Samuel Beckett鈥檚 鈥淓ndgame鈥� opens at 黑料正能量鈥檚 MainStage Theater this month.

The play, billed as an absurdist tragicomedy set at the end of the world, will be performed nightly from Thursday, Oct. 22, to Saturday, Oct. 24, with showtimes at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 for general admission and free to 黑料正能量 students with a valid ID. They can be purchased online through Eventbrite.

First performed in 1957, 鈥淓ndgame鈥� centers on the blind and chair-bound Hamm (played by Tom King), who is confined to a single room with his servant, Clov (Jay Zehr, class of 1980). The two men are joined by Hamm鈥檚 aging parents, Nagg (Jason Heller) and Nell (Theo Panzol), who appear out of a pair of trash cans. The four are seemingly the last living beings on Earth.

鈥淚t could be anywhere at any time,鈥� said producer and Transports of Joy co-founder Luis Lojo. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no mention of how the world ended or how society collapsed, but you get to watch how these people are coping with it.鈥�

鈥淎 pinnacle of Beckett鈥檚 characteristic raw minimalism,鈥� reads a from the Irish Repertory Theatre, 鈥溾�楨ndgame鈥� is a pure and devastating distillation of the human essence in the face of approaching death.鈥�

Despite the bleak setting, Lojo promises laughs. 鈥淓ndgame鈥� has the same trademark dark humor as Beckett鈥檚 better-known play, 鈥淲aiting for Godot.鈥�

鈥淭here鈥檚 actually a lot of humor in it,鈥� Zehr said. 鈥淓ven in the worst circumstances, there鈥檚 still humanity and there鈥檚 still people trying to connect with each other. There is still humor to be found, even in the darkest moments.鈥�

MainStage Theater 鈥榯he perfect size鈥�

鈥淓ndgame鈥� is directed by Courtney King, daughter of Tom King. It is the first play produced by Transports of Joy, which she founded with Lojo. Pam Johnson, professor emerita of theatre at James Madison University, serves as costume designer.

In 2023, Courtney King and Lojo attended a production of 鈥淓ndgame鈥� at the Irish Rep in New York. Inspired by the play, which they described as both funny and moving, they began planning their own version. This past June, the team began gathering to read the script aloud and workshop it.

After searching for the ideal venue, the couple, who split their time between New York City and Harrisonburg, found a home at 黑料正能量鈥檚 MainStage Theater. The 200-seat theater provides an intimate, up-close view of the stage from anywhere in the house, Lojo said.

鈥淓ven in the last row, you see everything,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the perfect size because everyone gets to be near the action and be in the same experience.鈥�

鈥業t鈥檚 100% a labor of love鈥�

Zehr and Tom King are longtime collaborators in the Harrisonburg theater scene, having worked together for 40 years. King was Zehr鈥檚 theater mentor at JMU.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really been a pleasure and a privilege to work with him in a production after all these years,鈥� Zehr said.

The production also marks a return of sorts for Zehr, who attended 黑料正能量 in the mid-1970s and played two seasons on its basketball team. MainStage Theater occupies part of what was then the college gym.

Lojo, a theater professional with more than 40 years of experience, said 鈥淓ndgame鈥� isn鈥檛 often staged, making the chance to see it 鈥渁 rare opportunity.鈥�

鈥淎s a producer, I鈥檓 aware of how difficult this is to sell to people and say, 鈥楬ey, do you want to come see our play about the end of the world?鈥欌�� Lojo said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 100% a labor of love. This is just something we wanted to do.鈥�

And while audiences might not leave 鈥渢apping a song,鈥� Lojo hopes the experience stays with them.

鈥淚t might give you some perspective to help cope with different aspects of life,鈥� he said.

For Trent Wagler 鈥�02, lead singer and songwriter for the folk-rock band The Steel Wheels, music is a powerful way to bring people together.

鈥淎nybody who鈥檚 been around music has had that experience,鈥� he said. 鈥淕o to a music festival in some country far away, where you don鈥檛 speak the language, and listen.鈥�

鈥淭he words don鈥檛 matter so much anymore. You鈥檙e not concerned about whether or not they鈥檙e on your side of the political aisle or on the team you root for. Instead, it鈥檚 just a rhythm we can all move to together.鈥�

For more than 20 years, Wagler has toured with , performing about 100 shows each year across the United States, Canada, and Europe. During that time, the band has released more than a dozen studio albums, founded the annual , and earned several Independent Music Awards.

The banjo- and guitar-strumming frontman, who earned degrees in theater and peace, justice, and conflict studies (now peacebuilding and development), credits his 黑料正能量 education with inspiring him to create music that invites people in, offers fresh perspectives, and leaves room for listeners to find their own meaning.

鈥淭ogether, we create something special in a given night, on a weekend, and hopefully, over time,鈥� he said.

That commitment to building community through music has earned Wagler 黑料正能量鈥檚 2026 Alum of the Year Award. He shares the honor with fellow alumnus and Steel Wheels bandmate Eric Brubaker 鈥�01.

鈥淏eing recognized for the work that Eric and I are doing, in bringing music that we believe in to people, it means a lot that people have noticed,鈥� Wagler said.

At 黑料正能量, Wagler sang with the Chamber Singers and participated in the Washington Study-Service Year (now the 黑料正能量 Washington Semester). For his intercultural experience, he spent a year in Gaza teaching English and guitar lessons in a refugee camp.

鈥淚 got to know quite a few really amazing young Muslim Palestinians who were primarily my peers as I lived over there,鈥� he said.

That experience continues to shape his approach to songwriting and storytelling.

