Category: News Releases

News Releases

Shakespearean Comedy Enters the Disco Era at Festival Playhouse

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Jack Dewey ’27 will have a handful of flamboyant costumes to wear, including a bright blue velvet suit, when he plays a not-so-typical King Ferdinand of Navarre in the Shakespearean Love’s Labour’s Lost, coming to the Festival Playhouse.

Running November 6–November 9, the show takes the Bard’s witty comedy about love and vows and spins it into a vibrant 1970s spectacle filled with music, dancing and retro flair.

“We’ve got flashing lights, dance numbers, sequined costumes—everything is colorful, loud and alive,” Dewey said. “It’s less like seeing Shakespeare and more like watching Mamma Mia.”

Originally written in the 1590s, Love’s Labour’s Lost follows four noblemen who swear off women and worldly pleasures to focus on their academic studies—until a visiting princess and her ladies arrive, undoing their oaths. In this production, Dewey and his fellow lords are reimagined as having the swagger and energy of college fraternity brothers, complete with banter, bravado and bad decisions.

“I’ve never played someone who’s just an absolute jerk before,” Dewey laughed. “In most of my roles, I’ve been the hopeless romantic or the sad guy. This time I get to be a switchblade-comb-wielding, smooth-talking, terrible flirt, and it’s so refreshing.”

Four cast members of Shakespearean comedy Love's Labour's Lost Rehearse at Festival Playhouse
The cast of the Shakespearean comedy “Love’s Labour’s Lost” includes Hannah Ulanoski ’26 as Marcade (from left), Jack Dewey ’26 as King Ferdinand of Navarre, Morgan Smith ’29 as the Princess of France and Max Wright ’26 as Boyet.

The decision to set the play in the 1970s, Dewey said, came from the creative team’s desire to capture an era defined by liberation and self-expression.

“All of our costumes are incredibly sequined and shiny,” he said. “The ’70s were about freedom and individuality, and that fits perfectly with the play’s humor and feminist themes.”

A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Dewey said he hadn’t heard of Kalamazoo College until he began receiving recruitment emails. One campus visit changed his future, helped in part by having family living in southwest Michigan. 

“I stepped foot on campus and thought, ‘This is what I want my college experience to look like,’” he said.

Since becoming a student at K, Dewey has performed in Eurydice and Little Shop of Horrors. Even with that experience, Love’s Labour’s Lost is his most physically demanding role.

“We’re running, sliding and lunging, all while speaking in Shakespearean English,” he said. “It’s wild, but this cast makes it so much fun.”

That cast includes several first-year students, including Morgan Smith as the princess of France; Jey Trebley as Berowne; Sam Pattison as Dumaine; Dewen Luo-Li as Rosaline; Laurel Stowers as Maria; and Abram Haynes as Longaville. Dewey said their energy has transformed rehearsals into what he calls the best kind of organized chaos.

“Half the cast are first-years, and they’re so loud, outgoing and funny,” he said. “It’s incredible to see the youngest people leading the charge.”

He also credits acting leaders such as Bernice Mike ’26 as Katherine, Owen Ellis ’27 as Costard and Max Wright ’26 as Boyet for the experience they bring to the cast. Despite the challenges of Shakespeare’s language, Dewey said the company’s modern take makes the story accessible and hilarious.

“I don’t always know what every word means, but I know what my character is trying to say,” he said. “That’s what makes it fun, translating Shakespeare’s intentions into something audiences can feel.”

For anyone hesitant about seeing Shakespeare, Dewey insists this production will change their mind.

“If anyone wants to dip their toes into Shakespeare, this is the play to see,” he said. “It’s an hour of chaos, comedy and color.”

Love’s Labour’s Lost will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, November 6–Saturday, November 8, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, November 9. Tickets are available through the Festival Playhouse box office website and by phone at 269.337.7333. For more information on the production, contact Theatre Company Manager Kirsten Sluyter at Kirsten.Sluyter@kzoo.edu.

Mellon-Funded Project Brings Humanities Leaders to K

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A grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, provided to Kalamazoo College in 2022, will culminate this week with community partners from New Orleans, San Diego, St. Louis, Kalamazoo and more gathering at the College to share the successes of the Humanities Integrated Locational Learning (HILL) project.

