Theatre Rowe Productions presents "Second Samuel" ... plus the Shandon Players give us "Doubt"

Jasper loves theatre in small and non-traditional spaces, especially when new groups are involved.  This coming weekend, in addition to name-brand shows at well-known theatres around town, we want to make you're aware of two additional shows that are worth checking out.

The Fine Arts Center of Forest Acres is a new performance and event venue located on the second level of Richland Mall, at 3400 Forest Drive, corner of Beltline and Forest     Drive. The space is right above the Barnes & Noble bookstore, and is home to the first show presented by the new Theatre Rowe Productions:  Pamela Parker's Second Samuel.  The title refers not to the book of the Old Testament, but rather a small town in Georgia (so named after Sherman burned the first one) "where the men spend their leisure time at the local watering hole, and the women are found the beauty emporium."  From their press release:

Set in the late 1940's, the inhabitants of this sleepy southern town prepare for the funeral of one of their most beloved citizens. But their serenity is suddenly shattered when dark secrets are revealed. The folks of SECOND SAMUEL are in for a summer no one will ever forget - join us for this special play about true friendship filled with outright laughter and tears! Second Samuel opens Thursday March 22nd at 8 PM, and runs Th. through Sat. this weekend and next, with special dinner performances at 6 PM on both Sundays (3/25 and 4/1.)  These will include "a Sunday Dinner of good old, down home, country cooking, just like you'd have at any funeral gathering! Because...it wouldn't be a funeral without Marcela's good ol' deviled eggs!"

The cast includes Tyler Kemmerling (recently seen as Clay-boy in The Homecoming at Chapin) Bob Blencowe (we recall him as a particularly scruffy and drunken Pap Finn in a memorable production of Big River at Workshop Theatre in the 90's) Chauntel Bland (the first runner-up in the apocalyptic Cocoa vs. Craft dance-off - and we still think that ballot-box may have been rigged!) Patricia L. Anderson, Todd Kemmerling, Gayle Stewart, Liz Knight, Lisa Buchanan, David Reed, and Philip D. Rowe (who also directs.)

All tickets are general admission. Ticket prices for the Thursday thru Saturday performances are $15 for adults; $12 for seniors/student/military; and $10 for children (12 and younger). Tickets for the Sunday Dinner Shows are $25 each.  For information, please call (803)200-2012 or go to www.TheatreRowe.com.

What's that you say?  Food and theatre? Yes, please?  Hungry for even more?

We are only too happy to oblige.

The very next evening, Friday March 23rd, John Patrick Shanley's Pulitzer and Tony Award winning play, Doubt: A Parable, will be performed by the Shandon Players of Shandon Presbyterian Church at 607 Woodrow Street (that's the block in between Devine and Blossom.) A barbecue dinner is served at 6:30 PM, followed by the play at 7:30, and the whole thing is just $18 per person.  In addition to another show the next evening (Sat. March 24th) there is a Sunday matinee at 4 PM on the 25th, for just $10, with no dinner.

From their press material:  "In a Bronx Catholic school in 1964, a popular priest's ambiguous relationship with a troubled 12-year-old black student is questioned by the school's principal."  This production stars Malie Heider as Sister Aloysius, Emily Harrill as Sister James, Stuart Massey as Father Flynn, Marilyn Matheus as Mrs. Muller, and is directed by Libby Campbell, recently seen as the mom-from-hell in August: Osage County, and who played Sister Aloysius a few years ago in Charleston.  Campbell jokes "Come on folks - even if you aren't good Presbyterians, you haven't seen Malie and Marilyn onstage in far too long. You want to see this. You know you do."

Tickets and information are available at Shandon Presbyterian Church, 607 Woodrow St., or call (803) 771-4408.

~ August Krickel

Reach August at AKrickel@JasperColumbia.com and please visit our website at www.JasperColumbia.com

Writing about creating & Poetic Awakenings -- A (particularly lovely) Guest Blog by Kendal Turner

Poetic Awakenings is a journey.

It is a chance to take risks and to grow deeper within yourself. I have been hosting open mics and other poetry related events for 5 years now. I love the energy that people share with one another when presenting their work. Poetry, short stories, comedy sketches, songs, dances, play excerpts, etc, these are all ways of putting light into the world or relieving pain from ourselves. No effort is too small and I love giving people the opportunity to share their voices.The concept for Poetic Awakenings came to me after a conversation with a dear friend and fellow poet. I was asking why I hadn't heard any new work from him lately and he looked down, saddened, and shared that he believed he'd forgotten how to write. The muse had dumped him. I was shocked. This once prolific writer was stuck in a sea empty of words. A sea that I had found myself drowning in one too many times. Sometimes we isolate ourselves from the truth, believing that our experience is unique unto us, everyone else is doing "it" right. So silly of me. Humans are so closely woven together we are almost touching at all times. Artists are no different. We become bogged down in expectations and forget how to breathe around our creations. We gasp and struggle and suddenly this art thing... isn't so fun anymore.Sometime must be done! How do we quench the creative drought? The answer was so simple I almost tripped on it. We just do. We pick up our pen, our brush, our shoes, our voice, and we use them. It doesn't have to be a masterpiece every time. It's exercise. You sweat and curse and say you'll never do it again but everyday you come back because you know, in the end, it will make you stronger.

I have created a space for artists, especially writers, to go back to school. Like a traditional open mic, anyone can come, sign up, and read what they have brought. It's a pretty simple format: put your name on a list and you will be called to read in order. Art Bar is a free speech venue so, you can say whatever the hell you want. Each poet is allotted approximately 5-7min to share their work. If time allows they are more than welcome to sign up again later in the night. Unlike a traditional open mic there is also an educational aspect. Paper and pens are on every table. Some of the pages contain quotes or words of inspiration. These are to be used as "prompts" to create a new piece of work. I also lead breathing exercises and ask questions that participants are asked to respond to in their journals. No one is made to share what they've written, but many do. My only rules are:

1. Clap for everyone,

2. Respect the Mic (meaning give the speaker your full attention) and

3. Write at least one new sentence. That's it.

I'm not big on production but instead like to create a room full of peace and creativity. I'm scaled down and I'm humble but each new poet who gets up to the mic for the very first time sets my heart on fire. I am so in love with this art form and, as long as I'm able, will be bringing it to the community as a whole. Whether you're a page poet, a spoken word artist, a slam poet, an emcee, or a barista with a collection of sonnets written on the back of receipts, there is something for you at Poetic Awakenings. I am by no means an expert at anything but I do know what I love and more than anything I love seeing artists come out of their creative winters, place pen to page, and bloom.

-- Kendal Turner

A message from Cindi about Kendal Turner, Pink Power, Virginia Scotchie & Gallery V, Al Black, USC Dance & Stacey Calvert, Corey Hutchins,Wade Sellers, Passing Strange & it's Art

Dear Friends, A few things are coming up this week that might fall under your radar but you probably don't want to miss. Let's take a look.

On Tuesday night at the Art Bar, spoken word poet Kendal Turner -- yes, the same amazing lady who put together the All Woman Entourage for the release of Jasper #4 the Pink Power Issue last week -- will be presenting Poetic Awakenings. Here's what Ms. Turner posts about the event on Facebook:

"This is a place for everyone. To share, to listen, to write their next big masterpiece. This is where to go when you're not sure where to turn. A peaceful refuge in the back room of a bar that's been the safe haven for many weary wanderers. Join me for VerseWorks at the Art Bar for an open mic like no other. I invite you to share what's in your heart and open to the highest form of grace. Art is the backbone of the universe and we, we are the architects." -- K. Turner

To RSVP for this event and for more information click the magic button. And to read more of Ms. Turner's impetus for creating this event, look for a blog post in the next day or so.

~*~

On Thursday night, a new gallery space is opening in 5 Points and, as you know, Jasper is all about finding more and more walls for all the art being generated in our town. This is Virginia Scotchie's gallery and she's calling it Gallery V - Contemporary Art and Fine Craft. Her first show is called "10 Women in Clay" and it features work by Isabelle Caskey, Heyley Douglas, Laura VanCamp, Virginia Scotchie, Allison Brown, Frieda Dean, Katherine Radomsky, Emily Russell, Brittany Jeffcoat, and Kristina Stafford.

