Cola Rep Dance Company Presents KISS THE GROUND, Aug 1 & 2 at Koger Center

Columbia Repertory Dance Company Showcases SC Talent & Upholds Commitment to Innovation with

KISS THE GROUND

August 1st & 2nd at Koger Center

Columbia Repertory Dance Company presents Kiss the Ground at the Koger Center for the Arts on Saturday, August 1st at 7:30pm and Sunday, August 2nd at 3:00pm. The Company’s seventh season celebrates the extraordinary artists who are shaping the future of professional dance in South Carolina, and features a dynamic ensemble of professional dancers, emerging apprentices, choreographers, and designers whose work reflects the depth of artistic talent found throughout the Midlands and beyond. 

The beginning of the program highlights the company’s signature style, featuring repertoire by Angela Gallo, Christian von Howard, company artists Ashlee Taylor and Erin Bailey, and emerging choreographer Molly Allen, a recent graduate of the University of South Carolina’s Betsy Blackmon Dance Program.  

The second half of the evening premieres “The Weight of the World,” a new one-act work by artistic director Stephanie Wilkins that explores resilience, connection, and the shared human experience through sweeping, emotionally driven choreography. Representing a break with the company’s tradition of exclusively presenting mixed repertoire. The work, an expansion of 2025’s show closing “An Internal Growl,” consists of six movements of various configurations of dancers, each taking the audience along on a shared journey through the battles we fight to win our way to hope, says company co-founder and managing director, Bonnie Boiter-Jolley. 

Performed by ten professional dancers and five apprentices, and supported by a professional design team, the production exemplifies Columbia Rep's commitment to artistic excellence and multidisciplinary collaboration. “Together, these diverse artistic voices reflect Cola Rep’s mission to broaden the dance experience through innovative choreography and meaningful connections between artists and audiences,” Boiter-Jolley says. 

“I am really excited about this change from our usual format to premiere Stephanie’s new choreography,” she continues explaining that "The Weight of the World" consists of six distinct movements. “An Internal Growl,” the company’s show closer in 2025, “Wept,” which is a quartet that premiered at the Starlight Gala earlier this year; “One Step Forward and Three Steps Back,” which is a more angular and almost militaristic piece featuring mass ensemble movements and unison with individual breakaway moments; the fourth section, “Bleed” is a solo performed by Erin Bailey, embodying a sense of weariness familiar to many right now; the fifth section, which is also currently untitled, utilizes the full 14 dancer company in what feels like a united fight and is set to a piece of music composed and performed by Clinton Wilkins' band “Marmalade Knives;” and finally, “Unbroken,” a restaging of a work that deals with overcoming the idea of hopelessness to rebuild oneself and rediscover hope.

CRDC dancer Carrie Preus

“Though it is challenging to switch gears between each chapter, it makes the story much easier to tell,” Boiter-Jolley says. “The viewer will understand why the dancers are wiping away tears in the second section and grasping at the air, fighting to find their feet and endlessly running in the final section. I was in the cast of that final section, “Unbroken,” a number of years ago when I was still a part of Columbia City Ballet, and as soon as we began getting that movement into our bodies this time around the tears came. There is a definite catharsis that comes with sweating, laughing and crying in a room full of people you love and respect and also being able to end a journey joined hand in hand and looking toward the future.” 

Boiter-Jolley also says she is “very proud of how multi-generational the company is this year. I have two former students from USC in the company: Amy Brooks (who I taught for all four years and will be dancing with a local ballet company in the fall) and Megan Kelly (who graduated in 2025 and is now teaching in the public school system,) and Carrie Preus introduced Rylie Budnick (recent Converse College graduate) and Dylan Miller (current rising Junior at Converse) to the company as apprentices. Carrie, Erin Bailey, Ashlee Taylor and I all teach in the University system while Jack Thompson, Megan Kelly and apprentice Kaela Colemen are in public education. There is a huge amount of ‘passing it on’ happening  and it feels like what is being passed is valuable enough to make a difference both in an individual's journey and the dance landscape here in SC.”

According to Wilkins, this performance is inspired by the Rumi quote, “Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground,” as it “delves into extremely personal, yet universal themes, including grief, loss, love, community, feeling broken and beaten down, and then finding your strength and resilience again, rising up and refusing to be made small or to shrink, and reclaiming your power, both personally and as a people.” She continues, “It is a response to not only what has been going on in  my personal life, but in our nation during these turbulent times. Though not a political piece per se, it certainly touches on themes that we, as a country, have dealt with over the past few years. Ultimately, it ends with hope.” 

Show times: August 1st at 7:30pm and August 2nd, 2026, at 3pm in the Koger Center Black Box Theater.

Tickets are $35 & available here

For more information and tickets, https://www.colarep.com/events contact Managing Director Bonnie Boiter-Jolley

Phone: (803)622-6879 E-mail: colarepdanceco@gmail.com

The Columbia Repertory Dance Company’s mission is to broaden the experience of professional dance artists and patrons in Columbia, SC through multidisciplinary collaborative performances year-round. We aim to retain the talents of South Carolina dance artists and provide a spectrum of professional opportunities while inspiring and developing a broader and deeper understanding of dance in Columbia and surrounding areas.

Recognizing the 2026 Jasper Play Right Project Community Producers

The 2026 Jasper Play Right Project is well underway with a packed house of cast, crew, and our all-important Community Producers.

Community Producers essentially fund the production of the winning play to the Staged Reading level of development. Their work began on Sunday July 12 with their first gathering around a table of wine, cheese, and treats to witness Jasper’s first Table Reading of DK Turner’s The Counting Table.

Between now and Sunday, September 13th, the Community Producers will gather three more times to go deeper into the process of play development and then finally, on the 13th, they will take their reserved seats to witness the highly produced Staged Reading.

Thank you to our 2026 Jasper Play Right Project Community Producers!

Stan Conine

Jennifer Gunter

Larry Hembree & Joe Hudson

Linda Khoury

Richard & Nancy Layman

Tricia & Henry Motes

Bill Schmidt

Wade Sellers

Kirkland & James Smith

Gwinette Taylor

Keith Tolen

Jon Tuttle

Cindi Boiter & Bob Jolley

 

You don’t have to be a Community Producer to see the finished product though. Tickets are now available to join Jasper and the Community Producers for the official Staged Reading of The Counting Table followed by a meal inspired by the play itself.

Special Thanks to Columbia Music Festival Association for serving as the host of ALL Jasper 2026 Play Right Project events, including the Big Show on September 13th!

Learn more about the Jasper Play Right Project

REVIEW: Trustus Theatre's URINETOWN - THE MUSICAL

by Beth DeHart

If Saturday Night Live’s effete city correspondent Stefon Meyers reviewed Trustus Theatre’s production of Urinetown: The Musical, which opened last weekend, he might say something like, “This show has everything! A flawless live band, cartoon-level physical comedy, eye-rolling puns, an adorable unparented little girl, a strangely parented big girl, and a set that is both dirty and clean at the same time… You don’t want to miss it!”

And he’d be right!

Urinetown: The Musical – a name that is already intriguing – is a Tony award winning musical written by Greg Kotis with music by Mark Hollman. It debuted on Broadway in 2001 and is set in a dystopian fictional town severely impacted by a 20-year draught. The antagonist is the for-profit business, “Urine Good Company,” whose tagline is, “We care where you go.”  The primary conflict of the story is that in response to the oppressive draught conditions, “Urine Good Company” established public restrooms which require payment – tariffs – for community members to use the amenities. The story is a cautionary Eat-the-Rich revolutionary tale about overuse of critical resources like water. But for the punsters out there, the puns alone are a good enough reason to see the show.

The play is directed by Dewey Scott-Wiley whose fingerprint is notable throughout – slow motion moments, consistent meaningful business, believable and entertaining characterizations – all bring this satirical story to life. The audience is engaged throughout by the visual, musical, and physical presentation of the creative script. Kudos also to Sheldon Paschal for her additions to the show as Assistant Director.

The cast features 21 actors who use the space of the set quite effectively - a credit to Ashley Jensen, Scenic Designer, who establishes both horizontal and vertical interest on the stage. The set is not fussy; it’s built to depict the desperation of the moment and to make scene changes happen as efficiently as possible. Kudos to Marc Hurst for lighting design that supports this minimalist set. Hurst’s Lighting, alongside Sound Design by Jacob Olano with Sound Engineer Matt Pound, were all excellent. “The Band,” conducted by Ayush Joshi, is hidden in the rafters, allowing tiny glimpses of movement which is fun for the audience.

