DeKALB – At 7 p.m. on Saturday, The Egyptian Theater will present “The $30,000 Bequest,” a movie that took more than 10 years to create. Based on the book of the same name by Mark Twain, the NIU School of Theater and Dance retells the beloved short story in a full-length motion picture.

The movie takes place at the turn of the 20th century and centers around a young, happy couple who, if they follow his instructions, will inherit $30,000 from Tilbury Foster, a distant relative. The movie was shot on the NIU campus and in a Sycamore home built in the 1880s.

Alumni of the NIU School of Theater and Dance Josh Anderson, Joel Stanley Huff and Jessica Webb star in this production. Rich Holly is the executive producer of the movie and was the dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at the time it was filmed (2011). The cooperation between NIU students and faculty members made this film production possible. This also included the students who were members of the School of Music who performed on the film’s soundtrack.

Tickets are $5 for people of all ages and can be purchased online at the Egyptian Theater website or in person at the theater during premiere night. NIU students who show their ID at the door will get in free of charge. All proceeds will go to the Melanie Parks Memorial Scholarship in Costume Design which assists current costume design students at NIU.

For more information, visit the NIU College of Visual and Performing Arts website.