Gallery V (as in 5) is located just above Good for the Sole shoes at 631-D Harden Street in Columbia. Opening reception hours are from 5 until 8. For more info or to RSVP, your magic button is here.

We'd also like to plug the newest issue of the magazine, Jasper #4, in which Ms. Scotchie wrote the guest editorial. Turn to the back of the mag and give it a read, please.

~*~

Two fine arts events will be happening at the same time on Friday night -- a problem Columbia rarely used to have, but which we seem to be plagued with now. I complain about this a lot myself, but it's a purely selfish complaint. If we lived in NYC or Seattle or Boston, we would  have long ago become accustomed to making choices of what arts events to attend on any given evening. This is something artists and arts lovers have to get used to if we're going to live in an arts hub like Columbia, SC. (For more on this, please refer to the recent Facebook exchange between myself and local poet Al Black that I have posted below.)*

At 7 pm on Friday, the USC Dance Company once again presents the Stars of the New York City Ballet at the Koger Center for the Arts.  I've written a piece on this for the Free Times, so I'll leave you to read that on Wednesday. (And, by the by, big props to Free Times for taking home a boatload of awards from the SC Press Association -- the SCPA paid for a portion of my undergrad tuition so I am still a fan -- and especially to Corey Hutchins of the Free Times for being named SC Journalist of the Year.)

But in the meantime, please know that to say that Stacey Calvert, former soloist with the NYC Ballet, has changed the face of ballet in Columbia, SC is no exaggeration whatsoever. I am overwhelmed by the misinformation being tossed around out there concerning who knows what about ballet in this city. If anyone really wanted to know what the bottom line on professional ballet is, rather than asking those who try to preserve their ephemeral positions of authority simply by clinging to the long gone skirt-tails of long dead people, they would ask Stacey Calvert. Read about her on page 42 of Jasper #4 and be aware that if we don't keep this woman in Columbia by giving her a position of real authority in which she can use her talent and her connections to put Columbia on the map for professional ballet, then this will be a shameful and disastrous loss -- as well as a likely remnant of the internecine conflicts mentioned in * below.

~*~

Also on Friday night, The rock musical Passing Strange opens at Trustus Theatre. I hope you've been reading and hearing about this performance and the collaboration between Jasper and Trustus as we brought 10 local artists together to create the set of the musical. We previewed the art last Friday and were treated to another magnificent example of what happens when artists from different disciplines come together to cooperate and inspire one another. (See photo below.) Now you have the opportunity to see the art on the stage. The show opens on Friday night and runs through April 14th. For ticket info punch here.

 ~*~

On Saturday, March 24th, local filmmaker Wade Sellers will be premiering his new film Lola's Prayer at the Expecting Goodness Short Film Festival in Spartanburg, SC. Mr. Sellers shared a guest blog with us previously. It's not that far to Spartanburg -- and if you're brave you can go early and eat at the Beacon. The festival starts at 7 and is only $5 -- but is expected to sell out, as well it should. I hope you'll join me in representing Columbia and supporting Mr. Sellers and his fine cast of Columbians who are in this film.

~*~

*Finally, here's a cut and pasted copy of the exchange between Mr. Black and myself from Facebook -- we'd love to know what you think, Columbia.

The first lines are from Al Black --

My thoughts on the 'Poetry Community' & the 'Arts Community' in general:We should stop looking at the 'Columbia Arts Community' as a pie and that the more artists and arts events the smaller our piece of pie.The 'Columbia Arts Community' is a fabulous psychedelic mushroom and when people bite off a piece spores are released into the atmosphere and mushrooms start popping up in more locations and more minds are fed.

The more we share the faster our crop grows & spreads - the potential is endless not finite.

With Warm Regards,

Albee In Wonderland

.....as Jefferson Starship once sang, "Feed your head!"

· · Thursday at 4:00pm

• You and 3 others like this.
• • 

    Jasper Magazine - The Word on Columbia Arts At Jasper, we couldn't agree more. And not to get all socio-political on a perfectly pleasant Sunday afternoon, but there is something to be said for the theory that internecine competition once held our fine burg back -- too much energy spent hating and not enough invested in supporting our sisters and brothers in the arts. As we grow in numbers, we grow in strength and power and visibility. We can become an arts destination by growing our arts community exponentially and via multi-disciplinary patronage.

Thanks for reading this far. Have a great week in the arts, my friends.

Cheers,

                         ~~ Cindi

Foreign Exchange Artists -- A Guest Blog by Diane Knetzer, for Ayusa

 

"Columbia is the kind of community that is the heart and soul of international exchange." -- Diane Knetzer

Since we often refer to any of the various forms of visual or performing artistic expression as a "universal language" perhaps  it is not surprising  to find that many of the international teens who choose to experience educational and cultural  exchange are also artistically talented.  Travelers and artists share the ability to dream and to think "outside the box."

Bright, creative young minds  that are curious, observant, imaginative, and open to new ideas are naturally drawn to both travel and the arts. Like artists, travelers tend to be intuitive, resourceful, and innovative. This may account for the number of gifted young dancers, singers, instrumentalists,  actors, visual artists, filmmakers, and budding poets and novelists who apply to travel and study internationally with exchange student organizations each year.

One such organization is Ayusa, a not for profit that has dealt in quality educational and cultural exchange since 1981. Annually, Ayusa welcomes approximately 1150 students from more 60 different countries worldwide to its program,  including many young artists--and 2012-13 will be no exception.

Columbia is the kind of community that is the heart and soul of international exchange. It offers an authentic slice of American life for international visitors--with one important distinction: arts opportunities abound.  Few American cities of Columbia's size can boast the number of dance companies, theater groups, art studios, choral societies, orchestras, writers' workshops and more that comprise the arts community here. Columbia's active arts scene, with its blend of professional and amateur arts organizations is rich in  inspiration and opportunities,  and provides an ideal setting for artistically gifted exchange students.

If you are an arts professional or teacher who would like to mentor a promising student, if you are a parent nurturing a young artist of your own, if you enjoy helping and encouraging young people to achieve excellence in their intellectual and artistic pursuits, or if you simply appreciate and support the arts, your family may be a perfect match for an artistically gifted exchange student.

Exchange students arrive in August for a semester or academic year program. They are 15 to 18 years old and have their own spending money and medical insurance. They speak English, but want to improve. Volunteer host families provide meals,  a bed, and a nurturing home environment. Host families may select their own student, or call upon staff to  assist with their choice. Experienced, dedicated Ayusa staff are always on call and work closely with participants on an ongoing basis to promote a rewarding experience for all.

Both artists and arts lovers know that without growth and experimentation -- without taking some chances -- the arts would cease to exist. Exchange students from countries as diverse as Albania, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kosovo, Liberia, Macedonia, Mexico, Montenegro, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Yemen know this, too, and they would like the opportunity to learn and grow along with you.

For information about how you can host an artistically talented exchange student, please visit www.ayusa.org or contact Diane Knetzer, regional director of Ayusa in SC at  (803) 781-4727/mmeknetz@aol.com

The Art of Passing Strange -- Blog #2 with Krajewski, West, Puryear, Smith, and Umoja

REMINDER Jasper #4, our 1st annual All Women - All Art issue releases on Thursday March 15th with a spectacular release party at Vista Studios Gallery 80808 -- 808 Lady Street that evening. Women Only from 6 until 7 -- and then at 7 we'll open the doors to the gentlemen. Admission is free and we'll be enjoying the famed Jasper EconoBar as well as a

GIANT PINK CAKE!

Please join us.

~*~

A few days ago, we shared with you the exciting news about Jasper and Trustus Theatre's collaboration on The Art of Passing Strange. There's even more excitement in the air as the 10 selected artists (Thomas Crouch, Cedric Umoja, Alex Smith, Whitney Lejeune, Lisa Puryear, Paul Kaufmann, Lucas Sams, Michael Krajewski, David West, and Lindsay Wiggins) begin to complete their paintings and share them with us at Trustus and Jasper. So in the interest of fairness and generosity, we're sharing the images we receive with you, as we receive them.