The Learning in/from Place and Community Conference will take place Friday–Sunday, October 24–26. By bridging academic inquiry with local partnership, place-based practice, and regional perspectives, the conference offers a model for how liberal arts institutions can engage meaningfully with broad social themes.

“After four years of our students learning from community partners in each of these sites, we are excited to host many of them in Kalamazoo,” Associate Professor of Sociology Francisco Villegas said. “Here, they will be able to meet one another, connect with people doing similar work in Kalamazoo and across Michigan, and share lessons from their work. Each organization has substantial knowledge that is grounded in their geographic location and we hope the conference will further collaborations that will support our respective communities.”

The public is invited. No registration is necessary. Opening remarks will begin at 4:30 p.m. Friday in Dewing Hall, room 103, with a screening of the film BODEWADMI NDAW. A discussion will follow with filmmaker Davis Henderson ’25, artist Jason Wesaw of the Pokegon band of the Potawatomi tribe, and leaders from local Indigenous communities.

Saturday’s highlights include a plenary address by Jamala Rogers, the executive director of the Organization for Black Struggle, at 10 a.m. at the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership. Additional panels throughout the day will cover history and preservation, local priorities and cultivating community.

Moderators on Saturday will include K faculty members Christina Carroll, associate professor of history; Espelencia Baptiste, associate professor of anthropology; and Marquise Griffin, associate director of the Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement. Panelists will include:

  • Lulu Urdiales of the Chicano Park Museum and Community Center in San Diego, Ben Looker of St. Louis University, Amber Mitchell of the Henry Ford Museum and Dylan AT Miner of the University of Michigan from 11:15 a.m.–12:45 p.m.
  • Jazmin Ortiz-Ash of the Kalamazoo County ID program, Macrina Cardenas Montaño of Coalición Pro Defensa Del Migrante in Tijuana, Mexico, Kenlana Ferguson of the Michigan Transformation Collective, and Sashae Mitchell of the Center for Civic Engagement from 2–3:30 p.m.
  • Gloria Ward of Ms. Gloria’s Garden in New Orleans, Hristina Petrovska of Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Jackie Mitchell of Integrated Services of Kalamazoo and Shane Bernardo from Food as Healing in Detroit at 3:30 p.m.
Associate Professor of Sociology Francisco Villegas, a co-leader of the Humanities Integrated Locational Learning project
Associate Professor of Sociology Francisco Villegas
Associate Professor of English Shanna Salinas, a co-leader of the Humanities Integrated Locational Learning project
Associate Professor of English Shanna Salinas

Sunday will feature a digital humanities and student research exhibition from 9–10 a.m. at the Arcus Center. A plenary with People for Public Art Executive Director Monica Rose Kelly will follow along with a place-based art workshop featuring Kelly and Destine Price of the FIRE Arts Collaborative in Kalamazoo. The conference concludes with closing remarks at 12:30 p.m.

In 2022, the Mellon grant helped the College’s HILL project organizers design student coursework rooted in K’s commitment to experiential learning and social justice. The program addressed issues such as racism, border policing, economic inequities, homelessness and global warming, while examining history, how humans share land, and the dislocations that bring people to a communal space.

The project was envisioned by Villegas, Associate Professor of English Shanna Salinas and Professor Emeritus of English Bruce Mills. They invited K faculty to build curricula that reflected how power structures produce destabilizing dynamics and the collective responses of affected communities.

Students then had opportunities—locally and at sites across the country—to immerse themselves in heritage, culture, landscapes and community experiences through course materials, collaborative faculty-student research, community engagement, the development of program assessments and the sharing of oral histories tied to partnering projects and organizations. The Beyond Kalamazoo course clusters focused on themes of location and dislocation, emphasizing place-based learning through an integrated travel component in New Orleans, St. Louis or San Diego. The Within Kalamazoo cluster emphasized social issues in the Kalamazoo community. A digital humanities hub published, archived and assessed outcomes in coursework and partnerships.

The Learning in/from Place and Community Conference aims to show how the HILL project has deepened understanding of the humanities’ relevance to society by advancing innovative responses to interconnected issues through students and faculty. For more information, contact Salinas at Shanna.Salinas@kzoo.edu or Villegas at Francisco.Villegas@kzoo.edu.

K Retains ‘Hidden Gem’ Status for Academics, Athletics

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For the third year in a row, Kalamazoo College has been selected as a Hidden Gem by College Raptor, a planning platform that helps students and families find college matches driven by algorithms to find their best-fit schools at the best price.  

