The McPherson College Theatre Department will present “The Clean House,” on January 31, February 1 and February 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the Mingenback Theatre at McPherson College.

The piece by Sarah Ruhl focuses on Matilde, a Brazilian cleaning woman set on inventing the perfect joke. Ruhl blends the mundane with the extraordinary in this deceptively simple piece about love, loss, and laughter. It was a finalist for the 2005 Pultizer Prize.

“I’ve been looking forward to producing this show since I first read the script,” Jd. Bowman, McPherson College theatre professor, said. “Ruhl’s work is amazingly metaphorical and just sublimely written. The script’s treatment of forgiveness and depression are unlike what I’ve seen previously.”

The cast includes: Micaila Curtis, Courtney Weesner, Maddie Mullins, and Liz Thornton. It is directed by Bowman who is assisted by Bailey Short, technical director; Harvey Yeoman, stage manager; J. Tanner Trigg, set; Tomi Simmons, lights; and Erin Fralick, costume and props.

First-Nighters, the theatre’s season ticket holders, can dine on California cuisine all three nights beginning at 6:15 p.m. To make reservations, contact the ticket office at (620) 242-0444 or email [email protected]. Tickets for the performances are $5 or $3.50 for seniors and students.

Alexander Heffner, host of “The Open Mind” on PBS, will be on the McPherson College campus to speak to the public from noon to 1 p.m. in Mingenback Theater on Wednesday, October 17. He will discuss the effects of divisiveness on discourse and governance and the impact of social media, fake news, and filter bubbles that polarize information intake.

Heffner has covered American politics, civic life, and Millennials for leading newspapers and magazines, and has authored a book titled, “A Documentary History of the United States.” His work has been profiled in The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Los Angeles Times, and he has lectured at universities around the world. He founded and edited the first-ever online national student newspaper covering the 2008 presidential campaign and Obama presidency, and directed a civic education initiative for which he taught in under-served classrooms.

The forum is free and made possible through the support of the Mohler-Flory Lecture Series. Those attending are welcome to bring a lunch if they like. There will be time for questions at the end of his presentation. Heffner will also be speaking to students in classes throughout the day.

Celebrating Kansas artists and the quality of art in our state is the what two exhibits and a two-day art forum intend to do this summer. ART Kansas, a celebration of creating, curating, and collecting Kansas art, will feature some of the state’s most successful and creative working artists in exhibitions during June and July and in workshops and presentations on June 8-9 at McPherson, Kansas.

ART Kansas will include:

• Gallery exhibit, “The Invitational,” May 29-July 29 in Friendship Hall on the McPherson College campus, featuring the works of more than 65 Kansas artists and curated by Jay Nelson, recently retired director of the Strecker-Nelson Gallery in Manhattan.
• Gallery exhibit, “Four Apart,” May 29-July 29, at McPherson Museum, featuring the works of Louis Copt, Stephen Johnson, Carol Long and husband and wife artists Barbara Waterman-Peters and Larry Peters.
• ART Kansas Gala, June 8 at 5 p.m., Mingeback Theatre, McPherson College. Artists receptions at Friendship Hall and the McPherson Museum will kick off an evening, which will also feature a gala dinner, Keynote Speaker Chuck Comeau, owner of Dessin Fournir in Plainville, Kansas, and the premiere of Larry Hatteberg’s video, “Banking on Art,” in celebration of Mike Michaelis, Kansas art collector and CEO of Emprise Bank. Tickets for the event are available online at www.mcpherson.edu/artkansas.
• ART Kansas Forum, June 9, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., McPherson College. The forum will feature workshops and presentations by Kansas artists who will both demonstrate and speak about creating, collecting and curating. All workshops and presentations are free and open to the public.

The event was conceived by Michaela Valli Groeblacher, assistant professor of art at McPherson College, in collaboration with Jay Nelson, long-time director of the Streckler-Nelson Gallery in Manhattan, and Karla Prickett, studio artist and visual arts consultant of Salina. Groeblacher said she was inspired by the state’s rich art history and the quality of art produced by its artists.

“I think some people discount the quality of art in our state,” she said. “Kansas has a long history of art and we have very talented artists creating art today. We want to showcase that and help people become more aware of the quality of work in our state.”

Kansas art has historical roots in McPherson and made sense for the event to be hosted here, according to Groeblacher. In the early 1900s, Carl Smalley, the son of a McPherson seed dealer, launched one of the most significant periods of Kansas art. He started collecting and selling prints in his father’s seed store and eventually his art dealings took over the entire business. He started friendships with many of the artists, including Birger Sandzén, and helped found the Prairie Printmakers, arguably the most famous and influential group of artists in the state’s history.

Smalley’s influence can be seen today as it inspires other collectors of Kansas art, like Emprise Bank President Michaelis, who will be honored at the ART Kansas gala dinner. Michaelis has been collecting and sharing Kansas art for decades. Much of his collection, which includes the works of more than 500 Kansas artists, is on display in Emprise Bank locations. Art from the collection has also been displayed at art galleries and libraries across the state. A documentary about Michaelis has been produced by Larry Hatteberg and will be premiered during the ART Kansas gala dinner on Friday, June 8.

“As an artist, you need the support of collectors,” Groeblacher said. “Mike Michaelis has been collecting the works of Kansas artists for decades and also shares his art with the public. We are very excited to celebrate his years support of Kansas art.”

Celebrating Kansas art will continue on Saturday, June 9 with a day full of workshops and presentations by Kansas artists. Presenters include the artists and curator of the “Four Apart” exhibition and topics range from ceramics demonstration to the “context of creativity” to the “art of curating.” All workshops are free and anyone can attend.

“The workshops on Saturday are not just about making art,” Groeblacher said. “They will cover the entire spectrum of art. Artists, collectors, art lovers, anybody can attend. There will be something for everyone.”

More information about all of the events can be found at www.mcpherson.edu/artkansas.

There are two opportunities to enjoy the talented musicians of McPherson College in upcoming concerts. The McPherson College choirs will perform on Sunday, May 6 and the college band will perform on Tuesday, May 8.

The vocal concert will feature the McPherson College Choir, the Bella Voce Women’s Choir, and The Singing Statesmen in works from the Renaissance to the present. Graduating seniors will also be recognized during the program. It begins at 2 p.m. at the Church of the Brethren in McPherson. The concert is free, however a freewill offering will be taken to support the choir tour and service trip to Jamaica in January. James Bowyer, associate professor of music and director of choral activities, will conduct and Tiffiney Harms serves as accompanist.

After a historic year, which included a coveted performance at the KMEA convention, the McPherson College band will end its season with a spring concert on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in Brown Auditorium. The Concert Band, Jazz Band, and the Dixieland Jazz Combo will perform music selected by the seniors of the program and graduating seniors will be recognized.

“Selections are a lighter fare, so this will be a particularly enjoyable concert for the audience and a great way to send off our seniors and to cap off an extraordinary year,” Kyle Hopkins, associate professor of music and director of bands, said.

Both concerts will be streamed online at livestream.com/McPherson-College