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

Jasper's Play Right Project Commences THIS SUNDAY, July 12th -- LAST CALL FOR COMMUNITY PRODUCERS!

5 DAYS UNTIL THE 1ST TABLE READ!

This is the final week to sign up as Community Producers for Jasper’s Play Right Project and we still need a few more curious & supportive souls. This year we’re inviting local arts supporters to join us as Community Producers at a new rate ($250) that includes both you and your significant other.

You’ll join this year’s confirmed Community Producers Linda Khoury, Bingo Gunter, Bill Schmidt, Richard Layman, and Stan Conine for four Sunday afternoon sessions (4 - 5:30, July 12, 26, Aug. 9, 23) at CMFA — Columbia Music Festival Association, 914 Pulaski St. in the Vista — and then take your seats as our honored guests at the Premiere Stage Reading of Columbia playwright DK Turner’s THE COUNTING TABLE on Sept. 13th.

Here’s what to expect:

Play Right Project 2026 Community Producer Schedule

SUNDAY, JULY 12 4:00–5:30pm: Introducing DK Turner and The Counting Table

Meet the 2026 Play Right Project Winning Playwright DK Turner and enjoy the first-ever read-through of his The Counting Table with the full cast and crew, as well as other Community Producers. This is called a “Table Read” – see? You’re learning already!

SUNDAY, JULY 26 4:00–5:30pm: The Playwright's Craft

A conversation with the Playwright, DK Turner, and special guest playwrights about their plays and what they have coming up.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9 4:00–5:30pm:  Stagecraft: Acting and Directing

The cast & crew of The Counting Table explain the process of assembling a production and preparing for a role, with sample scenes from The Counting Table.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 23 4:00–5:30pm:  Sneak Peek Week!

Sit in on an actual rehearsal of The Counting Table and learn more about the process as actors rehearse and sharpen sample scenes in anticipation of the Big Event.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13:  The Big Event – Staged Reading of The Counting Table

Take your reserved seat for the Premiere Staged Reading of The Counting Table by DK Turner at) and enjoy a special, brand-new post-show celebration designed especially for DK Turner’s The Counting Table!

Read more about Jasper’s 2026 Winning Playwright DK Turner and the Director of Turner’s play, The Counting Table, Jocelyn Sanders.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

TO BE A

2026 JASPER PLAY RIGHT PROJECT

COMMUNITY PRODUCER!

AND THANKS FOR SUPPORTING SOUTH CAROLINA THEATRE ART!

A Message of Appreciation from the Jasper Family

Gratitude is not the only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others. – Cicero

Let’s face it. There’s a lot about American Thanksgiving that is bupkis. From opposing (and propagandistic) theories of the origin story, to “traditional” dishes based on cans of Campbell’s BPA-laden soup, to little kids dodging those creepy uncles who bid them to sit on their laps after dinner, not everything about Thanksgiving is as wholesome and good as subjective history would have us believe. But science shows us over and over that being both thankful and grateful is good for our own mental health as well as the health of the relationships we foster. 

To that end, I asked the Jasper Project board of directors to share the things for which they are all thankful, in their personal lives and in their lives as public servants to the arts. 

I ask you now to indulge us as we share these thoughts with you. 

pictured - Kristin Cobb, Meeghan Kane, and Bekah Rice

I'm so thankful for the creative minds and tender hearts that continue to make this city better, and I'm particularly grateful for the Jasper team for welcoming me with open arms. It has been such a pleasure working with these talented folks. - Meeghan Kane

I am thankful for grace. For friendships that last and those that do not. For having my parents still with me. For my children who continue to make me proud of their choices to live life on their own terms and with an open heart. For the ability to get up every day and brush my teeth, go to the gym, eat a yummy meal, and breathe. For getting to work in the arts… and manage the coolest venue…It really is all a gift. - Kristin Cobb

I’m thankful for my husband, Adam Corbett, and all the other board spouses and partners who support us and work their butts off to help out at events and the wonderful artists we have worked with this year (and previous years)! I appreciate their patience with and kindness toward our board member volunteers, and the opportunity to show their work! The Jasper board for dedicating their time and talents and working so hard to make everything we do happen. I'm excited for the new folks we have joining next year as well and can't wait to see how much we accomplish! - Bekah Rice

pictured - Keith Tolen with family & friends

I’m thankful this year and every year for being a part of this amazing arts community that continues to thrive and contribute to our culture with generous positive energy. I am also grateful to be a part of the Jasper Family! - Keith Tolen 