Read on to see what lies in store for you if you attend the opening of The Art of Passing Strange on Friday night -- but while pictures are a great tease -- they're nothing like seeing the real thing. And remember, all the art is for sale -- we'll be conducting a silent auction throughout the run of the show with 100% of the proceeds going straight back to these artists who so often give of their creativity to various causes throughout the Columbia community. (And if you have your heart set on any one specific piece, each artist will be determining a BUY NOW price which will allow you to purchase the piece and take your selected painting out of the auction. You'll just need to pick it up at the end of the run of the show.)

Michael Krajewski is a self-taught artist whose work has appeared throughout South Carolina and locally at Anastasia AND FRIENDS, HoFP Gallery, Tapp’s Arts Center, Frame of Mind Gallery, the Columbia Museum of Art, and more. He was chosen to be the first artist featured as a centerfold in Jasper Magazine – the Word on Columbia Arts. Reach Michael at krajewski101@hotmail.com.

~*~

David West has a BFA in Studio Art and a Masters degree in Art Education. He has worked professionally as a graphic designer for the last 13 years, while also creating and showing fine art in his free time. Though he still provides design services, he is currently transitioning into a teaching career. You can see some of his fine art at his studio in the Arcade on Main Street. Reach David at http://www.live2create.com/.

~*~

 Lisa Puryear studied at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities and the University of South Carolina under Philip Mullen, Roy Drasites and Ann Hubbard.  Lisa is currently a member of the Trenholm Artists Guild in Columbia, SC and About Face at the Columbia Museum of Art. Reach Lisa at lisa_puryear@yahoo.com.

~*~

Alex Smith is an actor, director, and visual artist who returns to the Trustus stage (in the form of visual artist) after a 12 year hiatus since he painted the backdrop for the production of Gross Indecency:  The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, which he directed in 2000. He dedicates his work for Passing Strange to Jim and Kay Thigpen, whom he loves more than words can say. Reach Alex at alex@whatartmademedo.com.

~*~

Cedric Umoja attended the Art Institute of Atlanta and studied in South Carolina under Tony Cacalano. He is a founding member of the artist collective Izms of Art, a recipient of a 2012 South Carolina Arts Commission grant. His influences are Dondi White, Max Beckmann, Hans Hoffman and Sam Keith. Reach Cedric at umoja.artofficial@gmail.com.

~*~

Temple Ligon and Le Tour du Monde en Quatre-vingts Jours -- via Jasper

On Wednesday, our friend and future Jasper contributor John Temple Ligon launches his interpretation of Phileas Fogg's fictional journey around the world in 80 days. Temple is being as true to Fogg's intentions as sanity will allow, going so far as to forgo air travel -- hot air balloons not being what they used to, and all.

We'll be seeing Temple off as he leaves from Columbia's version of the Reform Club on Wednesday evening at 6 pm to travel to Florence, SC where he will journey via Amtrak to New York City's not-what-it-used-to-be Penn Station. While in New York, Temple will pay homage to some of our namesake's art before he boards the Queen Victoria on Friday, March 16th.

While we are no The Morning Chronicle, we have invited our intrepid wanderer to keep Jasper posted of his adventures first hand. As we await his missives however we, like the rest of the world, will be following his sojourn via the miracle of technology.

You can do so as well by visiting the website for the Wren Institute for Urban Research.

Bon Voyage, Temple.

(And best of luck finding your Princess Aouda.)

~~ Jasper

Have you Submitted Your Poetry Yet?

 Jasper Magazine announces the Jasper Magazine One Book, One Poem Competition

Ron Rash, author of this year's One Book, One Columbia selection, Saints at the River, has agreed to serve as adjudicator for the Jasper Magazine One Book, One Poem Competition.

Poets from the Greater Columbia Arts Community are invited to submit poetry inspired by the reading of Saints at the River.  Author Ron Rash's selection of the winning poem will be published in a future issue of Jasper Magazine - the Word on Columbia Arts, and its author will receive a literary arts prize package.

Finalists, adjudicated by Jasper Magazine literary arts editor, Dr. Ed Madden, will be published in the Jasper Magazine blog - What Jasper Said. (www.jaspercolumbia.net/blog).  The deadline is March 31, 2012.

Fine Print:  Please submit (in triplicate) poems inspired by the reading of Saints at the River by Ron Rash to -

                Jasper Magazine One Book, One Poem Competition Muddy Ford Press 1009 Muddy Ford Road Chapin, SC 29036.

Please include a cover sheet including your name, address, phone number, email address, and the title or first line of each poem. There is no limit to the number of poems you may enter. Your name should appear nowhere else on your submissions. Entry fee = $5 per each three poems submitted (make checks payable to Muddy Ford Press). Deadline = March 31, 2012.

For more information contact - editor@jaspercolumbia.com.

The Art of Passing Strange - Blog #1

My story being done,

She gave me for my pains a world of sighs;

She swore, in faith 'twas strange, 'twas passing strange ;

'Twas pitiful. 'twas wondrous pitiful,

She wish'd she had not heard it, yet she wish'd

That heaven had made her such a man.

—Othello, the Moor of Venice, act 1, scene 3, lines 158–163

Those of you well versed in Jasper's mission know that we are all about bringing together artists and patrons from a variety of arts disciplines as a way of growing and sustaining Columbia's burgeoning arts community. So when Chad Henderson, director of Trustus Theatre's upcoming play, Passing Strange, approached us about collaborating on a project which would bring the visual and performing arts together for an extended run this spring, we were delighted to get involved.

Here's the deal, 10 local artists were invited to view a 2009 Spike Lee-directed film of the Broadway production of Passing Strange, a rock musical about a young man's journey into enlightenment via his travels in Europe. Then, each artist was given two four by four canvasses on which to create the art that the film inspired. Those 20 canvasses will be used on the set of the musical throughout its Trustus run. Simple and beautiful, right?

Now here's where you get involved.

Come to Trustus Theatre on Lady Street in Columbia's Vista on Friday night, March 16th for the opening of The Art of Passing Strange. There will be music and entertainment -- more on that below -- snacks, a cash bar, and most importantly, you'll have the opportunity to get up close and personal with the 20 paintings newly created for the musical as well as the artists who created them. And the exciting thing is this -- the art is for sale. Throughout the run of the play, bid sheets for each painting will be available in the lobby and you'll be able to register your bid for your favorite art. There are two especially cool things about this.

One, the artist gets 100% of the sale of her or his work.

And two, each painting will also feature a "Buy Now" price at which you can purchase the painting, close all other bids, and know then that you'll be taking that art home at the end of the run of the show on April 14th.

For more information, read on below and visit The Art of Passing Strange's Facebook page.

So, come out on the 16th for the art show opening -- The Art of Passing Strange -- and then return to the theatre during the March 23 - April 14 run to see the art on stage and take in this Tony winning rock musical, with local musical groups like Day Clean and The Mobros opening up each performance with a a free pre-show concert for theatre ticket holders.

And yes, Friends, this is how our community continues to grow. Stay tuned for more of What Jasper Said about the artists and their art in The Art of Passing Strange.

Trustus Theatre and Jasper Magazine present

THE ART OF PASSING STRANGE - a one-night only event!

PASSING STRANGE is a one-of-a-kind rock musical charts a young musician's journey to find "the real" through an exploration of artistic voice and authenticity.

Trustus' pro...duction of PASSING STRANGE marks a new level of inter-disciplinary creation - mixing theatre, dance, music, and visual art together for an unparalleled artistic event. Local visual artists will be creating 20 brand new pieces inspired by the show that will serve as the scenic design, and local singer/songwriters will be performing during pre-show.

THE ART OF PASSING STRANGE is the grand unveiling of the new pieces created for the show. Get an intimate experience with each piece before they make their way onto the set. Also, enjoy music performances by Major 2 Minor and a dance performance by Vibrations Dance Company. You'll also get the chance to make your mark on the set - we will provide the paint, you bring the inspiration. The cash bar will be running - so join us at Trustus to celebrate a unique artistic collaboration in Columbia, SC!

Artists: Lisa Puryear, Michael Krajewski, Lindsay Wiggins, Cedric Umoja, Paul Kaufmann, Lucas Sams, Alex Smith, Thomas Crouch, Whitney LeJune, & David West

Admission is free!

(Please check out Jasper Magazine's Facebook page, and click on "Like," and please be sure to subscribe to What Jasper Said so you'll always be on top of the latest in Columbia's arts news.) 

