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Brian Beals of the Mud Theatre Project Featured at Recent Chancellor's Thinkers Series on UIS Campus

NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS | By Jeff C. Williams
Published November 4, 2026 at 9:07 AM CST
Brian Beals (center right), and Darius Franklin (center left), of the Mud Theatre Project. Brian was featured at a recent UIS Chancellor's Thinkers Series. He was exonerated after 35 years of a wrongful conviction, with the help of the Illinois Innocence Project and Stephanie Kamel (far right), Director for the IIP. They stopped by the NPR Illinois studios for a segment on Community Voices with Jeff Williams (far left).
Melissa Snider
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Mud Theatre Group, IIP, Chancellor's Thinkers Series, NPR Illinois
Brian Beals (center right), and Darius Franklin (center left), of the Mud Theatre Project. Brian was featured at a recent UIS Chancellor's Thinkers Series. He was exonerated after 35 years of a wrongful conviction, with the help of the Illinois Innocence Project and Stephanie Kamel (far right), Director for the IIP. They stopped by the NPR Illinois studios for a segment on Community Voices with Jeff Williams (far left).

Brian Beals and Darius Franklin started the Mud Theatre Project while incarcerated. Brian was featured at a recent UIS Chancellor's Thinkers Series. He was exonerated after 35 years of a wrongful conviction, with the help of the Illinois Innocence Project and Stephanie Kamel, Director for the IIP.

The Illinois Innocence Project will be Celebrating 25 Years of Freedom and Reform on Saturday, November 7, 2026. From 5 to 9pm, at the Crowne Plaza Springfield.

From the event website.
Join us for an unforgettable evening as we celebrate 25 Years of Freedom and Reform. Experience the fight to free innocent people through spoken word, live music, presentation of our Defender of the Innocent Award and recognition of the many freed and exonerated individuals who will be in attendance.

Your attendance supports our work to free innocent people, educate the public, policymakers and law enforcement about wrongful convictions, and change the system to protect innocent people.

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Arts & Life UIS Center for State Policy and Leadership (CSPL)
Jeff C. Williams
Jeff C. Williams joined NPR Illinois in February of 2026.
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