Marc Van Overbeke is Assistant Professor in the College of Education at Northern Illinois University. Professor Van Overbeke’s research focuses on the history of education and on educational policy. Specifically, he is interested in the history of educational access and opportunity. His most recent work explored the interconnectedness of secondary and higher education at the turn of the twentieth century and the ways in which these connections influenced access to college. He currently is continuing this line of inquiry by researching the history of state colleges and universities in the post-World War II decades. These institutions forged important connections with secondary schools that allowed them to enroll more students and contribute to the expansion of educational opportunities in the post-war years.

This post-show discussion immediately followed the performance of The Island, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company’s current mainstage show. Athol Fugard’s daring drama is set in an unnamed prison based on the one where Nelson Mandela was held. John and Winston are cellmates who spend their days doing back-breaking labor, and their nights rehearsing Sophocles’ Antigone to present to their fellow inmates. When John learns his sentence is being reduced, the men’s friendship is tested. Fugard plays the parallels between Antigone’s fight against political and patriarchal boundaries off of the imprisoned men’s fight for their dignity. The Island is a testament to the resiliency of the human heart.

Recorded Thursday, March 04, 2010 at The Greenhouse Theater.