Cast members Jonathan Monk, Kevin Bush, Lauren Roberts, and Dayna Arnett made the audience look particularly forward to their characters’ distinct moments in the spotlight. A younger cast member who also carried the story along beautifully was Te’Jah Beaton as Little Sally.

Several Urinetown team members are currently in the process of studying various theater-related skills, including acting, musical theater, stage management, and theater technology and design. The energy these cast and crew members bring to the production is notable. Olan Domer as Bobby Strong and River Dively as Hope Cladwell also add believability and heart to the performance. In the dance department, Daniel Mason, in the role of Hot Blades Harry, is a stand-out!

A couple of elements that detracted a bit from the otherwise excellent quality of the show included some questionable casting choices and dance performances. Some of the older character roles are played by much younger actors, which requires the audience to work much harder to suspend their disbelief and fully engage in the show. While most of the performances remain completely believable throughout, a few were, sadly, unconvincing.

Overall, Trustus Theatre’s production of Urinetown is well worth the price of the ticket. The production is yet another example of the excellent quality of local theater available in Columbia, SC.

Grab your tickets and empty your bladders… You’ll be happy about both!

~~~

(One recommendation: It could be argued that an opportunity was missed by not charging audience members a fee to “pay to pee.” Not only would this have reinforced the message of the play, it also could have served as a real-time fundraiser for Food Not Bombs, the non-profit being supported by the show.) 

Urinetown: The Musical runs June 19 - July 19, 2026. Tickets are available at Trustus.org or the number on the poster above.

Help Jasper Produce DK Turner's New Play By Becoming a Community Producer with Jasper's PLAY RIGHT PROJECT

The Jasper Project is excited to announce that Applications to be a Jasper Play Right Project Community Producer are now open!

As a Jasper Play Right Project Community Producer, YOUR NAME will appear in the first ever publication of The Counting Table by DK Turner which will have a permanent home in the Library of Congress in Washington DC. Your decision to join other Community Producers before you, such as Hunter Boyle, Linda Khoury, James & Kirkland Smith, Bill Schmidt, Larry Hembree and many more, attests to the fact that YOU care enough about new theatrical art in SC to pony up and support this art both physically and financially, and we THANK YOU for that.

To show our appreciation, Jasper Play Right Project Community Producers become our guests of honor at 4 Community Producer sessions during summer 2026 where you will be invited to work & play alongside the playwright, cast, and crew of The Counting Table to learn more about the page-to-stage process for a brand new play. You’ll be in the room when the cast is introduced to the play for the first time ever via a Table Reading of The Counting Table; you’ll be privy to a private rehearsal; you’ll interact with other Community Producers over snacks and drinks; and finally, you’ll be seated front and center in reserved seats for the first ever, highly produced Staged Reading of The Counting Table on Sept. 13th at Columbia Music Festival Association in our historic Congaree Vista. (Click Here for CP session schedule.)

NEW THIS YEAR!

Post-Production Dinner with a Menu Inspired by the Play

And we have more exciting news! As a 2026 Community Producer you will also be invited to attend, AS OUR GUEST, a post-production dinner, immediately following the performance, with a menu inspired by DK Turner’s The Counting Table, itself!’

Community Producer membership starts at $250 per person. In addition to the above you’ll receive

• Copies of the newly published first edition of the play The Counting Table by DK Turner (The Jasper Project, 2026)

• Extra passes to bring along your friends and family to the big performance on Sept. 13th

• Name recognition not only in the book but also in the playbill and on all promotional material (feel free to submit your application under your business name, if you’d like)

• A Jasper Project gift bag with arts community goodies

Please Sign Up NOW to reserve your spot as a Community Producer and help bring to life Columbia-based SC Playwright DK Turner’s new play, THE COUNTING TABLE this summer!

JASPER PROJECT PLAY RIGHT PROJECT WINNING PLAYWRIGHT DK TURNER

Jasper Does Artista Vista with Adam Corbett and More - Friday Eve & Sunday Afternoon

Artist - Adam Corbett

All of us at the Jasper Project are excited about our upcoming Artista Vista celebrations this weekend at Coal Powered Filmworks!

We kick things off on Friday evening with an exhibition from our featured visual artist, Adam Corbett, who will be showing his art right in front of Coal Powered Filmworks on Lincoln Street from 6 - 9 pm. But come on inside, too, to see a variety of art curated by our host and Jasper board president, Wade Sellers.

Adam Corbett is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and visual artist from Lexington, South Carolina. His work is often whimsical, comes with a punchline, or fun story, and his subjects include wildlife and characters of his own creation. He likes to experiment with various mediums in a variety of formats focusing always on exploration, play, and following his muse. In addition to his visual artistry, Corbett has been a part of the Columbia music scene for almost 20 years. An accomplished musician and singer-songwriter, he’s been in several bands, including Guitar Show, The Restoration, and Husband to name a few — and he has performed with with local artists Marshall Brown and Rachel Kate.

You can also catch Adam Corbett wearing musician hat when he performs at Stormwater Studios at 1 pm on Saturday, April 18th.

If you’re a member of the Jasper Guild — at any donation level — you’re invited to join us again on Sunday afternoon, April 19th from 4 - 6pm for a special happy hour just for you! We’ll have drinks and light snacks to nosh on for an hour before and then during a portion of Live On Lincoln, which will be happening just outside our door. And if you want to be there but haven’t gotten around to joining the Jasper Guild, no worries, you can do so by clicking here and we’ll welcome you to the Jasper family on Sunday afternoon.

You’ll also be rubbing elbows with many of the artists performing in the event because, in keeping with the Jasper mission, we’re serving as a “Green Room” for any performing artists who need a place to change their clothes and/or grab a granola bar or a bottle of water after they perform.

For more information about Live on Lincoln, check out the line-up and ticket availability, as well as everything the Vista has planned for the weekend (hint: it starts Friday morning at 11 am with the unveiling of new public art, Maria DeFelice’s, “Kaleidoscope on Columbia” on the corner of Lincoln and Taylor Streets) at Vista Columbia.

Join the Jasper Guild Today

Meet Jasper Board Member Jane Turner Peterson!

MEET JASPER!

JANE TURNER PETERSON

The Jasper Project is dependent upon its hard working board of directors to make our world go ‘round. In addition to sharing a wealth of information from their own experiences, the Jasper Project board is, what is called in the world of non-profits, a “working board.” Emphasis on the word WORK.

You’ll see our board members delivering Jasper Magazines, greeting and ringing up art sales at any of our gallery spaces, hauling bags of ice, cases of wine, and trays of food at our receptions and events, as well as planning, setting up for, and cleaning up after those events. Our board of volunteers also plan and program those parties! They schedule art exhibitions, review plays, install art, make labels, read plays, screen films, program concerts, write checks, balance the budget, communicate with their unique contacts, and so much more.

Every board member is attached to at least one of Jasper’s primary projects (Jasper Magazine, galleries, Play Right Project, 2nd Act Film Project, or any of our one-off projects like the Degenerate Arts Project we just finished up or our upcoming Peter Lenzo Retrospective and Remembrance which will open at Stormwater Studios on April 3rd.)

New board members are officially elected into their seats at our annual board retreat in January, though when potential new board members come along throughout the year, we invite them “to date” Jasper until the next retreat. This gives the potential director time to learn how Jasper works and decide whether they can see themselves as part of our motley crew. And the reciprocal works for Jasper.

In January 2026, Jasper voted in 7 new directors to join our already existing board of 14 sitting members. Over the next few weeks we will be introducing these amazing people to you via Jasper Online. We invite you to check back here daily to MEET JASPER, and we will introduce you to the hard-working and talented individuals who make up the Jasper Project Board of Directors.

Meet Jane Turner Peterson!

Jane Turner Peterson is a retired marketing professional in the non-profit sector with an arts background. She holds a BA in Theatre from the University of South Carolina. She has been involved in arts marketing in several areas, including graphic design, advertising, and sales, since the 80s. She was most recently the Director of Communications at Washington Street UMC in Columbia. Jane has been involved both on stage and as a director in the local theatre scene for numerous years. Jane is excited to begin her journey with Jasper to be a part of an organization whose mission reflects her love of the arts.