鈥淭hese are people who love to play games, sing songs, enjoy the taste of fresh fruit, and joke, laugh and cry together,鈥� he said. 鈥淭o me, our job is to remember, even when it’s difficult or unpopular, that the basic human impulses, needs, desires, and joys are universal.鈥�

Long before that formative year in Gaza, Wagler grew up in rural Indiana and later graduated from a small high school in south-central Kansas. The son of a Mennonite pastor, he remembers singing harmonies in church from an early age.

His parents, Howard 鈥�71 and Cathryn 鈥�71, met at 黑料正能量, but Wagler said it was a campus visit and conversation with Professor Emeritus Dr. Kenneth J. Nafziger, longtime director of the Chamber Singers, that convinced him to enroll.

鈥淭hat one visit to campus made all the difference,鈥� Wagler said. 鈥淭here were a lot of little steps that brought me here. They may not be the reasons I value 黑料正能量 most today, but I鈥檓 very grateful I ended up here.鈥�

When he鈥檚 not touring, Wagler builds community through music in the Shenandoah Valley. He teaches at , a four-day strings camp for youth and adults held at 黑料正能量, hosts and performs at Red Wing Roots Music Festival, serves on the board of the nonprofit , and has taught in 黑料正能量鈥檚 music department since 2002.

He said he鈥檚 passionate about helping musicians of all ages grow and creating more opportunities for people to make music together.

鈥淚 think that makes a better community and a better world,鈥� he said.

The Steel Wheels will perform a live show on campus at the annual Royal City Celebration from 4-6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, during Homecoming 2026.

Wagler will share his story at 黑料正能量 TenTalks, held on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 2 p.m. in Martin Chapel, also during Homecoming. For a full schedule of Homecoming events and activities, visit聽emu.edu/homecoming.

黑料正能量 Theatre brings Shakespeare鈥檚 heartwarming tale of mystery and magic to life in an original musical, featuring hit songs from the 鈥�80s and 鈥�90s and dynamic choreographed dance numbers. 鈥淭he Winter鈥檚 Tale: A Musical Adaptation鈥� comes to the Lee Eshleman Studio Theater, with nightly shows at 7:30 p.m. from April 9-12.

Tickets for the show are on sale at and will be available at the door, though seating inside the theater is limited and tickets have been known to sell out quickly. Tickets range from $6 for 黑料正能量 and JMU students, $10 for children and other students, $18 for seniors (65+), and $20 for adults.

鈥淭he Winter鈥檚 Tale鈥� follows two kingdoms torn apart by jealousy, a lost queen, and the love that may bring them back together. When Leontes, the tyrannical king of Sicilia (Elie Hoover), suspects his wife Hermione (Jubilee Soper) of unfaithfulness with Polixenes, king of Bohemia (Samuel Castaneda), he becomes so enraged that he orders her jailed and their infant daughter abandoned.

Sixteen years later, as the seasons shift from winter to spring, the story moves to Bohemia, where Leontes鈥� daughter, Perdita (Emilee White), is now grown and has captured the heart of Florizel (Kayden Beidler), the brash and dramatic son of Polixenes. Will their love be enough to reunite the two kingdoms?

Perhaps best known for the stage direction, 鈥淓xit, pursued by a bear,鈥� this sweet and complex romance is written in Shakespeare鈥檚 signature iambic pentameter. But this adaptation adds a 鈥渘ice little twist,鈥� said guest director Haley Davis: a mix of 1980s and 鈥�90s chart-toppers, personally selected by 黑料正能量鈥檚 talented student cast, woven throughout the play. It鈥檚 sure to have the whole audience singing along.

Frequent 黑料正能量 Theatre collaborator Jim Clemens returns as music director, performing iconic rock ballads and pop rock songs on piano, while student Bryan Joya-Estrada, who also portrays the Shepherd, plays various instruments.

The costumes, designed by Rebecca Bailey, blend early modern and Renaissance elements with an 鈥�80s and 鈥�90s punk rock aesthetic, Davis said.

Rounding out the crew are Shannon Dove as technical director, Sierra Priest as choreographer, and Sarah Peak as stage manager.

The play will be performed in the round, with audience members seated on all sides of the raised stage and in the upper balcony.

鈥淚t鈥檚 more fun when you have the audience right there at your toes,鈥� said Davis, an administrative-professional faculty member of James Madison University鈥檚 School of Theatre and Dance. 鈥淵ou can look up at the heavens or down at the earth, and you have people there to share the moment with.鈥�

It was only after the audition process that it became clear to the production team which play to perform. 鈥淚n a special way, this play was chosen based on the people rather than the other way around,鈥� she said. “I found that this approach, coupled with the students musically adapting the play, gave the team unique agency in the story they wanted to tell.”

Beidler, who plays the roles of Florizel and Antigonus, said they love how collaborative the show has felt. 鈥淚t was so fun helping pick the music, and it really feels like we鈥檝e made this show ours,鈥� they said.

Hoover, who portrays Leontes and Autolycus, said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 fun getting to play characters who are both so different from each other and from me.鈥�

One of the play鈥檚 most striking moments is when it travels over 16 years, transporting the characters from Sicilia to Bohemia, from a harsh winter to a forgiving spring. The shift has also felt meaningful for the students, who began rehearsals in winter and are gradually emerging into spring themselves.

