Will South Show continues at Gallery West through November 16th - by Rachel Haynie

Being surrounded all day by notable fine art neither intimidates nor saturates Will South. He leaves Columbia Museum of Art (CMA) where he is surrounded by notable works of art daily, yet when he wraps up, he goes home to paint in his studio for several more hours an evening. “I love painting and look forward to getting back to it each day, just as I enjoy studying and interpreting it, talking and writing about it in my job as curator at Columbia Museum of Art. I don’t think I can remember a time when I wasn’t making art; certainly I have never stopped trying to paint and draw, but I find I am at a time and place in my life now where I can fully enjoy both being an artist and being a curator. I learn more about creating art from art history than I have ever learned in an art class. ” South says: “There is no substitution for work,” meaning his tenacity at his easel ultimately pays off, and the result of this pleasurable labor is currently on view at Gallery West, 118 State Street (former Café Strudel location.) This show, in which South’s recent work shares exhibition space with the ceramics of Douglas Gray, Francis Marion University art professor, is up through November 16: Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sundays 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This show marks the first opportunity for Metropolitan Columbia to see evidence of South as an artist. All of South’s pieces for this show have been painted or drawn in the months since he arrived in Columbia to assume curatorial duties at CMA so have not been exhibited previously. “Simplicity is a virtue,” says South, and that philosophy is notable in the works in this show. To him, “what is enduring about an image is the sensuality of color, the refinement of shape, the human intelligence contained in a line. I challenge myself to edit out all but the essential and, of course, the problem is in knowing what the essential is.”

Spare and lean are words that surface when looking at these pieces, both the oils and the charcoal drawings. One Ahh! moment elicits from the ethereal Back in Blue, oil wash over charcoal. A playful note, revealing something of the artist’s drawing side, is the label for Self Portrait as Pencils, an oil on canvas. Wake Up in New York, an oil and charcoal on linen, may conjure up a bit of déjà vu for this artist who honed some of his skills at the Art Students League in New York. He had come to the city for PhD studies at the Graduate Center of the City University in New York following a Master’s degree in art history and an undergraduate studio art degree from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

In co-exhibiting with Doug Gray, South and his work provide textural contrast. Gray’s interest in color and surface are evidence in the pieces selected for this show. -- Rachel Haynie

For more information, call 803-207-9265.

Acclaimed Columbia Artist Stephen Chesley to Sign Claws at Nest - tonight!

 

Columbia artist Stephen Chesley will autograph copies of his illustrated edition of the Archibald Rutledge adventure story Claws at Nest (Hampton and Main Sts.) during Columbia’s First Thursdays on Main.

First published more than a century ago, Claws is a harrowing tale of an encounter between a young boy and a giant bobcat in depths of a lowcountry swamp.

Chesley’s 24 charcoal sketches bring the story vibrantly to life. Claws is published by the University of South Carolina Press with royalties benefiting the South Carolina Book Festival.

Chesley will sign copies at Nest from 6:00-8:00 p.m. on November 6 as part of First Thursday on Main.

Get more information on Claws from http://www.sc.edu/uscpress/books/2014/7422.htmlhttp://

For more information about the signing check out the Facebook event here.

A Selected Listing of Chesley's Exhibits and Collections (Courtesy of Wim Roefs and If ART Gallery):

SELECTED COLLECTIONS Erskine College, Bowie Arts Center Savannah College of Art and Design Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman, Rock Hill, South Carolina South Carolina State Art Collection Columbia Museum of Art Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Charlotte, North Carolina Pioneer Electronics, New York, New York National Bank of South Carolina Southern Bell Springs Mills, Rock Hill, South Carolina numerous private collections