Jane is the Theatre Editor for Jasper Magazine and the project director for the Play Right Project. She also serves on the Project & Planning Committee, the Marketing Committee, and the Magazine Committee.

Welcome Jane!

Koger Center Announces Music Series Line-Up & Jasper Will Be There for All the Concerts!

The Jasper Project is delighted to partner with USC’s Koger Center for the Arts and all our amazing neighborhood arts groups on this lovely free concert series!

The Koger Center for the Arts has set the headliners for the first Levitt AMP Columbia Music Series, a series of free outdoor concerts sponsored in part by the LevittFoundation. The concerts will take place on the Plaza Stage on the Koger Center’s front lawn from 5 - 7 p.m., with the rain location being indoors in either the Black Box Theater or second floor lobby. 

The full lineup features ten concerts split between the spring and fall seasons. All concerts are free, open to the public and will have opportunities for off stage community engagement (that’s Jasper, y’all!) for the audience. The schedule is as follows: 

Spring

Saturday, April 18: River Shook Duo

Saturday, April 25: Sunny War

Saturday, May 2: Five OHM

Saturday, May 9: Carolyn Wonderland

Fall

Thursday, September 10: Admiral Radio

Thursday, September 17: Black Nerd Mafia

Thursday, September 24: Molly Martin

Thursday, October 1: Kuf Knotz & Christine Elise

Thursday, October 8: Sam Morrow

Thursday, October 15: Making Movies

Each concert will feature a local Midlands based opening act! The Levitt AMP Columbia Music Series is dedicated to uplifting Columbia as a cultural hub and destination for accessible entertainment. The series is supported by a variety of community partners, including the Jasper Project, ONE Columbia, ColaJazz, South Carolina Philharmonic, University of South Carolina Student Life, Black Nerd Mafia, the South Carolina Commission for Community Advancement and Engagement, the City of Columbia, the Columbia Chamber, and the Vista Guild. 

Geared to towns and cities with populations under 250,000, Levitt AMP grantees reflect the three goals of the LevittAMP Music Series program: Amplify community pride and a city’s unique character; enrich lives through the power of free, live Music; and illustrate the importance of inclusive and vibrant public Places. From rural Alaska to Appalachian Main Streets and Midwestern locales, Levitt AMP is a catalytic opportunity for towns and cities across America to realize a shared mission—building community through music to create a healthy and thriving future for all. Columbia is the only Levitt AMP location in South Carolina.

Columbia residents are encouraged to follow along with the development of the series over the next three years by visiting www.KogerCenterForTheArts.com, and following @LevittAmpColumbia and @KogerCenterForTheArts on Instagram.

REVIEW -- Village Square Theatre's SCHOOL OF ROCK by Jane Turner Peterson

Young Performers Rock the Stage in School of Rock at Village Square Theatre

Get ready for some good rock ’n’ roll…performed on stage by kids! Yes, kids! School of Rock the Musical, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, kicked off Friday night at Village Square Theatre in Lexington. Along with a superior band in the pit—Patty Boggs (drums), Nigel Grant (guitar), Camille Jones (piano), and Katie Miller (bass)—the young performers who make up the onstage “School of Rock” band absolutely rocked the house.

Directed by David LaTorre, Village Square Theatre’s artistic director, this high-energy rock musical is great fun for audiences of all ages. While the original School of Rock film leaned heavily on the antics of its adult lead, the stage version puts a stronger spotlight on the students and their families. LaTorre’s direction keeps the large production moving smoothly and energetically. With a cast of 35+—and several roles double cast—this was no small undertaking. Yet the ensemble remained fully engaged throughout the show, always in character and clearly listening and reacting to one another onstage.

Though a number of adults appear in the production, the majority of the cast is made up of teenagers and younger performers. If these young actors continue their involvement in community theatre, the future of the art form in our area looks very bright.

Based on the 2003 film School of Rock, this musical (originally based on a book by Julian Fellowes (known for Downton Abbey, and The Gilded Age) was adapted for the stage by Mike White. The show premiered on Broadway in 2015 at the Winter Garden Theatre. The story follows struggling rock singer and guitarist Dewey Finn (Taylor Diveley, who—after being kicked out of his own band—impersonates his geeky friend, Ned Schneebly (John Carter), a seasoned substitute teacher, to land a high paying job at a prestigious prep school. When he discovers his students’ musical talent, Dewey secretly forms a rock band with the students and sets his sights on the winning the Battle of the Bands. Needless to say, he is not your average teacher!

The musical moves at a brisk pace, with numerous scene changes handled efficiently by the cast and crew. Add in live instruments both onstage and in the pit, and the result is a production that demands serious stamina and energy from everyone involved. Thanks to LaTorre’s strong direction, the show hits the mark.

As Dewey Finn, Taylor Diveley is perfectly cast. His energy and enthusiasm propel the show, and his rock ’n’ roll persona—along with some solid vocals—keep the momentum going. Diveley is simply a joy to watch. John Carter fits perfectly in the role of a semi-nerdy friend, whose girlfriend, Sophie (D’Asia White) nags him about his loser friend, Finn.

Shelby Sessler nearly steals the show as the tightly wound principal Rosalie Mullins. Her vocal power and impressive range shine throughout the performance, and she deftly reveals several sides of the character as the story unfolds.

Several young musicians deserve special recognition. Alex Lease, who plays Zack in both casts, portrays the talented young guitarist desperate for his father’s approval, delivering some seriously impressive electric guitar work, better than many adult performers. Leo Portney brings equally strong skills to the drum kit, with drum solos that are a highlight of the show. Keyboardist Westin Black and bassist Allison Wengerd are similarly terrific.

Another standout is Mackenzie Bruder as the delightfully bossy and rule-loving Summer. Her confident stage presence, comedic timing, and sharp characterization add plenty of fun to the production.

Kudos also go to the entire ensemble of band members and classmates, including Lydia Reed, Grace Carlton, Jo Davis, Jack Carlton, Zach Cieri, Jackson Livingston, Catherine Cieri, Scarlett Ellingson, Soph Carlton, Ciara Nash, Kate Bruder, Eliot Stewart, Janely Burgos, Finn Carlton, Selah Lyle, Graham Gibson, Alyssa Presutto, Reese Catalanotto, Mackenzie Miller, Pete Roberts, and Scarlett Powell. Each performer brought strong character work and plenty of enthusiasm to the stage.

The adult roles are capably handled by Andrew Coston, Will Dowd, Eric Jewell, Max Ferro, Zanna Mills, Tracey Lease, Megan Stewart, Chris Bender, and John Carter.

Depending on what night you go, there are a slew of other young actors in the other cast. They include Ethan Schalund, Grace Bender, Aleah Headen, Brighton Dunbar, Rilyn Boehme, Hunter Gibson, Cully Srikanth, Logan Blackledge, Emily Sippel, Charlee Gay, Adalynn Williams, Genevieve Savage, and Emma Grace Simpson.

Choreography by Maggie Pszenny is lively and well suited to the production, adding to the show’s overall energy. The production is produced by Tricia Miller, and musical direction by Julia Turner keeps the rock sound tight and exciting. It’s clear that everyone involved poured their hearts into this production.

If you’re ready for a fun night filled with great rock ’n’ roll—and a chance to see the promising future of community theatre and young performers—make plans to catch School of Rock: The Musical at Village Square Theatre in Lexington. The show runs through March 22. Tickets are available at villagesquaretheatre.com or by phone at 803-359-1436.

Columbia-based Artist MICHAEL KRAJEWSKI Partners with CORIN WIGGINS to Present METAPLASIA: A CONTEMPORARY PERFORMANCE OF BUTOH & PAINT

The Jasper Project is excited to help spread the word about a new project presented by Columbia-based visual artist Michael Krajewski and theatre/performance artist Corin Wiggins, who returns to Columbia, SC after a ten-year absence. METAPLASIA: A Contemporary Performance of Butoh and Paint – A Ten Year Homecoming will be presented on Saturday, February 7th, at 7:30 PM at Gemini Arts, in Columbia, SC.

Krajewski, who has earned a reputation as a bravely experimental artist, has a history of engaging in painting as performance, often partnering with dancers and other performing artists. This time he will be partnering with Corin Wiggins who has mastered the Japanese art of Butoh Dance. According to the Butoh Institute of New York, “Butoh is an avant-garde art form born in Japan in the 1950s. Butoh developed at the height of the Japanese Counter Culture Movement and was influenced by surrealism, neo dada, French mime techniques, ballet, flamenco, Neue Tanz (German Expressionist dance) as well as French and European literature.”

Traditionally performed in white body makeup, butoh is considered an avant garde dance form and typically involves hyper-realized, grotesque imagery, and “slow and arrhythmic body contortions expressing a confluence of anguish and rapture, and a dedication to form and improvisation that is deeply connected to the nature of being.” https://japanobjects.com/features/butoh) Many practitioners and patrons of the artform consider butoh to be more of a dance experience than a performance, often saying the experience is undefinable.

