The Next Century
2003-2004 “focused”
The year marked the emergence of the Arts Quarter on the West Bank as a showcase for the arts. The Regis Center for Art opened across the street from Rarig Center (thus creating a name confusion for new students and patrons that will live long). Once again music, theatre, dance and art are in close proximity to each other (and on one bank of the Mississippi) and the possibilities for collaborative events among the arts disciplines are boundless.
Maggie Scanlan’s version of Peer Gynt was done as a history of film styles to make it more relevant to a 21st century American audience – “a Norwegian folk hero lands his very first Tinseltown role.” Maggie referred to it as a “jazz riff” on a classical symphony. Beth K. Janetski designed scenery/lighting for her MFA and Amy Kaufman designed costumes. Ryan Underbakke was featured as Peer with Jen Rand as Solveig. Shakespeare’s Macbeth followed in the Thrust directed by Aleksandra Wolska and featuring Nicolas Harazin in the title role with Sarafina Planer as Lady Macbeth. The witches who controlled and orchestrated the action in this production were played by Kelsey Ann Olson, Emily Brooke Hansen, and Allison Lange with Alison Mary Forbes as Hecate. The production was set in the 20th century between the two world wars and action surrounded a well filled with water which the lighting designer had the unmitigated gall to want to light through from below. TD Mickey Henry accommodated her whims, having practiced on wells filled with water in the Thrust on Ring. Sound for the production designed by Martin Gwinup set the stage for the screechy violins as well as the imaginary doors and a wonderful 
underscore to set the mood. UDT’s Serious Fun featured four works: “A Brimful of Ashe”-premiere (Doug Elkins); “Corporal Mortification” (Shawn McConneloug); “Here We Are”-premiere (Scott Rink) which was adapted from a short story by Dorothy Parker and selected to perform at the KC/ACDF in Washington, DC; and “Lost, Found, Lost” (Paul Taylor as reconstructed by Mary Cochran). The X fall season featured a new work by Nick Ryan Inspector Rex, followed by Woyzeck (directed by Jeanne Willcoxon and Maija Brown), and Lee Brewer’s The Red Horse Animation (directed by Chris Gregory).
On the Edge VI featured a collaboration/evolution project staged by guest Ludya Ryba. The Barker also was the site of “Trans/lations/ferrals: vernacular/pop culture on the concert stage” – a conference including concerts, a symposium, and classes. Works by Doug Elkins, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and local hip hop dancers 
were included. Spring ended with a slam bang production The Rocky Horror Show directed by guest Joel Sass with musical direction by Michael Croswell and vocal coaching by Jess Cavis. Lighting designer Leigh “Peep” Gice was treated to our first use of moving light fixtures (obtained through an infotech fees grant from the college). They arrived just in time for tech of the rock musical and cost the lighting staff a great deal of sleep getting them into the production in time. Audience participation kits were sold as part of the entertainment. Rebecca White’s costumes were a wonderful complement to Kristin Abhalter’s setting and properties. The cast featured Samantha Colburn as Janet, Ben Hanna as Brad, Jairus Abts as Frank, Peter Kenyon as Riff-Raff, Andrea Uselman as Columbia, Kelsey Ann Olson as Magenta, and Anthony Brown as Eddie/Dr. Scott. A really great evening was had by all – with the “Time Warp” operating in the aisles as usual. The spring X season included Exit, No Exit (directed by Jeremy Catterton), Anima (a dance piece created by Kari Mosel and Megan Jenkins), and The Rehearsal (directed by Rob Shimko).
The Showboat played Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap to a totally unsuspicious audience. They were tested nightly and very few guessed the murderer – many thought it was olio woman. Directed by Kenneth Mitchell with olios by Vern Sutton, it featured Alison Mary Forbes as Molly and Jack Matheson as Giles and a very clever wall-paper pattern by scene designer Matt LeFebvre. The nursery rhyme olio included “Mother Goose Land” which had several ringers in the goose costume as summer progressed, and the “Minnesota immigrant” olio returned (there is an art to throwing a suitcase or two and not killing a fellow actor or the arch lights).
Branislav Jakovljevic and Margaret Werry joined the history/lit faculty. Lucinda Holshue, Marcella Lorca, and David Munnell joined the BFA-Acting faculty. Luke Olson came onboard as the Light Lab Manager.
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