As a young girl, she dreamed of being a park ranger. Or a Great Mouse Detective (the animated mouse version of Sherlock Holmes). She loved spending time outdoors, especially with animals, and enjoyed dressing up her dog and making up stories.

Many years later, that fun-loving, imaginative young girl produced the elaborate set designs for “Pippin,” “Translations” and “Urinetown” — three of Goshen College’s recent main stage productions. To this day, however, Maryn Munley would not call herself “creative.”

“My older sister was very artistic,” says Munley. “She was an art major, and she always seemed incredibly talented and visually in tune, and I was more into animals. Given the choice, I would still pick a dog over a box of crayons.”

Munley refers to a moment at Mundelein High School in Mundelein, Ill., as the beginning of her set design career. She was asked to help out with set design in her high school’s production of “Dancing at Lughnasa.” She painted and learned set design tricks like how to make a plain, flat wall look like a brick wall or how to make a believable building out of plastic foam, assorted metal pieces or piping.

“I never thought I was artistic at all, but it turned out I was pretty good at that type of thing,” she said. “I would be like, ‘Wow! I didn’t know I could do this. I’m surprised this works!’”

She enrolled at Goshen College in the fall of 2008, drawn by Goshen’s small but successful theater program. She took an array of classes she was interested in — many of them theater classes.  In her sophomore year,  she declared a theater major with an environmental science minor.

Originally, Munley was interested in theater for the acting. In  high school and college productions, she had many acting roles – such as Maria in the college’s production of “Twelfth Night”– and genuinely enjoyed her time on stage. However, she realized she had a deeper connection with theater design.

“Being in front of an audience is exhilarating,”  Munley said, “but you could cut that part out and I wouldn’t be hugely upset.”

>> Read the rest of this article on the Goshen Commons website.

Fall Mainstage: “Urinetown, The Musical”
Dates and times: Nov. 9-10 and 16-17 at 8 p.m., and on Nov. 18 at 3 p.m.
Location: Umble Center
Cost: Tickets cost $10 for general admission and $5 for students and seniors, and can be purchased in advance through the Welcome Center by calling (574) 535-7566, emailing welcomecenter@goshen.edu or online at www.goshen.edu/tickets. Tickets can also be purchased at the Umble Center Box Office one hour before the show.

What if in the near future the world has nearly exhausted the earth’s water supply? What if our 21^st century Goshen, Indiana, lifestyle isn’t as sustainable as we think it is? The Goshen College fall mainstage “Urinetown, The Musical” offers a unique “what if” story.

This musical comedy, with music by Mark Hollmann, lyrics by Hollmann and Greg Kotis, and a book by Kotis, both makes fun of musical comedy and makes its audience think about “what if.” It will be performed Nov. 9-10 and 16-17 at 8 p.m., and on Nov. 18 at 3 p.m. Professor of Theater Doug Liechty Caskey is the director, Professor of Music Scott Hochstetler is the music director and Assistant Professor of Music Christopher Fashun is the conductor.

“Urinetown is certainly a musical that pokes fun at musicals; in other words, it pokes fun at itself, and that’s part of the entertainment value for the audience,” Caskey said. “It’s theater with a social conscience. At the same time, this production allows us to step out of our own comfort zone by tackling a musical theater show complete with edgy humor, intense choreography, and some first year student performers and designers in the mix.”

From a musical perspective, Hochstetler added, “There is a great deal of musical playfulness; poking fun, and, at the same time, paying homage to a long, rich history of musical theatre.”

The cast includes: Jay Mast, Anna Nafziger, Brett Conrad, Joel Kawira, Lauren Treiber, Emily Grimes, Jacob Greaser, Ben Ganger, Blake Shetler, Rachel Mast, Peter Meyer Reimer, Abby Bush, Stefan Baumgartner, Martin Flowers, Miranda Earnhart, Rhianna Cockrell, Melody Marshall, Sam Carlson, Paul Zehr, Stefan Baumgartner, Hannah Beachy, Christina Hofer, Cara Paden, Adrienne Schmucker, and Paul Zehr.

Umble Center is accessible to wheelchairs and people with other physical limitations. American Sign Language interpretation will be offered during the March 25 performance of the play.