In the press release for this event Wiggins states that, “METAPLASIA represents more than just a performance; it is a compelling fusion of visual and performing arts. Following a decade-long journey away from his hometown, Wiggins returns to Columbia for this significant homecoming event. Notably, this performance is poised to be the first professional butoh performance in South Carolina’s history, showcasing the depth and evolution of this unique art form.

“The term "Metaplasia," derived from Greek, signifies "change in form," reflecting the transformative processes that occur in nature and art. The performance will delve into themes of nonconsensual existence, chaos and control, cryptobiosis, and mindfulness in contemporary society. Accompanying the performance will be an original musical soundscape, meticulously crafted by Wiggins, enhancing the immersive experience for the audience.”

Krajewski will paint as Wiggins performs.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to enjoy thought-provoking performance art ephemerally created amongst the visual art exhibited at Gemini Arts. Tickets are only $10 and may be purchased in advance via Eventbrite. Doors open at 7:10 and the performance begins at 7:30.

For more information about what to expect, please visit the Eventbrite site.

Click here to learn more about Butoh.

About Michael Krajewski: Michael Krajewski is an artist-in-residence at Gemini Arts Collective. He is a self-taught artist described as neo-expressionist, although he is less concerned with labeling than with creating from an authentic, mindful space and expressing what he is feeling and experiencing in the moment. He works in various mediums including painting, drawing, clay, and video.

Krajewski has been commissioned to provide artwork for film and art festivals, set design for Trustus Theatre, and art for the Columbia City Ballet. He painted a mural in the Greenville Children’s Museum, and a mural in the Columbia Museum of Art, one of only two artists ever invited to paint on the walls there.

Of his many contributions to the culture of Columbia and greater South Carolina is Michael’s freehand composition on the walls of Black Rooster, a restaurant in West Columbia, where he is using the entire restaurant as his canvas to create a one-of-a-kind installation that so far is four years in the making.

About Corin Wiggins: Corin Wiggins is an actor, director, and deviser of theatre. Their training and performance experience encompasses forms from the entirety of theatre history, with particular emphasis on classical verse, contemporary realism, commedia dell’arte, butoh (舞踏), and new devised work.

Raised in Columbia, South Carolina by a family of civil engineers, Corin first discovered the stage at age eight through the Columbia Children’s Theatre. Growing up in community musical theatre and child actor film agencies, including work undertaken on and off stage at both Town Theatre and Trustus Theatre, Corin began their professional actor training at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities Drama program. They hold a B.F.A. in Physical Theatre from a joint program between Coastal Carolina University and the Accademia dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy.

Alongside a national presence, Corin has lived and travelled extensively outside the United States and has created and performed in Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Czechia, Kazakhstan, and for audiences from all over the world via numerous international festivals. To date, they have contributed to well over one hundred projects, collectively seen by tens of thousands.

The liberation of the human is the primary goal behind Corin’s work. Corin’s original performances generally concern themselves with humans and human relationships, the conscious vs. subconscious vs. superconscious mind, and dark psychedelia.

Corin has booked work throughout the United States in 2026, as well as a butoh performance tour of Japan in the latter half of the year.

From the print issue -- DEGENERATE ART PROJECTS I & II

“We proudly reclaim our art—protest art in defiance of the current administration’s attempts to remove, censure, and redefine art and its purpose—"Degenerate Art” in solidarity with both historical and contemporary artists who work or have worked to maintain our first amendment rights of freedom of speech and expression.”

Degenerate Arts—Entartete Kunst—I and II

By Cindi Boiter

Sometimes you just have to say what you’re thinking. You have to get it out there, one way or another. You have to express the fire of frustration, anger, and disappointment that can rage within you, as well as those still-hanging-on, deep-rooted beliefs that it can be better. It has been better. Our country has been better and can be better again. These sensations are complex and difficult to manage for all of us.

Luckily, we have artists.

Art is the tool we humans use to attempt to reconcile our profound and complicated responses to a world that doesn’t always give us the peace we crave. The peace we once took for granted. The process of creating art, be it dance, theatre, or music, visual art, or the written word, not only soothes the artist but it helps the recipient of the art, the viewer, the reader, feel seen and heard as they wrestle with the same conflicts an unbalanced world stirs inside them. It helps the recipient to better comprehend where we are right now, as a culture, and it helps us know that they we not alone.

This is why the Jasper Project originated the Degenerate Art Project in the summer of 2025 at Stormwater Studios, and it is why we’re bringing this unique project back in January 2026 at Gemini Arts.

Degenerate Arts II offers an open call for visual artists as well as performing or written word artists who want to propose programs that they would like Jasper to help implement.

Why do we call it “degenerate art?” In his essay printed in the current issue of Jasper Magazine, professor and Jasper Magazine poetry editor Ed Madden identifies the similarities between Hitler’s purge of art that did not represent the cultural ideology he promulgated—an ideology we now recognize as fascist—and the current administration’s attempts to dictate, control, and suppress art via a “politics of culture.” As Madden writes, in July 1937, “Nazi culture warriors had searched 32 of Germany’s public museums, determined to purge them of any work they considered undesirable because they were incompatible with Nazi values.” Hitler and Goebbels called the exhibition of this “undesirable” art “Degenerate Art,” or “Entartete Kunst” and juxtaposed it against an exhibition of predominantly representative art, of which he approved, and titled “Great German Art” or Grosse Deutsche Kunstausstellung.

We proudly reclaim our art—protest art in defiance of the current administration’s attempts to remove, censure, and redefine art and its purpose—"Degenerate Art” in solidarity with both historical and contemporary artists who work or have worked to maintain our first amendment rights of freedom of speech and expression.

CALL FOR ART FOR DEGENERATE ART PROJECT II EXTENDED UNTIL MIDNIGHT SATURDAY NOVEMBER 22ND!

I’ve always maintained that we don’t fully know the history of an event or a period of time until we know how the artists interpreted it. To that end, we created the first iteration of our Degenerate Arts project to provide a concerted platform for Columbia’s artists to express their responses to our country’s current socio-political situation. We also wanted to bring our local arts community together both physically and in spirit during this challenging time in order to support and encourage one another. And we hoped to preserve for posterity the SC Midlands’ artistic interpretation of this unique and disturbing time in history.

More than twenty visual artists participated in the Degenerate Arts Project in June. It was exciting to see the work, some of it satirical like Robert Airial’s cartoons of the president as a present-day Mussolini and  the same man removing the letters M and E from the word America to simply spell ME. Some was jarring and foreboding, like Eileen Blyth’s found art sculpture of a child’s old doll in a rusty oven. And some of it was incisive and incredibly current like Marius Valdes’ huge painting of a masked ICE agent with a word bubble reading “Just Following Orders.”

Pictured - poet Ed Madden stands before Marius Valdes’s painting “Just Following Orders” during a protest poetry reading in June 2025

Eileen Blyth - Artist

Portrait and assemblage artist Kirkland Smith says, “Being part of the Degenerate Arts project reminded me how powerful art can be in shaping the way we see one another.” She continues, “I appreciated the opportunity to portray a polyamorous group of four beautiful transgender women with quiet dignity, reclaiming a narrative that has been twisted for political reasons. The exhibition created a space for empathy in a world that is forgetting how to listen.”

Kirkland Smith pictured with her painting and her daughter at the Degenerate Art Project I in June 2025

While our first project focused on visual arts, poetry, a little music, and activism opportunities, we plan for our 2026 project to include additional arts disciples and we are excited to hear from dance, theatre, and more literary artists about what you’d like to contribute.

While the 2025 project lasted less than a week, the 2026 project will last three weeks, giving all of us ample time to be seen and heard.

And while the first project was structured as an invitational exhibition, Degenerate Arts II offers an open call for visual artists as well as performing or written word artists who want to propose programs that they would like Jasper to help implement.

