DECATUR, Ill. — welcomed playwright to campus this week for a residency centered around the student production of her original play, “Holy Chicken Sandwich,” at .
Rockwell, an Atlanta-based playwright and educator, spent several days on campus attending rehearsals, visiting classes, and working directly with students as they prepared the production. The opportunity also marked a meaningful connection, as Rockwell was previously a student of Rachel Barnett, 鶹Լ’s Director of the School of Theatre and Dance, during Barnett’s time teaching at Baylor University.
The production itself reflects 鶹Լ’s student-driven approach to theatre. Rockwell noted that students played a central role in bringing the show to campus.
“The students have so much ownership in this program,” Rockwell said. “There are a lot of ways in which they really get to be at the center of everything happening here. I’ve just seen it in their questions and the ways that they produce shows.”
Pipe Dreams Studio Theatre is a student-run venture founded by the Center for Entrepreneurship and the School of Theatre and Dance in 2010. Pipe Dreams is composed of and completely run by 鶹Լ students with a passion for the performing arts, and they offer a full season of performances each year.
“Holy Chicken Sandwich” was selected by Pipe Dreams, which discovered the play and proposed it for production. For Rockwell, that process stood out as unique.
“They found the play, and they are the ones who pitched it as part of their production company and part of their season,” she said. “So it’s really because of the students.”
The play is a comedic mystery set at the grand opening of a controversial fast-food restaurant, where a group of devoted customers camps out overnight for a chance to win free meals. As the night unfolds, the story reveals deeper tensions beneath the surface.
For Rockwell, seeing her work come to life on stage remains one of the most rewarding aspects of playwriting.
“It’s such a gift to be able to see something that is a blueprint and then see it become this live thing for audiences to be a part of,” she said. “Seeing the words live in actors’ bodies, it’s addicting. I love it.”
Throughout her visit, Rockwell engaged with students in classes and conversations about both the creative and professional sides of theatre. She said students asked thoughtful questions about their futures in the field.
“They’re asking really smart questions too and bold questions of like how what is it like to trave and what happens when they get out of academia,” Rockwell said. “Which I think just goes to show that the program is preparing them beyond their program.”
Rockwell also had the opportunity to observe the production process and see students’ creative work take shape.
“They have literally made their own restaurant, and they have all this amazing merch marketing, and just the ridiculousness that they’ve been able to create a whole world out of nothing,” she said.
As opening night approached, Rockwell expressed excitement about experiencing the show alongside an audience.
“I can’t wait. I’m so excited,” she said. “That’s a part of the playwriting process, getting to witness it with an audience, especially with a comedy, to see what’s landing.”
The intimate setting of the 90-seat Pipe Dreams Studio Theatre, located in the Health Science Center, will enhance that experience for audiences, according to Rockwell.
“A black box theater, I think, is one of the most magical spaces. You are, as an audience, part of it,” she said.
will take place at Pipe Dreams Studio Theatre through Sunday.
- Thursday, April 9, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, April 10, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, April 11, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, April 12, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.
Tickets are $20 and available at
For Rockwell, the 鶹Լ production represents a unique moment in the life of the play—one where students are creating something entirely their own.
“They’re creating it from scratch,” she said. “They’ve never seen a version of this play before.”
Through experiences like this residency, 鶹Լ continues to provide students with hands-on opportunities to collaborate with professional artists and bring original work to life.