Columbia City Ballet presents The Sleeping Beauty: A Story Where Good Triumphs Over Evil with a Single Kiss

The Columbia City Ballet culminates its 2011-2012 season with the most famous kiss in fairytale history… a sparkling rendition of the full-length classic The Sleeping Beauty. Under the direction of Executive & Artistic Director William Starrett, this elaborate spectacle of magic and glamour takes the Koger Center stage on March 9 and 10 for three performances.

“The Sleeping Beauty is one of the purest classical ballets in existence. It has a long and important history with the Columbia City Ballet. It has been produced ten times in our 50 year history: first in 1966, and last eight years ago in 2004. I first danced the role of the Prince in Sleeping Beauty for the Minnesota Ballet when I was 17-years-old. It is thrilling that I can be instrumental in bringing this masterpiece to our community,” said Starrett.

Created in 1890 by choreographer Marius Petipa and legendary composer Tchaikovsky, The Sleeping Beauty is recognized as one of the supreme achievements of classical ballet. The ballet takes audiences on a journey through an enchanted forest based on the classic French fairytale by Charles Perrault: the beautiful princess Aurora, performed by Ballerina Regina Willoughby, is cursed by the evil fairy Carabosse, brought to life by Alexis Doktor and Cooper Rust who will be alternating the role, and doomed to sleep for one-hundred years -- only to be awakened by the kiss of her true love, the handsome Prince Charming, danced by Soloist Journy Wilkes-Davis. Also performing are Principal dancers Mark Krieger and Kathryn Smoak dancing the Blue Bird Pas De Deux and the Lilac Fairy will be portrayed by Soloist Claire Kallimanis, alternating with Claire Richards.

Tchaikovsky is also well-known for two other popular full length classical ballets, The Nutcracker and Swan Lake. With a score that has stood the test of time, The Sleeping Beauty remains one of the most revered ballets in the world today. The sheer artistry of the technically demanding dancing, and the Columbia City Ballet’s fresh approach to this clearly-portrayed story make The Sleeping Beauty production the perfect family outing and a great ballet for first-timers.

Performances of The Sleeping Beauty are:

March 9 at 7:30 p.m.

March 10 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Before each evening performance, Director Starrett holds a pre-show lecture 30 minutes prior to the curtain where he gives you a unique introduction behind the scenes into the magical world of ballet. Following the March 10 matinee, audience members are invited to tour backstage and meet the Columbia City Ballet dancers.

The Sleeping Beauty is sponsored by Lexington Medical Center. Tickets are on sale at the Coliseum Box Office and all Capitol Ticket Outlets. Charge by phone by calling 251-2222 or on online at www.capitoltickets.com. For more information about the Columbia City Ballet, call (803)799-7605 or visit www.columbiacityballet.com.

For More of What Jasper Said, please visit our website at www.JasperColumbia.com

and check us out on Facebook at

http://www.facebook.com/#!/jaspercolumbia

and, please, "like" us to keep up with what's going on in Columbia Arts.

Jasper is your Social Media Guide

Alexander Wilds & Yukiko Oka at Gallery 80808

Billed simply as "an exhibition of sculpture, painting, and unique objects from America and Japan," the new show that opened this past Thursday at Vista Studios/Gallery 80808 (at 808 Lady Street) only runs two more days, Monday 3/5 and Tuesday 3/6, but you owe it to yourself to stop by. Featuring new work by husband and wife Alexander Wilds and Yukiko Oka, you'll be surprised at the diversity of the pieces on display, the intricacy of detail, the innovation of style, and the simple elegance of many works done in stark tones.

In fact, you might have missed hearing about this show altogether, given that five new exhibitions opened around the corner on Main Street on First Thursday, Le Corsaire and La Traviata ran at the Koger Center on Friday and Saturday respectively, and for many, spring break has begun. Nevertheless, the attendees at the opening reception Friday night were treated to a fascinating mix of sculpture, painting, figures, abstracts, photography, and especially in some of Oka's work, a complex mix of media that combines some or all of the above.  Much of her work features images in primarily black, white, grays, and muted browns. In many cases the frame or matting is an integral part of the piece itself, often with as much or more pattern and texture than the image or photo within. Sometimes a three-dimensional effect is used where the viewer is looking through a window or portal into another world, space, or time.  Wilds' work includes a large number of free-standing sculptures. Currently an associate professor of art at Benedict College, Wilds says that he is a southerner who spent much of his adult life in Japan, but if someone had told me that these statues were treasures from the court of some 17th century sultan of Mali or Ghana, I'd have believed it in an instant.  At his site, Wilds sums up his mastery of different forms:

I am a sculptor by training and predilection. I make sculpture, I draw like a sculptor (3D images, not flat composition), make prints like a sculptor (process process process) and paint like a sculptor (it's all about material). I do a lot of architecture and furniture, which is just useful sculpture. Still, my work is not just sculpture - lots of painting, etching, drawing. At first blush it might seem like a lack of focus. Not so. All my work has the same hand, same taste, same treatment; only the formats vary. Many of the pieces featured in this exhibition can also be seen online at http://alexanderwilds-art.blogspot.com/ and at http://yukiko-art.blogspot.com/ . And remember, there are only two more days to see Wilds and Oka's work on display at Vista Studios/Gallery 80808 at 808 Lady Street in the Vista.

--August Krickel

Please visit Jasper at our official website at www.JasperColumbia.com

Catching up with Wade Sellers and the production of Lola's Prayer -- a guest blog

As soon as we at Jasper heard about the production and Kickstarter campaign for the film Lola's Prayer, we were hooked. For starters, we've been watching filmmaker Wade Sellers for a while and keeping tabs on his work. Wade is one of those filmmakers who can take the wildest of hairs and prune it into the most beautiful of topiaries. Then, when we put two and two together and discovered that Wade's latest project is the adaptation into film of a short story written by Lou Dishcler and published by our good friends at Hub City Press in Spartanburg -- well, we were just flat out psyched. Some of us at Jasper have jumped on the Lola's Prayer bandwagon by supporting Wade and his esteemed cast as they raise funds via their Kickstarter campaign -- (we'll be writing about Kickstarter campaigns soon ourselves) -- and we'd like to encourage you to do the same. There's something about knowing that your 5 or 10 or 50 bucks, combined with that of someone else, can make a real difference in facilitating a fellow artist to reach her or his goal that makes us feel good about the use of our cash. It makes us feel good and, actually, a little privileged to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.

If you'd like to know more about Wade and his film Lola's Prayer, please read his guest blog below. And then, if you can spare the price of a beer or a venti latte, or even a pizza -- please think about visiting the Lola's Prayer Kickstarter page and joining Jasper and at least three dozen other backers as we become a part of something that is, well, neat. It'll be money well spent.

A Message from the Filmmaker, Wade Sellers

My friend, filmmaker Chris White, sent me a notice a while back about the Expecting Goodness Short Film Festival in Spartanburg. The concept was that filmmakers would create short films from short stories included in Expecting Goodness, a collection of short stories published by Hub City Press in Spartanburg. The project deadline was March 19^th, so I decided to pass. There were plenty of excuses - there wasn't enough time, we have no money, blah, blah, blah. Sitting at home that night I couldn't stop thinking about the project so I took another look on the project website.

Big on my own personal list was to eventually adapt someone else’s written work. I have produced and directed many of my own short films, most written by myself. But, when I read through the stories in the book I had trouble finding a way I could interject my voice into them. I should have started reading at the beginning. “Lola’s Prayer” is the first story in Expecting Goodness and by the second page I was hooked. As I turned the pages and was introduced to the different characters I began casting immediately, picking actors I knew from Columbia. I had no choice. I had to make this story a movie.

I trudged through a first draft. It’s a beautifully written story, but it is mainly driven by Lola’s internal monologue. Narration is something I usually frown upon in films. The job of the filmmaker is to tell the story with pictures. So the hard part began–how do we show these things to the audience and remain faithful to the story. Four drafts later we have a script that is faithful to the story, but communicates Lola’s character and her interaction with her world in a cinematic way.

My needs were for a small, but talented, crew that could get us from location to location without sacrificing the vision that has been established for the film. As I went down the list of actors I wanted, each responded with a big “yes.” Lorrie Rivers plays Lola. She had been planning to travel back to Los Angeles, her current residence, but after she read the script, she pushed her travel plans back and we moved our shoot schedule up. The rest of the cast made adjustments to their schedules as well. The amount of support for this project has been overwhelming.