For more information on how to submit a proposal for Degenerate Art II please see our CALL FOR ART at the Jasper Project website.

CALL FOR ART FOR DEGENERATE ART PROJECT II EXTENDED UNTIL MIDNIGHT SATURDAY NOVEMBER 22ND!

This article previously appeared in the fall 2025 issue of Jasper Magazine, on newsstands now.

Southern Gothic Festival: A Free Two-Day Festival Returns to Camden by Emily Moffitt

The Southern Gothic Festival is coming back to the cozy Broad Street of Camden, SC this October. For the fans of the spooky and esoteric, and anyone with a sense of morbid curiosity, this festival runs from the night of Friday October 10 through all of Saturday, October 11. A variety of panels featuring discussions of literature, history, and the occasional ghost tour await audiences either for free or for a nominal fee. Authors and journalists make up many of the headliners, and here are some highlights.

USC and Columbia’s own Julia Elliott, the author of beloved short story collection Hellions, novel The New and Improved Romie Futch, and the short story collection The Wilds, is participating in the panel Haunted Landscapes: The Supernatural in Southern Gothic Fiction on Saturday, October 11 at 11 a.m. in the Historic Camden Education Center, alongside other authors Nathan Ballingrud (North American Lake Monsters and Wounds: Six Stories from the Border of Hell) and Lee Mandelo (Summer Sons and The Woods All Black). Topics of this panel will include subverting genre expectations, blending psychological depth with speculative elements, and drawing on regional mythology to create narratives that are as emotionally resonant as they are chilling.

At 2 p.m. on the 11th, award-winning novelist David Joy joins the festival for a conversation on the complexities of modern Southern identity through the lens of his most recent work, Those We Thought We Knew, and his earlier novel, When These Mountains Burn. Known for his stark, lyrical prose and deeply human characters, Joy explores themes of race, rural poverty, family, morality, and place–capturing the contradictions and weight of life in the contemporary South.

And for those more intrigued in the realm of true crime, two of the biggest cases in South Carolina’s history will receive their fair share of attention. Valerie Bauerlein, a Wall Street Journal Reporter and Writer, is conducting a panel about her book The Devil at His Elbow: Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of a Southern Dynasty at 12 p.m. on the 11th, and at 4 p.m., catch Dick Harpootlian, a veteran of the Columbia courtroom, discuss his experience prosecuting Donald “Pee Wee” Gaskins and Harpootlian’s upcoming memoir about the ordeal, Dig Me a Grave.

For a full schedule of events for the two-day festival, visit the festival website at SouthernGothicFestival.com. The majority of the events are free to the public, including an opening street concert with Valentine Wolfe and Wasted Wine on the 10th at 7 p.m.

What’s Going on at the Koger Center? Free Low-Cost Events Next Week & Jasper is Playing a Part!

The Koger Center is stacked with a wide array of free and low-cost events and happenings throughout the month of September! The first full work week of the month has plenty going on, so check out what they have to offer.

On Monday, September 8, we are co-hosting a free artist talk with Lori Isom in the Nook, where her artwork is currently on display. The Nook, for anyone who has not had the chance to check it out, is a gallery space located on the second floor of the Koger Center, adjacent to the Gallery at the Koger Center space, that is programmed by the Jasper Project. The talk will last from 6 – 7 p.m. All artwork in Lori’s exhibit is available for purchase.

On Wednesday, September 10, Preach Jacobs will host his second SoulHaus Session in the Gallery at the Koger Center. After the sell-out success of the first session, Preach is returning and this time, bringing renowned chef Amethyst Ganaway and artist Dogon Krigga in for a conversation. Tickets are available for purchase on EventBrite; doors open with a vinyl spinning session at 5 p.m., and the talk begins at 6 p.m.

The evening of Friday the 12th kicks off with another free concert in the “Koger Center Presents: Live Outside” series. Starting at 5 p.m., Charleston-based act She Returns from War will perform, with a to-be-determined opening act accompanying the evening. Hailing from the historically rich city of Charleston, South Carolina, She Returns from War is defining what it means to not only live in the modern south, but to be a trans woman and artist within this landscape. The full Live Outside series runs on Fridays in September and October; check out the whole series on the Koger Center website here. If the weather turns stormy, the concert will still happen, just inside on the Koger Center’s second floor lobby instead!

And mark your calendars for later this month when Jasper welcomes Photo-artist Jeff Amberg to the Nook Gallery —

Ensemble Eclectica Brings Tapestry of Sound to Harbison Theatre Featuring Stan Gwynn, Clayton King, and Tracy Steele!

Classical Meets Bluegrass and Broadway in the new signature production by

Ensemble Eclectica

Tapestry of Sound:  Bluegrass to Broadway and More…

Classical Meets Bluegrass and Broadway in the 2025 Ensemble Eclectica production: Tapestry of Sound: Bluegrass to Broadway and More... on  Saturday August 23rd at 7:30 at Harbison Theatre, 7300 College Drive in Irmo, SC

Celebrated local performers Stann Gwynn, Clayton King, and Tracy Steele, along with  Carolina Bluegrass Style, will join with Ensemble Eclectica to present a groundbreaking new signature production this year!

In keeping with our tradition, the production features music, dance, and vocals, including the award-winning dance duo of Roxana Marinoff and Cesar Davalos, renowned for their musicality and dance craftsmanship. Local performer, Mattie Mount, will share her award-winning tap dancing skills and, rounding out the dance selections of the evening is Columbia Classical Ballet. Three styles of dance on one stage and one night! 

Clayton King and Tracy Steele will also serve as co-emcees for the evening. And new this year, acclaimed Columbia’s Inaugural Poet Laureate for the city, Ed Madden, will take the stage to share one of his poems in a unique way, accompanied by live music. Throughout the evening, photography by Jim Guzel will be featured to further enhance the production. 

ENSEMBLE ECLECTICA  is a contemporary and innovative ensemble whose mission is to stimulate audience appreciation of the arts through exposure to a wide variety of artistic collaborations featuring local musicians, dancers, visual artists and media professionals and is led by Suzanna Pavlovsky. Dr. Pavlovsky is a former Associate Conductor in Residence of the Etobicoke Philharmonic Orchestra in Toronto, and Associate Conductor of the Lake Murray Symphony Orchestra in Columbia, SC. An Assistant Conductor at Michigan State University, she was also a graduate assistant at the Eastman School of Music, as well as a conducting and teaching assistant at the University of South Carolina. 

Reserve Your Tickets Here!

Jasper Invites You to Get to Know the Actors in BUSTED OPEN, 2025's Play Right Series Winning Play by Ryan Stevens

Over the next few days Jasper will use Jasper Online to share the bios of the nine cast and crew members of Busted Open, our 2025 Play Right Series winning play by Ryan Stevens. Today we’re featuring Beth DeHart, Allison Allgood, and Kristin Cobb.

BETH DEHART

Beth DeHart has been part of Columbia’s theater scene since 2006, performing in more than 20 productions across five companies: Columbia Children's Theatre, Workshop Theatre, the NiA Company, On Stage Productions, and Chapin Theatre Company. Some of her favorite roles include Latrelle Williamson in Sordid Lives (Workshop Theatre) and Bella Sky Matthews in So Long, Roscoe! (Chapin Theatre Company). Beyond the stage, Beth is a drummer, visual artist, and furniture refinisher. When not immersed in the arts, she works as an interior designer specializing in kitchen and bathroom remodels with Capital Kitchen and Bath.

Allison Allgood has a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts from Furman University.  Some of her favorite roles in Columbia include Mr. Burns: a Post-Electric Play (Jenny/Bart) at Trustus Theatre, MacBeth (Second Witch) with the SC Shakespeare Company, Sugar (Sweet Sue) at Town Theatre, and Arsenic and Old Lace (Elaine) at Workshop Theatre.  Allison has recorded several full-length audio books as well as children’s books and magazines with the SC State Library's Talking Books Services.  She has a degree in counseling and daylights as a high school counselor. 

KRISTIN COBB

Kristin Cobb is thrilled to be part of Busted Open! By day, she serves as Executive Director of Harbison Theatre, a dream job at a venue she hopes you’ll come visit. A proud board member of the Jasper Project, Kristin is passionate about championing new work across the performing and visual arts. Her most recent onstage adventure was tackling a gritty role in Riff Raff by Laurence Fishburne, directed by Darion McCloud with the NiA Company. She also proudly holds the unofficial title of “most shows directed by Larry Hembree”—make of that what you will. Kristin has two awesome adult kids and is currently accepting applications for Husband #3.

Watch this space to learn more about the cast and crew of Busted Open, and mark your calendars for September 14th when Jasper will present a staged reading of Busted Open by Ryan Stevens at Columbia Music Festival Association!

And it’s not too late to join us as a Community Producer along with local luminaries and supporters like Hunter Boyle, Stan Conine, Larry Hembree, Wade Sellers, Perry McLeod, Bill Schmidt, Bob Jolley, Libby Campbell, and more! Click here to learn more about the 2025 Play Right Series and becoming a Community Producer.