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS South Carolina Regional Sculpture Competition, Aiken County Museum, Aiken, South Carolina, 2005 "Stephen Chesley",Carolina Galleries, Fine Art Dealers Association, Charleston, South Carolina, 2004 "Stephen Chesley", Conn Gallery, Landrum South Carolina.2004 Sumter Gallery of Art, "Birds" exhibition, Sumter, South Carolina,2004 "Stephen Chesley", Jackson Gallery of Art, Aiken, South Carolina,2003 Spartanburg Museum of Art, 2nd Hub Juried, Spartanburg, South Carolina,2003 "Mit/Ohn Distanz", Joint international exhibition, Ducati Building, Columbia, South Carolina, 2003 "With Without Distance", Volksbank, Kaiserslautern, Germany, Woolmagazine Artist Group, 2003 "In Response"', National Juried Exhibition, Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, Georgia, 2002 Spartanburg Museum of Art, Hub City juried Exhibition, Spartanburg, South Carolina, 2001 Cultural Council of Richland and Lexington Counties, Street Gallery (mural), 2001 Savannah College of Art and Design, National Juried Exhibition, Savannah, Georgia, 1999 "Stephen Chesley", Opelika Fine Arts Center, Opelika Alabama, 1999 Spartanburg Museum of Art, Spartanburg, South Carolina, 1999 Gertrude Hebert Institute of Art Juried Exhibition, Augusta Georgia, 1998 Savannah College of Art and Design, National Juried Exhibition, Savannah, Georgia, 1998 Oil painters Juried Exhibition, National Bank of South Carolina, 1989-1998 Savannah College of Art and Design, National Juried Exhibition, Savannah, Georgia, 1997 "Terrain" Exhibition, Carrillon Building, Charlotte, mural 15’x15’, 1997 National Endowment for the Arts, Southeast Regional Fellowship, Southeast Center for Contemporary Art, Winston Salem, North Carolina, 1996 Spoleto Juried Exhibition, Charleston, South Carolina, 1996 "Landscape Trilogy", Waterworks Visual Arts Center, Salisbury, North Carolina, 1996 Group Exhibition, Greenville Museum of Art, Greenville, South Carolina, 1996 Gibbs Art Museum, Charleston South Carolina, 1996 "The New Landscape", Center of the Earth Gallery, Charlotte, North Carolina, 1995 Francis Marion College, Florence, South Carolina, 1995 "Southern Range", Converse College, Spartanburg, South Carolina, 1995 USC Gallery, University of South Carolina, Sumter, South Carolina, 1995 Spoleto Juried Exhibition, Charleston, South Carolina, 1994 Anderson Juried Exhibition, Anderson Museum of Art, 1994 Montgomery Biennial Exhibition, Montgomery Museum of Fine Art, Montgomery, Alabama, 1994 "Lure of the Lowcountry", Gibbs Museum, Charleston, South Carolina, 1994 "Grace and Symbolism", Nations Bank, Art in Public Places, Columbia, South Carolina, 1993 "Expressions", Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, South Carolina, 1992 South Carolina Arts Commission Triennial, Columbia South Carolina, 1992 National Juried Exhibition, Montana College Gallery, Dillion, Montana, 1991 South Carolina Contemporary Images, Owensboro Museum of Fine Art, Owensboro, Kentucky, 1991 South Carolina Coastal Watercolor Exhibition, Charleston, South Carolina, 1991 Springs Mills Juried Exhibition, Rock Hill, South Carolina, 1990 South Carolina Coastal Watercolor Exhibition, Charleston, South Carolina, 1989 South Carolina Annual Juried Exhibition, Columbia, South Carolina, 1988 Southern Graphics Council Exhibition, Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina, 1988 Springs Mills Juried Exhibition, Rock Hill, South Carolina, 1988 Retrospective: South Carolina State Art Collection, 1988 Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando, Florida, 1988 Joyce Dickenson Invitational, Florence, South Carolina, 1988 Springs Mills Juried Exhibition, Rock Hill, South Carolina, 1987 South Carolina Arts Commission Annual Juried Exhibition, Columbia, South Carolina, 1987 National Park Service National Juried Exhibition, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. 1987 South Carolina Arts Commission Annual Juried Show, Columbia, South Carolina, 1986 Springs Mills Juried Exhibition, Rock Hill, South Carolina, 1986 South Carolina Coastal Watercolor Exhibition, Charleston, South Carolina, 1985 South Carolina Arts Commission Annual Juried Exhibition, Columbia, South Carolina, 1985 " Emerging Artist", Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, South Carolina, 1981

Two & A Different Reality at Anastasia & Friends Thursday night

November’s opening at Anastasia & Friends will be a group exhibition called “Two” combined with a book signing reception for Columbia's beloved Dr. Fredric Mau’s latest book, “A Different Reality.” 