鈥淚 want audiences to walk away with a sense of hope,鈥� Davis said. 鈥淭hings can look bleak and cold and scary, but there鈥檚 something better around the corner if we hold on and let time do what it needs to do.鈥�

Cast
Leontes/Autolycus 鈥� Elie Hoover
Hermione 鈥� Jubilee Soper
Mamillius/Perdita 鈥� Emilee White
Camillo 鈥� Erin Batten
Polixenes 鈥� Samuel Casteneda
Paulina 鈥� Elena Middlebrook
Florizel/Antigonus 鈥� Kayden Beidler
Shepherd/Officer 鈥� Bryan Joya-Estrada
Lord/Messenger 鈥� Kyah Young

Crew
Director 鈥� Haley Davis
Music Director 鈥� Jim Clemens
Technical Director 鈥� Shannon Dove
Costumer 鈥� Rebecca Bailey
Choreographer 鈥� Sierra Priest
Stage Manager 鈥� Sarah Peak

Trina Trotter Nussbaum 鈥�00, MA 鈥�17 will never forget the first time she saw the view from the Campus Center balcony. Standing on the balcony overlooking the Front Lawn and gazing east toward the Blue Ridge Mountains, the then-first-year student recalled telling a friend: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what I鈥檓 going to study, but I know this is where I need to be. This is my place.鈥�

鈥淎ll it took was one look at those mountains, and they seemed to tell me, 鈥榊ou belong here,鈥欌�� Trotter Nussbaum said.听

That was nearly 30 years ago. Today, Trotter Nussbaum is the new director of the Center for Interfaith Engagement, a position she鈥檚 held since Jan. 1. She still feels that same sense of belonging at 黑料正能量 and works to ensure others on campus feel it too. Through her role at CIE, she celebrates and supports students, faculty and staff from a wide range of faith traditions and backgrounds.听

It was a long road that led her to 黑料正能量. After graduating from high school in North Lima, Ohio, Trotter Nussbaum, who was raised Mennonite, moved to Pittsburgh and completed travel agency school. She gradually learned that it wasn鈥檛 the career for her. Returning home to Ohio, she ran into a childhood friend about to graduate from 黑料正能量 who told her, 鈥淵ou should give 黑料正能量 a try.鈥� It was just the push she needed.听

Trotter Nussbaum arrived on campus in the fall of 1995 as a 22-year-old first-year English major. She was older than the others in her Northlawn dorm, but she saw that as a blessing. 鈥淚t helped me settle down and figure out what I wanted to do.鈥�

That turned out to be theater. Trotter Nussbaum credits 黑料正能量鈥檚 theater program with recognizing her strengths as a performer and teaching her invaluable listening and improv skills. During the second semester of her junior year, she added a psychology major. Though it delayed her graduation by another year, she said it ended up being one of the best decisions she ever made. 鈥淚 might not be acting or counseling right now, but I draw on those skills every day,鈥� Trotter Nussbaum said. She graduated in 2000 with bachelor鈥檚 degrees in theater and psychology, along with a minor in justice, peace and conflict studies. She said professors in her justice and theology classes challenged her faith with love and grace, ultimately strengthening it and shaping her into the faith-based peacebuilder she is today.

After a decade spent working at nonprofits and government agencies, Trotter Nussbaum returned to 黑料正能量 in 2013 as associate director of CIE. Fueled by formative experiences during a 1998 intercultural trip to Ireland and Northern Ireland, she began pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in conflict transformation at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding. It took her another five years to complete the two-year program while working at CIE and raising two children. In 2017, she earned her MA.

Ever the lifelong learner, Trotter Nussbaum continues to seek out further education. She鈥檚 working toward earning MDiv equivalency so that she can enroll in the new Doctor of Ministry program at Eastern Mennonite Seminary.听

Over the years, she鈥檚 received numerous scholarships as a student. She said those scholarships, as well as 黑料正能量鈥檚 tuition benefits for employees, made it possible for her to continue her studies. 鈥淚 love how 黑料正能量 encourages its employees to take the classes they want to take,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he ability to take classes, even one at a time, for almost free is such a blessing.鈥�

Trotter Nussbaum and her husband, Brian Nussbaum 鈥�00, live in Harrisonburg with their two children. Her brother, Travis Trotter 鈥�99, serves as university registrar for 黑料正能量.

Your generous support helps students like Trotter Nussbaum pursue a quality college education without financial barriers. Join us for the 9th annual Lov黑料正能量 Giving Day and contribute to the scholarships that empower future 黑料正能量 students. Together, we can help write 黑料正能量鈥檚 next chapter.

Read the previous profiles in our A Royal Tale series:

The musical, adapted from Riordan’s 2005 bestseller, debuted on Broadway in 2019 and follows the journey of Percy Jackson, an underachieving teen who discovers he’s a demigod. Played by 黑料正能量 senior Adam Hoover, Percy is accused of stealing Zeus’ lightning bolt, leading him on a quest with his friends Grover, portrayed by Mac Rhodes-Lehman, and Annabeth, played by Ella Walters, to clear his name and prevent a war between the Greek gods. Along the way, Percy must face mythological monsters and unravel the mysteries of his heritage.

Directed by 黑料正能量 Theatre Program Director Justin Poole, with music direction by Jim Clemens and costume design by Rachel Herrick, the production delivers an action-packed adventure filled with humor, heart, and high-energy performances. Rounding out the artistic staff are Robert Weaver (lighting designer), Shannon Dove (set designer/technical director) and Ellie de Waal (choreographer).

The electrifying score, performed by Clemens on keyboard alongside a live rock band, will energize the intimate theater space, while larger-than-life puppetry and choreographed sword fights enhance the mythical spectacle.

Senior Cassidy Williams portrays Luke and Ares, delivering dynamic performances that combine vocal range and physical prowess. “Singing while sword fighting is no easy feat,” said Williams. “It’s been a rewarding challenge to portray such complex characters.”

Senior Alexis Lewis serves as assistant director and production assistant. “This show offers a fresh, punk rock twist on classic Greek myths,” Lewis said. “It’s packed with fun, upbeat moments that will appeal to longtime fans and newcomers alike.”

The cast, composed of 黑料正能量 students and community members, will interact with the audience throughout the production, using the entire Studio Theater space for an immersive experience. “It’s a highly dynamic production,” said Poole. “There are no barriers between the cast and the audience鈥攖hey’ll be performing from the stage, the mezzanine, and even within the crowd.”

Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, $10 for children 18 and under, and $6 for university students. For tickets, visit:

Cast
Percy Jackson 鈥� Adam Hoover
Annabeth Chase 鈥� Ella Walters
Annabeth Understudy/Silena Beauregard 鈥� Emilee White
Grover/Mr.D 鈥� Mac Rhodes-Lehman
Luke/Ares 鈥� Cassidy Williams
Sally Jackson/The Oracle 鈥� Emma Saville
Clarisse/Mrs.Dodds/Medusa/Charon 鈥� Elie Hoover
Chiron/Kronos 鈥� Ezra Smith
Gabe Ugliani/Hades/Poseidon 鈥� Jacob Nissley
Katie Gardner/Various ensemble roles 鈥� Saycia Szakonyi
Various ensemble roles 鈥� Katie Beth Warner

Crew
Director 鈥� Justin Poole
Music Director 鈥� Jim Clemens
Assistant Director/Promotions Assistant/Production Assistant 鈥� Alexis Lewis
Vocal Coach 鈥� Afton Rhodes-Lehman
Technical Director and Set Designer 鈥� Shannon Dove
Costume Designer 鈥� Rachel Herrick
Light Designer 鈥� Robert Weaver
Choreographer 鈥� Ellie de Waal
Stage Manager 鈥� Sarah Peak
Assistant Stage Manager 鈥� Erin Batten
Assistant Stage Manager 鈥� River Lynch

Yet Muhammad Afdillah鈥攁 visiting scholar with 黑料正能量鈥檚 鈥攃hose this moment, just a week before he returned to his home in Indonesia, to begin to heal himself. He recounted a story involving physical and psychological injury.

Then he watched as Inside Out, 黑料正能量鈥檚 resident troupe, improvised a tense narrative of violence, friendship, loss, physical and emotional scarring, and finally, hope of reconciliation. Afdillah wasn鈥檛 the only watcher who had wet eyes by the end.

Empathy from the audience

It may have helped that other storytellers had shared before鈥攕ome with halting speech and others interspersing laughter with words鈥攐f surviving cancer, of stitching a wedding dress for a beloved stepdaughter, of making friends and enduring goodbyes.

It may have helped that he knew some of the actors鈥� all 黑料正能量 students, faculty or graduates鈥攁nd even some of the audience, most of whom were participating in the or the training.

鈥淭hat might have helped,鈥� Afdillah said later. 鈥淏ut it was for me. It was the right time. I was trembling, but my heart was telling me this.鈥�

Though Inside Out has 鈥減layed back鈥� stories from a variety of audiences, including sexual abuse survivors and college students recently returned from cross-cultural experiences, the May 21 event was the first time the troupe hosted a storytelling session for this particular group.

Playback theater helps its participants understand and reflect upon their experiences, says 黑料正能量 professor , who co-founded Inside Out in 2011. 鈥淭hat simple act of sharing stories and seeing them played back, seeing it out there, allows processing. It is harder to work for healing when it鈥檚 all in your head. In addition, there鈥檚 a tremendous connection between people in the audience who see that story and have a similar experience to share.鈥�

A “conductor” facilitates the process

Making those connections is the role of an actor called the conductor, who facilitates the storytelling of a volunteer audience member, gathers more information through questions, and then helps to 鈥渟hape鈥� the story before turning it over to the actors with the invitation, 鈥淟et鈥檚 watch.鈥�

At this event, Bridget Mullins was the conductor, and the actors included fellow CJP students Fabrice Guerrier and Matt Carlson; 黑料正能量 alumni Liz Gannaway, Brandon Waggy, and Tonya Osinkosky; and troupe co-founder . Vogel, who also participated, said most of the actors had participated in STAR training or were familiar with concepts related to trauma awareness, resilience, and peacebuilding.

鈥淭his is applied theater,鈥� Vogel said, 鈥渘ot theater for entertainment. It鈥檚 theater for social justice and understanding. A lot of people don鈥檛 understand playback theater until they attend a storytelling session, and when they see it, they realize the big possibilities.鈥�

Afdillah had no idea of its life-changing potential when he was invited by a fellow SPI participant to attend the performance. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 really like theater,鈥� he said with a laugh later.

A faculty member at in Indonesia, Afdillah researches and lectures on socio-religious conflict and politics. He collects data, supervises graduate students, collaborates with other peacebuilders and policy-makers, and admits that, like many others in his field, he rarely takes the time for himself.

For the last six months on campus, during spring semester classes and courses at the Summer Peacebuilding Institute, Afdillah began to 鈥渕editate and think about my life,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n my work, I tell people to deal with their trauma, to let it go. But I have my own trauma, my own problems. At the end, watching the story was almost the same as what I experienced, the tragedy. I feel the pain. I don鈥檛 know how this story ends, but this is starting to be ready for an ending.鈥�

Seven-day course offered through SPI

The potential for healing dialogue through playback theater will be highlighted in a seven-day SPI course, 鈥�,鈥� from June 5-13. The course will be taught by two pioneers of playback theater, Jo Salas and Ben Rivers.

This is not the first time applied theater for this purpose has been taught at SPI: Rivers attended in 2011 to take courses and facilitate informal workshops and in 2012, Armand Volkas, a playback theater and dramatherapy practitioner from California, led a course.

“Many people, including Ben Rivers, have used playback theater in communities that have experienced violence and trauma,鈥� said , Center for Justice and Peacebuilding program director. 鈥淪PI provides a space for people to learn these techniques for working with communities and a place for practitioners to reflect on what works and what does not work when using applied theater tools in conflict situations.”

Farshid Hakimyar, a CJP graduate, is enrolled in the upcoming course. He plans to explore the potential of playback theater for his work in his native Afghanistan. Telling a story to the Inside Out troupe was his first personal experience with the technique.