Become a Community Producer in Jasper's Play Right Series Project to Support SC Theatre Artists!

CALL FOR COMMUNITY PRODUCERS!

With our Degenerate Art Project ending this weekend, Jasper is excited to jump into our 2025 Play Right Series project with both feet! And there’s still time for you to join us and other community producers for an exciting and enlightening experience.

As a Play Right Series Community Producer you will be a part of an elite team of art supporters who invest a modest amount of money ($250) in the production of the staged reading of the 2024-2025 Play Right Series winning play, Busted Open by Greenville, SC native Ryan Stevens.

How does this work?

On select Sunday afternoons this summer (schedule is below!) you are invited to join with the cast, crew, and fellow Community Producers of Busted Open, by Ryan Stevens for an enlightening and entertaining session that pulls back the curtains of theatre development and illuminates how a stageplay goes from page to stage. Your first session (July 20th) will offer you a private viewing of the first step in a play production, the Table Reading – the first time the cast of Busted Open will read their parts together.

Subsequent sessions will focus on essential ingredients in the production of a successful staged reading, such as the stage manager’s job; props, lighting, blocking, and sound; unique insights from the director; how the actors prepare for their parts; playwright perceptions from this year and past projects; and an invitation to the dress rehearsal. In addition to your invitation to gather with the cast and crew every Sunday in July, each session will also feature exciting snacks and beverages. And many more surprises each week!

Finally, you’ll take your reserved, best-in-the-house seats to a ticketed staged reading of Ryan Stevens’ Busted Open on Sunday September 14th at Columbia Music Festival Association.

But there’s more.

Your name will be included as a Community Producer on programs, posters, press releases, and other promotional materials as well as in the perfect bound book, Busted Open by Ryan Stevens, published by Muddy Ford Press and registered with the Library of Congress, and you will take home your own copies of Busted Open as a souvenir of your experience.

Become a Play Right Series Community Producer Now!

What is expected of Community Producers?

We hope you can make it to every exciting Sunday afternoon meeting, but we understand if you have to miss some. Each session will last from 90 – 120 minutes.

The financial commitment for a Community Producer is a minimum of $250 per person, but other sponsorships are also available and appreciated.

Our hope is that you will be so enlightened and inspired by this experience that you will become a diplomat of live theatre, fresh playwrights, and the Jasper Project and encourage your friends and colleagues to participate in live theatre themselves!

Play Right Series Levels of Engagement

Community Producer    $250

Invitation to attend all four PRS CP sessions on Sunday afternoons, July 20, August 3, August 17, August 31 and September 14 2025; reserved seats for you and up to 2 additional guests to attend the premier staged reading of Busted Open on September 14th at Harbison Theatre; your name in the book Busted Open by Ryan Stevens, as well as in the program and all promotional materials; a copy of the book, and a Jasper Project gift bag valued at more than $100

Other Sponsorship Levels

Actor Sponsor                 $500 

This level sponsors one actor and supports the Play Right Series. Your generosity will be recorded with distinction above that of  Community Producers in the published play as well as in all other promotional materials and you will receive all the benefits of 2025’s roster of Community Producers, two copies of Busted Open by Ryan Stevens, and an invitation for you and up to 4 additional guests to attend the premier staged reading of Busted Open on September 14, 2025

Playwright Sponsor        $1000

This level sponsors the funding of the playwright and supports the Play Right Series. Your generosity will be recorded with distinction above that of Actor Sponsors in the published play as well as in all other promotional materials and you will receive all the benefits of 2025’s roster of Community Producers, six copies of Busted Open by Ryan Stevens, and an invitation for you and up to six additional guests to attend the premier staged reading of Busted Open on September 14, 2025

 

Director Sponsor           $2500

This level sponsors the director and supports the Play Right Series. Your generosity will be recorded with distinction above that of the Playwright Sponsor in the published play as well as in all other promotional materials and you will receive all the benefits of 2025’s roster of Community Producers, eight copies of Busted Open by Ryan Stevens, and an invitation for you and up to eight additional guests to attend the premier staged reading of Busted Open on September 14, 2025

.

Play Right Series 2025 Community Producer Schedule

SUNDAY, JULY 20 – 7 pm: Introducing Ryan Stevens and Busted Open

One Columbia Co-op, 1013 Duke Avenue

Meet the 2025 Play Right Series Winning Playwright Ryan Stevens and witness the Inaugural Table Reading of Busted Open

~

SUNDAY, AUGUST 3 – 3 pm: The Art of Stagecraft

One Columbia Co-op, 1013 Duke Avenue

The cast & crew of Busted Open explain the process of preparing for a role and tricks of the trade to demystify some of the magic of the theatrical arts   

~

SUNDAY, AUGUST 17 – 3 pm: The Playwright's Craft

One Columbia Co-op, 1013 Duke Avenue

Learn about the processes of 4 award-winning playwrights including Ryan Stevens, Chad Henderson, Lonetta Thompson, and Colby Quick with your host Jon Tuttle, author of South Carolina Onstage, The Trustus Collection, and more

~

SUNDAY, AUGUST  31 - 3 pm:  Sneak Peek Week!

One Columbia Co-op, 1013 Duke Avenue

Be a fly on the proverbial stage wall among an intimate group of guests to watch a working rehearsal of Busted Open – see how far the cast has come since the first ever Table Reading just six weeks earlier

~

SUNDAY: SEPT 14: The Big Event – Staged Reading of Busted Open

Columbia Music Festival Association – 914 Pulaski Street

Take your reserved seat for the Premiere Stage Reading of Busted Open by Ryan Stevens at Columbia Music Festival Association and enjoy a post-show champagne toast to the cast, crew, and creator of Busted Open!

REVIEW: A New Realization of a Classic Work -- The Glass Menagerie at Workshop Theatre

Workshop Theatre opened its 56th Season with Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie on Friday, September 15th at Cottingham Theatre at Columbia College.  As this 78-year-old play is frequently included in high school literature curricula and regularly produced at community and professional theatres around the country, it is likely that many audience members have already had an experience with this play. It continues to relevantly examine escapism, unfulfilled desire, and familial responsibility in an old American South that is in conflict with modernity and advancement. Friday’s audience seemed to enjoy the production, leaning into the intended comedy of scripted moments, while also finding levity in moments that seemed absurd to contemporary audiences. For example: one of the biggest laughs came when a character decided to put a newspaper on top of a rug in order to “catch the drippings” of a candelabra that was being used to combat a blackout. The audience seemed to scream with their laughter: “Somebody call the Fire Marshal! This guy is nuts!”

          A quick recap of the story: The Wingfields live in St. Louis, Missouri. The patriarch has long since abandoned the family, leaving them to fend for themselves. The matriarch, Amanda Wingfield, is an overbearing mother hellbent on refining her modern children and pushing them towards the life she wishes for them. Tom, her son (and the narrator of the play), is the main bread-winner of the family – working a very unsatisfying job at a shoe factory. Amanda is constantly badgering him about pretty much everything. Laura, the daughter, is an incredibly timid young woman who spends most of her time indoors with her phonograph and her animal figurines made of glass (cue title of the play). Amanda obsesses about Laura’s future, and after learning that her daughter’s anxiety has kept her from her typing classes – she insists on Tom finding a gentleman caller for his sister. He says he will, and indeed this former high-school hero, Jim O’Connor, comes to the house for dinner. Go see this production if you are not aware of what happens next. 

          In the first scene of the play, Tom Wingfield, played by Lamont Gleaton, steps onto his “safe place” – the fire escape outside of his home. Here, he tells the audience that what follows is a “memory play,” and that “nothing is real.” Thus, Williams has explicitly told the audience to expect the unexpected, while also freeing a director and production team to dream outside the constraints of slice-of-life realism and engage in the magic, idealism, romanticism and, sometimes, regret that memory can conjure. Workshop’s production, under the direction of Bakari Lebby, intentionally exercised creative freedom with their production rendering a thoughtful dive into the memory-world of the play that truly made this a 21st Century production - with mixed results.