This selection for 2026 places K among the top eight institutions in the Great Lakes Region of Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana. It further recognizes the College as one of the best in the country based on a combination of factors including retention rates, graduation rates, student-to-faculty ratio, endowment per student, selectivity and other key metrics as reported through the National Center for Education Statistics. 

“For today’s students, expanding the definition of ‘dream school’ to include attainable options that align with family income, grades and additional factors can help more students arrive at college with confidence,” College Raptor co-founder William Staib said. “That’s what our Hidden Gems list and College Match tool aim to do.”

Stetson Chapel picture for Hidden Gem story
Kalamazoo College has retained its status as a College Raptor Hidden Gem for 2026.

College Raptor also ranks K among 25 Hidden Gems for Division III athletics. To qualify for either list, an institution must receive fewer than 5,000 applications per year, have fewer than 7,000 undergraduate students, offer at least five unique majors and have an acceptance rate of at least 10%. 

College Raptor’s full methodology is outlined on its website. 

‘Grand Bargain’ Judge Slated to Deliver Flesche Lecture

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Kalamazoo College will welcome back distinguished alumnus Gerald Rosen ’73 as the keynote speaker for the 2025 Donald C. Flesche Lecture. The event, “The Grand Bargain: Lessons from the Detroit Bankruptcy,” will take place at 8 p.m. Wednesday, September 24, in the Olmsted Room of Mandelle Hall. The lecture will be free and open to the public, and a livestream will be available for those unable to attend.

Rosen, a retired federal judge for the Eastern District of Michigan and former chief judge of the court, is best known for his role in Detroit’s historic bankruptcy case. His leadership in crafting the “Grand Bargain” helped the city exit bankruptcy in 2014 while protecting the pensions of thousands of retirees and preserving the Detroit Institute of Arts’ world-renowned collection.

Rosen also spoke at K in the 2015 Weber Lecture and was interviewed as a guest at an event for students in 2018. After earning his law degree at George Washington University, Rosen went on to a distinguished career in private practice before being appointed to the federal bench in 1989. During nearly three decades as a judge, including seven years as chief judge, he presided over landmark cases involving terrorism, constitutional questions and civil rights.

Rosen returns to campus as his story is reaching new audiences. His 2024 book, Grand Bargain: The Inside Story of Detroit’s Dramatic Journey from Bankruptcy to Rebirth, provides a behind-the-scenes account of how city officials, state leaders, philanthropists and creditors came together to negotiate a solution once thought impossible. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has described Rosen as “a very important figure in Detroit’s history” whose “daring leadership, wisdom and diplomacy” helped set the stage for the city’s recovery. Rosen discussed the book in a January interview with WMUK 102.1. He and his book also will be spotlighted in the fall edition of Lux Esto.

The annual Flesche Lecture honors Donald C. Flesche, a longtime professor of political science at Kalamazoo College, who influenced generations of students—including Rosen himself. While studying at K, Rosen majored in political science and took courses with Flesche that helped shape his career in law and public service.

Cover of Grand Bargain Book
Retired judge and author Gerald Rosen ’73 will visit Kalamazoo College on September 24 to deliver the annual Flesche Lecture. A livestream will be available.

K Earns High Marks in Three National Publications

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Kalamazoo College is again drawing national attention for its quality in higher education with three national publications—Forbes, Washington Monthly and Money—ranking the institution among the top colleges and universities in the country. 

Forbes placed K as the top private school in Michigan and listed it third in the state overall through the 2026 America’s Top Colleges list. That recognition places the College No. 153 in the country regardless of size, location or public/private status. The business, finance and investing publication emphasized return on investment, alumni success, graduation rates, post-graduation debt and student outcomes in selecting the 500 institutions honored. Forbes also ranked K 46th among the nation’s top schools with fewer than 4,000 students and credited the College on its list of 25 private schools that award generous financial aid.  

K is featured on two lists through Washington Monthly, finishing 30th on both: The Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars and Best Bang for the Buck Colleges (Midwest). Washington Monthly editors have touted their lists of top colleges as an antidote to the U.S. News & World Report rankings. U.S. News heavily considers factors such as colleges’ reputations, wealth and their students’ SAT scores, which are often correlated with the income of students’ families. In comparison, Washington Monthly’s rankings are meant to measure accessibility, affordability and commitment to certain social ideals, with data points including colleges’ voter-registration rate and the percentage of degrees they award in fields such as health and education. 

