College of Humanities, Arts, and Sciences

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.

So Right So Smart is a feature documentary narrated by Daryl Hannah and is presented by the RRTTC. Businesses have begun to take positive steps toward a sustainable future. Those looking to find encouraging news in the midst of our current environmental crisis will be inspired by this story of leadership and hope.

Visiting artist Virginia Broffitt will offer a flute recital. Broffitt is currently Assistant Professor of Flute at Oklahoma State University. A versatile musician, she has established a successful career as a teacher, soloist, orchestral musician, and chamber musician. Before her appointment at OSU, she served as faculty at Western Illinois University and flutist in the Camerata Woodwind Quintet. She has also held positions in the Fort Wayne Philharmonic and Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra. This event is free and open to the public.

Visiting artist Virginia Broffitt, flute, will present a master class for UNI students. Broffitt is currently Assistant Professor of Flute at Oklahoma State University. A versatile musician, she has established a successful career as a teacher, soloist, orchestral musician, and chamber musician. Before her appointment at OSU, she served as faculty at Western Illinois University and flutist in the Camerata Woodwind Quintet. She has also held positions in the Fort Wayne Philharmonic and Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra. This event is free and open to the public.

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.

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.

Written and directed by Jennifer Cooley and Karen Mitchell.

Carne viva in Postville: Stories of Madres and Monarchs is an ethnodrama based on the testimonials of Guatemalan women living in Iowa who seek to survive in the aftermath of the May 12, 2008 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid in Postville. Carne viva provides a medium for voices that are often silenced or "undocumented." The play explores the role of women's creative work (such as weaving, cooking, and storytelling) as a constructive force that combats the destructive elements of the workplace environment, gender divisions, racism, and government policies regarding immigration. Creators and actors will draw spectators into the complex and interwoven world of global migration in the 21st century through post-performance talk-backs, where solutions seem as elusive as butterflies...

School of Music instructor of music education Michelle Swanson will coordinate this workshop. For more information, contact Professor Swanson.

A Mid-American Forensics League (MAFL) college speech tournament at UNI.