Tickets cost $10 for general admission and $5 for students and seniors, and can be purchased in advance through the Welcome Center by calling (574) 535-7566, emailing welcomecenter@goshen.edu or online at www.goshen.edu/tickets. Tickets can also be purchased at the Umble Center Box Office one hour before the show.

(Left to right) Goshen College sophomore Paul Zehr, from Carthage, N.Y., and junior Sara Klassen, from Goshen, perform in the play “Mr. Maurizio” this weekend.
Photo by Alex Pletcher/Goshen College Public Relations Office

Event: Goshen College Peace Plays – “Mr. Maurizio” by Mic Weinblatt, directed by 2012 Goshen College alumnus Phil Weaver-Stoesz
Date and time: Oct. 5 at 8 p.m., Oct. 6 at 4 p.m., Oct. 7 at 2 p.m. (ASL interpreted)
Location: Goshen College Umble Center
Cost: All tickets are $3 and can be purchased at the door

GOSHEN, Ind. – The winning play in the 2012 Goshen College Peace Play Contest – the only contest devoted solely to plays about peace and peace-related topics in the United States – is “Mr. Maurizio” by playwright Mic Weinblatt of Minneapolis, Minn.

Weinblatt’s play about regret will have its world premiere on stage during the college’s Homecoming Weekend on Oct. 5 at 8 p.m., Oct. 6 at 4 p.m., Oct. 7 at 2 p.m. (ASL interpreted) in the college’s Umble Center. The play will be performed by Goshen College students and directed by 2012 Goshen College alumnus Phil Weaver-Stoesz during the college’s Homecoming Weekend.

“Mr. Maurizio” explores the volatile relationship between a lonely man in his seventies and his “companion” – a young, compassionate El Salvadoran immigrant named Santina who feeds and cares for the older Italian immigrant. Santina attempts to find Maurizio’s estranged son as his emotional and physical health declines. As his body fails him, his relationship with Santina takes a shocking turn.

“This is a play about regret,” said Weaver-Stoesz, the director. “Regret is powerful because it reveals to us an inexorable truth: that we cannot make a choice twice. We can only ever move forward in our lives; we can never go back.”

The cast includes junior Sara Klassen, a peace, justice and conflict studies major from Goshen; senior Becca Yoder, a social work major from Lancaster, Pa.; and sophomore Paul Zehr, a music and communication double major from Carthage, N.Y.

Weinblatt, the winning playwright, is a former school teacher and principal. He is active in the world-renowned Minneapolis Fringe Festival and has both written and performed in numerous short plays there.

The second place play in the 2012 contest was “Seldom is Heard” by Mary Steelsmith, and honorable mention went to 1999 Goshen College graduate Peter Eash-Scott for his play “Stay Tuned.”

All seats for the performances cost $3 and can be purchased at the door or at the Goshen College Welcome Center. Call (574) 535-7566 for more information.

All three of these plays were selected from the more than 50 plays entered in the biennial contest, which is in its 30^th year (established in 1982). The next deadline for entries to the context is Dec. 31, 2013, with the winning production(s) taking place in fall 2014. Contact Professor of Communication and Theater Doug Liechty Caskey for contest rules and guidelines at douglc@goshen.edu, (574) 535-7393, or Goshen College, 1700 S. Main, Goshen, IN 46526.

The Goshen College Peace Play Contest is underwritten by a grant from the Disciples of Peace, a Middlebury (Ind.) charitable fellowship, and was established in 1982. According to Caskey, this is the only contest devoted solely to plays about peace and peace-related topics in the United States of which he has knowledge.

