Amanda Conley ’04 posted on Facebook:
“I am so excited to announce that I have founded my own firm with my partner and all-around-awesome colleague Shabnam Malek! Introducing Brand & Branch LLP, intellectual property legal services for the cannabis, beverage, technology, gaming, and publishing industries, among others.”
Congratulations to Amanda and Shabnam Malek on their new endeavor!
On April 9, Titans of all generations pulled together and showed their pride on the third annual All In For Wesleyan. More than 1,800 gifts of all sizes from 49 states and 17 countries totaled over $500,000 in support of Illinois Wesleyan University and our students. Our collective philanthropy served as an inspiration to the next generation as All In For Wesleyan firmly established itself as an Illinois Wesleyan tradition, both on campus and off. The class of 2004 had 75 donors on April 9th and donations totaling $7,180.87.
Thank you 2004 Alumni for being “all in” all the time, and for continuing to make Illinois Wesleyan one of your giving priorities. If you have already made your gift this year, thank you! If you have not made your gift this year, I hope that you will join me as a donor and put us one more gift closer to our participation goal. You can make your gift by visiting iwu.edu/give. It is your support that keeps Illinois Wesleyan strong, and develops the next generation of leaders.
Your partner in support,
Van Miller ‘04
Director of Annual Giving
In addition, Burton has worked throughout the Chicago area as a director, playwright and actor, and was artistic director of Young Actors Ensemble in Naperville.
Pop Quiz: Think of something memorable about your Wesleyan experience.
Go ahead, take a moment.
What came to mind? Maybe it was Sunday brunch with your friends at Saga, or a late-night project in the common area, or warming up on the hotspot between classes. Did you smile when you thought of it? Wouldn’t you like all future alums to look back fondly on memories like your own?
It’s in that spirit that we ask you to make a gift. Today IWU is hosting a drive with several surprises. In addition to dollar for dollar matching and prizes, you could win naming rights to various spots around campus! What piece of the IWU campus would you name? #IWUNameIt
Every amount makes an impact. Make a gift at iwu.edu/challenge today to support the little things that make Illinois Wesleyan great!
Several IWU alumni will be starring in the hit Neil Simon comedy, Laughter no the 23rd Floor at First Folio Theatre. Directed by Alison C. Vesely ’79 and starring Hayley L. Rice ’04 as Carol and Wayne Temple ’98 as Milton. Laughter on the 23rd Floor transports theater patrons back to 30 Rockefeller Center in the 1950s and features a meticulously designed set and costumes, a la Mad Men. More information is below.
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OAK BROOK, Ill. First Folio Theatre (Mayslake Peabody Estate, 31st St. & Rt. 83) will present Neil Simon’s witty modern classic LAUGHTER ON THE 23rd FLOOR, previewing January 28, opening Saturday, January 31 at 8 p.m. and running through March 1, 2015. The production stars First Folio Artistic Associate Ren Ruelas (Rough Crossing, The Rainmaker, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Design for Living at First Folio Theatre) as “Max Prince”, First Folio Artistic Associate Kevin McKillip (Jeeves Takes A Bow, The Merchant of Venice, The Turn of the Screw and Unnecessary Farce/ at First Folio Theatre, /Making God Laugh/ at Theatre at the Center) as “Ira,” Callie Johnson (National Tour of Evil Dead The Musical and Next to Normal at Drury Lane Theatre) as “Helen,” First Folio Artistic Associate Hayley L. Rice (The Rainmaker, The Merchant of Venice, Blithe Spirit, The Castle of Otranto at First Folio Theatre) as “Carol,” and First Folio Artistic Associate Joe Foust (The Merry Wives of Windsor, Unnecessary Farce and the Woman in Black at First Folio Theatre, A Christmas Carol and Measure for Measure at Goodman Theatre) as “Val”. LAUGHTER ON THE 23rd FLOOR is directed by Jeff Award nominee and First Folio Theatre Co-Founder, Alison C. Vesely (First Folio’s A Moon for the Misbegotten). The production is dedicated to the memory of Molly Glynn.
LAUGHTER ON THE 23rd FLOOR was called “Undeniably funny!” by The New York Times. Variety exclaimed, “It’s the funniest comedy on Broadway in years!” and The Wall Street Journal raved, “It doesn’t just make you laugh, it rips the laughs out of you.” LAUGHTER ON THE 23rd FLOOR debuted on Broadway in 1993 before becoming a television movie in 2001. Neil Simon has received more combined Oscar and Tony nominations than any other writer. He won multiple Tony Awards, Golden Globes, Emmy Awards, as well as a Drama Desk Award and Pulitzer Prize for Lost in Yonkers. Simon has written over thirty plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, most adapted from his plays.
Simon’s hilarious homage to his days writing for the Sid Caesar show, LAUGHTER ON THE 23rd FLOOR, is a journey into the world of maniacs and madmen, from Mel Brooks to Carl Reiner to Lucille Kallen. The Manhattan office where they worked was a giant pressure cooker and war zone with big egos vying for attention. As they frantically scramble to top each other with gags, they also struggle with the rise of McCarthyism in America and the changing whims of their NBC bosses, bent on making these irrepressible madmen normal and respectable.
The cast also includes Andrew Behling (Cymbeline at First Folio Theatre) as “Lucas,” Steve Pebbles (The Merry Wives of Windsor at First Folio Theatre) as “Brian”, and Wayne Temple (Brooklyn Nine-Nine on FOX, How I Met Your Mother on CBS, Parenthood on NBC) as “Milton”, and Steve Schine (King Lear at The Goodman Theatre, Chicago Fire on NBC) as “Kenny”.
The retro 1950s style set, designed by Angela Weber Miller (The Gravedigger, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Salvage and Rough Crossing at First Folio Theatre) was created to look like the NBC offices in New York City where the writers of the fast-paced, creative and hilarious variety show, Your Show of Shows, worked. Costume Designer Emily Waeker will be outfitting the cast in classic 50s styles, from conservative business suits to elegant cocktail dresses. Cassie Schillo, who designed the props, had the unique challenge of making sure period details were correct with 1950s office desks, chairs, typewriters, staplers, waste baskets, and fans. The artistic team also includes Chris Kriz (Jeff Award for The Turn of the Screw at First Folio) as Composer/Sound Designer, Greg Freeman as Lighting Designer, Ann Davis as Technical Director, and Ricky Harbecke as Master Electrician.
First Folio Theatre is in its 19th season of bringing high-quality performances of Shakespeare and other classics to the stage. During that time, the theater has expanded from an annual summer production to a year-round operation with three separate and distinct stages at the historic Mayslake Peabody Estate. The 2014-2015 season is sponsored by Alan, Susan, & Marie Becker.
Matthew Thompson ’04 was featured in a recent article by the Salina Journal. The article chronicles his path to his current role as registrar of the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home in Abilene.
Read more here.