Milo Lookingale
Stage 212
Performed October 8th, 2024
Directed by Deb Lenhausen Krueger
Milo Lookingale: Thomas Bailey, Scot Smigel, Alyce Scott, and Jim Jewell
On the 30th anniversary of Jim Jewell’s passing, Mockholders productions partnered with Stage 212 to present a one-night-only performance of Jim’s original play, Milo Lookingale. The production was directed by Debra Lenhausen Krueger, a long-time friend and collaborator of Jewell’s. The cast featured community member, Thomas Bailey, taking on the show’s first act. Bailey did not know Jim but has a long history at Stage 212 and is a member of the queer community in the Illinois Valley. For him, this was a chance to honor the queer heritage of this 212 artist. The second act of the show was performed by three “special guests,” all of which had ties to Jim Jewell. Scot Smigel and Alyce Scott split the first two-thirds of the act, returning to the 212 stage to pay tribute to their dear friend. It was then time for the final performance of the night. As the lights went down, Jim Jewell made his debut in the Jim Jewell Auditorium, as video of his final performance of Milo Lookingale was projected onto the stage. Family, friends, and fellow artists filled the auditorium to celebrate the life and work of the great Jim Jewell.
“Speak up! Stand up and speak up, now before ‘It’ comes to take you, or someone you love, and there’s no one left to speak up for you. For the measure we give will be the measure we get back”