By Sara Myers, 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 on 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.”
Rockford University Performing Arts to Host Travel-Themed Cabaret Fundraiser Directed by Student Robbie Strader
ROCKFORD, Ill. (October 10, 2023) – Rockford University, the region’s leading private four-year educational institution, will host All Around The World And Back Again: A Travel-Themed Cabaret at 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. this Saturday, October 14, 2023. This Rockford University Performing Arts event will serve as a fundraiser for the department’s trip to Scotland for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is one of the largest performing arts festivals in the world, and draws thousands of participants and spectators every year. The Rockford University Performing Arts department has once again been invited to perform at the festival.
The cabaret will be directed by Performing Arts student Robbie Strader, with musical direction by Professor Timm Addams.
“After an 8-year hiatus, students in RU’s performing arts department are presenting a cabaret event: All Around the World and Back Again: A Travel-Themed Cabaret. Our department has been invited (for a second time) to perform at the Festival Fringe in Edinburgh, Scotland, next summer, so we’re hosting this as a fundraiser for that awesome opportunity! Saturday’s cabaret event will feature students from all four classes performing songs about travel, from Billy Joel to Disney, and everything in between. Alumnus Chanel Black, recently off the national tour of Legally Blonde, is our special guest! This is a free event, but we’re asking for donations at the door…and for snacks, soda, beer, and wine, which will be available!” says Professor Timm Addams.
Admission to the event is free, with a suggested donation of $20. Donations can also be made online at givecampus.com/tzx0ta.
About Rockford University:
Rockford University, a private four-year institution in Rockford, Illinois, is dedicated to providing a quality education rooted in liberal arts and professional studies. With a rich history dating back to 1847, RU is committed to preparing students for rewarding careers, responsible citizenship, and lifelong learning. To learn more about Rockford University, visit our website at www.rockford.edu.
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Media is invited to attend the cabaret beginning at 3:00 p.m. in the Cheek Theatre in the Clark Arts Center at Rockford University.
Fatherless members (Javier Jimenez, David Menard, and Greg Lang) pose in front of their mural “Jumpin’ Joe’s” in 2021. Photo by RU Alum Mindy Young.
By Sara Myers, Digital Media & Communications Specialist
Rockford University Associate Professor of Art David Menard said he never thought he would become as ingrained in the Rockford Community as he has, but his work — particularly with art collective Fatherless Print Posse — has made him a staple in the Rockford art scene, and globally.
When Menard is not teaching Rockford University art classes, he spends some of his leisure time working with the local art collaboration group. Fatherless Print Posse is known for its live printmaking shows and exhibits.
He’s currently preparing for Friday’s free show and opening night for Fatherless’ newest exhibit titled, “Constant Pressure,” which will take place from 5- 8 p.m. at the Rockford Art Museum, located at 711 N. Main St. in Rockford.
“We’re calling it a visual exploration of identity activism and collaboration because all of us use printmaking in some way to talk about social issues or whatever the situation,” Menard said.
The artist and educator didn’t know that he would end up in Rockford, but the one thing that has always been certain is his passion for art. The Arlington Heights, Ill. native said he quickly realized his love of drawing at a young age. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Kansas City Art Institute and Master’s of Fine Arts from University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“I came here and became part of the community, which I didn’t really see happening,” Menard said, adding that now everyone is connected.
“Some of the people (his former students) that were in my classes are now teaching my kids. The math teacher at Guilford was one of my former students and now he’s teaching my kids.”
Prior to joining the Rockford University Art Department, Menard worked mainly in the Chicagoland area, although he had opportunities across the country. He said he chose to stay in the Midwest.
It was at a teaching conference in New York City where Menard said he met former RU Art professor Bob McCauley. That’s when he learned about a temporary job opening that needed to be filled for one year.
The opportunity became his and he accepted. After the year, Menard returned back to the Chicago printmaking industry. A few years later he was hired back at RU when McCauley told Menard he was retiring. Since 2006, Menard has taught classes on painting, drawing, and printmaking at RU.
Fatherless
In 2012, Menard was invited to give a talk on his experience in printmaking at the Rockford Art Museum. After his lecture, he was approached by three local artists Greg Lang, Javier Jimenez, and Jarrod Hennis. The three men told Menard they were into printmaking and had their own studio they worked at, where they invited him to stop by.
“I came by their shop and they were t-shirt guys who used screen printing to make t-shirts,” Menard said. “They were doing these one offs where they would all get together and they would print on fallen wood or paper or one guy jumped up and took his shirt off and they printed on his belly.”
The guys asked him to do a “guest spot” at the shop and he quickly became part of the group, Menard said.
The name Fatherless comes from a quote from American rapper Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and was the other members’ idea before Menard joined, he said.
“It doesn’t come from one single source,” Menard said, about the art the group makes. “The style doesn’t have a father. It was born in the street, and when I’m gone it will still be on the street. There’s no father on my side of the street. When we do it all together, it’s like a band.”