When I began making films many years ago, I could shamelessly ask people to work for free on indie projects. I can't do that anymore. Understanding and working with professionals has made it impossible for me to ask someone to give their time without some sort of compensation.

To raise funding for the project we began a Kickstarter campaign for Lola's Prayer. A budget of $4,200 was extablished. The money raised from this campaign will go to pay the cast and crew for their time, location costs, props, food and other expenses that can't be ignored. I am taking no money as part of the project. This is the first time I've turned to others to fund a project. It's hard. It's a big old gulp of your pride. Our first response has been overwhelming. The deadline for the Kickstarter campaign is March 17^th and it is an all or nothing proposition. If we don't reach our goal, we don't get the funding.

This is a new experience. Every time we have begun production on any project there is a big twinge of excitement. This is why we do what we do. This is how we express ourselves. Being surrounded by a community, in Columbia, that supports those goals is a rare and humbling experience.

The cast of “Lola's Prayer”

Henry --                                 Alex Smith

Lola-                                        Lorrie Rivers

Mozzie-                                   Jocelyn Sanders

Bethany Ann-                        Kim Harne

Lola's Sister-                          Vicky Saye Henderson

Lola's Brother-in-law-          Steve Harley

Jed-                                         Bill Kealy

The Farmer-                          Tom Hall

The Farmer's Son-                Galen Hall

____

If you'd like to join with Wade and your fellow film lovers and supporters in Columbia, please click on the link below. Every little bit helps make this film a reality and we all appreciate the support so very much.

Kickstarter Link:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1340665409/lolas-prayer

tumblr link:

http://lolasprayer.tumblr.com/

For more information on Lola's Prayer, please feel free to contact Wade at the number or email address below.

Wade Sellers - Director

803.467.4206

wade@coalpoweredfilmworks.com

Ikebana International Chapter 182 - Annual Exhibition and Tea -- a guest blog by Betsy Kaemmerlen

Ikebana International Chapter 182 - Annual Exhibition and Tea

April 18, 2012  noon - 4 pm

Garden Club Council Building

1605 Park Circle at Maxcy Gregg Park

Columbia, SC

An exhibition and demonstration of the Japanese style of flower arranging called Ikebana, loosely translated as “the way of flowers” will be held by Chapter 182 of Ikebana International on April 18, 2012.  Ikebana International was founded in 1953 - its motto is “Friendship through Flowers.”  Last year we had forty arrangements, plus sand gardens and miniatures, as well as educational exhibits to the delight of nearly 200 attendees.  The suggested donation is $3 and in 2011 all proceeds from the event were donated to the American Red Cross for the benefit of the victims of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Locally we exhibit each year at the State Fair, The Columbia Museum of Art, and the SC Orchid Show at Riverbanks Zoo.  But this is our chance to share many more examples of our creations with the public.  Our local chapter received its charter in 1974.  The members of the Ikebana chapter feel a close connection to Japan, as many have lived there as military wives, have come from the Pacific Rim, or have studied the Japanese culture.   At 1:00 pm we will introduce the principal speaker, Norman Churchill who will give a lecture and demonstration of the Sogetsu School, one of the more than 3,000 distinct schools of Ikebana.  Sogetsu emphasizes the sculptural qualities of the arrangement.  After a question and answer period, the attendees are invited to enjoy a buffet style tea that will include Japanese sweets and Asian dishes made by our members.

Reflection on and appreciation of Japanese culture is evident in the beautiful arrangements, some of last year’s display are pictured here.   The arrangements represent several schools of the art of Ikebana, including traditional or alcove style examples of the Ikenobo School, established in 1486; natural and landscape styles of the Ohara School, established in 1897;  sculptural and free style Sogetsu, dating to 1925; and the painterly or spontaneous style of Sangetsu, a relatively newer school established in 1972.

With the theme “Baskets and Beyond”, and focusing on the use of basketry and bamboo in the arrangements, participants will reveal design characteristics of the craft, which include the importance of shape, line and form, often employing a minimal number of blooms interspersed among stalks and leaves.  Whether traditional or modern, the varying forms of Ikebana share certain common features, regardless of the period or school.  Many types of plant material – branches, leaves, grass, moss, fruit and flowers -- may be used.  Withered leaves, seedpods and buds are as highly valued as flowers in full bloom.  What distinguishes Ikebana from simpler decorative approaches is often an asymmetrical form and the use of empty space as an essential feature of the composition.  A sense of harmony among the materials, the container and the setting are important.  Likewise, the individual designer should feel a sense of quiet, almost spiritual, contemplation of the flowers and what they represent.  He or she presents the arrangement at exhibition solely for the purpose of showing the beauty of nature and helping people appreciate it.

For more information on Ikebana International Chapter 182 in Columbia, please visit our Facebook page.

La Traviata or The Woman Who Strays

Boy meets girl.  Boy loves girl. Boy loses girl because she's from the wrong side of the tracks, and his family interferes...but will true love prevail in the end?  The idea of star-crossed, mismatched lovers been around for a while, from Love Story to Pretty in Pink, but most of the plots derive from the younger Alexandre Dumas (not the Three Musketeers author, but his son) who dramatized his own doomed love affair with a courtesan in a fabulously popular novel and play called The Lady of the Camellias. Better known in English as Camille, the title character became one of the primo roles for the great actresses of the 19th and 20th centuries; Greta Garbo was nominated for an Oscar for her 1936 film version. Great plays usually became great operas in those days, and composer Giuseppe Verdi adapted the basic Camille story into one of his best known and most popular works, La Traviata (loosely translated, the title means "the woman who strays," as in "away from the morality of society."  Or you could just call it "The Fallen Woman.")

Columbia audiences have a rare chance to see La Traviata live at the Koger Center this coming Saturday evening, March 3rd, at 7 PM, performed by the acclaimed Teatro Lirico D'Europa (.i.e. Lyric Theatre of Europe.)  Professional touring opera companies don't often come through Columbia these days; we recall seeing the Goldovsky Opera Theatre perform Traviata at the Township c. 1976, and this honestly may have been the first time this opera has been performed locally by a professional company since then.  Teatro Lirico D'Europa was founded in 1988, and is currently in the middle of their 13th consecutive season touring America. According to their press material, they have received rave reviews throughout the world, consistently appearing before sold out audiences.  The group is "noted for the brilliance and vitality of its talented international cast, realistic costumes and sets, and beautifully lit stages."  The Boston Globe wrote that ''audiences love this company," The St. Louis Classical Examiner hailed the performance of La Traviata as ''first rate," and The Heritage Theatre wrote that it was "amazed by the musicianship of both singers and orchestra." (Some additional reviews can be found at http://www.jennykellyproductions.com/prod_teatro_review_traviata.htm .)

Lest you think that this production will involve zaftig women in horned helmets brandishing spears, remember that this is not a Wagnerian nor even Mozart an opera.  Verdi was/is one of the more accessible classical composers, and you'd recognize any number of his melodies and motifs in the backgrounds of various movies.  The light, peppy clarinet music in the Godfather films for example.  Ever been to Italy?  Remember the bearded guy on the thousand-lira note, i.e. the equivalent of the dollar bill?  That was him.  He was that important. The story here is pretty accessible too, especially since we think Blake Carrington tried something similar in 3rd or 4th season Dynasty, sabotaging his son's romance with a shady lady.  So if you've ever been curious about how real opera really works, here's your chance to see as good as it gets - one ranking lists La Traviata as the second-most frequently performed opera there is.

The lead role of Violetta, the bad girl with the proverbial heart of gold, is sung by Olga Orlovskaya, a beautiful young dramatic coloratura soprano who graduated with honors from the Russian Academy of Music. She was a special prizewinner of the international completion in Operetta Land for best performance in 2008 in Moscow.  Ms. Orlovskaya has performed solo concerts in Paris, Dresden, Brussels, Luxembourg, and Geneva. She made her debut in the United States in 2006 with the role of Adele in Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus with the Stanislavsky Opera of Moscow in a fifty-city tour.  She is the founder and artistic director of the quartet The Russian Sopranos, and is now a U.S. citizen, based in Maryland.  She made her debut with Teatro Lirico D’Europa during its fall 2010/winter 2011 USA tours as Lucia in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermore to outstanding critical acclaim.

