By Casey Pigg

Quincy University’s Drama Club has partnered with a local semiprofessional theater troupe called the Square Peg Group-Troupe, to perform the comedy “All in the Timing” this spring. This partnership is a way for students to be able to perform on stage, and an opportunity to refine their skills and learn from the theater troupe.

“I think it’s a great way for our drama students to see how semiprofessional, and even professional people, prepare for a play. How do they memorize? How are they rehearsing? Those kinds of things. So, I think it is going to be a fantastic experience for our students,” Amy Stollberg, director of Quincy University choirs and faculty adviser for the drama club, said.

Not only is it a good experience for the students, but organizers say, it seems a successful one as well.

“Square Peg Group-Troupe, which was formed from the now defunct QU Summer Stock Players, is comprised of absolutely the best, most talented, amenable conglomeration of performers a director could ever hope to work with! They, alongside the gifted QU students, continue to amaze me every rehearsal! The troupe and students play off each other, and learn from one another. It’s wonderful to see the cooperative growth and development unfurl before me,” Valerie Hernandez, the guest director, said.

Not only is the partnership good for the production, but for the revitalization of the drama club and theater department as well. While the partnership helps the students to refine their skills, it also has the potential of drawing more students into the organization and department. This is, at least, the hope of one Quincy University student and drama club member Jessica Abrego.

“I hope in the end that QU students will start finding that we need more than just actors on the stage. That we need help in the costume department, painting. Even communication for advertising the show and getting our name back out there because this is the first show we’ve done in a couple of years. So, I hope by the time we start doing the next show or the show after that, we will get a lot more student involvement for multiple different aspects. From an advertising aspect, acting, designing aspect. So, I hope it will start bringing different cultures of students into the drama club,” Abrego said.

Abrego is not the only one who shares in this hope. Hernandez, who is also a Quincy University alumna, also feels the same about the department.

“Hopefully this show will lay the groundwork for future productions at QU. I have such fond memories of taking part in theater at university. I can only wish to spread that kind of fantastic bliss that can only be found in being in theater onto future generations,” Hernandez said.

The production, “All in the Timing,” written by David Ives, is a zany six act comedy with a variety of skits that not only stretches the imagination of the audience, but of the actors as well. The production will take place April 12 and 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the MacHugh Theatre in the basement of Francis Hall.