鈥淚 told a story of hearing a traumatic story about domestic violence, and in hearing it, I experienced secondary trauma,鈥� Hakimyar said. 鈥淚 could not breathe, I could not think, I went from sharing with my friends about music and light and the good of humanity, to hearing this story of this father losing his child in this horrible way.鈥�

On stage that night, three actors portrayed the trajectory of Hakimyar鈥檚 emotions as he struggled to understand 鈥渢he lightness and darkness inside each of us.鈥�

“To feel such relief”

鈥淚t was a really powerful experience to watch this and to feel such relief,鈥� Hakimyar said. 鈥淧layback theater and generally arts play a key role in any efforts. I think it can engage more people in how they can express their feelings in peaceful and non-violent ways about corruption, lack of transparency, and their government, and how they dream for the future.鈥�

Docherty says SPI is committed to the continued exploration of applied theater tools like playback theater to situations of conflict, violence and trauma.

鈥淲e see this as a growing focus of our program,鈥� she said, adding that at least one course in theater and one in media is planned at SPI in 2015.

But this particular ache and pain grew so intense she lay awake crying at night. She hardly ate. Berg said nothing, though. She鈥檇 grown up in a military family, and it was in her DNA to tough things out. Besides, basketball was her life. She was just beginning to think about her college career. Taking time off for a sore back? Not an option.

Yes, she was stubborn back then, and she鈥檚 still stubborn now, she admits with an abashed smile. And no, she definitely wouldn鈥檛 recommend this course of non-treatment for others struggling with injury. That wasn鈥檛 the right way to handle things, but then again, it led to good things.

Her parents began to worry about the way she鈥檇 started to drag her right leg awkwardly behind her as a result of the worsening injury. They also noticed that she鈥檇 lost a lot of weight and, concerned about an eating disorder, they sat their daughter down for an intervention. Berg broke down and told them everything 鈥� how a little twinge, over the course of weeks and months, had devolved into such monstrous pain that she couldn鈥檛 sleep or eat.

End of basketball dreams

Diagnosis: two herniated discs. Berg underwent lumbar fusion surgery before her junior year of high school. She spent the summer working her way from a wheelchair to a walker to figuring out how to walk again on her own. A doctor-ordered ban on contact sports brought her basketball career to a sudden and crushing end.

Something of a spiritual crisis ensued. How could something that meant so much just be snatched from her like that? What sort of God lets that happen?

Berg gradually shifted her extracurricular focus to theater.

Before graduation, Berg and her classmates took a survey to help guide their college decisions 鈥� the sort of thing that tries to match someone鈥檚 interests and preferences with different schools鈥� characteristics. When the results came back, a strange word crossed Berg鈥檚 lips for the first time: Mennonite. She鈥檇 never heard of such a thing, nor had she heard of 黑料正能量 (黑料正能量). She didn鈥檛 think much of it, skeptical about this survey outcome.

But when she stumbled across an 黑料正能量 booth at a college fair soon thereafter, she lined up a campus visit. When she came for an overnight stay, she caught a student-run Gonzo Theatre show, scoped out the , and decided that the college placement survey had been right after all. 黑料正能量 was the place for her.

Arriving on campus in the fall of 2011, Berg was ready for new, exciting challenges. But the first ones she encountered were not what she expected.

Military vs. pacifist orientations

Yorktown is very different place from 黑料正能量 and the surrounding community. Berg lived a few minutes down the road from Langley Field. Her dad was in the Air Force, her boyfriend – who became her fiance in March 2014 – was (and is) in the Air Force, her cousins were in the military, and pretty much everyone around her growing up was connected in some way to the armed forces. Supporting the troops, individually and collectively, and the jobs they are asked to do was a given among practically everyone Berg had ever known.

She didn鈥檛 know that the American flag doesn鈥檛 fly on 黑料正能量鈥檚 campus, and she had no idea that the patriotic pins she wore on her backpack would invite criticism from her classmates. She would never have guessed that one of her professors would make disparaging remarks about the military.

All of this amounted to a huge shock. Berg had barely heard of Mennonites when she enrolled, and was completely ignorant of the centuries-long Mennonite tradition of pacifism. Early on, she didn鈥檛 always respond gently when her views were challenged. She had angry exchanges with some other students. She had angry exchanges with God. College was supposed to be the best four years of her life, right?

黑料正能量 had just magically bubbled up out of nowhere and had seemed so perfect. And yet, here she鈥檇 ended up, stretching herself to the financial limit to be at a school where she felt like an outcast and where people seemed unwilling to give her perspective a fair chance.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I feel like 黑料正能量 really struggles with,鈥� Berg says. 鈥淧eople come in so whole-heartedly believing things, because of how they were raised, that when they meet somebody who believes differently, they鈥檙e like, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e wrong.鈥欌��

Stubbornly staying at 黑料正能量, eventually glad she did

She realized she was part of the problem 鈥� her first reaction to criticism of the military was figuring that the criticizers were wrong. She wanted to leave, but her stubborn streak kicked back in.

She thought about her great-grandmother, who鈥檇 died during Berg鈥檚 difficult first year at 黑料正能量, and who had always prayed that Berg would go to a Christian college. Berg stuck with it for her. She took a spiritual formation class, which included a one-on-one spiritual advisor, who proved a good listener as Berg struggled to find her place on campus.

Things gradually turned around. In the fall of 2012, Berg joined other students who set up a display of 200 pairs of empty boots, worn by Virginian soldiers killed in the past decade鈥檚 wars, . Berg began feeling empowered to take risks and to be more outspoken about her beliefs. She began developing a better ability to listen to others. She decided that she鈥檇 been led to 黑料正能量 to make her different voice heard. She stuck with her interest in theater, appearing in three full-length productions on campus.

