“We basically use improvisational theater as a way of encouraging creative thinking, problem solving and positive life skills. Primarily we have worked with young people in the past,” he said.

Today, the organization has expanded to work within the California correctional system with programs that engage inmates in improv exercises and help them create a short theatrical piece about issues relevant to young people, like bullying. McCluggage then takes the script they complete and works with professional actors to perform it in area schools. He says a big reason the program is successful is because inmates know their work actually has a real impact on the community.

McCluggage says that theatre has been a part of who he is from the time he was a child. When it came time to choose a college, he was ready to get away from the large schools he had attended in the St. Louis area and find a place that could allow him one-on-one attention and mentorship. Illinois College proved to be a great fit.

He recalls then-theatre professor, Geraldine Staley, giving him what he refers to as “the keys to the car,” allowing him the freedom to write and perform a one-man show about William Faulkner that eventually went to the International Faulkner conference in Mississippi. He also put together a campus show called “The Last Call for Comedy,” which incorporated local bands and guest faculty and staff hosts from IC like Dr. Richard Fry. He says that going to a small college allowed him to build relationships with a diverse group of people from all different backgrounds and interests, while the IC theatre program allowed him to be creative with his ideas and to have experiences that would not have been possible at other schools, allowing him to grow as a performer and a person.

“At IC, I found so many people that empowered and encouraged me. It's exactly what I'm trying to do in my work at Red Ladder — allow people who have never seen themselves as creative or talented adults to tap into that and see the difference it can make for them,” he said.

The reputation that the theatre department has built around giving its students diverse experiences continues today, as theatre major Quinton Paiva ’15 can attest.

Paiva said that the skills he honed working with professors, especially Professor of Theatre Nancy Taylor Porter, Associate Professor of Theatre and Tech Director Craig Steneerson and Assistant Professor of Theatre Aasne Daniels have helped him to build his career. working behind the scenes at some of the biggest shows in the world. He has been a part of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, and he now works for “Disney on Ice presents Dream Big.” In his role, Paiva has to coordinate with his crew, along with the local hired crews to make sure that they are able to complete jobs as quickly and safely as possible.

“While there are differences between a touring show and one that is housed in a traditional theatre, IC gave me all the tools I need to thrive and adapt what I’ve learned to different situations,” he said.

Mike Smolka ’84 was also able to adapt the skills he developed studying fine arts at Illinois College for an unexpected career, finding success in telecommunication. Smolka came to IC from Washington, D.C., and said he enjoyed the small classes offered at the College. He recalls being particularly impressed when Sibert Theatre was completed offering him a world-class facility to hone his skills within. Smolka studied the visual arts, drama and music while IC. He also participated in theatre productions like “Guys and Dolls.”

Since graduation, Smolka has worked as an assistant band director teaching inner city kids how to play instruments and sold computers for IBM. He says he found his calling when he began training others in networking and communications systems. He has worked in Costa Rica, Honduras, Salvador and Mexico, gaining the language skills that have allowed him to deliver technical training programs in Spanish. In 2009, Smolka won a Toastmasters International Arizona State Public Speaking championship, which he credits to his studies and his former presidency of Pi Pi Rho literary society. He encourages today’s students to study the arts if they have a passion.

“You’ll be pursuing a talent and an interest, you'll have top-shelf instruction and small classes, and you'll be equally attractive in many industries simply for having made a significant commitment at Illinois College,” said Smolka.

For Brian Anstedt ’78 Illinois College was a place to try things out of his comfort zone. That is what led the one-time biology major to change his focus to communication and theatre, where he gained a wide range of experience.

“Even if you were acting in the show you were expected to work on the scenery and lighting. By doing all that I received a very good overview of the theatre experience. IC was just the right size for me because it allowed me to try many different things,” said Anstedt.

After graduating from Illinois College, Anstedt earned his master’s degree from Illinois State University which allowed him to teach theatre at small colleges. He later took a position as stage manager and production manager at Hancher Auditorium at the University of Iowa in Iowa City where he worked for 16 years, before he took an opportunity that allowed him to come back to IC to teach speech and theatre for five years. Today, he is again working for Hancher Auditorium in their new facility.

“My IC education prepared me very well for my future career,” he said. “If I went to a larger school I would have to choose a specific area of theatre, but by going to IC I had to do a little of everything. That is what a good liberal arts education is all about.”