He adds that the shows are now one after another. Fatherless has been to Chicago, Milwaukee, Miami, Los Angeles and also to London, where they met now-member Ben Rider. Hennis is no longer part of the group now.
Fatherless’ art can be seen on the streets of London and in downtown Rockford in murals.
“Javier has been screen printing since he was a teenager on his mother’s kitchen table,” he said. “Greg has his degree in Graphic Design. My degree is in printing. The three of us together, formed this team. We take on these ambitious projects that none of us by ourselves could do.”
Rider recently came into town from the U.K. to help create work for their upcoming show at the Rockford Art Museum (RAM).
Fatherless has also invited other artists to be involved in the show as well. Artists include Aida Wilde, Atlan Arceo-Witzl, Chema Skandal!, Ganzeer, Jesse Shaw, Liz Born, and Nicole Marrozuin. The exhibit will end Sept. 24.
Click here for the Spring 2024 Forum Series Schedule
*All dates and times are subject to change; this page will be updated regularly throughout the semester so please check back often.
General Information on the Forum Series
The Forum Series’ central programming focus is geared toward students, but includes events to which the Rockford and regional area communities are invited and welcome. Lectures and performances are concerned with intellectual, social, and cultural matters of general interest to deepen and broaden students’ education at Rockford University and to showcase the many talents on our campus. Events are always free for students, faculty, and staff, and very often free to the general public. Performing arts events usually have ticket fees for the public; see specific event information for details.
Forum Series Student Requirement for Semesters before Spring 2020
Since the Spring 2020 semester, there has been no Forum attendance requirement for RU students (ending a decades-old practice); up to and including the Fall 2019 semester, students were required to attend 2 events per semester. Any student intending to graduate must still make up any failed Forum semesters before they can get a diploma, following the same guidelines that were in place pre-COVID for any failed Forum semesters through Fall 2019. The detailed guidelines for making up failed Forums are included below, but here’s a brief overview of the process:
Check your transcript to see if you have the grade of F for CLFS 050 (the Forum requirement “class”).
If you failed any semesters but aren’t sure how many events you missed (either one or both of the two required events), contact the Forum administrator, Dr. Catherine Forslund (cforslund@rockford.edu).
Watch videos of events from the semester you failed, either by checking videos out in the library or by emailing Professor Forslund to ask for temporary access to a Canvas course that houses a select number of digitized videos.
Write a two-page essay following the detailed guidelines below, and email it to forum@rockford.edubefore the first Monday in November or April.
If you have any questions, please contact Forum administrator, Dr.Catherine Forslund at cforslund@Rockford.edu
Forum Series FAQs
Q: What is the Forum Series? A: The Rockford University Forum series presents speakers from a variety of disciplines and performers of stature in the arts. The series is designed to provide a shared experience for students while broadening their education at the University. The Forum Committee, comprised of faculty and student representatives, selects the events.
Q: Are all students required to attend all the Forum series events? A: Students are no longer required to attend Forum events; however, attendance is strongly encouraged to expand everyone’s educational experiences. Students need a passing grade for any semesters of Forum (CLFS 050) before Spring 2020.
Q: Is a ticket required for Forum events? A: It depends on the event. If required, student tickets are free with a Rockford University ID card; one free ticket per student. Tickets for plays, musicals, dance and choral concerts can be obtained at the University Box Office, located in Clark Arts Center, emailing boxoffice@rockford.edu. If you are not a student, tickets can be purchased by calling 815-226-4100, or visiting ticketor.com/rockforduniversity. Tickets for athletic events are free for students, faculty, and staff; general public tickets are available at each game.
Q: What happens if the requirement to attend two events a semester was not met before spring 2020 semester? A: Students who fail to fulfill the Forum requirement by the end of any semester up through Fall 2019 will receive an “F” for that semester for CLFS 050. When a student has a failed Forum for any semester, the only way to make up the requirement is to submit an essay via e-mail to the Forum Committee based on event recordings (available in the library) from the semester failed (and only from an event you did not attend). If students have any existing failed Forum grades, essays are due no later than 11:59 p.m., the first Monday in November or April, to the Forum Committee at Forum@Rockford.edu. Make-up essays will only be accepted via e-mail. They can be submitted at any time, but will not necessarily be reviewed at the time of submission. Essays are not reviewed over the summer.
Beware: You must make up all failed Forum grades before you can graduate. If you plan to graduate in the fall, your make-up essays are due by the first Monday in November or April; if you plan to graduate in spring, they are due by the first Monday of April. Because essays are not reviewed over the summer, summer graduates must also submit essays by the first Monday of April.
Essay Submission Guidelines: Copies of the Forum essays must be submitted to the Forum Committee via e-mail. The Forum Committee will only accept and pass essays that meet the following minimum requirements:
A minimum of two full pages, double spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman font, 1” margins, word-processed. Headers are not part of the page count.