Looking back, all of it falls into place as part of God鈥檚 plan for her life, Berg says.

Berg says her thoughts about the military haven鈥檛 changed much since she came to 黑料正能量, but she has developed respect for different opinions. She hopes that the people with those different opinions can say the same from interacting with her.

‘What higher ed is all about’

鈥淗attie serves as an excellent example of what higher education is really all about,鈥� says 黑料正能量鈥檚 vice-president for enrollment, , who became a mentor of Berg鈥檚.

鈥淗attie came to 黑料正能量 with a singular perspective and a strong inherited value base, and is now leaving with a deep and rich understanding of a multiplicity of viewpoints. She worked through the challenge of having her value base questioned and came out more knowledgeable, and more equipped to work, serve and lead in a 21st-century society. I could not be more proud of her today.鈥�

Berg will graduate in April 2014 with degrees in theater and and, at least as important, a new grasp on how to communicate better, how to live beside people who have very different ideas about the world, and how to not let those differences define or diminish one鈥檚 relationships.

鈥淚 love 黑料正能量,鈥� Berg says. 鈥淚鈥檝e struggled a lot being here and there were times when I thought I hated 黑料正能量. But I wouldn鈥檛 want to be anywhere else.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檝e written a lot of comedy, satire and even horror, but I鈥檝e never written a cancer play,鈥� explained Bodner, an aspiring playwright.

鈥淚 decided I was going to start interviewing people who had their lives affected by cancer 鈥� patient, doctor, nurse, family member 鈥� and try to create a fictional story based off the interviews I had with them,鈥� he continued.

More than 150 pages later, Bodner settled on an idea. He would write a play centered on the life of a 50-year-old man stricken with Grade Three anaplastic astrocytoma, a type of brain cancer.

After more consideration, Bodner changed course again.

鈥淥riginally, [the play] was going to be about a 50-year-old man, then I decided that was horrible. I had never been a 50-year-old man,鈥� said Bodner. 鈥淪o, I wrote from the perspective of a high schooler instead.

鈥淭he original script that I had is very different from the one [I ended up with].鈥�

Hence the final installment of his idea, 鈥淭he Crowleys of Tobias,鈥� a student-oriented Laboratory Production, which will run Dec. 5-7 in 黑料正能量鈥檚 Lee Eshleman Studio Theater.

The play follows 17-year-old Tobias in his final moments battling brain cancer, which fully develops in his temporal lobe. Throughout the drama, the audience witnesses the development of Tobias鈥� relationships with his mother, Lydia, his friends, Blake and Zoe, and the hallucinogenic manifestation known as Crowley, which helps Tobias cope with dying.

鈥淭he theme is still very much the same, but a lot of the plot structure itself has changed because it鈥檚 not a 50-year-old man,鈥� said Bodner. 鈥淭he dynamic changes from 鈥榃hat I could have done鈥� to 鈥榃hat I鈥檒l never be able to do.鈥� 鈥�

To help Bodner bring his lines to life, co-director Amanda Chandler sought to display the realism she found throughout the script.

鈥淲e see Tobias as a normal 17-year-old,鈥� explained the senior theater and major. 鈥淚 wanted to highlight [his] relationships and juxtapose them with the outrageous behavior of Crowley and the dream world he orchestrates.鈥�

Bodner explains Crowley鈥檚 relationship with Tobias.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the idea of having the wickedest man in the world running around in your head causing all sorts of ruckus,鈥� Bodner elaborated. 鈥淐rowley, to me, represents a cruel reality of love within death, a weird, twisted, morbid form of love. But it in that grotesqueness you find something beautiful.鈥�

Associate professor of 黑料正能量鈥檚 theater department Heidi Winters Vogel oversaw the creative process behind the presentation and commends Bodner for his script.

鈥淢ichael is a very good writer,鈥� said Vogel. 鈥淗e did a lot of interviewing with hospice workers and Astrocytoma patients 鈥� most of them who are no longer alive 鈥� because it does have a very high mortality rate. He鈥檚 been really honest to their experience.鈥�

鈥淭he journey I took comes out in the play,鈥� concludes Bodner.

The play stages at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5 and 6; and 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. Dec. 7.

Tickets are $5 for general admission and $2 for 黑料正能量 students. Contact the 黑料正能量 theater department at 540-432-4360 for more information and age appropriateness.

Courtesy Daily News Record, Dec. 5, 2013

The visionary at the top of the production team for Good鈥檚 new play, , is acclaimed executive producer .

She was pivotal in the production of , a musical centering on a rural Baptist Church in North Carolina in the WWII era (performed more than 500 times in New York in the 1990s). She was also producer of , a drama about an imagined meeting between Sigmund Freud and C. S. Lewis, which had a two-year run off-Broadway into 2012; it then moved to venues in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Sydney, Australia. Copeland and her employees have racked up countless other successful theater productions over the last 30 years.

鈥淚 love working on new plays,鈥� Copeland told the 黑料正能量 news service. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to do revivals 鈥� they don鈥檛 interest me. I want to see fresh creations, like The Preacher and the Shrink, be brought to their full potential.鈥�

Upon Copeland鈥檚 recommendation, the director will be long-time theater artist , with whom she collaborated on the comedy Flamingo Court, which ran for two summer seasons off Broadway. Yuhasz, who brings directing, producing and acting experience (plus an MFA in directing, set and costume design), will be adding this directing stint to his regular workload as executive director of the non-profit in Norwalk, Conn.

The Goods, Copeland, Yuhasz, and a handful of other creative collaborators heard Merle鈥檚 script performed by talented professional actors in a 鈥渢able reading鈥� in April in NYC, which stoked everyone鈥檚 sense of enthusiasm for the play鈥檚 potential, said Yuhasz.

