Listen to the conversation here with Shelley Cooper, Director of The Threepenny Opera and Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts at Augustana College, about the underlying themes of this production, the playwright Bertolt Brecht’s conception of epic theatre, and the important lessons that students learn from immersing themselves in musical theatre.

Listen to the conversation here with Little Women Director and St. Ambrose Theatre Professor Dr. Corinne Johnson about the intentional choice of this production prior to her upcoming retirement this summer, the valuable lessons that students learn from a communal experience like theatre, and the many leaders working here in the Quad Cities – both inside and beyond arts organizations – that have emerged from the program and whom she has taught and mentored over the past three decades while working with undergraduates.

Listen to the conversation here with creative Aaron Dworkin about the integration of literary content with music which he has coined “musetry,” the complexity of the life of George Washington which he evokes in this work, and some unexpected parallels between his own personal life and that of the composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.

Listen to the conversation here with Guillermo Galindo about the sacred objects from the Border he has worked with and his belief in the spiritual essence of an object’s past; the unique structure of his soundtrack which was built around the numerical makeup of the Mesoamerican Venus calendar; and his joy in observing visitors – particular the younger generations – experience the show.

Listen to the conversation with Lily Arbisser and Thomas Sauer about the inspiration for this literary and musical event, the community collaboration that this represents, and the unique privilege they feel being citizen artists.

Listen to the conversation here with artist Philip Laber about his delight in discovering unexpected interconnectedness with ancient cultures and their art, the process by which he created this collection of paintings, and his decision to use acrylic as an artistic medium. Prior to his retirement in 2016, he was a Professor Emeritus of Art at Northwest Missouri State University, where his primary focus was with Printmaking and Photography. Philip Laber now resides in Long Grove, IA.

Listen to the conversation here with Barron Ryan about the feeling of awe he hopes people experience when listening to music, the new opportunities for personal growth that often arise following rejection, and the importance of daring to reach beyond our own perceived limitations.

Listen to the conversation here with Dr. Jacob Bancks, composer and Associate Professor of Music at Augustana College, about the numerous and deeply meaningful conversations he had with cancer survivors and their families that inspired him to create this work, the challenge inherent in writing a libretto in addition to the musical composition, and why opera is an accessible art form that everyone should enjoy.

Listen to the conversation here with co-directors Karen Roebuck and Joseph Obleton about the ongoing impact Black Nativity has had on their lives after initially seeing it decades ago, why this play continues to resonate in our current era, and the importance of oral storytelling traditions.

Listen to our conversation here about how his experience working in Guatemala as a Peace Corps volunteer affected his poetry and world view; his concern for the environment and the love of nature that his subsequent career as an agronomist instilled; and the writing community he has discovered in the Quad Cities within the Midwest Writing Center.