Picture of Upper Quad to go with National Excellence story
Forbes, Washington Monthly and Money are honoring Kalamazoo College among the top national institutions of higher education.

Money revamped its Best Colleges in America ranking system two years ago into a star-ratings list. Of the 2,400 institutions the publication analyzed in 2025, 732 four-year public and private nonprofit institutions—including K—received at least a two-star rating based on 25 factors such as graduation rates, cost and what alumni can expect to earn. With three and a half stars, this is the third consecutive year K has been among the institutions ranked by Money. 

Cristin Reid ’90 to Deliver Keynote at Kalamazoo College’s 2025 Convocation

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Cristin Reid, Chair and CEO of Capitol National Bank in Lansing, Michigan, will deliver the keynote address at Kalamazoo College’s 2025 Convocation on September 11 at 3:30 p.m.

Reid, a 1990 graduate of Kalamazoo College, has built a distinguished career spanning finance and law.  Her early work in the legal field led to her appointment as counsel for a newly formed bank holding company led by her family; today, she serves as chair and CEO of that company, Capitol National Bank, where her leadership has been recognized nationally and statewide. Under her guidance, the bank was named a top five finalist in the country for “Extraordinary Bank of the Year” and was ranked by S&P Global in the top 100 banks in the country based on 2023 and 2024 performance. Reid was recognized by American Banker at the 2024 Most Powerful Women in Banking Gala and that year she and Capitol National Bank also were selected for the Influence and Impact Award in the Greater Lansing Entrepreneurial Awards. In 2025, she was named a Notable Leader in Finance by Crain’s Detroit Business.

In addition to her role at Capitol National, Reid is managing director of Access BIDCO, a regulated financial organization that delivers both financing and management consulting to small businesses, primarily across Michigan. She has served on the board at Access since 1994.

2025 Convocation Speaker Cristin Reid
Cristin Reid ’90, the chair and CEO of Capitol national Bank in Lansing, Michigan, will deliver the 2025 Convocation keynote address at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, September 11, on the Quad at Kalamazoo College.

Her commitment to economic inclusion and community vitality also extends into the nonprofit sector. Reid is the founder of the Capitol Foundation, which offers immediate gap financing to small businesses and individuals who do not qualify for traditional bank loans. Since its start, the foundation has returned over $1.2 million back to the community. She serves on several boards, including the Lansing Economic Area Partnership Board and the Michigan Bankers Association Board.

Reid holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Kalamazoo College, a juris doctor from the University of Toledo College of Law and an MBA from the University of Michigan.

Convocation marks the start of the academic year and formally welcomes the matriculating class of 2029 into the Kalamazoo College community. President Jorge G. Gonzalez, Vice President for Student Development J. Malcolm Smith, Provost Danette Ifert Johnson, Director of Admission Shannon Milan, Chaplain Elizabeth Candido, the Convocation speaker, faculty, staff and President’s Student Ambassadors will welcome students and their families. All students, families, faculty and staff are invited to attend in person or via livestream.

Princeton Review Rates K Among Best Values

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When prospective families weigh the return on investment of a college education, they can rest assured that Kalamazoo College provides one of the best values in the U.S., according to the Princeton Review. 

For the fourth consecutive year, the education services company has included K on its Best Value Colleges list, placing the institution among the top 209 in the country for 2025 regardless of size, location or private/public status. K is one of just five Michigan institutions overall and two privates to receive the honor. 

Although schools are not ranked individually, K was selected as a best value based on 40 data points that calculate ratings based on academic offerings, costs, financial aid, career services, graduation rates and student debt. The Princeton Review also considers student surveys and PayScale.com reviews of alumni salaries. K received an overall ROI score of 90 out of 99 with additional high marks for its accessible faculty at 92, interesting professors at 92 and financial aid at 91.  

K’s profile at the Princeton Review website features student surveys that describe building “personal relationships with their peers and professors” at “a campus run by and for the students.” The flexible curriculum encourages students “to explore exactly what they want to learn,” while K’s alumni are easy to contact and have a strong culture of support for current students. 

Kalamazoo College campus 2025 best values
For the fourth year in a row, Kalamazoo College has been rated among the nation’s best values by the Princeton Review, an education services company.