          Workshop’s The Glass Menagerie is performed by an ensemble comprised of Columbia-based actors Lamont Gleaton (Tom Wingfield), Katie Mixon (Amanda Wingfield), Carly Siegel (Laura Wingfield), and Marshall Spann (Jim O’Connor). Contemporary productions of Williams and Arthur Miller plays are being cast more frequently with Actors of Color in the past 20 years here in America – offsetting the decades long practice of casting only white actors to portray the families that these playwrights created. The multiracial casting of Workshop’s Menagerie invites the audience to engage in a different kind of discomfort when witnessing Amanda Wingfield’s talon-tight grip on the old Southern way of life. When insisting she clean the table after a meal in Scene II, Amanda uses a racial epithet to describe her domestic services to the family – something that creates a unique tension on stage and in the audience as a white mother says this to her non-white children. The casting also begs more questioning of Amanda’s southern-fried prejudices within the context of her relationship to her now-absent husband. These questions provide good fodder for post-show conversation, but do not overshadow the author’s original intent during the performance – which focuses more on universal and poetic themes.

          As Tom Wingfield, Lamont Gleaton was taxed with a large order to play an iconic character from the American canon. Having wowed audiences this time last year with his portrayal of Lola in Workshop’s Kinky Boots, this seems to be Gleaton’s first foray into non-musical theatre. He shines in scenes with other actors – letting his cool-heeled naturalism serve the play throughout. He particularly brought control to a scene where he returns home drunk from “going to the movies” – realistically exhibiting a man on a bender who is returning home to live a lie.  Gleaton does seem to struggle with inviting the audience into the poetic monologues that connect the scenes all evening. Gleaton might gain more command as the production continues if he realizes that this story is Tom’s to tell.

          Katie Mixon in the role of Amanda Wingfield was an audience favorite – she confidently commanded the stage as her character created most of the conflict in the play. Her portrayal was theatrical, outrageously comedic – and the audience rewarded it with laughter. However, this choice makes it seem that Amanda is not only in a different world in her head – it feels as if she is in a different play. Gone is the brutality and seething criticism that the character garners on the page, leaving the stakes low for Tom’s need for exodus and freedom, and completely eradicating the possible indications that Amanda’s narcissistic abuse exacerbates her daughter’s severe insecurity and anxiety. Still, when Mixon took her final bow – she was met with audience members who were inclined to stand to show their appreciation.

          As Laura Wingfield, Carly Siegel was one of the strongest performers in the production. Siegel emphasizes the affliction of Laura’s anxiety disorder – a condition that, as we understand it today, can be a crippling disability. Though the character is traditionally portrayed with a limp or costumed to wear a leg-brace, this Laura does not. In 2023, we can totally acquiesce to the concept that this character’s timidness and fragility (a trait she sees in her glass figurines) is a product of her own anxiety which is made more severe through her mother’s scrutiny. Seigel beautifully executed the moment in the play when her “gentleman caller” accidentally causes the destruction of one of her beloved glass animals. She grows in the moment right in front of the audience – controlling her response and avoiding a sure panic attack.

          Marshall Spann was a solid choice for the prized gentleman caller, Jim O’Connor, who finally enters the play in Act II. His charming portrayal of the character makes him a magnetic interest for Laura, while also welcoming allure from Amanda (and possibly Tom?). The scene in Act II in which Spann and Siegel are left alone on stage is very rewarding, with both actors creating a welcome tension between the possibilities of the future and their ultimate hopelessness.

          Director Bakari Lebby and the design team present a very thoughtful concept of this memory play – accepting Williams’ scripted invitation to be inventive in creating the world on stage. A painted portrait of the absent father changes over the course of the play, with each following iteration becoming more and more abstract. The Wingfield home is a foundational structure that is faced with reflective material – making the set a literal glass enclosure from which the characters cannot escape. The sound design proffers a delightful mix of period-appropriate jazz that is peppered with contemporary music – drawing modern connections to the story and giving the audience permission to see how moments in the story could feel like “here and now.” Most notably, the media used in the show is instrumental in this production’s presentation of memory. Film clips that were filmed and edited specifically for this production were featured throughout the performance, giving the audience glimpses into the minds of these characters. These inventive and well-produced clips were shown on two TV’s nestled in the on-stage structure.

          Ultimately these production design elements put a unique stamp on Workshop’s production of The Glass Menagerie. One can feel that these elements were intended for a larger presentation. Perhaps more specific lighting and projection mapping on the set could have elevated these elements to a more effective level for the audience. In the end, this production seems like a laboratory or workshop for a future production. Whether it was lack of resources or technical capabilities, this production suffers from a grander vision not being realized. This production should be seen and supported, because there is quite a bit of thought and inventiveness that went into it. The stylized concepts, though they could have been pushed much farther, do present Columbia with a new realization of this classic work. Tennessee Williams continues to prove that he was a skilled auditor of the human condition, and we can still see ourselves in these characters. The Glass Menagerie runs through September 24th at Cottingham Theatre at Columbia College, and you may book tickets at workshoptheatreofsc.com.

701 CCA Presents Fire & Flame with Elizabeth Brim and Shane Fero

From our friends at 701 CCA —Fire & Flame:

Elizabeth Brim and Shane Fero   

9/21/23   

6:30-8:30 

Fire and Flame: Elizabeth Brim and Shane Fero is an exhibition exploring the decades-long friendship and collaboration between two artists whose careers and acquaintance blossomed at the Penland School of Craft. Elizabeth Brim is a blacksmith, as well as a teacher, living in western North Carolina. She's best known for mastering the dichotomy of feminine imagery and ironwork. Shane Fero is a glassworker using flame to perfect his technique of 'lampworking' to envision intricate, delicate and ephemeral sculptures. Both are inspired by their environment and both's works are an allegory to their own human experience. 

Fire and Flame is a testament to this long nurtured friendship. Two individuals understanding the transformative power of fire and translating the process in iron and glass. Featuring signature works of their unique styles and collaborative works seamlessly joining their disparate materials, this exhibition ignites the understanding that all is possible through curiosity and dedication.

*Cash Bar and light refreshments served. 

Tickets & Subscriptions for USC Theatre & Dance Now Available

With offerings that range from classics (Raisin in the Sun) to family fun (Sideways Stories from Wayside School) to the kind of play you have to see if it is ever offered in your area (The Visit), and more, USC Theatre and Dance continues to raise the bar in arts entertainment in the Midlands. Add to that Dance performances that offer innovative choreography and the chance to see legendary Complexions Dance Company, and you’ve got a winning ticket — or better yet season ticket subscription!

Individual tickets and ticket subscriptions are now on sale at the University of South Carolina Department of Theatre and Dance website.

Don’t wait to Lock in Your Seat!

Vote for the Arts at USC with your ticket purchase!

And don’t miss

10 Minute Play Festival
Directed by Theatre Performance Faculty

Lab Theatre

Enjoy a fast-paced evening of laughter, heartbreak and everything in between as we present a collection of 10-minute plays, each directed by a different member of our theatre performance faculty.

Lab Theatre

Friday, Nov 3, 2023 at 8:00 PM (ET)

Celebrating the 2023 Play Right Series and Everyone Involved ~ a message from Cindi

Congratulations to the Cast & Crew of the PRS 2023 Winning Play THERAPY by Lonetta Thompson!

Cast & Crew of Lonetta Thompson’s THERAPY

Emily Deck Harrill, Ric Edwards, Marilyn Matheus, Michelle Jacobs, Allison Allgood, Elena Martinez-Vidal and center front Lonetta Thompson

Forgive me if this message still reads a little giddy but we’ve just completed the culmination of the Jasper Project’s 2023 Play Right Series and it just feels so good!

Here’s a little history. I came up with the idea for the Play Right Series in 2017 as a way to promote and support original playwrighting from SC artists while at the same time gently informing members of the community about how much time, energy, talent, and WORK HOURS go into the creation of theatre.

I have this theory that one of the reasons arts (of all disciplines) are not valued as they should be is that, due to our lack of proper arts education and appreciation in schools, among other reasons, the average working South Carolinian doesn’t learn and build their worldview knowing that in addition to art being a talent, it is also work. If the arts are not a part of one’s life, many people think of art as a hobby or something only children engage in until they grow out of it. Think piano and ballet lessons. The average person may not discern the difference in hobbyists, crafters, and artists—all important parts of our culture, but also distinctly different. They may not realize how many of their fellow South Carolinians make their livings as professional artists or in one of the unique and highly skilled jobs that fall under the profession of arts administration.

