EIU Department of Theatre Arts

Bryce Foster, guest lighting designer & technician for The Secret Garden.

Bryce is a freelance lighting designer based in Chicago and has been studying lighting design for the past ten years. He received his Bachelors at the University of Northern Colorado and his Master in Fine Arts at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. While in school he received two Meritorious achievement awards from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for his lighting designs of Sunday in the Park with George and for Pride and Prejudice. Through both educations he’s learned the art of sculpting light and color to create thrilling and enchanted worlds onstage. He’s also designed for professional dance concerts, operas, and multiple plays while in Kansas City. In the summer he works in the woods of Door County, Wisconsin designing for musicals in Peninsula State Park. He looks forward to designing at Eastern Illinois University and returning to education, but to the teaching side. 

April A. Jones, guest director for The Mountaintop.

April A. Jones received her MFA in Theatre from Virginia Commonwealth University and is a member of Actor’s Equity Association. Acting credits on stage include FATHER COMES HOME FROM THE WARS (Penny), at Actor's Theatre of Charlotte, GOOD PEOPLE (Kate), at the Kavinoky Theatre, WIT (Susie), at Charlotte Rep., CHARLOTTE’S WEB (Charlotte), at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, SPELL#7 (Dahlia) at Studio Theatre, and ONCE IN A WIFETIME(Nwanyeruwa) at the Billie Holiday Theatre. 

Film/Television credits include HAVING OUR SAY (Bessie), with Audra McDonald and LAW AND ORDER and various industrial work.  Commercial/voice over credits include Time Warner Cable, Kmart, McDonalds, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and Bausch & Lomb.

Directing credits include IN THE RED AND BROWN WATER with Theatre VCU, THE BLUEST EYE for the Barksdale Theatre, THE MOUNTAINTOP and FUDDY MEERS for Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte, BOUNDLESS GRACE and JUNGALBOOK, for Children’s Theatre of Charlotte.

As a playwright April has seen three of her plays produced; TELLIN’ TALES, NEGRAS EROS, and   T’WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE…