![\"SIU](\"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/DSC_0743w.jpg\")
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By Jeff Wilson<\/p>\n
The students in the Christian H. Moe Laboratory Theater are hard at work.<\/p>\n
Sets are being built and painted, lines are being rehearsed, choreography is being perfected, and there\u2019s always something more to be done.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a labor of love,\u201d said senior Patrick Burke, stage production manager of the upcoming presentation of \u201cPunk Rock.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scholarships at work<\/strong><\/p>\n The play focuses on a group of teens in England as they deal with the pressures of their final year of high school. It will feature an all-student cast; all of the production has been completed by students; and even some of the funding has come out of the pockets of students.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve received donations from family, the community and set up a GoFundMe page,\u201d said senior Kyle Aschbrenner, the play\u2019s director. \u201cSome of us have even used scholarship money. We\u2019ve raised between $1,100 and $1,200.\u201d<\/p>\n A recipient of the 2018 Verizon Scholarship and Department of Theater Undergraduate Scholarship, Aschbrenner said he and his fellow students are passionate about their work.<\/p>\n \u201cIn this department, we\u2019re given a sense of autonomy,\u201d he said. \u201cScholarships are especially helpful in accomplishing something like this.\u201d<\/p>\n Christian Boswell, a senior who will portray one of the main characters in the play, is also the fight choreographer. The training he\u2019s received while at SIU is a direct result of his DOT Undergraduate Scholarship.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s been what has allowed me to attend workshops all across the country and work with groups like the Society of American Fight Directors,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Burke, who transferred to SIU after earning an associate degree at Rend Lake College, is a recipient of the Ronald Naversen Scholarship for Theater Design and Production. Naversen is an emeritus professor of theater and still an active part of SIU\u2019s program.<\/p>\n \u201cI could talk about Ron for 30 minutes,\u201d Burke said. \u201cReceiving that scholarship was a validation of my ability.\u201d<\/p>\n Years in the making<\/strong><\/p>\n The play was chosen by many of the students during their freshman year. They decided to make \u201cPunk Rock\u201d their senior project, with the hope of starting a new tradition at SIU.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing right out of high school, the play definitely spoke to us,\u201d Aschbrenner said. \u201cNow, the themes of the play speak to us more introspectively. It\u2019s still very relevant to us today.\u201d<\/p>\n About 25 undergraduate students have been involved in the process. Even though only a handful are featured on stage, many more are working behind the scenes.<\/p>\n The planning started in February. The physical production work started in early October. Many students have spent long days \u2013 and nights \u2013 working on the show.<\/p>\n The students are working on much more than acting. They create the sets and secure props and costumes. Behind the scenes, there is woodworking, painting, welding and other disciplines at work.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are a lot of aspects to it,\u201d Burke said. \u201cWe\u2019re prepping all the spaces and doing all the work. There\u2019s a very fine attention to detail in this production.\u201d<\/p>\n See the show<\/strong><\/p>\n The three performances of \u201cPunk Rock\u201d will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9, and Saturday, Nov. 10, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11, in the Christian H. Moe Laboratory Theater.<\/p>\n Tickets are available online at events.siu.edu<\/a>, by calling 877-SALUKIS (877-725-8547) or in person at the SIU Arena or McLeod Theater box offices between noon and 4:30 p.m. Friday.<\/p>\n Individual tickets are $18 for adults and $6 for students.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Jeff Wilson The students in the Christian H. Moe Laboratory Theater are hard at work. Sets are being built and painted, lines are being rehearsed, choreography is being perfected, and there\u2019s always something more to be done. \u201cIt\u2019s a labor of love,\u201d said senior Patrick Burke, stage production manager of the upcoming presentation of … Continue reading Scholarships set the stage: Students display work ethic, dedication during production of \u2018Punk Rock\u2019<\/span>