We have our own local Palmetto Opera to thank for this production.  Founded in 2001, The Palmetto Opera is dedicated to bringing professional opera to South Carolina. In addition to arranging shows like this one, they also sponsor Opera Nights at a number of local restaurants, where guests are treated to a special dinner, and arias from well-known operas performed live.  This in fact has become a regular part of First Thursdays at Villa Tronco, at 1213 Blanding Street, just across the street from the Tapp's Art Center. (Call (803) 256-7677 for details on Opera Night at Villa Tronco.)  The owner of  Villa Tronco, Carmella Roche, will actually be making a cameo appearance on stage in La Traviata in a party scene, along with other local celebrities, including Jim Welch (host of ETV's Nature Scene)  former Lexington City Council member Constance Fleming, and Karen Alexander (founder of the Auntie Karen Foundation.)  For more information on The Palmetto Opera, contact Kathy Newman at 803-776-9499 or katnewman@aoI.com. Tickets for La Traviata may be obtained at the Koger Center Box Office, online at capitoltickets.com, or by phone at 803-251-2222.

August Krickel is the Theatre Editor for Jasper Magazine -- The Word on Columbia Arts

Reach him at AKrickel@JasperColumbia.com

Read more of Jasper at www.JasperColumbia.com

Classical Ballet's Presentation of Le Corsaire Coming up Friday Night

It's the end of Columbia Classical Ballet's 20th season and artistic director Radenko Pavlovich is celebrating with the ambitious staging of one of classical ballet's greatest productions, Le Corsaire.

Based loosely on the poem The Corsaire by Lord Byron, we cannot assure the reader that the story you see told through dance by the Columbia Classical Ballet company will be completely true to its origins, particularly given the license artistic directors in these parts take with some of western cultures greatest works of art. However, Jasper has had a gander at the press release being circulated and, while there are certainly some differences in the interpretation, the story still reads in a similar vein as that written by Jules Perrot who premiered the ballet in 1858 at the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre, and improved upon by Marius Petipa in 1863, who had incidentally danced the role of Conrad at the premiere five years before.

For the sake of maintaining the integrity of the original story it should be noted that Le Corsaire, the ballet, is the story of Medora, a young Greek girl, who is sold to a rich Pasha by a slave dealer. An oddly good pirate -- or Corsaire -- by the name of Conrad comes to Medora’s rescue – as good rather than bad pirates are wont to do, and falls in love with her. Through a series of jealous manipulations, Medora ends up back with her original owner who once again sells the young woman to the same Pasha. When Conrad once again tries to save her, he is caught and sentenced to death. Now it is Medora’s turn to save Conrad and she does so by conspiring with another slave woman named Gulnare. The plan is that Medora agrees to marry the Pasha but, during the ceremony, Gulnare sneaks in and takes Medora's place, with Gulnare ending up marrying the Pasha. After the jig is up, Medora and Conrad escape from the Pasha's compound, but their ship goes down in a terrible storm. Luckily, the lovers are washed ashore and they live happily ever after.

What is most important, when addressing the integrity of the story, is that in all likelihood, Pavlovich will be keeping true to the choreography as it was revised in 1931 for the Kirov Ballet by Agrippina Vagonova, the noted pedagogical genius who gave us the truest form of classical ballet technique of all time. Certainly, sometimes ADs and ballet masters or mistresses have to make concessions in choreography, based upon the abilities of the dancers with which they have to work. But knowing that Columbia native Brooklyn Mack will be dancing the slave variation that has won him silver medals all over the world, we feel certain the audience will get the real deal. And if you'd like a preview, take a look at this.

In the meantime, here's a copy of the previously mentioned press release with all the info you might need to know before attending the performance Friday night. Jasper will be in the audience and we hope you will, too.

Swashbuckling ‘Corsaire’ wraps up Columbia Classical Ballet’s 20^th season The Columbia Classical Ballet sets sail March 2 with “Le Corsaire,” a swashbuckling ballet masterwork filled with handsome pirates and beautiful women that takes many thrilling twists and turns through exotic places. Join the crew for this fanciful final offering of the Classical Ballet’s 20^th anniversary season.

“This great work of the classical repertoire will be special in many ways,” said Radenko Pavlovich, artistic director of the Columbia Classical Ballet. “Columbia has never seen anything like it.”

The rousing story and dynamic dancing are only part of what makes “Le Corsaire” (also called “The Pirate”) a must-see show at the Koger Center for the Arts.

While the ballerinas are usually at center stage, “Le Corsaire” showcases the power of the men. Featured will be guest artist Brooklyn Mack, a member of the Washington Ballet who received his initial training from Pavlovich. Company members Christopher Miro, Oleksandr Vykhrest and Ivan Popov take leading roles.

“This ballet is about the guys and they really shine in it,” said Pavlovich.

Visually this will be a stunning production with sets and costumes used by the Washington Ballet and other companies around the globe.

Mack, named one of “25 to watch in 2012” by Dance magazine in January, will dance the role of Ali. A Washington Post review of his performance as Ali with the Washington Ballet called him “a human missile.”

“It is like the role was made for him,” Pavlovich said.

Miro, a native of Cuba and former member of The National Ballet of Cuba, dances the role of pirate leader Conrad. Vykhrest fills the role of Birbanto, Conrad’s friend and betrayer. Vykhrest has been a member of the Classical Ballet of Kiev, Donetsk Ballet Company and the Sarasota Ballet. Popov, as the slave trader Lankedem, has been soloist at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, the Vienna State Opera and principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet and the Hungarian National Ballet. The role of Medora is being danced by Tamako Miyazaki, a native of Japan completing a stellar first year with the company, and Lauren Frere, who joined the company in 2008 and has been principal dancer since 2010, will dance the role of Gulnara.

Sets are by Simon Pastukh who has designed over 200 opera, ballet and theatrical productions for the Bolshoi, Mariinsky and Sovremennik theaters in Russia, NHK in Japan, the National Theatre of Norway and others. From 1980 to 1991 he was a resident designer at Michailovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre in St. Petersburg. Galina Solovyeva, designer for the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg for 15 years, created the costumes. Her career includes over 100 designs for ballet, opera, and theatre among them “Othello,” “Eugene Onegin,” “The Sleeping Beauty,” “Firebird,” and “Swan Lake” for groups including the New York City Ballet and the Japan Ballet.

“Le Corsaire” was created in the late 19^th century by choreographer Marius Petipa (the man behind “The Sleeping Beauty,” “The Nutcracker,” “Swan Lake”) for the Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg. The original score is by Adolphe Adam (composer of “Giselle” too) with additions by Cesare Pugni, history’s most prolific ballet music composer, and several other composers.

The ballet has enough twists and turns to be a tale told by Shakespeare. A pirate ship manned by Conrad, his friend Birbanto and Ali sails into a harbor town where they visit a bazaar where slaves are being sold by Lankedem. When Conrad sees the slave girl Medora it is love at first sight. He and his crew steal her and the other girls, including Medora’s friend Gulnara. Medora asks Conrad to free all the girls and he agrees, but Birbanto incites a mutiny. The mutiny fails, but Birbanto convinces Conrad he is blameless - then steals Medora and sells her to a Pasha. Disguised as pilgrims, Conrad leads the pirates on a raid to free Medora. The reunited lovers sail away, but are overtaken by a raging storm. The ship sinks. The ballet ends as the rising moon reveals Conrad and Medora safely reaching shore.

“We’re happy to finish our 20^th season with this amazing production,” Pavlovich said. “It’s a fitting end to this important year.”

“Le Corsaire” 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 2 at the Koger Center, Assembly and Greene streets, Columbia. For evening performance tickets, $6 - $32, go to capitoltickets.com or call (803) 251-2222. For morning tickets contact the Classical Ballet at (803) 252-9112.

 For more of Jasper, please visit our website at www.Jaspercolumbia.com where you can subscribe to the magazine, read back issues of Jasper, and keep up with what's going on in the world of Columbia arts.

