After spending its first semester at Navy Pier, the department of speech and theatre, as well as the rest of the university, moved to Circle Campus in the winter of 1965. The speech and theatre department now had a full faculty, but it didn't have space in which to perform. Initially, theatre productions were staged in what is now known as A1 Lecture Center. The students named it Pier Playhouse West. Today, Liucija Ambrosini, '69 LAS, (otherwise known as Lucy to her friends and as Mrs. A to her own theatre students) recalls playing Titania in Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the lecture center. "It was just really exciting to work there. You just felt so intensely involved."

The central location, although temporary, put the actors at the center of a diverse student body and a campus simmering with the turmoil of the 1960s.

"I came to UIC from a very non-diverse background," says McCollam. "My experiences here were actually some of my first with people of other races and ethnicities. But because of our common desire to do well and learn our craft, and because of the models and actors that we saw before us, my focus and concentration was on getting to know as much as I could, and working as well as I could with everyone. In the process, I came to meet people of very diverse backgrounds and came to know them as individuals."

Accordingly, in 1968 a black female student played the lover of white actor Michael Gross, '70 LAS, in "An Italian Straw Hat."

"Someone once told me that people in the arts are always 20 to 30 years ahead of the times," comments Stifler.

Cheryl Lynn Bruce, '70 LAS, who is African-American, affirms that in the late 1960s, there were a lot of political theatre and happenings on campus, but there were few black students in the theatre department. However, she adds, "I could always audition for anything that was up. That was not true in the real world. I always felt that [at UIC] I could be cast in anything if I was good enough."

It's not unusual for a theatre program to thrive in a university that serves commuting students as well as residents. The level of participation depends on the individual. Students who face more challenges often perform at a higher level, because they realize what is required to put it all together. As Stifler says, "I was always tired because we were always taking these long trips. We didn't live here. It was always an hour in and an hour out. Or you were sleeping in the theatre or at somebody's house. I don't think I knew at the time what I was learning as much as I do now."

Ambrosini maintains that the lack of an established history gave the students a true sense of ownership. "The students, who belonged to the student theatre group called the Chicago Circle Players, were partners with the faculty. The students ran the box office and every aspect of the theatre. They even designed the brochures and posters. Actors would be called in to glue shoes together or hem dresses. It worked because they had ownership."

In 1966, the theatre department found a home, but it was not on campus. It was the Eleventh Street Theatre, a short car or bus ride east. Raffeld was initially concerned that attendance would suffer because the students and productions were not on campus. Not only that, but productions were prohibited by the theatre's management on Friday nights because of the Jewish Sabbath. (The theatre building, which was originally the Women's Athletic Club, was at the time owned by the Jewish Board of Education. Plays had to be staged on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons.)

But students did come. Cast members often paraded around campus in costumes in an effort to attract students. Sometimes, productions were held at the Chicago Circle Center in an effort to publicize the theatre program. One such production, "American Dream" by Edward Albee, took place in 1969. Gross, who would achieve success in television and film (see "Cast of Characters" sidebar), played the grandmother. "American Dream" became a great success. Meanwhile, a subsequent production of "King Lear" drew 500 students at the Eleventh Street Theatre.

From 1966 to the spring quarter of 1971, the Eleventh Street Theatre was the setting for both the university's theatre classes and theatrical productions. Students who were present at the time, such as Bruce, recall that the school day would "drag by" until they left for the Eleventh Street Theatre, carrying their tights and costumes in big carry-all bags. Students attended production and scene design classes in the theatre's basement; acting classes were held onstage.

The students' enthusiasm enabled them to throw their energies into big, long productions, such as "King Lear."

"Nobody lived on campus," adds Ambrosini. "Nobody lived near here. But we would come in from all over the place to the theatre. And yet, you felt so bonded and so close to everybody who was working. You knew you had to build sets. You knew you had to build everything and make everything. The drive from here over to the Eleventh Street Theatre was a bond in and of itself. You would work all night, and some people would end up sleeping there. Everything was part of this immense theatre community."

Ambrosini's husband was also part of the group from the 1960s, which is considered by some to be the "golden years" of UIC's theatre history. His elaborate Art Nouveau furnishings and sets for "Charley's Aunt" are still remembered. He agrees that having to travel off-campus and work long hours in their own building brought theatre students closer together.

"It was great," says Allen Ambrosini, 72, LAS. "It's funny how, in those days, especially at the Eleventh Street Theatre, working in adverse conditions brought everyone together. And I think that really helped the spirit of the shows. It actually was a positive thing, not a negative one."

Finally, in 1971, the Chicago Circle Players, a student organization, was able to act and study on campus when the theatre, now known as UIC Theatre, opened at 1044 W. Harrison. The building housing the theatre was completed as part of the second phase of the campus' construction.

As the department of speech and theatre grew larger, it was soon able to establish a full-fledged theatre program. The Circle Players were still part of the program, but they were no longer in charge of every facet of theatre productions. As a result, the previous sense of ownership suffered. Harnack did what he could to keep the students involved. In 1976, he stepped down as chair to return to teaching.

However, the magic was still present, says McCollam. "One day, I sneaked into the theatre area. I wasn't a theatre major then, but I had done shows in high school. I was really eager, curious and wanted to get back into theatre. I saw Professor Raffeld teaching a directing class. And I thought, 'Oh my God! It's Stanislavski himself, in the flesh.' The energy was just intense. Everyone was just riveted to the moment. I thought, 'I've got to get involved in this.' So I auditioned the very first opportunity I had for 'Oedipus.' I got cast as a chorus leader.

"I had to commute an hour-and-a-half back and forth," he continues. "Sometimes, I would get home after midnight. My parents were amazed that I could turn around and be back out the door by 7:30 a.m., full of energy and full of life. They couldn't argue with me because the productivity was so obvious."

The program's location in the heart of the city has always fostered connections with Chicago's many theatre companies. Students traveled frequently to Organic Theatre, the award-winning Victory Gardens and the Auditorium Theatre to see professional productions. Chicago also presented opportunities for theatre majors to audition and join productions off-campus. For example, the original production of the musical "Grease" at the Kingston Mines Theatre included several UIC students. More recently, Brian Weddington, '94 AA and Janina Gavankar landed roles in the "Barbershop" films and Gavankar helped current student Quinette Doggett join them in "Barbershop 2." (See "Recent grads find success.")

"Chicago is such a rich theatre town," comments Bruce. "I have been in L.A. I stayed for seven years in New York. When I was at an audition in New York, someone said that Chicago people tend to come in like gangbusters and make a big impact. We do have a strong work ethic."