'Cinderella' continues Monmouth College's partnership with BCA, community and kids
Monmouth, Ill. (04/04/2025) — The late 1980s was a pivotal time for the community theatre scene in Monmouth, a tradition that will continue April 24-27 when Monmouth College hosts a collaborative production of Cinderella with the Buchanan Center for the Arts, the United Way of Greater Warren County, and the Galesburg Community Foundation.
"The Department of Theatre's dynamic collaboration with community agencies has a rich history, one that began in the late 20th century via partnership with the Buchanan Center," said Monmouth theatre professor Vanessa Campagna, the director and choreographer of Cinderella.
Located on the Public Square, the BCA was founded in 1989. The legacy of Grace Buchanan is a space where the surrounding area can share in the arts. Two years earlier, a campaign to fund a new theatre space began on Monmouth's campus, eventually leading to the construction of Wells Theater, which opened in 1990.
A partnership premieres
Emeritus Professor of Communications and Theatre Jim De Young was deeply involved in both initiatives.
"I was on the first board of directors, and shortly after we hired Midge Mason (as executive director), I lobbied for the BCA to broaden its scope to all the arts," said De Young, who taught at Monmouth from 1963-2002.
Part of that lobbying involved hiring Rossann Baker-Priestley '69 to teach creative dramatics to Monmouth children. As a student, she had appeared in several of De Young's productions, including Reynard the Fox, which was presented at several local schools, as well as the college's old Little Theater.
De Young said Baker-Priestley "was making a name for herself in children's theatre and is now a Galesburg icon in children's theatre education" thanks to her 27-year run at the Performing Arts Academy of Galesburg.
Some of her early shows with Monmouth youth - which included The Elves and the Shoemaker by the Brothers Grimm - were staged at the BCA, but she was soon able to move them into the college's new facility.
"It was very exciting for the kids to be at Wells Theater," said Baker-Priestley. "We had a sound system, we had a light system, we had curtains."
On one occasion, she spoke to grandparents who were visiting Monmouth from Chicagoland.
"They were from the Winnetka/Wilmette area, and they told me, 'We see children's theatre all over. What you're doing here is as good or better than what we see in the suburbs,'" she said.
Baker-Priestley explained why she's devoted much of her life to children's theatre.
"The value of creative dramatics and theatre - you just can't put a price on it," she said. "With all their time on cell phones, we don't have as many kids who think creatively. Theatre allows them to do that. My business partner and I felt very strongly that we wanted to give kids a chance to express themselves in a very, very welcoming and safe environment. Kids need this. We have football, we have basketball, but theatre is as much a team sport as anything I know of. The director, the actors, the crew - they all work together to bring a production to life."
It's a team, and it's a family.
"The parental involvement was very important," said Baker-Priestley. "I'm still in touch with several of the parents. What happens is, it becomes a family affair, and you just continue those friendships."
Passing the parcel
If De Young and Baker-Priestley had been the only individuals involved, the partnership might've eventually waned. Fortunately for the college and the community, one of De Young's favorite lines from theatre - from the Alan Bennett play The History Boys - was realized locally: "Pass the parcel. That's sometimes all you can do. Take it, feel it and pass it on. Not for me, not for you, but for someone, somewhere, one day."
"Doug Rankin and Vanessa Campagna have kept and developed our relationship with the marvelous community productions like The Little Mermaid that have been done in recent years," said De Young.
"I've built on what people like Jim De Young, Bill Wallace, Doug Rankin and Janeve West have built," said Campagna. "There aren't many colleges and university theatre programs that offer this kind of robust relationship with the community. It makes Monmouth College distinctive."
During her studies in theatre, which culminated with a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri a decade ago, one of Campagna's specialties was theatre history.
"In the classic period, theatre was not a professional activity," she said. "Performing in theatre was a civic contribution. It was a way to serve and strengthen one's community. My artistic philosophy is that art must be democratic, before anything else."
Monmouth's curricula for both theatre and theatre education have developed alongside the community partnership program.
"The course 'Theatre and Society' was implemented in 2023 and explores theatre's civic purposes," said Campagna. "In addition to being required of our majors, the class fulfills the core curriculum requirement for community engagement, as the students enrolled contribute to the annual co-production."
When Monmouth College opens its doors to community members - not just as audience members but as active participants - that's a very good thing, said Campagna, who noted non-student cast members in Cinderella range from 8 years old to 70+.
"Monmouth is honoring its commitment to the public good, and I'm glad to be a part of it," she said. "It's one of the many reasons I've made my career here."
Media Attachments
When Monmouth College staged a collaborative production of "The Little Mermaid" in 2023, several of the roles were played by children from the community.
Theatre professor, who directed "The Little Mermaid," wis also directing this month's production of "Cinderella."
Emeritus Professor of Communications and Theatre Jim De Young taught at Monmouth from 1963-2002.
Monmouth College
Barry McNamara 309-457-2117, mcnamara@monmouthcollege.eduShare this Story
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