graduating class. This led Mogford to create a show that touched on how the “Glorious Seventeen” were always bonded and how Jane attending Rockford had the impact it did.

“I got to thinking that’s lovely and it’s 1893, four lovely women, all white,” Mogford said. “The school doesn’t look like that anymore. So, what is that legacy, and how does it look in 2023? So, I thought, I’ll then jump ahead 100 years.”

The play is split into two scenes at different times and places.

Scene I is set in the summertime in 1893 at Rockford College alumna Mrs. Jonathan McKnight or Aunt Katherine’s house. There, Aunt Katherine is joined by her niece Arabella Amato, her niece’s friend Cora Edwards, and her good friend and classmate from Rockford, Martha Gail. The scene is placed 12 years after graduation and four years after the Addams formed Hull House. 

The second scene is set in the Spring of 2023 at Maddox Theatre, where five students are talking about going for a coffee run together when they run into a potential RU student.

“I want to be able to have this piece ready to go at any time,” Mogford said. “So, as students graduate then that part goes to someone else. It’s a piece that’s always ready to go whenever the school needs it for recruitment or historical reference.”

After taking the summer of 2023 to write the play, Mogford was ready in August for prep. Mogford put together the cast and crew and held a complete read-through of the production. She would meet periodically with the groups from both scenes. She added that the cast would rehearse on and off but the final push came 10 days before the show went on. 

“I hope they bring it back for Charter Day or orientation,” she said. “And, when we have groups on campus who are looking at the school we can also do it then if we have plenty of notice.”

THE ADDAMS THREAD 

Performed Oct. 13, 2023 

Written and Directed by Deborah Mogford

Lighting Designer: Eric Brockmeier

Costume Designer: Ryan Moller

Stage Manager: Jeremy Rogers

Technical Director: Beth Drog

SCENE I

TIME: Mid-June on a perfect summer afternoon, 1883

Place: The lush garden of Aunt Catherine’s House on Harlem Blvd. in Rockford, IL

CAST, in order of appearance

Martha Gail: Aubry Musfelt

Arabella (Bella) Amato: Lindsay Johnson

Aunt Catherine (Mrs. Jonathan McKnight): Emmarie Wilson

Cora Edwards (Mrs. George Edwards): Lucy Parlapiano

SCENE II

TIME: Late April on a perfect spring day, 2023

Place: Maddox Theatre

CAST, in order of appearance

Marie: Adara Barrera Medina

Jake: Robbie Strader

James: Carter Coryell

Allison: Keira Alejandro

Samantha: Kaleigh Ferguson

Will: Elijah Lowry

By Sara Myers-Hogshead, Digital Media & Communications Specialist 

Performing Arts Alum Erin Nicole Farsté (2015) had done theater her whole life, but never considered it as a career until her senior year of high school. It was during her senior year that her friends encouraged her to look into Rockford University’s Performing Arts program, after Farsté saw RU’s Performing Arts Booth at a college fair she attended.

Farsté graduated from RU in 2015 and immediately started auditioning for productions all over the country through the group United Professional Theatre Auditions (UPTA), which is based in Memphis, Tennessee. 

Her current role is the understudy for the role of “Mother” in Children Theater’s Company production of Corduroy, based on the classic 1968 Children’s book. The production runs now through April 2. The Children’s Theater Company is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and tickets can be found on it’s website.  

During her senior year of high school, Farsté recalls her mother telling her theater would not be beneficial and to be realistic, so Farsté originally planned to be a doctor. 

“I was one of those people that was like, well I have to prove it to you,” Farsté said. “This is the only thing I can do. I actually auditioned for the (Missouri) state show, which was Jekyll and Hyde that year for the Missouri Thespian Festival.”

Farsté, who is originally from Kansas City, Missouri, got cast in the show and told her mother, who was still not convinced. Later though, Farsté said she finally stood up to her mom and told her she wanted to do theater full time and study it in college. She then attended a college fair at the Missouri State Theater Festival where she found the Rockford University booth and met Timm Adams. 

“Everybody in my cast was like, Rockford (University) is amazing and a big deal and you’re so lucky,” she said. 

