Bergendoff Hall renovation to match quality of programs
The successful opening of the Brunner Theatre Center allows the college to now focus its attention on Bergendoff Hall of Fine Arts.
Accidental Death of an Anarchist
7:30 p.m. April 12, 13, 14
1:30 p.m. April 15
Brunner Theatre Center, Blackbox
"Accidental Death of an Anarchist" is a farcical exploration of anarchy and political subversion. It is the most internationally recognized play by Dario Fo, recipient of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Literature. Considered a classic of 20th-century theater, it has been performed in more than 40 countries.
The play is a farce based on the real-life events surrounding Italian railwayman and anarchist Giuseppe Pinelli, who fell – or was thrown – to his death from the fourth floor window of a Milan police station in 1969. Pinelli was accused of bombing a bank but was cleared of the charge. The events of the play, however, are fictional. (Wikipedia)
Director Keenan Odenkirk, a senior at Augustana, has approached the script from a unique angle by taking advantage of Augustana’s comedic and improvisational talent. Among his cast of actors is his brother, Tristan Odenkirk, who attacks the role of the Maniac, a mythical madman with a proclivity for pretending to be people he is not. Raised on the Three Stooges, Marx Brothers, and Monty Python’s Flying Circus, as well as having performed Shakespearean theatre since the early years of grade school, the Odenkirk brothers’ instinct for physical and absurd comedy shines through in this production.
The cast of Accidental Death also includes Jarod Kovach, Sophia Rose Brown, Collin Schopp, Brandon Smith, Paul Samatas and Peter Alfano.
The production team also includes students Samuel Langellier, Maissie Musick, Melina Herman, Sam Ramont and Erin Cygan.
Tickets are available online or at the door beginning one hour before the show starts. Prices are $5 for adults and seniors; $3 for all students, faculty and staff, and children 12 and under
Quad Cities Playwrights Festival
May 12
This annual showcase of 10-minute plays features new works by area playwrights high school age and up.
The Marriage of Figaro
June 8 and 10
Opera@Augustana, Genesius Guild, Opera Quad Cities and St. Ambrose University have combined resources to present Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro.”
Performances will take place in Allaert Auditorium at St. Ambrose Friday, June 8, and Sunday, June 10. Tickets will go on sale May 15.
Opera Quad Cities will serve as the overall production producer. Dr. Michelle Crouch, adjunct assistant professor of music at Augustana, will provide stage direction. Dr. Nathan Windt, assistant professor of music and director of choral activities for St. Ambrose, will conduct.
Previously, summer opera productions sponsored by Genesius Guild and Opera@Augustana were held in Rock Island’s Lincoln Park. The move to a climate-controlled environment will provide productions with greater acoustics, lighting, and improved parking, organizers said.