Previous winners of the Peace Play Contest are:


1982 – “The Dove, the Hawk and the Phoenix,” by Norman A. Bert
1984 – “After the First Death,” by Richard Strayton
1986 – “Shadows,” by Scott Memmer
1988 – “Eminent Domain” by Ronald L. Dye
1990 – “Rock In A Weary Land” by Marian Towne
1994 – “Andromache in Baghdad” by Norma Jenckes
1998 – “Bombers” by Jonathan Graham, first place, and “Catch a Falling Star” by Darrel deChabey, second place
2000 – “Where Are You From?” by Helayne Schiff, first place, and “Topaz” by Kenny Berkowitz, second place
2002 – “The Photo Shoot” by John Wolfson, first place, and “The Story” by Rebecca Schwarz, second place
2004 – “Enough” by Patricia Montley, first place, and “In a Time of War” by Eric Diener Meyer, second place.
2006 – “Baby Boom” by Lia Romeo, first place, and “Acts of Contrition” by Patricia Montley, second place
2008 – “Here to Serve You” by Barbara Lindsay, first place, and “29 Questions” by Hillary Rollins, second place
2010 – “A Gentler Place” by Jeff Carter, first place, and “Pedestrian Casualty, Bronx USA” by Nina Mansfield, second place

Carl McIntyre

Umble Master Class lecture: “Hope is a Four Letter Word,” by Carl McIntyre
Date and time: Tuesday, Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Location: Umble Center
Cost: Free and open to the public

GOSHEN, Ind. – Carl McIntyre is a seasoned actor who acquired the communication disorder aphasia after experiencing a massive stroke at age 44. On Tuesday, Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Goshen College Umble Center, McIntyre will give an Umble Master Class lecture, which will begin with showing the 2010 short film, “Aphasia,” in which he stars. Following the film, which recounts McIntyre’s experience with aphasia, he will share his process of coming to terms with his condition and making positive and inspired decisions about his new life and future in a presentation titled “Hope is a Four Letter Word.”

Aphasia impairs the ability to speak and understand others, and most people with aphasia experience difficulty reading and writing. Since aphasia does not affect intelligence, people who suffer from this disorder often become outsiders, isolated from a world that thrives on communication.

After his stroke, McIntyre was given a deadline of 18 months for recovery. After that, he was told there would be little to no improvement. He met this challenge head-on and defied expectations of most experts. Although his speech is still affected, McIntyre is an example of perseverance, determination and personal motivation. He shows humor, strength of heart and an amazing spirit in the face of staggering obstacles.

To learn more about the Carl McIntyre Aphasia Project, visit www.aphasiathemovie.com or become a fan of Aphasia the Movie on Facebook.

The Roy H. Umble Master Class brings nationally known practitioners and experts in communication and theater to the Goshen College campus annually for events and activities that enrich and inspire students, faculty, the broader campus and local and church communities. Roy H. Umble (1913-1996) dedicated his life as a faculty member to Goshen College and its heritage. He had a deep commitment to the Mennonite Church and expressed his faith to many generations of Goshen College students through his involvement in speech and theater. The Master Class was established with gifts from Goshen College alumni who had benefited from Roy’s teaching and inspiration. An initial gift from Janette Brunk in 1994 served as a tribute both to Roy and her parents, Perry and Fern Brunk, who developed an appreciation for theater because of their daughter’s involvement in it. In 1996, alumnus David E. Yoder, one of Roy’s many former students and admirers, initiated a fund-raising effort to build an endowment to support a master class.

Tickets cost $30, $20 and $15 and can be purchased through the Goshen College Welcome Center by calling (574) 535-7566, emailing welcomecenter@goshen.edu or online at www.goshen.edu/tickets.

Event Info

Performing Arts Series: Imago Theater presents “Zoo Zoo”
Date and time: Friday, April 27 and Saturday, April 28 at 7:30 p.m.
Location:Goshen College’s Umble Center
Cost:$30, $20, $15
For more information: Call (574) 535-7566, e-mail welcomecenter@goshen.edu or visit www.goshen.edu/tickets
Web site: www.imagotheatre.com

Zoo Zoo is penguins playing musical chairs, a cat trapped in a giant paper bag, hippos with insomnia, anteaters as waiters and a madcap revue of illusion, comedy and fun that has inspired audiences nationwide. The show’s universal themes are presented with a light touch, as animals take on human characteristics and inanimate objects spring to mischievous life.

Zoo Zoo is performed without words to an original score by Katie Griesar, and is comprised of a series of short works lasting in length from four to seven minutes. Each work plays on the anthropomorphic realization of animals and inanimate objects. A cast of five plays a multitude of characters ranging from fireflies to giant polar bears in a show that appeals to ages 4 to 104.