Life Awarded by Art at JDRF’s 15th Annual Wings of Love Gala -- A guest blog by Dana Bruce

Each year around January I call Mark at the One Eared Cow and I say, “It’s that time again, make your magic happen!”  Mark and the One Eared Cow are responsible for the beautiful bowls that are now sitting on the shelves around the state, and United States, belonging to the JDRF Living and Giving Award honorees. The Living and Giving award is presented each year to a company, individual (s), or organization that gives back to JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) and/or the Columbia community at large throughout their daily interactions.  

Since 2000, a partnership with One Eared Cow has resulted in the distinguishable pieces that are as unique as each honoree and their contributions to JDRF and Columbia. JDRF is honored and proud to be able to give local art to the individuals that have done so much toward achieving its mission -- finding a cure for type 1 diabetes and its complications through the support of research.

Fires forged the commissioned piece that has become the annual Living and Giving award presented to JDRF gala honorees since 2000 but it is this year’s honorees, Roger and Barbara Blau whose fired passion for a cure for type 1 diabetes, and embody giving back, despite the devastating loss that took their loved one.

While JDRF has benefitted from a long partnership with the Blaus, a partnership forged on love and devotion to family, Roger and Barbara Blaus’ generosity is felt in many organizations and charities around Columbia—notably so in the arts. Susan Lenz told me upon donating one of her pieces of art to our auction that the Blaus were incredibly supportive of her work. “They hang my piece in their office next to Brian Rutenberg,”, Susan is obviously truly honored to be within not only that artist’s company but also the Blaus’.

The Hearts and Heroes themed event expects to raise $250,000 on the night of March 3^rd for JDRF through a seated dinner that includes a live and silent auction as well as an opportunity to donate to Fund a Cure. Fund a Cure is a 100% tax-deductible donation that goes directly to type 1 diabetes research.  Among many amazing items donated by South Carolina businesses, the Blaus’ love of art will be represented. The live auction boasts a catered dinner for 8 with Jack Brantly of Aberdeen Catering while enjoying a private concert by Marina Lomazov, orchestrated by the Blau family. Along with several works by local artists in the silent auction, renowned artist Christian Thee has donated a piece to support the Blaus that will be in the live auction.

For tickets or more information go to www.jdrfpalmetto.org or call Dana Bruce at the JDRF office at 803-782-1477.

Photos by Mark Woodham of One Eared Cow.

Dana Bruce is the Executive Director of the Palmetto Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

When Cocoa Meets the Craft!

 

It's no secret that we here at Jasper - The Word on Columbia Arts just love us some Bobby Craft.  He's the gifted singer/dancer/actor who has been impishly stealing scenes (and the hearts of audiences) since the 70's, playing everyone from the outrageous Jacob in La Cage aux Folles, to the charismatic Lead Player in Pippin, from Chorus Line's Richie to the Scarecrow in The Wiz.  We love Broadway Bobby so much that we featured him in our second issue (which can still be found online at http://jaspercolumbia.net/current-issue/back-issues/.) Just say his name in the local theatre community, and you're sure to get a smile, and then a story about some backstage prank or onstage improvisation. We're still pretty sure he's the only dancer in town who has ever gotten away with ad-libbing some dance moves in the middle of a performance by the Columbia City Ballet.

Imagine our surprise, then, when we discovered that the champ has a challenger!  The contender is Chauntel Demetrius Bland, aka "Sweet Hot Cocoa." "SHC" as he's informally known is a new player on the performance scene, making a splash in recent shows at Town Theatre  like Beauty and the Beast, and White Christmas, a line from the latter actually inspiring his unique sobriquet. An attorney by day, Bland has been arguing his case, making his appeal, and talkin' some serious smack as to who has the best moves: Broadway Bobby or Sweet Hot Cocoa?   The solution is one only found within the arcane, near-legendary lore and traditions of community theatre: a dance-off!

This Saturday, Feb. 25th marks When the Cocoa Meets the Craft. Doors will open for music and dancing at 8:30 PM at Columbia's Town Theatre, located at 1012 Sumter Street, in the block between the State House and USC's Horseshoe.  Where else but the nation's longest-operating community theatre for a battle of the ages between baby boomer Craft and Gen-Xer Bland?  Refreshments, including cool beverages, will be available on the patio, door prizes will be awarded, and admission is a mere $5.  But bring plenty of extra cash, for the opportunity to "donate" points to the contestant of your choice.  You see, proceeds from the event will go towards the much-needed replacement of the Town Theatre roof, the cost of which is estimated at $50,000, so your generosity will help "raise the roof" both figuratively and literally!

Attendees are encouraged to arrive early and join the onstage dance party before enjoying the actual show, which begins at 9:30.  Expect plenty of trash-talking from "managers" Chip Collins (seen in shows like Peter Pan and Harvey at Town, and the recent Chicago at the Kershaw Fine Arts Ctr.) and Rob Sprankle (South Pacific, The King And I, Forever Plaid: Plaid Tidings) - we're thinking there'd better not be any folding chairs around. Also featured are musical performances by some of Town Theatre's finest, including Abigail Smith Ludwig, Mims Creed Goza, Giulia Dalbec-Matthews, Agnes Babb, Haley Sprankle, Grace Fanning, Lindsay Brasington, Cortlin Collins, Shelby Sessler, Kaitlyn Rainwater, Kathy Hartzog, Kate-Noel Kloppenbourg, Doug Gleason, Kyle L. Collins, Addie Taylor, Linda Posey, Laurel Posey, LeAndra Ellis-Gaston, Sirena Dib, Victoria Wilson, Lauren Veselak and Claire Sparks.  And yes, that's the majority of the cast members from just about every musical produced at Town and/or anywhere else over the least year or two.  There may be a surprise drop-in by religious leader "Rev. Cocoa,” and there's sure to be appearances by backup dancers "The Cocoa Puffs" and "The Razzle Dazzles."

Accompaniment for select numbers will be by ad-hoc house band Andy  "Picante" Wells and The Jalapenos.  (Wells accompanied Ludwig and Chip Collins on some lovely numbers from Chicago at the recent Jasper release party at the Arcade in January, so we're anticipating a whole lotta ivory-tickling goin' on.  Master and Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening are co-conspirators Frank Thompson (the smarmiest and most emcee-worthy of the Forever Plaid cast, who graciously arranged for his Chicago cast to perform at the Arcade event) and Shannon Willis Scruggs.  Yep, "Forever" Patsy Cline herself, although she first warmed our hearts a lifetime ago on the Town Theatre stage as Dainty June, singing the "Moo Cow Song" in Gypsy. (That close runner-up finish in the Miss South Carolina pageant a few years back didn't  hurt either.)  Featured choreography is by Christy Shealy Mills and Kaitlyn Rainwater.

Then batten down the hatches, clear the decks, bar the doors and lock up your impressionable youngsters, as CHAUNTEL DEMETRIUS BLAND, AKA ”SWEET HOT COCOA” gets ready to rumble in THE MAIN EVENT with BROADWAY BOBBY CRAFT, in a dance-off to end all dance-offs!  Winner gets bragging rights and all associated benefits attached thereunto and herewith.  Who will come out on top?  (Well, actually the new Town Theatre roof will, so it's all good. )

Don't miss this epic battle of the ages, when the sublime meets the ridiculous, and When the Cocoa Meets the Craft, this Saturday, Feb. 25th, 8:30 PM at Town Theatre.

-- August Krickel is the Theatre Editor for

Jasper Magazine - The Word on Columbia Arts

Read more from August at www.jaspercolumbia.com

In case you missed/forgot about it -- Here's the info on the Jasper Magazine One Book, One Poem Competition

Jasper Magazine One Book, One Poem Competition

Ron Rash, author of this year’s One Book, One Columbia selection, Saints at the River, has agreed to serve as adjudicator for the Jasper Magazine One Book, One Poem Competition.

Poets from the Greater Columbia Arts Community are invited to submit poetry inspired by the reading of Saints at the River.  Author Ron Rash’s selection of the winning poem will be published in a future issue of Jasper Magazine – the Word on Columbia Arts, and its author will receive a literary arts prize package.

Finalists, adjudicated by Jasper Magazine literary arts editor, Dr. Ed Madden, will be published in the Jasper Magazine blog – What Jasper Said. (www.jaspercolumbia.net/blog).  The deadline is March 31, 2012.

