Parents of cast members of Champaign Park District Theatre’s production of 'Moana JR' designed a boat that 'looks like Disney World made it.'
URBANA — During the summer of 2020, Gabriel Solis and the rest of the University of Illinois Department of Theatre saw the world changing, with racial-equality protests sweeping the nation.
As the house doors open, a haunting music loop sets the appropriately eerie tone for the debut of emerging playwright Felix Crim’s psychological drama, “Playing God,” which began its limited run Thursday evening at Parkland Theatre’s Second Stage.
The Virginia Theatre is ready to re-open with a fresh look and sound, thanks in part to a pandemic that closed the facility since March 2020. “We made good use of the downtime,” Mitch Marlow says.
Among those sharing memories: drama and musical directors from Champaign Central, Urbana, Monticello, Arcola, Rantoul, Salt Fork, DeLand-Weldon, Westville and ALAH.
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It has been 20 long months since Twin City Theatre Company’s production of “Bus Stop” played at the old SoDo Theatre in downtown Champaign. That flexible former theater space has been converted to a business where people hurl sharp objects while enjoying various beverages.
There was a buzz inside the Virginia Theatre on Thursday as work continued ahead of “Opening Night” on Sept. 25.
SPRINGFIELD — After a one-year interruption last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Illinois State Fair in Springfield is set to reopen today with some new attractions and safety requirements. Among the new requirements, Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello II sa…
This summer, The Celebration Company at the Station Theatre was looking to more ways to expose young people of color to theatre.
The kids met near the corner of Willis and Healey on a rainy Sunday in Champaign, just far enough from Bob Weber’s house that he couldn’t see them coming.
Meet John Patterson: an Army veteran and postal service supervisor with a sideline that could help jazz up your home cooking.
Arts in the Park is back on Danville's schedule.
The first live music at a campus venue since the pandemic began will be the Ellnora Guitar Festival from Sept. 17-18 at Krannert Center.
Justin Taylor says the larger version of his former restaurant and bar, JT Walker’s Restaurant and Brewery, in downtown Mahomet, will remain closed for good. But the name lives on at his brewery and taproom across the street, where he’s working on plans to open a smaller version of the resta…
The Virginia Theatre’s 100th year of entertainment will feature a new sound system, new air conditioning and two golden oldies — Gordon Lightfoot on Aug. 16, Boz Scaggs on Oct. 7.
Allie Hartlein has moved her Shamrock Academy of Irish Dance from Mahomet to Champaign, and is now making classes available to a broader age range.
Alexis Webb, Champaign Park District’s youth theater director, is in charge of giving young children the opportunity to learn the basics of live theatrical presentations.
Many of the actors, director Justin noted, have been involved in Creative Dramatic Workshop productions at Homer Opera House, “so they’ve done Shakespeare since they were little.”
'They’re ready for a performance,' said producer Ellen Ericson on the cast of the Mahomet-Seymour High School production of 'Little Shop of Horrors.' 'It’s been a unique experience for them. Because of COVID, we have a small cast this year to be able to abide by social distancing and other regulations.
HOMER — 2020 was a rough year for everyone. Maybe even more so for the Creative Dramatics Workshop group that owns the Homer Opera House.
'Someone carrying a COVID-19 vaccination card not counting against our capacity, I don’t know how the heck we’re going to do that or how (authorities) are going to enforce it, either'
This month, four exciting artists — Danzel Thompson-Stout, Roxane D’Orleans Juste, Rachel Rizzuto and Jaylen De’Angelo Clay — will present works engaging ideas and social phenomena.
For the third-year master’s candidates in dance at the University of Illinois, this year’s spring performances have a new wrinkle.
Director: 'We’ll be as ready as we possibly can to restart in-person events in our theaters in the fall possibly. That may or may not be possible. It depends on a whole lot of things.'
FISHER — Organizers of the Fisher High School play “Dorothy Meets Alice: The Wizard of Wonderland,” are going the extra mile to make sure all COVID-19 precautions are observed this weekend.
TUSCOLA — It was one of those moments that have become rare for high-schoolers over the last year: a yearly event that sparks anticipation and joy.
Its doors closed due to pandemic restrictions, Danville’s historic Fischer Theatre still is providing community entertainment while raising money to pay bills.
Of all the videos that played in 2020 at news-gazette.com, the aerial tour of the University of Illinois was multimedia editor Anthony Zilis’ favorite.
“Dynamic,” “generous” and “mentor” are some of the words used to describe Judy Swiger.
URBANA — When former Urbana High School theater Director Tim Broeker left the school in the spring, co-director Alyssa Pavlakis and students from Broeker’s time at the school put together a variety show for him over Zoom, recording their favorite songs and monologues to perform for the outgo…
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