College of Humanities, Arts, and Sciences

by Caryl Churchill

Directed by Cynthia Goatley 

Caryl Churchill’s Mad Forest places ordinary people into the churning realities of acting and defining revolution. With a wedding being planned, two families must navigate what should be a joyous occasion of union against the onslaught of threats, hearsay and chaos, that eventually topple a megalomaniacal regime. With similar events in Egypt not too distant, Churchill’s play, set in Romania during December 1989, presents a theatrical perspective on “revolution” that will speak to us all – as individuals, members of family and community, and citizens of the world. For more information, visit the Strayer-Wood Theatre web site.

"The Solar Army" will be presented by Harry Gray.

Occupy CEEE for a couple of hours will involve 30-minute sessions and discussions on the following topics:
Food democracy: You know your doctor, your know your dentist, do you know your farmer?  (Kamyar Enshayan, CEEE)
"Job-killing regulations?": Understanding laws & regulations that protect life on Earth  (Laura Jackson, biology dept.)
Energize Cedar Valley: Service learning opportunities in energy conservation and efficiency  (Ashley Wolter, CEEE)

Other topics related to CEEE's work will be offered depending on interests expressed.

Dr. Bill Koch  presents his one-man show, Walt Whitman Live!! in Lang Hall Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. The 60-minute show presents Whitman speaking on the poet's major themes, observations of American culture, views on Abraham Lincoln and experience with the Civil War.  Sponsored by the College of Humanities, Arts and Sciences. Free and open to the public.

John Deere will be on campus to discuss transferable values and general John Deere information, as well as internship and part-time job opportunities. This event is directed toward students in the College of Humanities, Arts,and Sciences, but the event is open to all. The schedule is as follows.

4:30-4:45 Meet & Greet
4:45-5:00 Opening Speaker
5:00-6:00 Transferable Values, Info on John Deere and Q&A
6:00-6:25 John Deere Opportunities (internships and part-time student program)
6:25-6:30 Closing

Dr. Youwen Xu, Minnesota State University, will present "High Temperature of Superconductors: From Copper-oxides to iron-pnictides"

UNI School of Music faculty artist Julia Bullard will present a viola recital with additional performers and repertoire to be announced. This event is free and open to the public.

Documentary filmmaker and Academy Award nominee Alice Elliott will host a screening of Body and Soul: Diana and Kathy, followed by a Q&A session; light refreshments will be served. Elliott is the inaugural visiting filmmaker in the William and Stephanie Clohesy Documentary Film Series. The goal of the series is to bring America's most distinguished documentary filmmakers to UNI. The series is sponsored by the Department of Communication Studies, and directed by David O’Shields, filmmaker-in-residence and adjunct instructor. 

Body & Soul: Diana & Kathy is a true story about two life-long friends who have made their home in Springfield, Illinois. Diana drives, cooks, shops, and has been Kathy's personal assistant and friend for the past 35 years. Remarkably, Diana has Down Syndrome, a genetic condition that gives her one extra chromosome and a lower IQ. Kathy on the other hand is 61, has a degree in English, but is non-verbal, and has had cerebral palsy since her birth. As part of their ongoing activist efforts to demystify disability, Diana and Kathy invited Alice into their home over a period of five years to create their film, Body & Soul: Diana & Kathy.  The documentary was screened in a number of film festivals and was shown on PBS in 2009.

Susan Retik is one of the founders of "Beyond the 11". Pregnant when her husband was killed on American Flight 11, she and Patti Quigley, another widow, turned their grief into a project to benefit the widows of Afghanistan. Retik will show excerpts from the award-winning documentary about their story "Beyond Belief" and engage in discussion with the audience. Sponsored by Reaching for Higher Ground and Community Foundation.

Documentary filmmaker and Academy Award nominee Alice Elliott will visit and show her Academy Award-nominated film The Collector of Bedford Street. The screening will be followed with a Q&A session. Elliott is the inaugural visiting filmmaker in the William and Stephanie Clohesy Documentary Film Series. The goal of the series is to bring America's most distinguished documentary filmmakers to UNI. The series is sponsored by the Department of Communication Studies, and directed by David O’Shields, filmmaker-in-residence and adjunct instructor. 

The Collector of Bedford Street is a 34-minute documentary about Alice's neighbor, Larry Selman, a community activist and a fundraiser who has an intellectual disability. When Larry's primary caregiver becomes unable to care for him, his New York City neighborhood community rallies together to protect his independent lifestyle by establishing an adult trust fund in his behalf.  The Collector of Bedford Street was nominated for an Academy Award in 2002. It was screened over 70 film festivals, was shown on the cable channel Cinemax and won 18 awards.