Casting Call:

Faculty Reading of Whatever Happened to Gloomy Gus of the Chicago Bears?
A play adapted by Steve Feffer from the Robert Coover novella

Reading date: Monday, March 21, 2016, at 7 p.m.
President’s Dining Room, Bernhard Center

As part of our 2015-16 celebration of the national AAUP centennial, the WMU-AAUP will present a faculty reading of Whatever Happened to Gloomy Gus of the Chicago Bears? on Monday, March 21, at 7 p.m. This union-themed play is adapted from the Robert Coover novella by Dr. Steve Feffer, accomplished playwright and WMU faculty member in English, who will also direct the reading.

Faculty colleagues of all ages are invited to participate in the reading. The time commitment will include one cast meeting prior to the actual public performance on March 21, to be scheduled to accommodate cast members.

Click here to sign up to participate in the reading (or to volunteer to help out behind the scenes).  

The faculty reading of Whatever Happened to Gloomy Gus follows the March 2014 faculty reading of Strike Parade, an original play by Feffer, an event that was part of our 2014 contract campaign. Faculty from 13 departments across seven colleges and the University Libraries collaborated on the reading of Strike Parade, which commemorates the 1913-14 Michigan copper miners’ strike.

Click here for photos from the 2014 Strike Parade reading.

Click here to see pictures from the Strike Parade read-through meeting.

The WMU-AAUP is pleased to present this faculty reading of Whatever Happened to Gloomy Gus of the Chicago Bears? in our continuing effort to educate the campus community and the public about labor history, the importance of workers’ rights, the critical role of the arts and humanities in a civilized culture, and the value of collective action to ensure a thriving democratic society.

This event is free and open to the public.

Image at top of page: David Curwen (Dance) and Brian Horvitz (Educational Leadership, Research & Technology) perform in the faculty reading of Strike Parade in 2014.

Below: Steve Feffer (standing) introduces the Strike Parade cast at the 2014 reading. Left to right: Dominic Nicolai (College of Aviation Flight Program), Dan Fleming (Chemical and Paper Engineering), Vincent Desroches (World Languages and Literatures), Cynthia Running-Johnson (World Languages and Literatures), Ola Smith (Accountancy), Mary Peterson (Speech Pathology and Audiology), Karen Blaisure (Family and Consumer Sciences), Sharon Carlson (University Libraries), Nancy Schullery (Business Information Systems), and Jen Brown (Bronson School of Nursing).

Below: Strike Parade cast members. Left to right: Besty Aller (Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering), Cynthia Running-Johnson (World Languages and Literatures), Ola Smith (Accountancy), Mary Peterson (Speech Pathology and Audiology), Karen Blaisure (Family and Consumer Sciences), Sharon Carlson (University Libraries), Nancy Schullery (Business Information Systems), Jen Brown (Bronson School of Nursing), Gwen Tarbox (English), David Curwen (Dance), and Brian Horvitz (Educational Leadership, Research & Technology).