When we started the Play Right Series in 2017 with our first play, Sharks and Other Lovers written by David Randall Cook and directed by Larry Hembree, I hoped that by inviting Community Producers to become a part of the process they would act as diplomats of local theatre, sharing their experiences and encouraging others to make live theatre part of their entertainment options. The plan was—and still is—that we ask Community Producers to invest $250 each in the production of a brand-new juried play by a SC playwright with their investment going to pay a cast and crew (and playwright) to workshop that play from the first table reading to a ticketed staged reading. (Some, like Bill and Jack, donate even more.) The CPs are invited to meet with the cast and crew over the course of a month or so and take part in the workshopping of the script before serving as our guests of honor at the public staged reading.

In 2022, Chad Henderson directed last year’s winning play, Moon Swallower by Colby Quick to a SRO audience. It was almost a full production of the play.

Last night, under the direction of Elena Martinez-Vidal with stage management by Emily Deck Harrill, this year’s Community Producers and generous sponsors produced the staged reading of Therapy by SC theatre artist Lonetta Thompson. The cast included Marilyn Mattheus, Allison Allgood, Michelle Jacobs, and Ric Edwards. Illustrious SC playwright and Jasper Project board of directors member Jon Tuttle oversaw the entire project for the second year in a row and all I did was bring cookies.

RIC EDWARDS

ALLISON ALLGOOD

MARILYN MATTHEUS

MICHELLE JACOBS

LONETTA THOMPSON (LEFT) AND EMILY DECK HARRILL

Some of last year’s CPs were so pleased with the project in 2022 that they came back this year –thank you to Kirkland and James Smith and to the incredibly supportive Bill Schmidt for this. New CPs and sponsors included Shannon and Steven Huffman, Jack and Dora Ann McKenzie, Betsy Newman, and Amy and Vincent Sheheen, as well as new JP board members Keith Tolen and Libby Campbell. JP board president Wade Sellers and I were CPs again, as well.

This morning, messages streamed in on the group email thread Jon initiated for ease in communication, showering each other, actors, CPs, and playwright alike with congratulations and heartfelt feedback. Keith Tolen says, “I will never watch a performance the same without thinking of the work that makes it seem effortless. Thanks to all because you made it an experience that I will not soon forget.” Kirkland Smith says, “It was a wonderful experience and I very much appreciate your openness, honesty, and talent!”

AUGUST 6, 2023 PANEL TALK-BACK

AUGUST 6, 2023 PANEL TALK-BACK

AUGUST 6, 2023 PANEL TALK-BACK

It is extremely unusual for me to use the term “I” when referencing anything the Jasper Project does. That’s because without an enthusiastically working board of directors who share the same passion that board president Wade Sellers and I have about the importance of service to our fellow artists and arts administrators, we wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything. But this time, I’m so proud of how this little seed of an idea of mine has been implemented and improved upon by the generous and talented individuals who participated in Play Right Series 2023, that I want to claim it! It’s a legacy thing, but also, the Play Right Series is Jasper at its finest. An idea becomes a mission and good people play parts small and large to fulfill that mission, making it a reality.

Congratulations to everyone involved in Play Right Series 2023. In addition to everyone already mentioned, this includes board member Bert Easter, who shared some of his beautiful items from Easter Antiques at the Red Lion for the stage set, and to Ed Madden for helping Bert haul said stuff to and from CMFA; also to Christina Xan, Libby Campbell, and Kristin Cobb for working the event; to Bekah Rice for her graphic arts skills and for laying out the book that many attendees and all CPs and sponsors took home with them; to Bob Jolley at Muddy Ford Press for donating his time and financial resources to this project; and to One Columbia and Columbia Music Festival Association for rehearsal and performance space.

Clearly, we have the village that it takes to birth new art in Columbia, SC.

Last Week for Play Right Series Community Producers and Sponsors to Support a Brand New Play by Lonetta Thompson

CAST OF THERAPY INCLUDES

MARILYN MATHEUS, RIC EDWARD, ALLISON ALLGOOD, MICHELLE JACOB

DIRECTED BY ELENA MARTINEZ-VIDAL

STAGE MANAGER - EMILY DECK HARRILL

PLAYWRIGHT LONETTA THOMPSON

You’re invited to become a Jasper Project Play Right Series Community Producer or Sponsor

As a Play Right Series Community Producer you will be a part of an elite team of art supporters who invest a modest amount of money in the production of a brand-new play (Lonetta Thompson’s Therapy) to the staged reading phase of development.

How does this work?

Every Sunday afternoon in July, starting July 9, you are invited to join with the cast, crew, and fellow Community Producers of Therapy for an enlightening and entertaining session that pulls back the curtains of theatre development and illuminates how a stageplay goes from page to stage. Your first session will offer you a private viewing of the first step in play production, the Table Reading – the first time the cast of Therapy reads their parts together for their director, Elena Martinez-Vidal.

Subsequent sessions will focus on essential ingredients in the production of a successful staged reading, such as the stage manager’s job; props, lighting, blocking, and sound; unique insights from the director; how the actors prepare for their parts; playwright perceptions from this year and past projects; and an invitation to the dress rehearsal. In addition to your invitation to gather with the cast and crew every Sunday in July, each session will also feature exciting snacks and beverages. And many more surprises each week!

Finally, you’ll take your reserved, best-in-the-house seats to a ticketed staged reading of Lonetta Thompson’s Therapy on Sunday, August 6th.

But there’s more.  

Your name will be included as a Community Producer on programs, posters, press releases, and other promotional materials as well as in the perfect bound book, Therapy by Lonetta Thompson, published by Muddy Ford Press and registered with the Library of Congress, and you will take home your own copies of Therapy as a souvenir of your experience.

What is expected of Community Producers?

We hope you can make it to every exciting Sunday afternoon meeting, but we understand if you have to miss some. Each session will last from 90 – 120 minutes.

The financial commitment for a Community Producer is a minimum of $250 per person, but institutional sponsorships are also available and appreciated. You can also sponsor a student for $250 if you are unable to participate yourself.

Our hope is that you will be so enlightened and inspired by this experience that you will become a diplomat of live theatre, fresh playwrights, and the Jasper Project and encourage your friends and colleagues to participate in live theatre themselves!

Past Community Producers Include James & Kirkland Smith, Ed Madden, Bert Easter, Paul Leo, Eric Tucker, Bill Schmidt, Wade Sellers & more

Play Right Series Levels of Engagement

Community Producer    $250

Invitation to attend all five PRS CP sessions on Sunday afternoons, July 2023; reserved seats for you and up to 3 additional guests to attend the premier staged reading of Therapy on

August 6, 2023; your name in the book Therapy by Lonetta Thompson (Muddy Ford Press, 2023), as well as in the program, and all promotional materials; Jasper Project gift bag

Other Sponsorship Levels

Scholarship Sponsor      $250

Covers the cost of a local college student attending all Community Producer functions plus you can attend the ticketed Staged Reading on August 6th and meet your beneficiary. Your generosity will be recorded along with the Community Producers in the published play as well as in all other promotional materials and you will receive one copy of Therapy by Lonetta Thompson

Actor Sponsor                 $500 

This level sponsors one actor and supports the Play Right Series. Your generosity will be recorded along with the Community Producers in the published play as well as in all other promotional materials and you will receive one copy of Therapy by Lonetta Thompson and an invitation for you and up to 4 additional guests to attend the premier staged reading of Therapy on August 6, 2023

Corporate Sponsors

Playwright            $1000

This level sponsors the playwright and supports the Play Right Series. Your generosity will be recorded along with the Community Producers in the published play as well as in all other promotional materials and you will receive three copies of Therapy by Lonetta Thompson and an invitation for you and up to 5 additional guests to attend the premier staged reading of Therapy on August 6, 2023

Director                $2500

This level sponsors the director and supports the Play Right Series. Your generosity will be recorded along with the Community Producers in the published play as well as in all other promotional materials and you will receive six copies of Therapy by Lonetta Thompson and an invitation for you and up to 6 additional guests to attend the premier staged reading of Therapy on August 6, 2023