Cedarville’s “Silent Sky” Shines Bright
by Hunter Johnson
Cedarville’s newest stage production, Lauren Gunderson’s “Silent Sky,” starts out as a show about simple characters with seemingly straightforward personalities. Those characters, however, quickly reveal their many layers of underlying complexity. A Midwestern sister secretly possesses remarkable talent as a composer. An adept astronomer hides untapped rebellious potential underneath her stoic demeanor. A privileged man has a deep sense of kindness and compassion ...
Students and Faculty Work Together to Prepare “The Heiress”
By Zachary Krauss
This year’s winter production put on by the Theatre program is “The Heiress,” a play written in 1947 by Ruth and Augustus Goetz. The play opened for the first time in the 1940s and has been revived on Broadway four times since.
At Cedarville, the theatre productions are put on as a collaboration between students and the theatre faculty. The team that helps put the show on is multi-faceted and consists of a stage management team, a production team, the set-building ...
Play Review: ‘Fools’
by Summer Lange
“Fools”, the story of a bright schoolteacher determined to educate a town cursed with ignorance, as performed by Cedarville’s talented students, left the audience in uproarious laughter on opening night.
The comedy, written by the late Neil Simon, begins with an optimistic Leon Tolchinsky, played by the fantastic Jeremy Smith, explaining to the audience why he has come to the small village of Kulyenchikov, Ukraine: he has been hired by Dr. Zubritsky (Nathan Robertson) ...
Building Worlds to Remember
How stages are designed to bring stories to life and immerse audiences
by Nathan Robertson
We’ve all heard the age old adage, “Home is where the heart is.” This idea of ‘place’ is a vital part of shaping who we are and helping us to identify various experiences we’ve been through. Whether it’s the room where you met your best friend, or the front porch where you had your first breakup, place and setting help us to remember experiences.
Thus, it would only make sense, that ...
Opening Up the World of Theatre
Dr. Diane Merchant seeks to impress her love for the arts upon the Cedarville community
by Katie Milligan
Dr. Diane Merchant, Cedarville University Professor and director of Theatre, has held a deep love for the theater throughout her entire educational and professional career. Even when it was difficult and opportunities were scarce, she found a way to pursue this passion and make it available to others who shared it. Merchant intentionally finds ways to grow her passion for theater and pass ...
Student Spotlight: Gabrielle Bauman – Bringing Light
by Tayana Fowler
Ever since the fourth grade, Gabrielle Bauman has had two passions: theater and her savior, Jesus Christ.
Bauman, a senior theatre major, has spent the past four years at Cedarville serving the Lord and the student body with her gifts and talents in theater.
In fourth grade, Bauman discovered her passion and love for the stage through ballet, which was her first exposure to the spotlight. The skills she learned through dance taught her to be comfortable on stage.
Her first ...
Highlights: The Diary of Anne Frank
In honor of the 70th anniversary of the publishing of Anne Frank's diary, Cedarville University's theater department selected Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett's "The Diary of Anne Frank" as their fall production. The show opened Friday, October 6, and concluded Sunday, October 15.
- photos by Jennifer Gammie
Play Review: ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’
by Allison White
Anne Frank’s story is one of hope and tragedy. Through the dramatization of her diary, the audience gets a small glimpse into the life of a Jewish teenager living in hiding during the turmoil of World War II in the Netherlands. Cedarville’s production of “The Diary of Anne Frank” moved the audience to feel as this young girl felt.
This slow-moving drama left the audience feeling the mundane days passing as they did for Anne and her family. The technical crew immersed ...
Play Preview: The Diary of Anne Frank
by Shelby Ahlborg
After the success of last year’s performances, the theatre program is back in full swing with an exciting lineup of shows. Starting off the year is “The Diary of Anne Frank,” a play based on the true story of a young Jewish girl and her family and friends as they struggled to stay out of the hands of the Nazis during World War II. Hidden away in an attic for two years, Anne spent much of her time writing a diary of her thoughts and dreams, as well as recounting the ...
Play Review: ‘The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised]’
by Shelby Ahlborg
When it comes to Cedarville theatre productions, "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised]" is by far one of the most interesting plot-wise. The reason being: there really is no story plot. However, in spite of its peculiarity, opening night was a big hit with the audience, who rarely had a moment when they weren’t laughing.
The play opens with an explanation that the small troupe of actors will attempt to, in just ninety-seven minutes, give the ...