It must be based on viewing or listening to a recording of a Forum event that the student did not attend from the semester in which the “F” was received. Recordings are available in the Howard Colman Library and are for in-library use only.
The heading of the essay must include the following: student’s full name, the semester being made up and the name of the event/speaker listened to or watched.
The essay must clearly show the student has listened to or viewed the entire recording. In the essays, the committee is looking for a balance of summary and critical thought. That is, the essay must both summarize the entire event and respond to it, perhaps with explanation, reflection, or commentary on the content/meaning/message of the event.
If your essay is not written professionally, following the rules of standard written English, it may not pass. Therefore, please carefully edit your sentences for style, grammar, and punctuation.
If the Forum Committee receives an essay with writing quality issues, the essay may be returned with a request for you to visit the Writing Center. If you are concerned about the quality of your writing, please visit the Writing Center before turning in your Forum essay. The Writing Center consultant will provide you with a report that you can attach to the electronic submission of your essay to the Forum Committee.
The essay-writing option is the only way to remove failed Forum grades from past semesters. The Forum Committee reserves the right to deem an essay acceptable or unacceptable. If the essay is not accepted, it must be rewritten and resubmitted (by a deadline set by the committee) in order to remove the Forum failure. Save a copy of the essay until any grade changes are finalized.
If there are any questions about the Forum policies, please contact the current Forum Administrator, Dr. Catherine Forslund at cforslund@rockford.edu
Notice: Failure to complete the Forum Series requirement bars a student from the dean’s list or distinguished scholars list and from receiving their degree.
For a quick, slightly dated, and partial explanation of how to make up failed Forum semesters, you can also watch the video below. Please remember that Dr. Forslund is now the person to contact with questions, not Dr. Stedman who made this helpful video back before COVID:
How to get tickets
Tickets may be required for Forum events. Student tickets are always free. To get tickets:
The Clark Arts Center home to the Department of Performing Arts and the Department of Art and Art History. Along with Maddox Theatre and Cheek Theatre, this Center includes drawing, sculpture, ceramics and print studios, a photography dark room, the Art Gallery, the Dance Studio, music practice rooms, fully equipped costume and scene shops, the green room, dressing rooms and costume, prop and scenery storage.
Maddox Theatre
Maddox Theatre is a fully equipped 572 seat proscenium theater which is home to a variety of performing arts events. Each year the department produces faculty directed shows, choral concerts and recitals in Maddox Theatre. It also hosts the University forum series and many community cultural events.
Cheek Theatre
Cheek Theatre is a 40′ by 50′ flexible seating black box theater. The Performing Arts department produces faculty-directed and student-directed shows, our Three Penny Theatre, in Cheek Theatre annually. In addition, Artists’ Ensemble, Rockford’s only professional theater company, is in residence on our campus and performs in Cheek Theatre throughout the year.
Box Office Clark Arts Center 5050 E. State Street Rockford, IL 61108 815-226-4100 fax: 815-394-5167
To purchase tickets, visit ticketor.com/rockforduniversity or call the Rockford University Box Office at (815) 226-4100, or email boxoffice@rockford.edu
Each academic year, our Performing Arts department produces a collection of theater productions open to our campus community and the general public. In addition, Artists’ Ensemble, Rockford’s only professional theater company, is in residence on our campus and performs in our theatres in the Clark Arts Center.
The following list includes this year’s Rockford University productions. Single ticket admission for adults $12, $9 for seniors age 55 and up, and non-RU students is $9 unless otherwise noted. Groups of 8 or more are $5 each. RU STUDENTS/FACULY/STAFF are FREE with ID, or by emailing the box office, but free tickets are limited (boxoffice@rockford.edu). Dates and locations are subject to change. All seating will be assigned.
Rockford University Performing Arts Season: 2023-2024
Spring 2024 Performances
Songs For A New World February 22-25, 2024 (Thursday-Friday 7:30 pm; Saturday at 4pm and 7:30pm; Sunday 2 pm) Cheek Theatre, Clark Arts Center Director, Stephen Schellhardt Writer and composer Jason Robert Brown transports his audience from the deck of a 1492 Spanish sailing ship to a ledge, 57 stories above Fifth Avenue, to meet a startling array of characters that range from a young man who has determined that basketball is his ticket out of the ghetto to a woman whose dream of marrying rich nabs her the man of her dreams… and a soulless marriage. Songs for a New World is, according to composer Jason Robert Brown, “about one moment. It’s about hitting the wall and having to make a choice, or take a stand, or turn around and go back.” This contemporary song cycle weaves characters and history together, illuminating the timelessness of self-discovery.
Ken Ludwig’s The Game’s Afoot April 18-21, 2024 (Thursday-Saturday, 7:30 pm; Sunday 2 pm) Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center Director, Prof. Deborah Mogford It is December 1936, and Broadway star William Gillette, admired the world over for his leading role in the play Sherlock Holmes, has invited his fellow cast members to his Connecticut castle for a weekend of revelry. But when one of the guests is stabbed to death, the festivities in this isolated house of tricks and mirrors quickly turn dangerous. Warning: show contains gunshot noises and a simulated stabbing.
