MEET JASPER!

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 events. 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 (the 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 that will be opening 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 Amanda McSwine!

Originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, Amanda has called South Carolina home since 2012. She earned her undergraduate degree in Theatre from Butler University, an experience that shaped her lasting commitment to the arts and to the power of creative expression in building strong, connected communities.

Amanda went on to earn her Master of Social Work from the University of South Carolina, and has built a career in organization management. She currently serves as the Grants Manager for the South Carolina Arts Commission, where she supports artists and arts organizations across the state.

In addition to her role at the Arts Commission, Amanda is the owner of a consulting business that helps individuals and organizations turn ideas into actionable, sustainable realities. Her work is rooted in servant leadership, collaboration, and a strong commitment to equity and community impact.

Outside of her professional life, Amanda enjoys anime, Dungeons & Dragons, and anything nerdy…She also loves to spend time with her black cat, Chadwick (yes, named after the Black Panther).

Amanda is on Jasper’s Membership & Development Committee and is working on the 2026 Play Right Series Project.

Welcome Amanda!

by Amanda McSwine with Cindi Boiter

Village Square Theatre’s current production of 12 Angry Jurors has a storied past. Originally written by Reginald Rose as a teleplay titled Twelve Angry Men that premiered on CBS in 1954, the now well-known tale of the power and contagion of reasonable doubt was adapted as a stage play, a film, and a different stage play written by a different writer during the first decade of its life. While many viewers think of Twelve Angry Men as the 1957 film directed by Sidney Lumet featuring an ensemble cast that included Henry Fonda and Jack Warden, the loose premise of the play has inspired everything from parodies likeTwelve Angry Elvises to TV shows like Sesame Street, Murder She Wrote, and Happy Days (“12 Angry Fonzies”) that used the practice of entertaining reasonable doubt as the loose structure for a weekly episode. A 2015 star-studded, sketch parody written by Amy Schumer for her series, Inside Amy Schumer, garnered rave reviews as it debated the question of whether Schumer was “hot enough” to have her own show. Village Square Theatre’s straight production of 12 Angry Jurors is a thoughtful and inclusive update to the original that better resonates with a contemporary audience.

The show opens in the jury room of a seemingly clear-cut murder case—so clear-cut, in fact, that before we even meet the jury, the bailiff tells the audience that the defendant “doesn’t stand a chance.” As our jurors enter, we see the intentionality of director Glenn Farr in his selection of a diverse cast. Almost any member of the audience may see themselves represented.

As the jurors begin to deliberate, we witness a clash of perspectives and an unveiling of biases. We see how the jurors negotiate with each other—and themselves-–as their worldviews are put to the test. In this age of echo chambers and curated algorithms, 12 Angry Jurors invites us to sit with the discomfort of differing opinions.

Katie Mixon’s compelling performance as Juror #3 (played in the original film by Lee J. Cobb) captures the defensiveness, anger, and desperation that surfaces when deeply held beliefs are challenged. Charles Zuber’s heated monologue as Juror #10 (played in the film by Ed Begley, Sr.), exposes the danger of how using rhetoric that includes terms like “those people” can turn bias into blind prejudice and discrimination.

The VST ensemble included LaQuana Aldridge, Tristan Brown, Beth DeHart, Will Frierson, Pat Gagliano, Kathleen Godwin, Rae Kostal, Kyle Mason, Jeff Sigley, and Brian Teusink. And, while all of the performers give their characters life with feeling and depth, as well as diversity, there were some production elements that were lacking. While many of the costume choices supported the director’s intention to set the piece “outside the normal timestream,” a handful of accessories distracted from this illusion due to their distinct association with a specific time period.

I appreciated the minimalist set which kept the focus on the exchanges between the jurors and the system in which they existed. But pacing was awkward at times. I would have liked for the cast to have found a smoother rhythm in order to better build tension during heated exchanges.

Overall, Village Square Theatre’s production of 12 Angry Jurors is a timely examination of the strength it takes to stand alone in the face of overwhelming odds, and the courage it takes to put aside one's pride and change one’s mind.

12 Angry Jurors runs through February 1. An additional show has been added on Thursday, Jan. 29 to accommodate the cancellation last week due to weather. For tickets call 803-359-1436 or visit the theatre’s website online.

MEET JASPER! Today We're Featuring New Board Member AMANDA MCSWINE!

MEET JASPER!

REVIEW: Village Square Theatre’s 12 Angry Jurors Demonstrates the Power of Diversity in the Live Theatre Experience