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Lindsey Wilson University Theatre to Present Encore Performances of 'Shiloh Rules' Aug. 28-29

Cast members to serenade the audience with modern musical selections before turning back the clock on Civil War battle.

by Duane Bonifer

COLUMBIA, Ky. (08/18/2025) — Audience members who attend one of the two upcoming encore performances of Shiloh Rules will be treated to a short pre-performance concert.

Although Shiloh Rules is about a re-enactment of the Civil War battle that goes awry, the 15-minute pre-play concert, which will begin about 30 minutes before the start of the play, will include selections of recent popular music that spans from the Beatles to Andy Grammer.

While the songs might not have a direct connection to the Civil War or the battle fought April 6-7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee, the musical selections play an important role in preparing the audience for the production.

"It's a good way to loosen up the audience and get them ready for the play," said Lindsey Wilson theatre professor Robert Brock, who directs Shiloh Rules. "It's almost like an opening act at a rock concert."

Written by Doris Baizley, Shiloh Rules is a six-character play set during a modern reenactment of the famous Civil War battle. Staged as part of this summer's Lindsey Wilson TheatreFest!, the play will be presented at 7 p.m. Aug. 28-29 at V.P. Henry Auditorium.

Brock said the tradition of performing live music before presenting a play started more than a decade ago at Lindsey Wilson, after he took students to see productions at the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, Virginia. Before a performance of Shakespeare's The Tempest, the company's cast performed several musical selections.

"The students loved it, and when we got back to campus, they decided to start it before our productions," said Brock. "The practice took a bit of a hiatus around COVID, but students talked about it and decided to bring it back."

The tradition of treating a theatre audience to a live musical performance before presenting a play dates back to Shakespeare's time.

"Music was sometimes used as a way to attract an audience, and many of Shakespeare's plays had a lot of music in them -- cast members often played instruments and sang," said Brock. "Sometimes they would also perform musical pieces during the intermission."

Graduate student Kassidy Phelps of Burkesville, Kentucky, who plays Miss Clara May Abbott in Shiloh Rules, said the musical performance also benefits the cast members.

"It's a good way for the cast to connect with the audience before the play starts, and it gives the cast an idea of what the audience is like," said Phelps. "It also helps the cast to prepare for the actual play."

The Lindsey Wilson University Department of Theatre will present "Shiloh Rules," by Doris Baizley, a 7 p.m CT Aug. 28-29, with a 15-minute pre-play concert to begin around 6:30 p.m. CT. It is directed by Lindsey Wilson theatre professor Robert Brock, and the cast is: Zoe Boatright '28 of Columbia (LucyGale Scruggs); Mayatu Brown '27 of Columbia (Ranger Wilson); Shiane Lussier '26 of Bremen, Kentucky (Widow Beckwith); Kayla Koerner '24 of Columbia (Mrs. Cecilia Delaunay Pettison); Kassidy Phelps of Burkesville, Kentucky (Miss Clara May Abbott); Sabrina Ruiz '26 of Louisville, Kentucky (Meg Barton); and stage manager Leeshawn Johnson '26 of Louisville. To purchase tickets, go to theatrefest.org or contact the Lindsey Wilson Theatre Department at theatre@lindsey.edu or 270-384-8044.

Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson offers 28 undergraduate majors, five graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university's 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.

Media Attachments

The Lindsey Wilson University Department of Theatre will present encore performances of “Shiloh Rules” at 7 p.m. Aug. 28-29 in V.P. Henry Auditorium. A 15-minute pre-play concert will begin around 6:30 p.m. CT. The cast pictured, from left: Shiane Lussier ’26 of Bremen, Kentucky (Widow Beckwith); Zoe Boatright ’28 of Columbia (LucyGale Scruggs); Kassidy Phelps of Burkesville, Kentucky (Miss Clara May Abbott); director and theatre professor Robert Brock; Sabrina Ruiz ’26 of Louisville, Kentucky (Meg Barton); Mayatu Brown ’27 of Columbia (Ranger Wilson); and Kayla Koerner ’24 of Columbia (Mrs. Cecilia Delaunay Pettison).

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