“Two” will feature a combination of painting, sculpture and mixed media created by artists who've never shown at Anastasia & Friends. Each artist will feature two selected works. We're excited to feature the works of Khris Coolidge, Dylan Fouste, Art Gomez, Stephanie Keel, Richard Lund, Lisa Puryear, Dave Robbins and Steven White will be featured in this special exhibition. Our opening reception will take place on Thursday, November 6th, from 6pm-9pm, as a part of the First Thursday on Main art crawl.

Dr. Fredric Mau will read some excerpts from his fascinating new book, “A Different Kind of Reality” and be on hand to autograph copies of his book, which will be available for sale.

Dr. Fredric Mau is a Columbia therapist with an international reputation. He was recognized by his peers with the HypnoScience award for research advancing the profession at the Internationala Hypnosaekongress in Zürich, Switzerland in 2013, and will return to speak there again this month. Mau is a frequent, engaging presenter at professional conferences in the U.S. and abroad. He brings a decade of successful clinical work and his own examples of life-changing conversations with clients to this book.“The book originates with the metaphors I use to help people change the way they experience stress at a core emotional level. Then I added some frank commentary on how they work to help people change. But the book takes on life and color through the examples of change conversations. There really is power in the stories we tell ourselves, and everyone can see it in this book.” Fredric Mau

The exhibition will run from November 6th through December 1st. Anastasia & Friends art gallery is located at 1534 Main Street, in the front of the Free Times’ building, just across the street from the Columbia Museum of Art and is open Monday – Friday, from 9am-5pm. For more information, contact Anastasia Chernoff at 803 665 6902 or anastasiachernoff@gmail.com. -- Anastasia Chernoff

Five Points Forecast - Chili on Saturday!

The annual Chili Cook-Off in Five Points is invariably one of the year's most enjoyable events.  We know this must be true, since we read it online.  Actually, now that we think of it, we wrote that online, and recounted our adventures participating in the judging for last year's event. So we're absolutely stoked to be taking part again this year on this coming Saturday, November 8.

This is in fact the 28th Annual Chili Cook-Off, an event originally started by Group Therapy, and now coordinated by the Five Points Association.  Activities still take place in and around in and around the 2100 block of Greene Street in between Group and the Five Points Post Office, although following last year's successful expansion, the festival footprint this year will cover the 2100 and 2200 block of Greene Street, the 700 and 800 block of Pavillion (which is that cross street next to the park) a portion of Martin Luther King Park.  Meaning more elbow room for the chefs, more walking around room for patrons,  and less congestion closer to Harden Street.  There's an official entrance - although thankfully, you can still pretty much wander on in from any direction - on Pavillion, close to the intersection with Santee (which is basically behind Harper's, near the Bank of America.)  The bandstand now faces away from Harden and in towards the festival, in between Pour House (aka "where the old Frank's Hot Dogs used to be") and Grilled Teriyaki.

As always, the main attraction is the chili, as more than 50 teams compete with their best secret recipes, fixin's, and showmanship skills.  All proceeds from the event (including including sales from chili, beer and merchandise) will go to Camp Kemo. The festival will run from 12 PM  to 7 PM, and is free and open to the public.  A donation of a dollar or more to a particular team will get you a taste of their chili, and the idea is that you sample as many as you can, thereby helping raise more funds. New this year are change stations - like certain other establishments in town, you're encouraged to come with a pocketful of one dollar bills, but there will be two change stations if you need more, as well as ATM's (although the latter will only dispense $5 bills.)