Founded in 1979 by Carol Triffle and Jerry Mouawad, Imago Theater’s original productions have toured internationally for over two decades. The universal nature of Imago’s work has won audience and critical acclaim in tours across Asia, Europe, Canada and the United States. The New York Times called the theater’s work “a mastery of mime, dance and acrobatics.”

From adaptations of classics to excursions into vaudevillian existentialism, Imago’s repertoire is as vast as the forms they shape. With commissions for stage, film and television, Imago blurs the lines of the expected to break new ground, exploding performance boundaries, yet maintaining humor and humanity.

Seating for those with disabilities is available. Tickets are nonrefundable.

The Goshen College Performing Arts Series debuted on Sept. 21, 1997. Since then, the college has hosted more than 100 concerts by some of the world’s greatest performers as part of the program.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College Acting News Bureau Coordinator Alysha Bergey Landis at (574) 535-7762 or alyshabl@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report‘s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.

“Twelfth Night,” directed by Professor of Theater Doug Liechty Caskey, will show at Goshen College’s Umble Center on March 23, 24, 30 at 8 p.m. and March 25 (ASL interpreted), April 1 at 3 p.m.

While this production may look different than a typical Shakespeare play, it still features jealousy, mistaken identity, cross-dressing, duels and speaks of the madness of love – all classic Shakespeare. When some shipwrecked strangers get washed ashore in the world of Illyria (an imaginary seaside American city), a playful entanglement of music, love, mistaken identity and trickery ensues.

“Our setting of the play in the 1960s provides the changing cultural landscape necessary to shed light on gender dynamics that are prevalent in the play,” said Patrick Ressler, sound designer/music director and 2011 graduate. “Twelfth Night” features several powerful female roles. “Each woman in the play has considerable sway over her male counterpart,” said Ressler.

The production will include music, starting with songs from 1963 and moving chronologically throughout the play to music from 1966. “Live music is an important element in a show with the opening line ‘If music be the food of love, play on…’” said Ressler.

Projected images referencing the 1960s will also be incorporated into the show. “The period is driven by trends of style and is rich with visual interest,” said Ressler. “As soon as you walk into the space, you will see projected images from the 1960s, inviting you travel back to this volatile era.”

“Twelfth Night” will feature the following performers: first-year Benjie Aguilera Brown (Asuncion, Paraguay) as Sebastian; senior Emily Bowman (Millersburg, Ind.) as Viola;junior Lewis Caskey (Goshen) as Sir Andrew; first-year Rhianna Cockrell (Rileyville, Va.) as Valentine; first-year Brett Conrad (Lakewood, Colo.) as Antonio; sophomore Liz Core (Pella, Iowa) as Olivia; first-year Melanie Hertzler (Goshen) as a servant;first-year Karsten Hess (Goshen) as a sea captain and a priest; sophomore Joel Kawira (Shirati, Tanzania) as Sir Toby Belch; senior Jay Mast (Goshen) as Orsino;junior Maryn Munley (Mundelein, Ill.) as Maria; first-year Angel Reyes (Leesburg, Ind.) as Curio; junior Samuel Rosario (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico) as Fabian; first-year Alan Smith (Lodi, N.Y.) as first officer; first-year Cody Steele (Albion, Ind.) as second officer; sophomore Lauren Treiber (Grand Rapids, Mich.) as Feste the Fool; and junior Justin Yoder (Perkasie, Pa.) as Malvolio.

