The first radio drama is “Carmilla,” one of the early works of vampire fiction coming from a 19th century story by Irish author Sheridan Le Fanu. It was adapted by Lucille Fletcher, perhaps the most accomplished suspense/horror radio writer of her era with “Sorry,” “Wrong Number” and “The Hitchhiker” among her classics. The first broadcast of “Carmilla” was on The Columbia Workshop on July 28, 1940.

The second play is an original script by Richard Thorne called “The Shadow People,” which is about a woman haunted by mysterious people living in the shadows. Loosely based on “The Horla,” Guy De Maupassant’s late 19th century horror story, “The Shadow People” was originally broadcast on the series “The Hall of Fantasy” on Sept. 5, 1952.

To minimize risk and potential exposure of COVID-19, performances will be live streamed  at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 12-13 and at 3 p.m. Feb. 14. A small audience limited to current Culver-Stockton students, faculty and staff will be allowed to attend performances in the Alexander Campbell Auditorium on the Culver-Stockton campus.

The cast consists of:

• Jessica Andrews, a freshman theatre major from Pleasant Plains, Ill.
• Krista Barth, a senior English education major from Bloomington, Ill.;
• Courtney Deeds, a senior theatre major from Springfield, Mo.;
• Emma Hackett, a sophomore theatre major from Buffalo, Mo.;
• Noah Klauser , a freshman English education major from Quincy;
• Alexis Mallon, a freshman arts management major from Wildwood, Mo.
• Trevor Pruitt, a sophomore business administration major from Bowling Green, Mo.
• Morgan Zavoral, a freshman art major from Tinley Park, Ill.
• Spencer Shively, a sophomore marketing and psychology major from St. Louis;
• Cassie Williams, a freshman musical theatre major from Thomas, Okla.

David Lane, lecturer in speech and theatre education, will direct the production. Seth Campbell, an assistant professor of theatre, is in charge of production design.

Kaitlyn Conaway, a senior English education major from Steelville, Mo., is the assistant director.

Bailey McNamar, a senior arts management major from Quincy, Ill., is the stage manager.

Students in the theatre program get opportunities to design mainstage productions and direct full-length shows. Four mainstage productions, including multiple student-directed one-act plays and one musical, are produced each year. For more details about the theatre program, contact the fine arts office at 573-288-6436 or finearts@culver.edu.

Culver-Stockton’s fall mainstage production, “The Blind,” was made available on YouTube during the fall semester from October 23-31. Now it has been chosen for presentation during one of eight regional festivals as part of the Kennedy Center’s American College Theatre Festival, a national theatre program that recognizes and celebrates the finest and most diverse work produced by colleges and universities across the country.

This year’s festival in Region V, which consists of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota, will be virtual. C-SC’s production, one of 12 that was selected, will be offered on YouTube from January 16-23. The weeklong festival also offers competitions and workshops in multiple areas.

“We have had invited scenes before, but this is the first time a Culver-Stockton theatre production has been invited to the festival in whole,” said Dr. Haidee Heaton, a professor of theatre and chair of the theatre and communications departments. “It is a big honor to recognized by our region. In a time of such flux for our artform, it is a true testament to our students’ adaptability, trust in our program and willingness to experiment that we are allowed this wonderful opportunity.”

“The Blind,” written by Maurice Maeterlinck and translated by Suzanne Burgoyne, is a one-act tale of hope and despair. Eight sightless people sit in wait for their caretaker to arrive and help them find their way home, but elements of the outside world present obstacles at every turn. “The Blind” was written in 1890 but remains all-too familiar today as society attempts to navigate an ever-changing, ever-challenging world.

The C-SC Theatre Department reversed the norm of the theatre-going experience by only relying on actors’ voices while allowing design elements to visually stand front and center. “The Blind” was directed by Heaton and designed by Seth Campbell, assistant professor of theatre. Michael York served as assistant technical director.

The cast consisted of:

• Talia Schneider, a sophomore musical theatre major from Altamont, Ill.;
• Kaitlyn Conaway, a senior English education major from Steelville, Mo.;
• Krista Barth, a senior English education major from Bloomington, Ill.;
• Remington Jarvis, a senior theatre major from Canton, Mo.;
• Kar’Mel Brewer, a senior music education major from St. Louis;
• Noah Klauser, a freshman English education major from Quincy;
• Alex Siron, a senior music education major from Paris, Mo.;
• Jace Murphy, a freshman theatre major from Austin, Texas;
• Timothy Pence, a freshman music education major from Lincoln, Ill.;
• Courtney Deeds, a senior theatre major from Springfield, Mo.;
• Cassie Williams, a freshman musical theatre major from Thomas, Okla.;
• Lindsey Miller, a senior English major from Camdenton, Mo.;
• Arysta Snyder, a freshman business administration major from Rutledge, Mo.;
• Anna Gabel, a sophomore art education major from Quincy, Ill.;
• Emma Hackett, a sophomore theatre major from Buffalo, Mo.

Kristen Lippold, a senior English education major from Carlinville, Ill., was the stage manager for the production.

Students in Culver-Stockton’s fine arts program have the opportunity to design mainstage productions and direct full-length shows. They perform in productions as early as their first semester. Four mainstage productions, including multiple student-directed one act plays and one musical, are produced each year. Go to  to learn more about the theatre program.

###