I’m thankful for creativity - the soul of connection and overcoming differences. - Pam Bowers

I’m thankful for the new, young creative talent that is making Columbia a brighter city to live and create in. - Wade Sellers

pictured - Dick Moons leading a drum session at Jasper’s Degenerate Arts project, June 2025

I am thankful for living in a place that has such a vibrant, diverse & active arts community. I am constantly amazed & grateful for the wealth of talent in this relatively small city. I don't think many of our citizens realize just how fortunate we are. I'm also thankful for my kids,  my beautiful friends and for still being here to appreciate it. - Dick Moons

I am thankful for family and friends. I’m also thankful for the opportunity to share my ideas with the world. - Kwasi Brown

Fish for Thought by Emily Moffitt

I am thankful for my dear friends, family, and my partner-in-crime Dylan! I am also extremely grateful for all of the artists who have allowed me to work with them at Koger or through the Jasper Project. It makes me very happy to think about how we are all improving and contributing to the arts here in Columbia. - Emily Moffitt

pictured - Stan Conine

At this point in my life, I realize how thankful I am for my families (plural): Of course the really close biological one that calls me “Stanley” or ”Dad” or ”Pops.” But also my close family of Vista neighbors and friends who sometimes call me “(censored).” Or just call me. And I am especially thankful for my family of artists and fellow art lovers who helped me realize that I’m not just an art lover, I am also an “artists lover.” - Stan Conine

I have accidentally contrived the perfect retirement, having surrounded myself with visual, graphic, musical, literary,  theatrical and other kinds of artists and can proudly count them as my friends. These are the rewards of a lifetime. I was worried I'd spend my dotage playing pickleball and watching reruns of Barney Miller until I was dead. Instead, I get to write and listen to and watch and celebrate the artists with whom I cross paths on a regular basis. Barney Miller is great and all, but it can wait awhile. Oh: family and food. Those things matter too. Perhaps I take them for granted because they've always been there, which is more than enough to fill a fella's heart. - Jon Tuttle

pictured - Libby Campbell with members of her beloved “thruple” - Becky Hunter and Ellen Rodillo-Fowler

I’m thankful to live in a community which has such a thriving arts community; my closest friendships have evolved from that community. I’m also thankful for the bunch of weirdos who make up the Jasper Board and for  Cindi & the good Doc  who see that a light shines on Midlands artists who might otherwise not be recognized. And ambrosia. - Libby Campbell

pictured - Cindi’s grand-monkeys

Among the many things I’m thankful for, including family and friends and my home at Muddy Ford, I’m also thankful for the talented and committed friends who serve on the Jasper Project board of directors. We have a magazine and a film project and a playwright project and SIX galleries because these devoted people give their time, energy, and talent to a dream I had almost 15 years ago – and they’ve kept that dream alive! I’m also especially thankful this year for the newest member of our family, our fur-baby Jane. And, of course, my grand-monkeys, Sarge and Bobby. - Cindi Boiter

pictured - Janie enjoying my favorite Thanksgiving tradition - the nap!

The Jasper Project Welcomes New Members to the Board of Directors

We’re excited at the Jasper Project to welcome the following new members to our Board of Directors! These seven new members bring a wealth of experience and new energy to our board and they have already gotten to work doing their parts in helping Jasper meet our four integrated priorities:

• Process – illuminating the unique processes endemic to all art forms in order to provide a greater level of understanding and respect for these disciplines.

• Community/Collaboration – nurturing community both within and between arts disciplines.

• Narrative – creating a more positive and progressive understanding of SC culture.

• Economy – being efficient stewards of arts funding committed to creating more with less.

Help us welcome Meeghan Kane, Rhodes Bailey, Pam Bowers, Lauren Casassa, Stan Conine, Dick Moons, and Liz Stalker who join our already assembled board members Wade Sellers (president), Keith Tolen (vice president), Emily Moffitt (secretary), Kristin Cobb, Libby Campbell, Kwasi Brown, Jon Tuttle, Bekah Corbett (operating director), and Cindi Boiter (founder, executive director).