Across the Pond: Songs from the British Isles May 3, 2024 (Friday, 7:30 pm) Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center Director, Prof. Timm Adams Join Rockford University’s Regent Singers, Vocal Collective, Pitch Please!, and other members of the Performing Arts department for a festive journey across the pond to the British Isles. In excited anticipation of our performance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this coming August, RU’s choirs present a celebration of music from England, Ireland, Wales, and of course, Scotland. From the bawdy to the sublime, these beloved songs include “Loch Lomond,” “Wearin’ of the Green,” “What Shall We do with a Drunken Sailor?” and more. Throw in some Beatles and other pop music icons, and you’re in store for a bloody good time!
Fall 2023 Performances
Exit the King September 21-24, 2023 (Thursday-Saturday, 7:30 pm; Sunday 2 pm) Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center Director, Prof. Deborah Mogford King Berenger has a problem. He does not want to leave the stage. He is enjoying the spotlight even though he is caught in a tug-of-war between his two Queens. One wants him to face reality in a true kingly manner and behave well, while the other younger Queen is ready to “Party-Hearty” and forget the concerns of the world. Which Queen will win? Will Berenger gracefully exit the stage or will he refuse to leave? Exit the King is from the imagination of Eugene Ionesco, one of the foremost playwrights from the genera of Theatre of the Absurd, and in true Absurd fashion Ionesco deals with this dilemma through outrageous comedy using vaudeville routines, slapstick, prat falls, clowning, and other comic turns. Ionesco is the master of an important idea seen through the lenses of comedy. The play is even more relevant today than it was when it opened in 1963.
Lucky Stiff November 9-12, 2023 (Thursday-Saturday, 7:30 pm; Sunday 2 pm) Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center Director, Prof. Timm Adams Based on the novel, The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo by Michael Butterworth, Lucky Stiff is an offbeat, hilarious murder mystery farce, complete with mistaken identities, six million bucks in diamonds and a corpse in a wheelchair. The story revolves around an unassuming English shoe salesman who is forced to take the embalmed body of his recently murdered uncle on a vacation to Monte Carlo. Should he succeed in passing his uncle off as alive, Harry Witherspoon stands to inherit $6,000,000. If not, the money goes to the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn… or else his uncle’s gun-toting ex!
Starry Night Morning Light December 8, 2023 (Friday, 7:30 pm) Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center Director, Prof. Timm Adams Join Rockford University choirs and soloists for a one-of-kind holiday concert. Our journey from the dark of night to the exquisite light of morning celebrates the season in a contemplative yet joyous collection of holiday classics and other gems. There’s an air of Appalachia in this unique program, accompanied by piano, fiddle, and oboe. Selections include “I Wonder as I Wander,” “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear,” “Starry, Starry Night,” “Light of a Clear Blue Morning,” and more.
The Music program at Rockford University has something for everyone, whether you wish to earn a degree in music or simply take private violin lessons, sing in a choir, or play in a pit orchestra. Rockford University has numerous opportunities to use or develop your musical talents, including four vocal ensembles, two musicals each year, the RU Music Club, private instruction, and an opera workshop.
Regent Singers
Regent Singers is a mixed (SATB) performance ensemble that performs a wide variety of choral music ranging from the Renaissance to Contemporary and from classical literature to folk songs and spirituals. Much of the music performed by Regent Singers is a cappella, although there is occasional piano accompaniment and even collaboration with chamber orchestra. The culmination of each semester’s preparation is a final performance at the Winter or Spring Performing Arts concert.
Vocal Collective
The Rockford University Vocal Collective is a select, mixed choral ensemble of 15 singers that performs a wide variety of choral literature, from Renaissance polyphony to jazz and popular music. The ensemble serves as an ambassador for the university, performing at university functions and representing Rockford University at community events such as sports games, corporate events and city gatherings. Students from all four classes and from many disciplines make up the Vocal Collective. Vocal Collective has sung at local high schools, homeless shelters, churches and country clubs.
Treble Ensemble
Treble Ensemble is open to all women on campus. A wide variety of music written for treble voices is studied and performed, including arrangements of pop/jazz/show tunes. In addition to the final Performing Arts Concert at the end of each semester, Treble Ensemble regularly performs at the beloved Candlelight Carole service each December.
Gospel Choir
The Gospel Choir is open to all students and brings to Rockford University the tradition of gospel music in American culture. This performance ensemble explores the rich repertoire and performance practice found in the gospel tradition and exists in part to preserve and affirm the African American culture in the city of Rockford.
Opera Workshop
Opera Workshop is offered every other year in the spring, and offers students the opportunity to explore the classical side of the ever-popular marriage between music and theater. The course addresses the preparation, study and performance of representative scenes from the opera repertoire. The semester’s work culminates in an Evening of Opera Scenes.