“The schools on our Best Value Colleges list this year are truly exceptional,” Princeton Review Editor-in-Chief Rob Franek said. “They offer outstanding academics and excellent career services. They also demonstrate extraordinary commitments to affordability via generous financial aid and/or comparatively low sticker prices. We commend them for all that they do to help students afford to attend them and we recommend them highly to college applicants.” 

For more information on the Princeton Review’s methodology, visit its website. 

Six New Heyl Scholars to Attend K in 2025–26

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Six Kalamazoo County high school students seeking to major in STEM-related fields will attend Kalamazoo College in the 2025-26 academic year as Heyl scholars.   

The Heyl Scholarship Fund was established in 1971 through the will of Dr. Frederick Heyl and Mrs. Elsie Heyl. Frederick Heyl was the first chemist at The Upjohn Company, later becoming a vice president and the company’s first director of research. When he retired in 1945, he had contributed scientifically to about 80 research papers and patents while also teaching chemistry at Kalamazoo College. He maintained a lifelong passion for science and education and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree from K in 1937.     

Since then, Heyl scholarships have enabled hundreds of high school graduates from Kalamazoo County to attend Kalamazoo College for STEM-focused majors or Western Michigan University for nursing, with renewable benefits for up to four years that cover tuition, fees, housing and a book allowance.    

This year’s K recipients of the scholarships and their high schools are:   

  • Methmi Amaratunga​, Portage Central and the Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center (KAMSC)  
  • Stephanie Castillo​, Kalamazoo Central  
  • Eiden Jonaitis​, Loy Norrix and KAMSC 
  • Dewen Luo-Li​, Portage Central and KAMSC 
  • Gwendolyn MacEwen​, Portage Central and KAMSC 
  • Kaljona Thanmanavar​, Kalamazoo Central and KAMSC 
Eight students chosen as Heyl scholars for 2025-26
The 2025 Heyl scholars include (back row from left) Fiona Braun, Kaljona Thanmanavar, Margaret Winter and Gwendolyn MacEwen. Front row from left: Stephanie Castillo, Eiden Jonaitis, Methmi Amaratunga and Dewen Luo-Li.

Two additional Heyl scholars—Fiona Braun​ of Loy Norrix and Margaret Winter of Parchment and KAMSC—will attend the Western Michigan University Bronson School of Nursing. 

Kalamazoo College Singers to Present Michigan Premiere

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The Kalamazoo College Singers will present the Michigan premiere of Hymnody of Earth, a song cycle composed by musician and choral director Malcolm Dalglish, at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, at K’s Stetson Chapel, 1200 Academy St. 

The composer himself will play the virtuosic hammered dulcimer and will be joined by International Percussion Ensemble Director Carolyn Koebel on percussion. Associate Professor of Music Chris Ludwa will be conducting the 45-voice college choir. 

This 70-minute program features 19 songs, many of which are inspired by eco-poet Wendell Berry. This is the fourth time Ludwa has directed the piece, having previously led three performances in Indiana. He notes that the work is an all-time favorite among participating singers and audiences. 

Hymnody features the hammered dulcimer, an ancient instrument, often considered an ancestor of the piano, that has been popular in various cultures, including in the Middle East and Europe. Dalglish and Koebel are performing the piece with several other choirs in the Midwest this spring. 

While a music education student at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Dalglish designed and built more than 60 hammer dulcimers. He was a founding member of the popular folk trio Metamora and has nine albums, including solo offerings on the Windham Hill label. The American Boychoir, the St. Olaf Choir, the Indianapolis Children’s Choir and others have commissioned his folk-inspired music. In 1997, he formed the Oolites, an engaging young group of folk singers. Hymnody of Earth was their second CD; it is a spiritual celebration of nature that has been performed by choirs around the world. 

The Kalamazoo College Singers, outside Stetson Chapel, will perform with Malcolm Dalglish
The Kalamazoo College Singers are a mixed soprano, alto, tenor and bass choir.
Composer Malcolm Dalglish
Composer Malcolm Dalglish
Associate Professor of Music Chris Ludwa directing the Kalamazoo College Singers
Associate Professor of Music Chris Ludwa serves as the director of the Kalamazoo College Singers.
International Percussion Director Carolyn Koebel to perform with Kalamazoo College Singers
International Percussion Director Carolyn Koebel

“Dalglish’s songs are instantly accessible to anyone, yet somehow speak to the deepest part of our being on a soul level,” Ludwa said. “I’ve encountered few composers that can move both the skeptic and the most devout in the same way. His music is a balm to the weary human as he knits ancient musical traditions, texts that magically describe the magnificence of nature, and melodic and harmonic material that sends shivers up the spine and brings tears to the eyes.” 