Meanwhile, a panel of judges, many of whom have participated for multiple years (see the Jasper account linked above for details) will sample every single cotton-pickin' one of the chilis, with awards given for: Overall Best Chili, Best Vegetarian, Best Texas Chili, Best Non-Traditional, Overall Best Set-Up, Best Bar/Restaurant and Best Fundraising.

Joseph Lemmons is the designer of the logo pictured above, and he's not just a promoter, he's a competitor too, as leader of the Blazing Saddles Chili Company cooking team.  "We honestly just wanted to get together and cook chili and drink beers," he explains.  "This was an excuse to organize around that idea and raise some money for a bunch of great kids."  Lemmons shared the photos below from last year's event, and also described a little of his experiences, and all the preparation that goes into the competition.

"Our team is a young team — last year was our first year, but we jumped right into the fire, so-to-speak. We’re all friends and at one time or another have been work colleagues. We wanted to do so much our first year, had high hopes (because our chili is the best, of course), and a lot of support from team members and some awesome sponsors. From the start, I think our three chefs knew we wanted to be different, but not weird — so that meant a Texas-style hot and spicy chili. Bobby Redfern, Josh Laney, and myself worked through the recipe last summer and fall, subjecting co-workers and family to untold amounts of hot, spicy, beanless goodness. Once we nailed down the recipe and realized it had so much pricey meat in it, we had to find someone to help pay for it all — each of the 8 team members chipped in some cash and a few of us went out and found some sponsors (contributing cash, food supplies, cooking supplies and swag.) We were very fortunate to make a big splash our first year."

"Our chili was very hot and we had a pepper jelly sour cream topping to balance. And cheese because cheese. We felt like we were giving a good bang-for-your-buck-donation — a team member also made cayenne chocolate cookies that we sold and later gave away. That’s our general idea, to give more than just a cup of chili: something to top it with, something crunchy, a spicy sweet treat, a bunch of laughs. It’s all fun."

 

"To help separate our team, we came up with a tongue-in-cheek name that we could play on every year, thus Blazing Saddles Chili Company was born. We made custom printed shirts, aprons, a tent banner, tent signs and some social media noise. We were as much a Chili Company as we were actors in Blazing Saddles, but that didn’t stop people from thinking it unfair that we were a Chili Company competing in the Cook-Off. Made for a good laugh, honestly."

"For this year, we aren’t changing much. The response to our recipe was outstanding last year — we sold out of 10+ gallons in less than two hours (I believe we were the first to completely sell out)… so maybe we’ll make more this year. We’ve tweaked our recipe, but haven’t strayed from what made it successful. There will be toppings and sweets again. Ours will always be $1 donation per cup. We believe our recipe is unique and super tasty; the rest will be on the judges."

"I believe we’re trying to wrap up something extra for the tent this week, so that may or may not make it — you’ll have to come and visit us to see. We’re returning all three chefs and all team members save for one, who is living in NYC now. And we’ll have some cool shirts again this year, thanks to the great guys at Image Ink  -this is where I shout-out to Ben Walker."

The Blazing Saddles team description gives you an idea of the fun-loving nature of both the event and the competitors:

"Excuse us while we whip this out. Our chili is hot, delicious and it’s our second year in the competition with our secret Dutch recipe. Each bite is full of meaty goodness, a little pulled pork, a little fresh smokey beef, a little heat and a little sweet. Get it while it lasts, because our chili is rapidly becoming a success in this town and a single cup will bring tears to your eyes, delight to your tastebuds and light fire to your loins.”

Beer is an important part of the event as well.  In addition to the usual suspects, featured in this year's Gourmet Beer Garden this year are five craft beers: Shocktop Pumpkin Wheat (if you like Shocktop, this isn't a bad taste combo/addition, and if you've never been wild about wheat beers, the mildly sweet pumpkin flavor balances out the overall taste, so  you may want to give it a try!), Lonerider's  Sweet Josie Brown Ale (from Raleigh, NC), Swamp Cabbage Porter (brewed right here in Columbia!), Palmetto Amber Ale (from Charleston) and Red Hare India Pale Ale (from Marietta, GA - if you're into hops, this Hare's for you!)