RU Music Club
If you play an instrument, consider playing with the RU Music Club, a student-directed band that rehearses once a week and alternates semesters playing jazz and rock. There are also fine community bands and orchestras in the Rockford area that welcome student participation.
Pit Orchestra
Rockford University is also proud to produce some of the best theater in the region, including two full-scale musicals each year. Student musicians have the opportunity to audition for and play in the pit orchestra for pay. Other students may be more interested in auditioning for a role in the show or helping out behind the scenes. Whatever your interest, there are opportunities for students from all disciplines to get involved. Two beautiful performance spaces and a highly experienced creative team make theater at Rockford University an experience to treasure your entire life.
Private Instruction
Private instruction is available at the university in voice, piano, and most woodwind, brass and string instruments, including guitar. Many music classes are available to all students and include such courses as The Art of Listening, World Music, and Fundamentals of Music. The music faculty, both full-time and adjunct, is made up of some of the finest award-winning, professional musicians in Northern Illinois.
If you’re interested in finding out more about the music offerings at Rockford University, please call or e-mail Professor Timm Adams in the Performing Arts Department at 815-226-4102 or TAdams@rockford.edu.
The Rockford University Forum Series presents speakers in a variety of disciplines who have achieved success both nationally and locally, and performers of stature in the arts. The Forum Series’ central programming focus is geared toward students, while also seeking to connect campus to the local community. Lectures and performances are concerned with intellectual, social, and cultural matters of general interest to deepen and broaden students’ education at Rockford University and enhance the rich culture of Rockford.
Forum Series presenters and events cover a broad spectrum of scope and genre. Events have included the Tibetan lamas from Drepung Loseling Monastery and their creation of a mandala—a sacred sand painting; Holocaust survivor Zev Kedem, the compelling speaker who worked with Steven Spielberg on the movie Schindler’s List; Oscar Arias, former president of Costa Rica and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on a Central American Peace Plan; quadriplegic Olympic bronze medal rugby player Mark Zupan; film documentarian Barbara Martinez Jitner, who produced “La Frontera;” Davar Ardalan, author of “My Name is Iran;” and traditional University events like the President’s Opening Convocation, Charter Day Convocation, and theater productions.
Admission is free for students* but tickets are required for Performing Arts and Sports events. Gallery shows, Performing Arts Senior Seminars, and Recitals do not require tickets. Please contact the Box Office at 815-226-4100 for additional information. To request and reserve tickets, please email BoxOffice@rockford.edu.
*Except mainstage theatre performances for the general public (tickets can be purchased by visiting ticketor.com/rockforduniversity; Rockford University students receive one free ticket to each Performing Arts event upon request with valid ID by visiting the box office or emailing boxoffice@rockford.edu.
The Forum Series presents both Home Grown and Marquee events on the Rockford University campus in multiple locations. Please refer to the campus map for help finding venues if needed. https://www.rockford.edu/about/campusmap/
For further information on some of the events below and additional athletic schedules, please use one of the links below:
For any questions about the Forum Series generally or how to meet the pre-2020 requirement, contact the Forum Series Administrator, Dr. Catherine Forslund at cforslund@rockford.edu or at 815-394-5211.
Q: What is the Forum Series?
A: The Rockford University Forum series presents a variety of events: Home Grown experiences featuring RU students and Marquee events with invited presenters from off-campus. The series is designed to provide a shared experience for students while broadening their education at the University and invite the local community to share in that expanded knowledge. The Forum Committee, comprised of faculty and student representatives, selects the events.
Q: Are all students required to attend all the Forum series events?
A: Students are no longer required to attend Forum events; however, attendance is strongly encouraged to expand everyone’s educational experiences. Students need a passing grade for any semesters of Forum (CLFS 050) before Spring 2020.
Q: Is a ticket required for Forum events?
A: It depends on the event. If required, student tickets are free with a Rockford University ID card; one free ticket per student. Tickets for plays, musicals, dance and choral concerts can be obtained at the University Box Office, located in Clark Arts Center, emailing boxoffice@rockford.edu. If you are not a student, tickets can be purchased by calling 815-226-4100, or visiting ticketor.com/rockforduniversity. Tickets for athletic events are free for students, faculty, and staff; general public tickets are available at each game.
Spring 2024 Lineup
MLK State of Mind Address Saturday January 13, Noon-3pm Clark Arts Center Lobby and Maddox Theatre
The Jane Addams Center for Civic Engagement and the Forum Series at RU join 67th State Representative Maurice West, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, and MENtality Unchained in presenting a community dialogue about mental health and trauma. This event is free and open to the public. From noon to 1pm there is a reception and vendor open-house of local support organizations. Then, starting at 1pm, attendees will participate in an enlightening discourse surrounding mental health and the intricacies of trauma. Community and faith leaders along with mental health professionals will be actively involved in the discussions, emphasizing the importance of understanding and addressing trauma.
Performing Arts Music Recital Sunday February 4, 4pm Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center
This event is free and open to the public.
