With this week's production of "A Show of Force" exploring issues related to war and peace, the A.J. Muste Lecture Committee at Hope College has co-sponsored the play's appearance at Hope in lieu of scheduling an address this year.
With this week's production of "A Show of Force" exploring issues related to war and peace, the A.J. Muste Lecture Committee at Hope College has co-sponsored the play's appearance at Hope in lieu of scheduling an address this year.
Hosted by the department of theatre with additional campus support from the Hope College Patrons for the Arts, the play is taking place on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 17-18, at 8 p.m. in the DeWitt Center main theatre. Free tickets are available through the ticket office in the main lobby of the DeVos Fieldhouse.
"Michele Bombe approached me with the idea last spring," said Brad Richmond, chairperson of the A.J. Muste Lecture Committee as well as professor of music and director of choral activities at Hope. "When I took it to the committee, we quickly came to consensus that we should use the fund to support bringing 'A Show of Force'to Hope this year. Although this veers somewhat from our tradition of bringing in a guest speaker, we have no doubt that Muste would have approved. It is a strong piece. A panel discussion will follow each performance and audience members will have the opportunity to weigh in."
The Muste lecture series began in 1985 to commemorate the life and work of A.J. Muste, an alumnus of Hope College (1905) who became a tireless activist for the causes of peace and justice.
Jane Oolmans Robinson, Muste's biographer, presented the inaugural lecture. Subsequent lectures have been given by theologians, peace activists, labor organizers and prison reformers; many of the speakers have been Hope College alumni.
Additional information about "A Show of Force" may be found in the release about the play itself that is also featured on the Hope Web site.