This is a family-friendly event, so the youngest of festival attendees will enjoy the Little Pepper’s Place area for kids, which will include a bounce house, 15 foot mega slide, the Ladder 9 fire truck, face painting, sidewalk chalk, bubbles and more.  Nearby retailers will join the fun with sales and specials throughout the day.  There are also plenty of opportunities for aspiring chefs to purchase food-related merchandise, as well as  ladies v-neck tees, men’s crew tees, long sleeve shirts, aprons and koozies.   And if - heaven forbid - you're not a particular fan of chili, the Pawley’s Front Porch food truck will be on hand throughout the day with burgers and other treats, as will King Arthur’s Flour, America’s oldest flour company, with an assortment of baked goods.  And of course, proceeds form all of this benefit  Camp Kemo as well.

There's no concurrent Blues Festival in the park this year, which means the opportunity for more live music, played from noon to 6:30 right in the midst of all the chili-centric activity. Bands performing include:

Noon – 12:45 pm – Kenny George Band

1:15 pm – 2:00 pm – Dave Britt

2:30 pm – 3:15 pm – Dr. Roundhouse

3:45 pm – 4:30 pm – Bossman

5:00 pm – 6:30 pm – Yo’ Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band

The Chili Cook-Off would not be possible without the generous support of businesses across the Midlands, including: Shock Top, Bi-Lo, Banfi Vinters, University Oaks, Garnet Riverwalk, SC Education Lottery, California Dreaming, McDaniel’s Automotive, Nicky’s Pizza, King Arthur Flour, Pawley’s Front Porch, Rosewood Market, Group Therapy, 92.1 The Palm, ColaDaily.com, 94.3 The Dude, and the City of Columbia.

About Camp Kemo:   A cherished program for young patients and their siblings since 1980, Camp Kemo is a weeklong summer camp for patients with cancer, ages 5-18, and their siblings. Staffed by Palmetto Health physicians, nurses and volunteers, Camp Kemo allows campers to swim, boat, hike and be kids. The fun times at Camp Kemo lay important groundwork for future treatment as participants learn to trust, respect and relate to one another. Camp Kemo is completely funded by community donations.

About The Five Points Association: The Five Points Association is a non-profit organization whose principle task is ensuring that Five Points stays an integral and important part of the city of Columbia. The association has accomplished and endured many major infrastructure, development and beautification projects over the years. The association hosts annual events that continue to grow with each year and entertain thousands of people within the city of Columbia, as well as the state of South Carolina. For more information or to register as a chef, please go to www.FivePointsColumbia.com.  Executive Director Amy Beth Franks can be reached at 803.446.8929 or amybeth@fivepointscolumbia.com.

~ August Krickel

Why Do You Give? A Guest Blog by JoAnn Turnquist

Across our community, children’s eyes are being opened to art, seniors are finding joy in a performance and music is bringing strangers together. Art brings so much to our community. It can reach the unreachable, bring a community together, and express emotions in vivid and colorful ways. In order to have art, we need artists. And in order for the wonder, mystery, appreciation, and value of art to be continued, artists must continue to give and share their masterpieces with the greater community. Artists are incredible philanthropists.

Perhaps, you are not an artist yourself but you appreciate the value art adds to our community. You too are a philanthropist. You support and encourage local artists, attendance at events, and encourage others to participate. Earning the title of ‘philanthropist’ does not require wealth or fame. It simply requires a commitment to give back to others.

So, why do you give? Is it because you are passionate about a particular cause? Perhaps a past experience has inspired you. Why do you give your time, talents or treasures to the community? Every day, we have the privilege of speaking to folks in our community about their unique reasons for giving. It is rare that we hear the same reason or story.