Performing Arts Senior Seminar Feb 9th at 7:30pm Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center
Lucy Parlapiano presents her work for completion of her degree.
Women’s Basketball Senior Day Saturday February 10, game time 1pm, ceremony before the game Seaver Center
Help recognize those senior students playing their last home game(s) by coming out to cheer them on!
Men’s Basketball Senior Day Wednesday February 14, game time 7pm, ceremony will be held following the game Seaver Center
Help recognize those senior students playing their last home game(s) by coming out to cheer them on!
Songs for a New World February 22 – 25, (Thursday-Friday 7:30 pm; Saturday at 4pm and 7:30pm; Sunday 2 pm) Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center Director, Stephen Schellhardt
Writer and composer Jason Robert Brown transports his audience from the deck of a 1492 Spanish sailing ship to a ledge, 57 stories above Fifth Avenue, to meet a startling array of characters that range from a young man who has determined that basketball is his ticket out of the ghetto to a woman whose dream of marrying rich nabs her the man of her dreams… and a soulless marriage. Songs for a New World is, according to composer Jason Robert Brown, “about one moment. It’s about hitting the wall and having to make a choice, or take a stand, or turn around and go back.” This contemporary song cycle weaves characters and history together, illuminating the timelessness of self-discovery.
Quick Square On Display: January 22nd-February 23rd Closing Reception: February 23rd, 6-8pm
Paul Erschen is Department Chair and Professor of Visual Art at the University of St. Francis, in Joliet, IL and workshop leader at the ACRE art residency program in Steuben, WI. In August 2022, Erschen attended residency at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts ceramics in Newcastle, ME. Paul holds degrees from The Ohio State University (MFA, 2000) and Northern Illinois University, (BFA, 1998).
Gina Hunt’s practice fuses painting, sculpture, and site-responsive installation. Research interests include histories of abstraction, theories of color and perception, and imaging technologies spanning early photographic processes to spectroscopy. Working with canvas, dye, paint, scrim, and wood, her works are sites of perceptual phenomena while remaining rooted in a material-based physicality.
Gina has presented solo exhibitions at Syracuse University, The Franklin, South Texas College, 65GRAND, Western Pole and Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar, among others. Two-person and group exhibitions include The Plan, STNDRD, EXPO Chicago, Tiger Strikes Asteroid, Practise, Heaven Gallery, and Circle Contemporary, among others.
Gina has participated in residencies at Chicago Artists Coalition, Badlands National Park, Hinge Arts, and Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar. She is currently a Lecturer in Drawing and Painting at Loyola University Chicago and represented by 65GRAND.
Charter Day Convocation The Addams Thread Monday, February 26, 4pm Maddox Theatre, Clark Ars Center
Celebrate 177 years of education from Rockford Female Seminary to Rockford College to Rockford University when RU President Dr. Patricia Lynott hosts an encore performance of The Addams Thread written and directed by RU’s own Prof. Deborah Mogford.
Jane Addams is indeed the renowned alumna of Rockford University; or rather Rockford Female Seminary as it was known when she graduated in 1881. She went on to do great things in the world—some of which earned her the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931. Addams recognized her alma mater as a training ground, an educational experience helping her dedicate her life to advancing social change. She christened her college classmates “The Glorious Seventeen.” These young women were her friends and inspiration for championing the social reform for women and all groups without a voice. Prof. Mogford dedicated the play to these women and the legacy they left for the current students of Rockford University.
Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar—Forum Marquee Event “The Secret Lives of Dinosaurs” Dr. Julia Clarke Thursday, February 29, 7pm Fisher Chapel
Dr. Clarke is the John A. Wilson Professor in Vertebrate Paleontology and Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin. She will share the latest scientific discoveries about dinosaurs, including how we have started to gain insight into their color and sound. Clarke has found so much new to discover by looking down into the deep history of dinosaurs from the tips of branches on which “perch” living bird species. Her research has long centered on evolutionary innovation; how key traits and behaviors of living organisms are assembled in deep time. While her early research centered on traits related to locomotion, feathers, flight and the co-option of a wing for underwater diving, more recently she has been focused on systems related to visual and vocal communication. She also profiles contemporary paleontological practice from field work around the world to how we use x-ray computed tomography to see new aspects of anatomy. Dr. Clarke will also speak on another topic during the Burpee Museum of Natural History’s 2024 Paleofest March 1-3.
Performing Arts Music Recital Monday March 4, 4pm Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center
This event is free and open to the public.
Rockford Art Museum presents the 83rd Annual Young Artist Show
High School Division On Display: March 1st – March 17th Youth Division On Display: March 23rd – April 14th
Due to the ongoing HVAC renovation project at Rockford Art Museum, the 83rd Young Artist Show will be held at Rockford University Clark Arts Center in 2024.
