'Spinning Into Butter' at Elgin Art Showcase

The Janus Theatre Company continues its 19th season "Inspired By … " with "Spinning Into Butter" by Rebecca Gilman Friday through March 25 at the Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division St., in downtown Elgin.

The production is 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $18 at janusplays.com.

The play explores the question of how we talk about race. The story concerns a black student at a liberal college. When he begins receiving hate mail, the campus erupts, first with shock, then with mutual recrimination as faculty and students try to prove their own tolerance by condemning one another.

At the center of this controversy is the dean of students. As the administration sponsors public "race forums" and the students start their activist groups, the dean is forced to explore her own feelings of racism. Her self-examination leads to surprising discoveries and painful insights, the consequences of which even she can't predict.

"We are excited to bring this thought-provoking play to life in downtown Elgin," said Artistic Director Sean Hargadon. "Even though the play premiered in the 1990s, it still is just as timely as when it was written almost 20 years ago."

"Spinning Into Butter" is the second play of the "Inspired By … " season - a project that presents three plays that explore and attempt to understand through theater the creation, debate and removal of the mural "American Nocturne" in Elgin during 2016.

This project approaches the subject of art and culture in the community by asking three questions separately in each of the plays: What is art? Why do we make art? How do we talk about race?

The production features Elbron Eramia of Chicago, Brian Greco of Oak Lawn, Tricia Miller Hewson of West Dundee, Spencer Huffman of Chicago, Tom Hussey of Arlington Heights, Shannon Mayhall of Cary and Justin Schaller of Elgin. It is directed by Richard Pahl.

To learn more about the 2017-2018 "Inspired By … " season and to purchase tickets to performances, go to janusplays.com or jtcsib.eventbrite.com.