NIU Today

The Northern Illinois University School of Theatre and Dance upcoming Studio Series play, “Measure for Measure,” by William Shakespeare, is a dark comedy written by the most important playwright of the English Renaissance, according to its director, Alex Gelman. “It’s one of the greatest,” Gelman says, “written by one of the greatest ever.” Opening Thursday,...

NIU’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences External Programming will host two one-day professional development conferences this fall as part of the “New Ideas” series. “New Ideas in English: To Teach or Not to Teach? Shakespeare, Lee, Twain, and more” is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, in the Capitol Room...

“At the time, it must have been the best situation comedy ever written,” director David Frank says about the Northern Illinois University School of Theatre and Dance upcoming Studio Series play, “The Comedy of Errors,” by William Shakespeare. Opening Thursday, March 19, “The Comedy of Errors” is a timeless story of two sets of identical...

“One would think that Shakespeare had the college audience in mind when developing ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost,’ a play about young adults torn between a life of the mind and a life of pleasure,” says Lara Crowley, an NIU assistant professor of English. Opening Thursday, April 10, in the Holmes Student Center Diversions Lounge, the School...

English majors aren’t what they used to be. If the major conjures up images of the grammar police, men wearing tweed jackets and smoking pipes, or 20-pound volumes of Shakespeare, think again. Today’s English students are likelier to discuss how to create a corporate social media presence;  whether the word twerk belongs in the dictionary;...

NIU English professor Amy Levin, who spent the month of February as the first U.S. Fulbright Scholar in a public university in Myanmar (Burma) in almost 30 years, will present an upcoming talk and slideshow on her recent experiences. Her informal presentation, titled “Teaching ‘Hamlet’ in Myanmar,” will be held from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m....

With its fifth production of the 2012-2013 Studio Series season of plays, the NIU School of Theatre and Dance will present a new take on a classic tale with “Hamlet Redux,” a story of political intrigue and one man’s battle with personal demons. Written by William Shakespeare, the adapted play will run from Wednesday, Feb....

NIU faculty standout William Baker, who holds a joint appointment with University Libraries and the Department of English, will present a Board of Trustees Professorship Seminar at noon Monday, Oct. 1, in the Capitol Room of the Holmes Student Center. The event is open to the public, with refreshments to be served before the seminar,...

The NIU School of Music’s Opera Theater, in collaboration with the NIU School of Theatre and Dance, will present two performances of “The Fairy Queen” by Henry Purcell. Performances are scheduled at 8 p.m. Friday, March 30, and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 1, in the Boutell Memorial Concert Hall of the NIU Music Building at...

Murder, witchcraft and deception color the dark yet deeply human tragedy, “Macbeth.” Northern Illinois University’s School of Theatre and Dance will present a new production of the classic drama Thursday, Feb. 16, through Sunday, Feb. 19, in the Stevens Building Corner Theatre. Director Alexander Gelman says the play will challenge the actors and entertain the...

William Shakespeare is coming to the NIU campus … with a musical twist! Opening Thursday, Oct. 20, the NIU School of Theatre and Dance will stage an updated version of Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale,” with settings and circumstances designed to incorporate popular music from the 1950s through 1970s. The play’s slightly altered setting will move...

A classic American novel, a treacherous mountain climb, and a Shakespearean romance of lost love are just a few of the themes filling out an eclectic theatre production schedule for the NIU School of Theatre and Dance’s upcoming 2011-2012 Mainstage Series season. As an official presentation to its subscribers May 1, the school announced the...