Currently, Meeghan Kane leads community engagement efforts at the South Carolina State Museum, developing public programs and supporting and fostering community relationships and partnerships with fellow cultural institutions and organizations. Prior to joining the museum team, Meeghan taught history at Benedict College for over a decade, where she specialized in African American history, 20th century cultural history, and the history of the American South. She moved to Columbia, South Carolina, from Tampa, Florida, in 2006 to join USC’s graduate program in history after completing her B.A. and M.A. at the University of South Florida. These days, if she’s not at the museum, you’ll likely find her and her family enjoying nice meals in local restaurants, day tripping to the mountains, camping in SC’s state parks, road-tripping back home to Florida, and, most importantly, enjoying the arts and culture of the Midlands. Meeghan is excited to be a part of the Jasper board. She hopes to help artists and arts supporters build new ways to connect and reach new audiences.

Rhodes Bailey is an attorney and the owner of Rhodes Bailey Law, LLC, and a long-term member of the Midlands-based band Whiskey Tango Revue with whom he plays guitar and pedal steel. A graduate of the College of Charleston and the University of SC School of Law (2007), where he received the Trial Clinic’s Professionalism Award, Rhodes is married and has two children. Rhodes says he is “looking forward to collaborating with like-minded artists and fostering talent in our state.” He somewhat jokingly continues, “I hope to help solve problems as needed and keep my fellow artists out of Jail!”

Pam Bowers is a Chicago native, but for the past 20 years she has divided her time between Columbia, South Carolina, the Umbrian hill town she calls her second home, and her world travels. Pam has exhibited her work internationally at venues that include the Guilin Academy of Chinese Painting in China, the University of Fine Arts in Budapest, numerous venues in Italy, University of Newcastle in Australia, and the Ecole Nationale in Rabat, Morocco. Nationally she has exhibited at the Bowery Gallery, New York, Blue Mountain Gallery New York, ARC and WMG galleries in Chicago, and many other university or museum venues including the State Museum of South Carolina, City Gallery at Waterfront Park In Charleston, the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, and St. Mary's College of Notre Dame, among others. Pam has lectured on her work and conducted numerous workshops both here and abroad.

Lauren Casassa is originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma. She received her BFA in Painting at the University of South Carolina and has been awarded the Scholastic Art & Writing Gold Key Award for excellence in Visual Arts, the Yaghjian Studio arts scholarship at USC, and the 2018 Artfields Solo Award Exhibition at Jones-Carter Gallery. She has been featured in Garnet and Black, Daily Gamecocks, The State, Free Times, and Susie Magazine. She has lectured for classes at USC, SC State University, and spent a summer residency in Monte Castello, Italy. Exhibitions include group shows in Italy, New York, South Carolina and solo shows in Iowa and South Carolina. 

Stan Conine is the retired President and Broker-in-Charge of The Conine Group, Inc. and the former Campus Director of Birchwood Campus, SC Department of Youth Services (currently SCDJJ) and a Life member in the Circle of Excellence of Central Carolina Realtors Association. He has a B.S. in Sociology from Georgia College, an M.Ed. in Counselor Education from University of South Carolina, and a M.C.J. in Criminal Justice also from USC. Stan says, “I have long respected The Jasper Project for promoting and supporting local artists of all genres, and for creating and promoting events which make it acceptable, normal even, for folks from all neighborhoods, all backgrounds, and all educational levels to access, enjoy, and appreciate the creativity in the works of these artists.” He continues, “I hope that I will be able to help Jasper expand and extend its support to more people with artistic dreams, including the very young and the very old, and I hope that I will be able to help spur an effort to bridge the gap and encourage more cooperation and coordination among different arts organizations with common goals in the Midlands area.”

Dick Moons says he is a “retired corporate flunky,” certified sound practitioner, professional drum circle facilitator, dad, and grandfather. Dick says he joined the Jasper Project board of directors because he believes “in what Jasper is about, its mission, and the way Jasper has gone about implementing and fulfilling its vision.” He continues to explain that “being a part of a talented bunch of folks who donate their time and energy for nothing more than their love of the arts – and thereby making Columbia a far cooler place” is reason enough to join the Jasper team.”

Liz Stalker is a 2024 graduate of USC with honors and a bachelors degree in English. The winner of the 2023 Havilah Babcock scholarship for poetry, Liz enjoys poetry and filmmaking when she isn’t serving up caffeine at Curiosity Coffee Bar. A former intern with the Jasper Project, Liz says, “I joined the Jasper board because Jasper opened a world of local artists to me, and I would love to help do that for others.”

The Jasper Project Mission Statement

The Jasper Project is a project-oriented, multidisciplinary arts facilitator serving the greater Columbia and South Carolina communities by providing collaborative arts engineering and community-wide arts communication.