Rumors
ComingupThisSemesteratRU
As their tenth wedding anniversary party commences, Charlie Brock, Deputy Mayor of New York City, seems to have just shot himself through the ear. Now he lies bleeding in the master bedroom and his wife Myra is nowhere in sight. The first guests, lawyer Ken Gorman and his wife Chris, scramble to get “the story” straight before the other guests arrive. As the confusions, cover-ups, miscommunications, and rumors mount, the evening spirals into a classic farce. Neil Simon is the renowned master of American comedy. In Rumors he shows how even the rich and famous can be driven to ridiculous behavior when confronted with a possible scandal or even the “rumor” of a scandal.
Onstage with Artist Ensemble Theatre, the Equity Theatre in Residence at RU!
WhenReverendClementoffhandedlyremarkedthat anyonewhodidawaywithColonelProtheroewould bedoingtheworldafavor,heneverdreamedhow soonhewouldregretthosewords.WhenClement returnstothevicaragefromvisitingaparishioner,he isdreadinghisappointmentwithProtheroe.The coloneliswaitinginthevicar’sstudy.However,hehas beenshotandisquitedead.Theproblemisthattoo manypeopleinthevillagewantedProtheroedead. Fortunatelyforthevicarandhiswife,theirelderly neighbor,MissJaneMarple,alreadyhasseven suspectsinmind.ThiswasMissMarple’sfirstcase. Don’tmissthisworldpremiereadaptationofthe AgathaChristienovel.
CurtainCall!
KeepingupwithOurAlumni
We want to hear from our Alumni and spotlight you with current projects that you are working on or have booked. Keep us up to date so we can celebrate with you and shout you out for all of your talent! Please fill out the form from the QR code.
EventHighlight! DayofGivingfortheClarkArtsCenter
On April 8, 2026, Rockford University’s Day of Giving will raise $40,000 to beautify and refresh the public spaces in the Clark Arts Building—the shared areas that welcome guests for performances, events, and community programs. While Clark Arts is already a second home to RUPA students, these updates will create a warmer, more inviting environment for audiences, visiting groups, families, and community partners, strengthening Clark Arts as a place where people gather and connect through the arts.
Please consider participating in this 24-hour celebration of the people and places that make this institution one-of-a-kind!
A gift to Day of Giving is a direct investment in a more welcoming public arts space for Rockford and the region—one that supports students while expanding the community’s experience on campus.
https://www.givecampus.com/s chools/RockfordUniversity/dayof-giving-2026
ProfessionalDevelopmentConference
ReflectionsfromaRUPAstudent
A week after returning from her trip Adara Barrera, Class of 2026, BFA: Design/Tech emphasis in Stage Management said this in regards to her time spent in Long Beach.
“Mainly (I’m) bringing back the idea that we (stage managers) are not supposed to be perfect.”
“One of the sessions that most impacted my perspective of my own work and how I approach it moving forward was called ‘Captain of the Ship’” A workshop focused on conflict resolution lead by USITT speaker and professional stage manager Terrence Williams.
“So basically in the session Terrence was saying how we often percieve stage management as taking control over things. But that is not the point. The point is collaboration, heightening community, which is what theatre is.”
“Then when it came to conflict resolution he (Terrence) talked through how to negotiate, which is something that I think we are exposed to in classes and everything, but it’s not necessarily something that we put into practice. And also artistic integrity. It’s very easy when you’re in the middle of doing something, all these tasks that we have to complete, to discount the importance of artistic integrity, and safety, and all these other things. He kind of helped me tie all of that together.”
“I don’t know, it was just a moment of, whoa, I’m sitting here in a room full of people that think like me or have experience with things like I do. It was very validating.”
CurtainCall!-AlumniSpotlight
AndyPollock-BFA:MusicalTheatre-‘11
For Andy, the stage didn’t disappear after Rockford University...it simply changed form.
After graduating in 2011 with a degree in Musical Theatre, Andrew began his professional career performing with Festival 56, Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse and The Great American Melodrama, among others. The discipline of rehearsal, collaboration, and live performance shaped his early professional identity.
After moving to New York City, he stepped into the restaurant world between auditions, but what began as practical work quickly became a calling. He found himself captivated by the craft of cooking. Andy often says he knew his path had shifted when he stayed home to perfect a classic French omelette instead of heading to an audition.
Andy later moved to Los Angeles where he combined his theatre training with culinary storytelling, working with Tastemade, BuzzFeed Tasty, and Giada De Laurentiis at the Food Network. On camera and behind the scenes, he realized the skills developed at Rockford (presence, timing, adaptability, and audience connection) translated seamlessly into food media.
Today, Andy serves as the Corporate Chef for Mezzetta, a family-founded specialty food company known for olives, peppers, sauces, and Mediterranean-inspired pantry staples found in grocery stores nationwide. (If the name doesn’t sound familiar, check your pantry or refrigerator...there’s likely a jar inside.) He leads culinary innovation, recipe development, experiential presentations, and brand content creation, bringing together performance and craft in every project.
Now based in beautiful Sonoma County in Northern California, Andy lives with his wife, Claire, and their two children, Oliver (3) and Penelope (9 months). At home and at work, he’s reminded that creativity rarely follows a straight line.
Andy credits Rockford University not only for artistic training, but for teaching him something larger: that confidence, discipline, empathy, and adaptability are transferable in ways you may not yet see. For current students, his journey is a reminder that your degree does not define your destination. Sometimes the curtain closes so another stage can open and you may discover that the spotlight was simply waiting somewhere new.
AndrewPollock BFAMusicalTheatre ‘11
Workshop Highlight!
PhysicalTheatreandDevisingWorkshop
ConductedbyMTFacultyMarissaBarnathanandguestlecturers
ProfessorClaraKundin(NewMexicoUniversity)andProfessorSam Briggs(UniversityofUtah)
March’s surprise snow storm couldn't stop this innovative workshop from happening! As part of a larger devising project, RU students were invited to collaborate by learning two foundational methods of physical theatre. Students were introduced to Viewpoints (developed by choreographer Mary Overlie and popularized by director Anne Bogart) and the Lecoq Technique as a jumping off point for ensemble-based creation. Both techniques helped students understand how movement broken into simple and identifiable parts can provide a foundation for group improvisation which evolves into new stories.
After being taught the basics of these physical theatre techniques, students were led through a narrated movement exercise which allowed them to explore the tools they had just been given. For the culmination of the workshop, students were divided into groups and told to create a story which contained certain movement criteria. From this workshop students most enjoyed the time given for exploration and play as opposed to creation solely focused on the end result.
ProductionPhotosFromRideTheCyclone
PhotoHighlightsFromTheLastMonth