Fine Print:  Please submit (in triplicate) poems inspired by the reading of Saints at the River by Ron Rash to -

Jasper Magazine One Book, One Poem Competition Muddy Ford Press 1009 Muddy Ford Road Chapin, SC 29036.

Please include a cover sheet including your name, address, phone number, email address, and the title or first line of each poem. Your name should appear nowhere else on your submissions. Entry fee = $5 per each three poems submitted (make checks payable to Muddy Ford Press). Deadline = March 31, 2012.

For more information contact – editor@jaspercolumbia.com.

What's Love: input/output with Jasper Reads: Download

In another happy incidence of serendipity Jasper has the opportunity this week to yet again combine two of his favorite things -- Art and Love -- in one magnificent celebration.

Of course, we're referencing the most nontraditional of new Columbia traditions, the What's Love: input/output party and multi-disciplinary arts extravaganza at 701 Whaley on Valentine's night.

This year, What's Love -- which has earned a rep for being less about doillies and lace and more about leather and flesh -- is taking it to the next level and Jasper gets to come along for the ride.

Literary arts editor Ed Madden has been working for weeks to construct a night of art, film, performing arts, and poetry, sprinkled with a heaping helping of adult flavoured naughtiness that will likely bring a blush to the cheeks, if not a rosy glow. (Yes, that's what we mean.)

But the thing that Jasper is most excited about could easily be overlooked in all the heated revelry. Several weeks ago Jasper Magazine sent out a call to Columbia's poets and prose writers to send us some of their sexiest words and rhymes. And we're delighted to announce that they did not hold back. More than 40 writers shared their words of lust and love with us and the result is a hot little chapbook called, Jasper Reads:  Download.

Edited by Ed Madden and designed by his own partner in love and lust, Bert Easter, Jasper Reads: Download, is being published by Muddy Ford Press, LLC. With poems by 16 local artists, Jasper Reads:  Download is a tidy little keepsake being offered in limited and hand numbered quantities and only available upstairs in the Olympia room (we like to think of it as the love grotto) on Tuesday night, February 14th.

Cost is $6 for 1 or 2 for $10 (one for you and one for your baby.)

And seriously folks, Jasper highly recommends the almost-lost art of reading to your sweetie in bed, especially when this is what you're reading.

Don't just take Jasper's word for it, read this excerpt from Jasper Reads:  Download by Jasper associate editor Kristine Hartvigsen below.

lust poem

__

straddling the black

leather seat of

your riding machine

I want to be

the snatch of hide

under your weight

watch your leg

swing across

my waist

caress your

steely thighs

with my vibrations

feel your hands

commanding

my throttle

Whew! Even Jasper feels a little warm after that!

Quantities are limited (150 hand numbered copies) so hurry up to the Olympia Room at 701 Whaley on Valentine's night to purchase your own personal copies. If you can't make it out on the 14th but want to be sure to get yours, (yes, that's what we mean), email cindi@jaspercolumbia.com to reserve your copies and send a check for $6 per copy, plus $4 shipping and handling, to Muddy Ford Press, 1009 Muddy Ford Road, Chapin, SC 29036.

University Theatre Program To Stage Undergraduates’ Original Works - Guest blog by Kevin Bush

Three plays written and directed by university theatre majors will be premiered February 15-26, 2012 when the University of SC Department of Theatre and Dance presents a festival of Original Works.

The History of Elizabeth I, written by senior Jeffrey Earl in the heightened language style of Shakespeare, will be performed February 15-19 at Benson Theatre, located at the corner of Pickens and Whaley Streets. Show times are 8pm each evening.  Admission is $5.  Tickets are available only at the door.

Tomfoolery, a commedia dell'Arte play by senior Brittany Price Anderson, and Good Mourning, a dark story of grieving by junior Jake Mesches, will be performed together February 23-26 at the Lab Theatre, 1400 Wheat St.  Show times are 8pm each evening.  Ticket cost to see both shows is $5; tickets are available only at the door.

The History of Queen Elizabeth I Jeffrey Earl describes The History of Queen Elizabeth I as a "continuation of Shakespeare's "history" plays," written in the manner of Elizabethan theatre.  The story dramatizes the attempt of Mary, Queen of Scots to seize the throne from Elizabeth I.

Earl notes that while the script is in the style of Shakespeare, it still contains 21st century references.  “I hope to show the importance of heightened language and verse, even when written by contemporary authors," he says.

Earl is wearing other hats in addition to writing and directing.  He composed transition and underscored music for the play, and, with the guidance of Professor Lisa Martin-Stuart, is also designing costumes for the production.  He is designing the set, lighting and sound, as well.

Actors in the production are: Kayla Cahill, Danielle Peterson, Rocco Thompson, Liam MacDougall, Dillon Ingram, Esteban Nevarez, Hunter Bolton, Ait Fetterolf, Adam Bintz, Steven Canada, Andrea Wurzburger and Rachel Player.  Mallory Shirley will stage manage, with assistance from John Floyd.  Earl received additional faculty support from Victor Holtcamp, assistant professor of theatre, and Nina Levine, associate professor of English.

Tomfoolery Conceived and performed in the style of commedia dell’Arte, the traditional Italian form of improvisational theatre, Tomfoolery is described by its creator and director Brittany Price Anderson as a “zany, naughty, slapstick fairy tale.”

Dating from the 16th century, commedia dell’Arte is a theatre form in which stock characters, such as two lovers, a merchant and servants, find themselves trying to make sense of often humorous scenarios filled with mix-ups, mayhem and monkey-business.  Each evening, a cast of six will take on the classic commedia roles in traditional masks, which they have created themselves.

Created as part of her senior thesis project for the SC Honors College, with the guidance of theatre professor Jim O’Connor and associate professor Sarah Barker, Anderson says her goal with the project is enable her cast of actors to “create a story in which every person in the cast has an equal share.”

“Our jumping off point is a ‘dirty fairy tale” set in a world of where royalty and magic co-exist, so the only restrictions we have are our imaginations,” she says.

Actors in the production are:  Tyler Carolan, Sirena Dibb, Vincent King, Katie McCuen, Emily Olyarchuk and Finn Smith.  Michelle Ouhl will serve as stage manager for the production.

Good Mourning Grieving over a loved one is no less than torture in Jake Mesches’ play, Good Mourning.

The dark one-act begins with a recent widower being held captive by a masked man who guides him through the psychological horrors of the grieving process.  As his maltreatment continues, the widower finds he has the choice of either giving in to his captor’s abuse or fight to the final stage of grief: acceptance.

Mesches says his goal of the piece is no less than what he believes theatre is designed to do – to confront his audience with a reality they may not be aware of.  “Remarkably, human beings have an innate defense again the impending fact of death,” he explains.  “It is not until we experience the most devastating tragedies of out lives that we are forced to remove ourselves from the shroud of ignorance and accept the finality of death as universal.  I would like to challenge the audience to allow themselves an hour to stop denying death.”

Six actors will bring Mesches’ work to life on stage, including himself, William Vaughn, Caroline Wilson, Elizabeth Turner, Cayla Fralick and Katie Cole.  Artistic staff for the production includes Neal Tucker (assistant director), Becky Doran (stage manager) and Curtis Smoak (lighting design).

For more information on Original Works, or any of the productions of the University of SC Lab Theatre or Department of Theatre and Dance, contact Kevin Bush by phone at (803) 777-9353 or by email at bushk@mailbox.sc.edu.

Contemporaries' Artist of the Year Call for Entries

It’s that time of year again! Last year’s Contemporaries’ Artist of the Year soirée and silent auction put over $10,000 in the pockets of South Carolina artists and this year the Young Contemporaries are raising the bar even higher!

This year they are increasing the Artist of the Year Award to $2,500, continuing the People’s Choice award of $300 and are adding the Jasper State-of-the-Art award for $200, plus a prize package and publication in a future issue of Jasper Magazine.

Along with the awards, a contemporary art friendly crowd will bid on 100 pieces of artwork and artists will retain 60% of the sale price. This event will be held Friday, April 13th at the Columbia Museum of Art.

Submissions will be accepted until February 29.To apply, please apply online at http://www.columbiacontemporaries.com/artistoftheyear/apply.aspx

If you have any questions, please contact Kimberly Bryson at ContemporariesArtistoftheYear@gmail.com.