Tickets will be available at the door for a suggested donation of $15. For more information, contact Ludwa at 231-225-8877 or cludwa@kzoo.edu.  

‘Little Shop of Horrors’ Takes Root at K

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Something big, green and hungry is taking root at Kalamazoo College this week with Mo Silcott ’27 and Lee Zwart ’27 bringing it to life. The two will provide the puppetry behind the Audrey II, a giant plant with a taste for trouble, in the dark musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors, presented by the Festival Playhouse May 15–18. 

In the play, Seymour—a wallflower of an assistant at Mr. Mushnik’s plant shop—desires Audrey, a beautiful co-worker who dates a sadistic dentist. After a sudden solar eclipse, Seymour finds a mysterious plant that looks like a Venus fly trap and names it the Audrey II.  

Despite Seymour’s best efforts, Audrey II sickens until Seymour pricks his finger on a thorn, causing the plant to hungrily open its pod. Business begins to blossom for the shop as the bloodthirsty Audrey II grows like a weed. The situation, however, seeds problems, forcing Seymour to nip them in the bud. Max Goldner ’27 portrays Seymour, James Hauke ’26 plays Mr. Mushnik, Sophia Merchant ’25 performs as Audrey, and Drew Oss ’28 presents Orin the Dentist. 

Two "Little Shop of Horrors" actors with the Audrey II puppet
Sophia Merchant ’25 portrays Audrey and Max Goldner ’27 plays Seymour in “Little Shop of Horrors Thursday–Sunday at the Festival Playhouse of Kalamazoo College. Audrey II puppet provided by Cameron McEachern.

“Little Shop has always been one of my favorite shows, and I think the plot speaks to a lot of Americans’ current situation, whether that be in the same sense as Seymour or not,” Silcott said. “We might want to get out of a bad spot, to be somewhere that isn’t the harsh reality we find ourselves in during our day-to-day life. Little Shop gives the audience a chance to laugh at that a little bit and digest those realities in a show that manages to take itself seriously while also finding places for laughter.” 

Bringing the botanical behemoth to life is no small feat, but Silcott and Zwart are up for the challenge. The Festival Playhouse is renting the puppets with Silcott performing as the smaller Audrey II in the first act and Zwart performing as the full-grown beast in the second act. 

“One of the biggest challenges of performing the role of Audrey II is having to sit still on stage for about 25 minutes,” Silcott said. “Most of my acting consists of me sitting idly, and I didn’t realize how hard it is to actually just sit in one position with a full costume on, one that is stuffed with extremely warm materials. It’s very difficult to not move in a puppet that is a lot of fun to operate.” 

Zwart potentially faces an even bigger challenge, wearing a harness that allows him to operate an upper and a lower pod of the Audrey II plant: He faces a full-body workout while synching his movements with an offstage voice. 

“It’s physically taxing,” Zwart said. “I have to maneuver all of myself around to move this puppet and it’s pretty heavy and hot.”  

After weeks of such exertion, Zwart is looking forward to opening night.   

“It’s always fun to practice a play just running through it, but hearing the audience laughing and clapping is really very rewarding, especially for a play that’s as over the top as Little Shop.” 

The student-led production promises big vocals, bold costumes and plenty of leafy-green surprises, providing the cast and crew with ambitious challenges. The musical will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 15–Saturday, May 17, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 18, in the Festival Playhouse Theatre at 129 Thompson St. Thursday’s show will include a talkback with the cast after the performance. Tickets are available online or by calling the Festival Playhouse at 269.337.7333. 

“I’m really looking forward to the audience’s reaction to the puppets,” Silcott said. “I can’t see too much, so all of my cues and understanding of how my performance is going, is through sound. The best part of a production like this is seeing the audience’s initial reaction to each of the puppets, and that gives me a lot of motivation to perform and to perform well. Working with this cast has been a truly incredible experience and I’m especially excited to perform with them in the coming week.”