Post-reading, Good felt inspired to re-draft parts of his play, on which he had been working intermittently since 2006. Among other revisions, he cut about 12 pages from it to yield a faster-paced production.

鈥淭he play has a great story to tell,鈥� said Yuhasz. 鈥淭here are universal themes in it. It鈥檚 a story about relationships and how people evolve into a new place with them. I believe everyone [in the audience] will walk away with something different from it.鈥�

Yuhasz said a director has to 鈥済et into the head of the playwright,鈥� which he feels he is able to do with Good. In his playwriting, 鈥淢erle has a way of bringing out people鈥檚 hearts and souls, and the real world that they live in,鈥� said Yuhasz.

On Good鈥檚 part, he is looking forward to watching Yuhasz do the casting in September. 鈥淗e鈥檒l assemble a superb, highly professional cast,鈥� Good said.

Good stresses that The Preacher and the Shrink is not a 鈥淢ennonite play鈥� or a 鈥渃hurch play鈥� or a 鈥淐hristian play,鈥� as they are often defined. 鈥淚t is a play written for the general theater-going public,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t is not an allegory or a parable. It is first and foremost a straightforward story, with all of its complexities. It looks at the estrangement between a father, who happens to be a mainline Protestant pastor, and his daughter.鈥�

When Good was living in NYC in the early 1970s, pursuing an MDiv at , he began to ponder the way psychiatrists were taking the place of pastoral religious leaders as 鈥渓isteners鈥� for people feeling troubled. This insight is explored in his new play, he noted.

After three years of graduate study in New York, Good (a 鈥�69 grad of 黑料正能量) and his wife Phyllis (class of 鈥�70) returned to their home turf in Lancaster, Pa., where they ran a summer theater for a decade, among other business pursuits. Good, who was the lead in the first official play produced at 黑料正能量, Murder in the Cathedral, oversaw 400 productions of 10 plays he wrote during this period, always on themes pertaining the Mennonites and Amish.

He also assisted in writing the script for Hazel鈥檚 People, a feature-length film about modern-living Mennonites made in the 1970s. It was based on his only published novel Happy as the Grass Was Green (1971).

In subsequent decades Good immersed himself in succeeding at the business of book publishing. This he has accomplished, in partnership with Phyllis. The flagship of their cluster of family businesses, , has about 200 books on the market currently. In recent years daughter Kate Good 鈥�99 came aboard as assistant publisher. She鈥檚 an English major (like both parents) who earned an MFA in creative writing at George Mason University.

The Preacher and the Shrink will be performed Nov. 2 through Jan. 4 in an intimately warm venue chosen by Copeland. It鈥檚 , a complex of five small off-Broadway theaters at 410 West 42^nd Street near Times Square in Manhattan.

Good said members of his church, in Lancaster, have already chartered a 56-seat bus to take hometown folks to see the play, and the bus seats are almost all taken.

鈥淚 wanted to give persons and groups in Phyllis鈥檚 and my circle of acquaintances first chance at tickets,鈥� said Good. 鈥淪o I鈥檓 trying to get the word out in August before the play is marketed to the wider public, beginning Sept. 1.鈥�

Those who are hoping to bring a group may want to plan early and reserve early. 鈥淭here will be only ten Saturday matinee dates during the run,鈥� said Copeland. 鈥淪o if you have a specific weekend in mind to bring your group, it鈥檚 best to reserve early. The Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year seasons will most likely sell out first.鈥�

The seven weekly performances of The Preacher and the Shrink will be Tuesdays at 7 p.m., Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m.

Tickets are available through Telecharge.com, 800-447-7400 (for group sales, call 800-432-7780). Groups also can be booked through Your Broadway Genius Groups at 877-943-2929.

His own story moves from growing up in a rural church in southern Michigan to 黑料正能量 (黑料正能量), Harrisonburg, Va., to Guatemala to Notre Dame (Ind.) University, where he completed a doctoral program in the sociology of religion. His dissertation has been published by Oxford University Press as the book Homies and Hermanos: God and Gangs in Central America.

Born in Pennsylvania, Bob moved to Michigan, where his parents helped Bob鈥檚 grandfather, who had started the North Wayne Mennonite Church as a church plant of the Conservative Mennonite Conference. Later Bob鈥檚 father served as pastor of the church.

In 1993, Bob began studies at 黑料正能量, where he majored in and and minored in . During his four years there, he spent a semester in Guatemala at the CASAS program, in which students learn Spanish and live with a local family.

After graduating from 黑料正能量 in 1997, Bob returned to Guatemala and worked with for four years. There he met Gaby Ochoa, now his wife.

He became interested in studying at seminary and spent one semester at Associated (now Anabaptist) Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) in Elkhart, Ind., in 2001, before returning to Guatemala, where he and Gaby married.

Pentecostalism: In 2003, he decided to study sociology of religion and enrolled in the graduate program at Notre Dame. He had read such authors as Peter Berger, Robert Wuthnow and Christian Smith and wanted to understand better the interplay of religion and society. He also studied liberation theology and Pentecostalism.

鈥淪ociology emphasizes method and quantitative analysis,鈥� he says. He thought that provided a better understanding of what鈥檚 going on in religion. He also hoped to get a theological degree at AMBS and took several more courses there. But once his children, Nicol谩s, who鈥檚 now 6, and Gabo, 4, were born, he gave up that goal.

Eventually, he needed to choose a dissertation topic. He was interested in studying foot-washing practices of Mennonites and published an article in Mennonite Quarterly Review. But his advisor talked him into focusing on another topic that interested him: gangs in Central America.

During his service with MCC, he had met an MCC worker from Colombia, Ricardo Borres, who worked with the Honduran church on reconciliation between warring gangs. But Bob had not dealt with them firsthand.