Once she was at RU and accepted into the BFA program, she became a member in acapella group Vocal Collective and worked with different professors within the theater department that inspired her. When she worked on the show “The Trojan Women” it set off her love for Greek theater. Farsté said her favorite musical she performed at RU was “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.”

Once Farsté graduated from RU, she immediately began traveling for her work. 

“My dream was always to leave and perform out of state as often as I could,” she said. “I decided to take a chance and they (UPTA) had me in their 2016-17 season. We had very intensive training before we would go on the road and perform for elementary schools and community centers around Minnesota and Wisconsin.”

Farsté followed that tour with another one for the National Theatre for Children in Minneapolis. She performed with a smaller group and went around to elementary schools in the south (Texas, Louisiana, and more) where she taught electrical safety to elementary students. Her contract with the theater was seven months. When that tour was over she said she realized she had grown tired of the touring life, after two back-to-back acting gigs on the road.

It was then that she decided to stay in the Twin Cities area and settle down. Since making that decision she has worked in most of the theaters in the Twin Cities, such as Park Square Theatre in St. Paul, Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, Artistry Theater in Bloomington, and Old Log Theatre in Excelsior.

It was during that time that she started working as a social media manager, which she said gives her the flexibility to juggle theater and work. 

Minneapolis’ Acting Scene

Her current role in Corduroy has been challenging, she said, but also very rewarding. Before the production started she prepared every day by memorizing her lines and when she comes into rehearsals she is learning more about blocking and how the character has developed from rehearsal.

When looking toward her future, Farsté sees herself staying in the Twin Cities area and continuing her theater career there.

“There’s a lot of theater opportunities here,” she said. “More theaters are starting to pop up around. As a Black actress, there’s a lot of opportunity for me. There’s a lot of Asian theater here in town and a lot of Latinx theaters in town, and Indigenous theaters in town.”

Farsté said she is ultimately grateful for her time at RU for giving her the tools she needed to be a working actor today.

“The rigorous training from musical theater to singing with Vocal Collective to the amazing teaching that Miss (Deborah) Mogford and Jeff (Hendry) and Timm (Adams) have been able to provide for the students,” she said. “That’s really how I’ve been able to have a thriving career in theater. Just being at the right place at the right time has definitely helped as well.”

by Sara Myers-Hogshead, Digital Media & Communications Specialist 

The Rockford University Performing Arts department will kick of its season Feb. 23 with “The Importance of Being Earnest” — an Oscar Wilde classic directed by RU’s Deborah Mogford.

The production will start at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24, in the Maddox Theatre at the Clark Arts Center, 5050 E. State St., Rockford. There will be additional showings at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26 at the Maddox Theatre. Tickets can be purchased online, over the phone at (815) 226-4100 or through email: boxoffice@rockford.edu. 

Oscar Wilde was an Irish author, poet and playwright. His play, “The Importance of Being Earnest” was released in 1895 and is his most popular comedy that is still being performed.

“It is a classic of 1895,” Mogford said. “It continues to be going around the world even today. We chose it because it’s a comedy of manners and it’s a good thing for students to have that particular genre.”

The main cast includes: Josh Ponsones, Andrew Ashley, Jake Rogers, Jessica Rathbun, Emmarie Wilson, and Kade De Angioletti.

Many of the actors traveled far from home to attend RU’s Performing Arts program. Ponsones is from San Diego, California; Wilson is from Fort Worth, Texas; De Angioletti from Leesburg, Virginia; and both Rogers and Rathbun are from Aurora, Colorado.

The actors, most who are seniors this year, said they’ve had fun learning the material, as well as getting to know each other.

For both Wilson and Ashley, performing with a smaller cast has been very impactful. They’re bonding and have a greater appreciation for the characters’ individual stories.

For Rathbun, the smaller cast allows everyone more room since they take up the space with their “characterizations and presence.”

Wilde’s writing is still relevant today, De Angioletti said.

“That humor still transcends and people still find the jokes funny,” De Angioletti said, adding that the cast laughed during the read through.

Rathbun, who plays Miss Prism, has enjoyed the balancing act of doing a small show but also looks forward to their next production of Urinetown, a larger musical production.

Diving into Character

For Ponsones, one thing he said he took away from his character, and the production in general, was to not let so much of his own personality into the character.