The first Young Artist Show occurred in the spring of 1941, demonstrating the Rockford Art Association’s (now Rockford Art Museum’s) commitment to young, emerging artists in the greater Rockford area. The exhibition included 57 artworks of various media by 28 artists, including high school upper-classmen and college-age artists. The choice to make the Young Artist Show a part of the museum’s annual exhibition schedule revealed the museum’s understanding of the dynamic role that art experiences and art education play in the lives of young people. Since its inception, the Young Artist Show has evolved and grown to become a Rockford tradition. Today, the popular exhibition bears a reputation of excellence, expanding from its modest local beginnings to become a regional show featuring students from public, private, parochial and home-school settings. It is consistently Rockford Art Museum’s most popular exhibition of the year. The exhibition now includes two distinct exhibits that recognize and celebrate outstanding students and the dedicated teachers who contribute to the quality of artwork submitted. The juried High School Division includes approximately 300 artworks by over 200 high school students. Students entering the High School Division compete for more than $2,000 in scholarship and recognition awards. The Youth Division includes artwork in a variety of media by kindergarten through eighth-grade students from the Rockford area. Art teachers select the work to be included in the exhibition. About 500 students’ pieces are displayed in the Youth Division. Both divisions of the exhibition showcase an amazing array of exceptional student artwork and present the strength and diversity of art programs across the region.
Men’s Volleyball Senior Day Saturday March 23, game time 1pm, ceremony time TBA Seaver Center
Help recognize those senior students playing their last home game(s) by coming out to cheer them on!
Performing Arts Music Recital Monday April 1, 4pm Fisher Chapel
This event is free and open to the public.
The Last Lecture Honoring Fr. Robert J. Verstynen “Reflections on History” Professor Edward Mathieu Monday April 15, 4pm Fisher Chapel
From 1972 until 1986, Father Verstynen was involved in Campus Ministry at Rockford College and Rock Valley College serving also as an Adjunct Professor at both schools. Funds to support The Last Lecture program were given by a generous donor in Fr. Verstynen’s memory and to promote the value of sharing lifelong experiences with students and the local community.
Since his arrival in 2017, Dr. Mathieu has been a vital pillar in the Historical and International Studies Department. Before he retires, share the wisdom of his experiences as he explores his encounters with the discipline of history throughout his career. He will discuss his sense of the evolving nature of the discipline and how that has related to his sense of self and his teaching over the years.
Ken Ludwig’s The Game’s Afoot April 18-21, 2024 (Thursday-Saturday, 7:30 pm; Sunday 2 pm) Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center Director, Prof. Deborah Mogford
It is December 1936, and Broadway star William Gillette, admired the world over for his leading role in the play Sherlock Holmes, has invited his fellow cast members to his Connecticut castle for a weekend of revelry. But when one of the guests is stabbed to death, the festivities in this isolated house of tricks and mirrors quickly turn dangerous. Warning: show contains gunshot noises and a simulated stabbing.
Baseball Senior Day Celebration Saturday April 20, Doubleheader vs. St. Norbert College starting at Noon Ceremony at 11:40am Harry C. Pohlman Field, 2301 Skyline Drive, Beloit, Wisconsin 53511 Help recognize those senior students playing their last home games by coming out to cheer them on!
Softball Senior Day Celebration Sunday April 21, Doubleheader vs. Aurora University starting at Noon, Ceremony at 11:40am Location TBA
Help recognize those senior students playing their last home games by coming out to cheer them on!
Performing Arts Senior Seminars April 26 at 7:30pm in Maddox Theatre April 29 at 7:00pm, Fisher Chapel
Students Piper Burney, Andrew Ashley, and Yuina Sohma will be presenting their capstone projects as part of the completion of their senior seminar. Piper and Andrew will perform on April 26th, and Yuina will perform on April 29th.
Fundraiser for The Fringe A Celebration of 41 Years of Costume Design Sunday April 28, 2-5:00pm Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center
A costume-style show spotlighting the designs of Jeff Hendry, award winning costume designer and Rockford University professor emeritus. Master of Ceremonies will be Mike Garrigan of Channel 23 News, The Groove Hotel Trio is performing, and featured models include Mayor Tom McNamara, State Senator Steve Stadelman, State Representative Dave Vella, some RU faculty, and many more! Tickets can be purchased here. Can’t attend? Donate here.
Proceeds to benefit Rockford University performing arts students for their performances during the International Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland in August 2024. edfringe.com
Performing Arts Music Recital Monday April 29, 4pm Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center
This event is free and open to the public.
Across the Pond: Songs from the British Isles May 3rd, 2024 (Friday at 7:30pm) Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center Director, Prof. Timm Adams
Join Rockford University’s Regent Singers, Vocal Collective, and other members of the Performing Arts department for a festive journey across the pond to the British Isles. In excited anticipation of our performance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this coming August, RU’s choirs present a celebration of music from England, Ireland, Wales, and of course, Scotland. From the bawdy to the sublime, these beloved songs include “Loch Lomond,” “Wearin’ of the Green,” “What Shall We do with a Drunken Sailor?” and more. Throw in some Beatles and other pop music icons, and you’re in store for a bloody good time!