He returned to Guatemala and collected data in 2007 and 2008. As his book describes, he interviewed 63 former gang members who had chosen to leave that life. Many joined a church, usually an evangelical or Pentecostal church in their city or town.

But Bob did more than collect data. He told many of these (mostly) men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 stories. He begins each chapter of the book with a story of a former gang member. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to just use quotes to make a point,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 wanted to dignify the person telling his story and in the process change the one hearing the story.鈥�

Global capitalism: Writing the book changed him as well, he says. And it helped him resist change. Academia tends to pull a person toward success and a safe environment, he says. But the book pulled him back 鈥渋nto caring about the plight of those being ground under by global capitalism.鈥�

He has become more aware of the vast chasm between the opportunities he and his students have and what those young people he interviewed in Central America have who are tempted to join gangs. 鈥淚 realize how privileged I am and how deeply divided the world is鈥� between those who have so much and those who have so little.

What enables these gang members to leave their gangs, at the risk of their lives, and join a church? The churches are there, first of all, in the communities where these people live. The churches tend to stress transformation and see this as a social process, not just a psychological change. The churches also emphasize community, discipleship and nonviolence.

While most of these churches are evangelical or what we would call Pentecostal, the Honduran Mennonite Church has been involved in working with ex-gang members for many years. Bob says their ministry is among the most holistic and effective of all he witnessed.

Courtesy The Mennonite, Oct. 1, 2012

Theater
As a聽聽student, you鈥檒l聽act, direct and design productions, exploring your gifts and getting hands-on experience while unpacking the faith and social justice aspects of your work. Cast and crew regularly gather with professors for 鈥�faith roundtables鈥� to discuss implications of plays, community response and more.

Art
If you鈥檙e a聽, you鈥檒l聽work with professor Cyndi Gusler, creator of聽, a runway show of innovative attire created entirely from cast-off materials. Highlighting sustainable styling and the choices we all make in life, the show聽.

Music
厂迟耻诲别苍迟听听辞蹿迟别苍听, like聽linking music with digital media聽for a career in sound design and movie scoring. Or you can weave music with peacebuilding to do conflict transformation through musical productions, or with nursing to do music therapy. 2012 graduate Charise Garber, now in med school,, music and biology, and explored聽how the mind is influenced by music.

Digital media and photography
聽majors learn聽digital imaging, photography, videography, motion graphics, design, audio and more聽in a thriving program that is one of the most popular in our university. You can聽. Student and graduate work has appeared in such outlets as Time Magazine, The New York Times, and The Hill (serving the U.S. Congress).

Language and literature
Mastery of聽听补苍诲 appreciation of literature contribute to success in almost every walk of life. Perhaps you鈥檒l聽write original poetry and fiction聽for Phoenix, 黑料正能量鈥檚 literary and visual arts journal,聽engage with notable authors visiting campus聽for the聽, do a writing internship at a non-profit, or hone your language skills to bring change in cross-cultural settings all over the world.

Find meaningful work in your field

98% of聽黑料正能量聽graduates are working, engaged in service or in further study within 12 months of graduation.听Nearly 90% are employed within their field of study.听Check out what two聽黑料正能量聽arts alumni are doing now:

• Katie Goins Frewens, an聽, earned a doctorate of musical arts and now teaches middle school music to urban teens. While a student, she was the piano rehearsal accompanist for the聽听补苍诲 sang with聽.

• Matt Pearson combined a聽听飞颈迟丑听听补苍诲听尘颈苍辞谤蝉聽to prepare for his goal of becoming an ordained Methodist minister. While a student, Matt acted and directed in the majority of MainStage productions, founded an improv troupe still going strong today, and interned at Second City Improv in Chicago. He went on to earn a divinity degree, and in 2012 became a youth pastor in California.

Contact us

Start the conversation by聽, scheduling a聽, talking with a professor or coach, or聽.听See what life is really like at our Christian university like no other!

“The Feminine Divine: Embrace and Release鈥� is a participatory dance workshop facilitated by Akiko Ishihara and framed by graphic posters designed by Chelsea Kight. It will be held Wednesday, April 11, 7-9 p.m., in the .

Ishihara is a graduate student in and Kight is an undergraduate in the .

A staged reading centering on the body and souls of people in a country torn by a dictator will be held at 黑料正能量’s on Friday, April 13, and Saturday, April 14, at 7 p.m.

“Death and The Maiden” by Ariel Dorfman will be directed by the theater department’s artist-in-residence and CJP graduate, Roger Foster.

“The three-person cast of , Nathaniel Daniel and , will put a very human face on issues of national trauma, reconciliation and transitional justice,” said Foster.

, chair of , added, 鈥淭his play uses language and situations that are shocking and painful. This is appropriate for the story but may not be suitable for all audiences.”

, art galleries director and professor of the and said, “Traditional art programs are becoming more focused on working in community, and the world increasingly sees the arts as unique tools for healing and community building.”

“The Feminine Divine” is a new chapter in 黑料正能量鈥檚 peacebuilding artist-in-residence experiment, which consists of a year-long progression of gallery exhibits across disciplines and among artists, according to Moore.

鈥淭he arts offer peacebuilders unique tools for transforming intractable interpersonal, intercommunal, national and global conflicts 鈥� tools that are not currently prevalent or available within the peacebuilding field,鈥� said , PhD, research professor and founding director of .

鈥淭he task for peacebuilding practitioners is to find strategic ways of incorporating the arts into the work of peacebuilding and to create a space where people in conflict can express themselves, heal themselves and reconcile themselves through the arts.鈥�

For more information on the dance workshop or the 黑料正能量 art galleries contact Paulette Moore at paulette.moore@emu.edu or 703-597-7766.

For more information on the staged reading, contact the theater department at 540-432-4360 or email theater@emu.edu.