“As somebody who is very into large gestures and always uses their hands a lot,” Ponsones said, “I have to keep my hands completely in place, all the time. I’ve learned you don’t need to use your hands so much when you talk.”

Roger plays John and has learned to tap into the duality of his character. He said he’s learned to let his guard down, while still keeping his composure.

“That has been a balance I haven’t really seen before,” he said.

The cast is ultimately looking forward to bringing their characters to life in front of a live audience. 

“I’m sure since we’re having so much fun, it’ll be fun for the audience too,” Ashley said.

[Show slideshow]

• John Worthing, J.P: Jake Rogers
• Algernon Moncrieff: Andrew Ashley
• Canon Chasuble, D. D.: Josh Ponsones
• Lady Bracknall: Kayleigh Ferguson
• Miss Prism: Jessica Rathbun
• Gwendolen Fairfax: Emmarie Wilson
• Cecily Cardew: Kade De Angioletti
• Lane: Zach Furmanek
• Merriman: Robert Strader

CREW:

• Director: Deborah Mogford
• Stage Manager: Kaitlyn Tesdroff
• Assistant Stage Managers: Analiese Garcia, Caitlin Dennis
• Costume Shop Manager: Karly Osborne
• Assistant Technical Director: Andrew Harth
• Master Electrician: Kaitlyn Tesdroff 
• Aster Electrician: Lindsay Johnson
• Scene Painter: Karah Nelson
• Sound Design/Sound Operator: Isaac Urbik
• Projection Operator: Sara Goodger
• Properties Master: Zachary Furmanek
• Assistant Properties: Adara Barrera Medina
• Wardrobe: Aubry Musfelt
• House Crew Chief/House Manager: Miami Roby
• House Crew: Sara Goodger, Karah Nelson
• Box Office Manager/ Program: Margaret McGraw
• Box Office Staff: Nakeyia Hunter, Yulissa Mancillas, Guadalupe Moreno
• Costume Shop: Keira Alejandro, Aiden Foreman, Emmarie Wilson
• Scene Shop: Adara Barrera Medina, Caitlin Dennis, Zachary Furmanek, Analiese Garcia, Sara Goodger, Lindsay Johnson, Karah Nelson, Kaitlyn Tesdorff, Isaac Urbik
• Scenic & Lighting Designer: Donald Fox
• Costume Designer: Jeff Hendry
• Technical Director: Beth Drog
• Archive Photographer: Ted Johnson

ROCKFORD, Ill. — Rockford University’s Spring 2018 Forum Series continues with a visit from a New York City-based jazz pianist on Tuesday, Feb. 27.

Fascinating Algorithms: Pianist Dan Tepfer 
Tuesday, Feb. 27, 3 p.m.
Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center 
New York City-based jazz pianist Dan Tepfer will discuss the intersection of science and art in music, in particular the balance of intuition and emotion with the mathematical and algorithmic. At a more personal level, he will talk about how, as a performer and composer, he has opened up new avenues of creativity in his work by integrating mathematical structures, from simple processes to fractals, into his music.

With the exception of Performing Arts productions, the Forum Series is free of charge. Events take place on the Rockford University campus, 5050 East State Street, Rockford. Tickets are required and can be obtained by contacting the Box Office at 815-226-4100 or boxoffice@rockford.edu.

This semester’s Forum Series continues through late April. View the full lineup at www.Rockford.edu/forum.

ROCKFORD, Ill. —Rockford University’s Spring 2018 Forum Series continues Feb. 22-25 with Performing Arts’ production of Shakespeare’s Richard III.

Play: Richard III 
Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 22-24, 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 25, 2 p.m.
Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center 
King Edward is on the throne, England is at peace, and all is well. But don’t worry – it won’t be that way for long because Richard is “discontented.” Gripping and outrageous, Shakespeare’s Richard III is the tale of a ruthless, power-crazed Machiavellian who lies and cheats his way to the highest seat in the land through charm, deception, and force of presence.

Forum Series takes place on the Rockford University campus, 5050 East State Street, Rockford. Tickets are required and can be obtained by contacting the Box Office at 815-226-4100 or boxoffice@rockford.edu.

This semester’s Forum Series continues through late April. View the full lineup at www.Rockford.edu/forum.