Box Office Clark Arts Center 5050 E. State Street Rockford, IL 61108 815-226-4100 fax: 815-394-5167
Rockford University Art Gallery is always free. Open to the public:
Current Gallery Hours: Tuesdays 11am-1pm, Thursdays from 2pm-5pm, Fridays 1pm-3pm
Contact anorris@rockford.edu
Or by appointment
Contact: Gallery Director Ari Norris at anorris@rockford.edu
The Rockford University Art Gallery provides a varied series of art exhibitions and related programming in support of the Department of Art and Art History and is an important educational and cultural resource for the campus and community. The Gallery is located in the Clark Arts Center, the locus of the University’s Department of Art and Art History.
Spring 2024 Exhibitions
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On Display: January 22nd-February 23rd
Closing Reception: February 23rd, 6-8pm
Paul Erschen is Department Chair and Professor of Visual Art at the University of St. Francis, in Joliet, IL and workshop leader at the ACRE art residency program in Steuben, WI. In August 2022, Erschen attended residency at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts ceramics in Newcastle, ME. Paul holds degrees from The Ohio State University (MFA, 2000) and Northern Illinois University, (BFA, 1998).
Gina Hunt’s practice fuses painting, sculpture, and site-responsive installation. Research interests include histories of abstraction, theories of color and perception, and imaging technologies spanning early photographic processes to spectroscopy. Working with canvas, dye, paint, scrim, and wood, her works are sites of perceptual phenomena while remaining rooted in a material-based physicality.
Gina has presented solo exhibitions at Syracuse University, The Franklin, South Texas College, 65GRAND, Western Pole and Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar, among others. Two-person and group exhibitions include The Plan, STNDRD, EXPO Chicago, Tiger Strikes Asteroid, Practise, Heaven Gallery, and Circle Contemporary, among others.
Gina has participated in residencies at Chicago Artists Coalition, Badlands National Park, Hinge Arts, and Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar. She is currently a Lecturer in Drawing and Painting at Loyola University Chicago and represented by 65GRAND.
Rockford Art Museum presents the 83rd Annual Young Artist Show
High School Division On Display: March 1st – March 17th Youth Division On Display: March 23rd – April 14th
Due to the ongoing HVAC renovation project at Rockford Art Museum, the 83rd Young Artist Show will be held at Rockford University Clark Arts Center in 2024.
The first Young Artist Show occurred in the spring of 1941, demonstrating the Rockford Art Association’s (now Rockford Art Museum’s) commitment to young, emerging artists in the greater Rockford area. The exhibition included 57 artworks of various media by 28 artists, including high school upper-classmen and college-age artists. The choice to make the Young Artist Show a part of the museum’s annual exhibition schedule revealed the museum’s understanding of the dynamic role that art experiences and art education play in the lives of young people. Since its inception, the Young Artist Show has evolved and grown to become a Rockford tradition. Today, the popular exhibition bears a reputation of excellence, expanding from its modest local beginnings to become a regional show featuring students from public, private, parochial and home-school settings. It is consistently Rockford Art Museum’s most popular exhibition of the year. The exhibition now includes two distinct exhibits that recognize and celebrate outstanding students and the dedicated teachers who contribute to the quality of artwork submitted. The juried High School Division includes approximately 300 artworks by over 200 high school students. Students entering the High School Division compete for more than $2,000 in scholarship and recognition awards. The Youth Division includes artwork in a variety of media by kindergarten through eighth-grade students from the Rockford area. Art teachers select the work to be included in the exhibition. About 500 students’ pieces are displayed in the Youth Division. Both divisions of the exhibition showcase an amazing array of exceptional student artwork and present the strength and diversity of art programs across the region.
Rockford University Art Gallery Clark Arts Center 5050 E. State Street Rockford, IL 61108 815-226-4105
The Making of “The Addams Thread”
Rockford University Performing Arts to Host Travel-Themed Cabaret Fundraiser Directed by Student Robbie Strader
Rockford University Art Professor and Fatherless Art Collective to Showcase ‘Constant Pressure’ Friday
Performing Arts Season
Songs For A New World
Ken Ludwig’s The Game’s Afoot 
Across the Pond: Songs from the British Isles
Exit the King 
Lucky Stiff
Starry Night Morning Light
MLK State of Mind Address
Performing Arts Senior Seminar
Women’s Basketball Senior Day
Men’s Basketball Senior Day
Songs for a New World
Quick Square
Charter Day Convocation
Performing Arts Music Recital
Rockford Art Museum presents
Saturday March 23, game time 1pm, ceremony time TBA
Performing Arts Music Recital Monday April 1, 4pm
The Last Lecture
Baseball Senior Day Celebration
Softball Senior Day Celebration
Performing Arts Senior Seminars
Monday April 29, 4pm
May 3rd, 2024 (Friday at 7:30pm)
Art Gallery
Rockford Art Museum presents