Professor of Theater Doug Liechty Caskey is the director, Assistant Professor of Theater Tamera Izlar is the producer, Assistant Professor of Theater Andrew Moeggenborg is the technical director and set designer, and Sandy Slabaugh is the production assistant. The production team also includes the following students: junior Cheyenne Barba (Goshen), ASL interpreter; senior Alisha Bender (Pittsburgh, Pa.), house manager; junior Emma Brooks (Littleton, Colo.), poster and program design; first-year Brandi Brubaker (Telford, Pa.), house manager; senior Kelly Frey (Shipshewana, Ind.), dance coach; 2011 graduate Joshua Hofer, light designer; senior Aaron Kaufmann (Tiskilwa, Ill.), master electrician; senior Lauren King (Goshen), dramaturgy; sophomore Sarah Lake-Rayburn (Champaign, Ill.), hair and make-up and costume crew; senior Matt Lehman (Kidron, Ohio), costume shop manager; sophomore Robert Lerch (Spring Valley, N.Y.), sound board operator; junior Clare Maxwell (Winchester, Mass.), hair and make-up designer; sophomore Shane Miller (Goshen), projectionist; junior Maryn Munley (Mundelein, Ill.), assistant stage manager; 2011 graduate Patrick Ressler, sound designer/music director; first-year Alan Smith (Lodi, N.Y.), assistant stage manager; junior Carrie Smucker (Bird In Hand, Pa.), ASL interpreter ; sophomore Jessica Sprunger (Goshen), costume designer; first-year Cody Steele (Albion, Ind.), assistant stage manager; sophomore Gwen Stephan (Goshen), light board operator; sophomore Angie Troyer (Elkhart, Ind.), stage manager; senior Phil Weaver-Stoesz (Goshen), master carpenter and set construction and sophomore Natasha Weisenbeck (Clifton, Ill.), props manager.

The approximate run-time for the show is two-and-a-half hours, including a 10-minute intermission. Umble Center is accessible to wheelchairs and people with other physical limitations. American Sign Language interpretation will be offered during the March 25 performance of the play.

Tickets cost $8 for general admission and $5 for students and seniors, and can be purchased in advance through the Welcome Center by calling (574) 535-7566, emailing welcomecenter@goshen.edu or online atwww.goshen.edu/tickets. Tickets can also be purchased at the Umble Center Box Office one hour before the show.

–By Alysha Landis

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College Acting News Bureau Coordinator Alysha Bergey Landis at (574) 535-7762 or alyshabl@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report‘s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.

Snodgrass’ “Haiku” features Louise, a severely brain-injured girl who, at times, has intervals of being miraculously “normal.” Sometimes, she is so super normal that she speaks in beautiful haiku poetry. Her mother has published the poems under her own name. When an older daughter visits, she refuses to believe that her sister Louise composed the extraordinary poems.

Event Info

Winter One Acts: “Haiku,” by Katherine Snodgrass and “La Serva Padrona (The Servant Turned Mistress),” by Giovanni Pergolesi
Date and time: Feb. 3, 4 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 5 (ASL interpreted) at 3 p.m.
Location: Goshen College’s Umble Center
Cost:Tickets cost $3, available through the Goshen College Welcome Center by calling (574) 535-7566, emailing welcomecenter@goshen.edu, online at goshen.edu/tickets or at the Umble Center Box Office an hour before the show.

“La Serva Padrona” is a one-act opera about a maid who schemes to marry her master. This comedic intermezzo by Pergolesi employs disguises, trickery and witty banter through recitative to tell the story of Uberto, Serpina and the mute page, Vespone.

“Both of these plays have their way of connecting to our “Strangers No More’”season in that the characters are trying hard to figure out the real identity of other characters,” said Doug Liechty Caskey, professor of theater. “Many questions and misconceptions about true identity are revealed along the way.”

“Haiku” will feature Jenna Grubaugh ’10 as Nell, Josh Hofer ’11 as director, junior Vanessa Jones (Dolton, S.D.) as Billie, sophomore Sarah Lake-Rayburn (Champaign, Ill.) as Louise and junior Gwen Stephan(Goshen) as the stage manager.

“La Serva Padrona” will feature senior Aaron Kaufmann (Tiskilwa, Ill.) in his senior theater recital, as Uberto. The opera will also feature junior Brook Hostetter (Harrisonburg, Va.) as Serpina, senior Sarah Lerch (Spring Valley, N.Y.) as stage manager, Patrick Ressler ’11 as director and senior Phil Weaver-Stoesz (Goshen) as Vespone. Senior Lisa Horst (Goshen) is the music director for the opera, overseeing junior Hannah Bartel (Iowa City, Iowa) on cello, sophomore Phillip Bontrager (Goshen) on viola, junior Ben Breckbill (Lincoln, Neb.) on harpsichord, senior Laura Krabill (Tiskilwa, Ill.) on violin and senior Elspeth Stalter (Iowa City, Iowa) on violin.

