Northern Michigan University alumna and Ironwood native Beth Rondeau Deacon will return to campus on Wednesday, March 13, for a series of events related to her work as a screenwriter, book author and mathematics teacher. She and director/producer Terence Gordon will present a free 6 p.m. showing of the movie based on Deacon's first screenplay, Intent Unknown, followed by a Q&A in Jamrich 1100. The psychological thriller stars Eric Roberts and revolves around four ambitious psychology students who embark on a risky experiment to unravel the mysteries of human behavior.
Earlier in the day—from 2-3:30 in the same location—Deacon will discuss and read from her book Seven Doors In: One Teacher's Mission within Prison Walls, which has been optioned by a prominent production company for a streaming series. She plans to give away 50 autographed copies. Seven Doors In reflects on the three years she taught at a maximum-security prison.
Deacon earned a Master of Arts in Education degree in school administration and supervision from NMU in 2000. She has served as a mathematics teacher for about three decades. Her awards include Women of Hearts Teacher of the Year, the Correctional Teacher of the Year, and the Sanford Inspirational Teacher. She is featured in the book Women Today Making a Difference.
Deacon and Gordon will also hold a 4-5:30 p.m. casting call for NMU students for Intent Unknown 2, along with another film in development about pioneering woman pilot Lynn Rippelmeyer, who was the first woman to fly a 747 and captain a 747 transatlantic flight. The subject aligns with Gordon's interest in aviation. He attended college and general aviation flight school, and later served with the Civil Air Patrol-U.S. Air Force before venturing into entertainment. Gordon's credits include executive producer of the documentary What's in a Name: A Versace Story. He has also worked on numerous cross-genre projects such as music videos, commercials and feature-length films.
An additional casting call and screening of Intent Unknown will be held in Deacon's hometown of Ironwood on Friday, March 15. Read a feature story on her that appeared in the spring 2023 issue of Northern Magazine here.
