No Limits: It's what we promise students. It's also the subject of a short film we made to highlight a few of the amazing experiences made possible by support from our donors.
At 57 seconds, you may notice a young woman smiling and looking away from the camera. Here's the story she doesn't tell: Her name is Niki Acton, and, since she enrolled three years ago, seven of the plays she's written have been produced professionally. Not just at Knox -- her work has been performed in L.A. and New York, by honest-to-goodness Equity-card-carrying theatre professionals. Earlier this month, Glamour named her one of its Top 10 College Women of 2015.
Niki has spent most of this year writing, revising, and, now, directing a play called The Lost Girls. It's part of her Honors project, and it opens Friday, May 22, in Knox's Harbach Theatre. (Perhaps you'd like to attend? Call 309-341-7472 for more details.)
To be honest, there are a few limits. For one thing, there's only a $200 production budget for the show. (Niki says, generously, "While there are some ideas you can't pursue as a director with that kind of budget, you can do great work with $200.") The library doesn't have an extensive selection of works by contemporary playwrights. And many of the most desirable theatre internships -- opportunities for aspiring directors, stage managers, and designers to make important industry connections -- come without a stipend or even a place to stay.
That's why we want you to know there really is no limit to what you can do to support Knox students. Literally, whatever you can afford to give will make a difference. Just $16 covers the purchase of four early plays by Paula Vogel (one of Niki's favorite writers). For $1,000, you could help a student find a place to live during a summer internship. Your gift can fund scholarships, technical support for performances, or even help replace the theatre's ancient lighting board (the current setup still runs on floppy disks).
Give by June 30 to make a difference next year at knox.edu/give. In fact, why not give now?