Professor of Theater Doug Liechty Caskey is the producer for the show and Assistant Professor of Theater Andrew Moeggenborg is the technical director. Other members of the production team for the Winter One Acts include: junior Hannah Bartel (Iowa City, Iowa) as photographer, senior Alisha Bender (Pittsburgh, Pa.) as house manager, senior Emma Brooks (Littleton, Colo.) as poster/program designer, Josh Hofer ’11 as light designer, junior Sam Jones (Goshen) as sound designer, senior Aaron Kaufmann (Tiskilwa, Ill.) as light designer and master electrician, senior Matt Lehman (Kidron, Ohio) as costume shop manager, senior Sarah Lerch (Spring Valley, N.Y.) as stage manager, senior Rebecca Lintz (Sylvania, Ohio) as ASL interpreter, senior Paul Manickam (Portland, Ore.) as set designer and set constructer, senior Jay Mast (Goshen) as house manager, junior Clare Maxwell (Winchester, Mass.) as hair and make-up designer, junior Saralyn Murray (Orrville, Ohio) as ASL interpreter, Sandy Slabaugh as production assistant, first-year Cody Steele (Albion, Ind.) as light board operator, junior Gwen Stephan (Goshen) as assistant stage manager, junior Marshal Watson (Goshen) as props manager, senior Phil Weaver-Stoesz (Goshen) as master carpenter and sophomore Natasha Weisenbeck (Clifton, Ill.) as costume designer.

Tickets for the show cost $3, and are available through the Welcome Center by calling (574) 535-7566, emailingwelcomecenter@goshen.edu, online at goshen.edu/tickets or at the Umble Center Box Office an hour before the show.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College Acting News Bureau Coordinator Alysha Bergey Landis at (574) 535-7762 or alyshabl@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report‘s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.

GOSHEN, Ind. – The Goshen College Theater Department once again is hosting a Peace Play contest, and submissions will continue to be accepted until Dec. 31. This biennial one-of-a-kind Peace Play contest challenges playwrights around the world to tell a story about peace in a one-act play.

Typically, 50-75 submissions of new, un-produced one-act plays are received in every two-year cycle of the contest. Though playwrights are required to explore a contemporary peace theme within their plays, the term peace is broadly interpreted. In fact, it is the diversity of play submissions that is one of the contest’s greatest strengths, said Doug Liechty Caskey, professor of theater and theater department chair.

“Of those who submit scripts to the contest, by far the largest percentage of playwrights have never heard of Goshen College except through this contest,” said Caskey. “In fact, we’ve heard from some that we are the only playwriting contest devoted solely to the theme of peace that also offers a cash prize to the winners.”

The selection panel, made up of Goshen College faculty members, will read the submissions over the next months and will notify the first- and second-place winners by June 30, 2012. The winning play will be produced during the October 2012 Homecoming Weekend. In addition, the first-place winner will receive a $500 prize and will be provided with room and board to attend rehearsals and the production of his or her play. The second-place winner will receive a $100 prize.

“One of the fascinating aspects of this contest and the resultant wide variety of information and beliefs contained within the plays is that it challenges those of us who might otherwise take GC’s core value of ‘compassionate peacemaking’ for granted,” said Caskey. “We’re not looking for scripts that simply placate our collective beliefs, but rather scripts that challenge and agitate us to continue thinking about a changing world that so dearly longs for peaceful coexistence.”

Past Peace Play productions include “Here to Serve You,” by Barbara Lindsay, “Baby Boom,” by Lia Romeo and “Enough,” by P. Montley.

For more information about how to submit to the Peace Play contest, visit www.goshen.edu/theater/peace-play.

While the contest was initially created through a generous donor gift in 1982, it now needs additional support. The Goshen College Peace Play Contest has taken on a life of its own and continues to give GC a presence on the national creative scene and provides students with unique learning opportunities. Those interested in helping to keep the contest viable into the future should contact the GC Development Office at (574) 535-7558 or (800) 348-7422, go online at www.goshen.edu/give or email Caskey at douglc@goshen.edu.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College Acting News Bureau Coordinator Alysha Bergey Landis at (574) 535-7762 or alyshabl@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report’s ”America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.

GOSHEN, Ind. – The Goshen College Theater Department will present Arthur Miller’s “A View from the Bridge” for the fall mainstage production, part of the 2011-12 “Strangers No More” season. The production, directed by Tamera Izlar, assistant professor of theater, will be presented on Nov. 4, 5, 11 and 12 at 8 p.m. and on Nov. 6 (ASL interpreted) and 13 at 3 p.m. in Goshen College’s Umble Center.

Classified by critics as a modern tragedy, “A View from the Bridge” focuses on the strengths and imperfections of the domestic world of middle-class individuals. Taking place in an Italian-American neighborhood near the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City in the 1950s, this play is a love story gone wrong.

Eddie Carbone, an Italian-American longshoreman, lives in Red Hook, Brooklyn, with his wife, Beatrice and his niece, Catherine. He is a pillar in the community who is devoted to and protective of his family. After his wife’s cousins, Marco and Rodolpho, arrive in America illegally, escaping the poverty of Sicily, Eddie’s troubles begin.

As Rodolpho and Catherine fall in love, Eddie’s adoration for his niece is no longer touching as it turns into obsession. Eddie becomes increasingly terrifying as his love and loyalty for his niece is challenged by his wife and the cousins. Eddie works adamantly to retain his community authority and defend his reputation.

The New York News described the play as “an intensely absorbing drama, sure of itself every step of the way. It makes no false moves, wastes no time and has the beauty that comes from directness and simplicity.”

The cast for “A View from the Bridge” includes the following students: seniors Emily Bowman (Millersburg, Ind.), Billy Funk (Gallup, N.M.), Matt Lehman (Kidron, Ohio), Paul Manickam (Portland, Ore.), Jay Mast (Goshen) and Phil Weaver-Stoesz (Goshen); juniors Vanessa Jones (Dolton, S.D.) and Nate Vader (Mechanicsburg, Pa.); sophomores Sara Klassen (Goshen) and Sarah Lake-Rayburn (Champaign, Ill.) and first-years Benjie Aguilera (Paraguay), Brett Conrad (Lakewood, Colo.), Angel Reyes, Jr. (Leesburg, Ind.) and Landon Slabaugh (Kalona, Iowa).

The production team includes faculty/staff: Tamera Izlar, director, Doug Liechty Caskey, producer, and Andrew Moeggenborg, technical director and set designer. The production team also includes the following students: seniors Emily Bowman (Millersburg, Ind.), acting coach, Kelly Frey (Shipshewana, Ind.), hair and make-up designer, Josh Hofer (Dolton, S.D.), assistant to the director and dramaturgy, Aaron Kaufmann (Tiskilwa, Ill.), light designer and master electrician, Matt Lehman (Kidron, Ohio), costume shop manager, Brittany Lentz (Chambersburg, Pa.), ASL interpreter, Sarah Lerch (Spring Valley, N.Y.), stage manager and Phil Weaver-Stoesz (Goshen), master carpenter; juniors Emma Brooks (Littleton, Colo.), poster/program design, Maryn Munley (Mundelein, Ill.), costume designer and Sarah Rutt (Lancaster, Pa.), ASL interpreter; sophomores Joel Kawira (Shirati, Tanzania), sound designer, Gwen Stephan (Goshen), light board operator and Angela Troyer (Elkhart, Ind.), assistant stage manager and first-years Rhianna Cockrell (Rileyville, Va.), props manager, Melanie Hertzler (Goshen), props manager, Nereida Jimenez (Crown Point, Ind.), sound board operator and Cody Steele (Albion, Ind.), assistant stage manager.

The approximate run time for the show is two hours, including a 10-minute intermission. Umble Center is accessible to wheelchairs and people with other physical limitations. American Sign Language interpretation will be offered during the Nov. 6 performance of the play.

Tickets cost $8 for general admission and $5 for students and seniors and can be purchased in advance by calling (574) 535-7566, emailing welcomecenter@goshen.edu or visiting www.goshen.edu/tickets, or at the Umble Center Box Office one hour before the performance.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College Acting News Bureau Coordinator Alysha Bergey Landis at (574) 535-7762 or alyshabl@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report‘s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.