As part of Central Carolina Community Foundation’s anniversary celebration, 30 More Years of Giving, we are inviting community members to participate in the #WhyIGiveSC social media contest and share why they give their time, talents or treasure. The top three winners will receive a donation in their name to their favorite Midlands nonprofit organization. The contest begins November 3^rd and ends November 10^th. I encourage you to visit www.yourfoundation.org/whyigivesc to enter the contest, view the contest entries, and see the official contest rules.

Please share why you give and inspire others to join you.

Cheers!

Measure in Love – A look into a decade of Torch by Haley Sprankle

 

AIDS.

One little acronym with a heavy connotation.

In the early 1980s, a handful of men began experiencing a series of rare illnesses that were often diagnosed as cancer or pneumonia. The cancer was referred to as Kaposi’s sarcoma and the pneumonia was called Pneumocystis Pneumonia Carinii.

By July 1982, it was diagnosed as AIDS.

Because this traumatic illness was often linked to homosexuality or drug use, many who sought treatment faced great adversity—judgment, discrimination, and often the refusal of care.

Then came an acronym with a much more positive outlook.

PALSS.

In 1985 Palmetto AIDS Life Support Services was created in South Carolina in order to fight AIDS with the proper treatment and care. Their services were, and still are, free to those suffering from HIV/AIDS and their loved ones. They were the light in the dark for many people.

Over 25 years later, PALSS still offers support and care to those in need.

In 2005, the organization formed a benefit concert called Torch.

“I have very good friends who were and still are on the Board of Directors of Palmetto AIDS Life Support Services. It was at their request that we put together the first and all subsequent benefits. Torch, in its current form, was first performed in 2005,” Artistic Director Randy Moore says.

As Artistic Director, Moore is in charge of selecting the performers for the show.

“When I was asked to do Torch for the first time, we were in the middle of the SC Shakespeare Company’s production of Man of La Mancha in Finlay Park. Most of the original Torch cast of four men and four women were selected from that musical production. Those who weren’t were hastily recruited at the last minute to help balance out the cast. We only had a little more than two weeks to put the entire show together,” Moore remembers. “While I wanted to keep the core group for future productions, some of the original cast weren’t able to do Torch again– some for just one year, some for several. In fact, only four cast members have performed every single year. It’s very difficult to find the same talent available every single year. So, we added new performers to take the place of those who were absent. As the years progressed, some of the original performers were able to return which increased the cast size. This year, we will have every single performer who has done Torch in the past ten years and our largest cast ever- twelve people.”

Many of the performers who have graced the stage for this sentimental benefit have been seen on local stages all over Columbia, one of which is local actress and choreographer Mandy Applegate.

“Performing with this group is incomparable! I am amazed at this web of friendship and love that spans decades. Some of these people I have known for 20 years, some for closer to 10.  We frequently work together in musicals and choirs and are all friends outside of that as well,” Applegate says. “Some nights we can barely get through songs because we are either laughing, or crying, or both. We are truly a little family, and at times, our teamwork is effortless.”

This weekend, the benefit celebrates its 10^th anniversary.

“Torch has grown so much since our first offering. We’ve expanded to two nights of performance, enlarged our cast and increased seating to include theatre seats as well as cabaret tables. I’m honored and humbled to have been a part of it these past ten years and to have raised so much money for such a terrific organization as PALSS. It also means a lot to have worked with these talented performers, whom you’ll never otherwise see all onstage at the same time,” Moore says.

In the end, both PALSS and Torch are all about love for one another, and how that love is used to help others through the good and the bad.

“Torch is a beautifully intimate gathering in support of PALSS and their very important work with food, drinks and song, guaranteed to warm your heart,” Applegate says. “Knowing we are raising money for PALSS, which is completely local, is truly heartwarming. The work they do is a gift to our community, and we are glad to give our service of song in support of that each year.”

Don’t miss Torch this weekend, November 7-8 at 6;30 in the Black Box Art Space at CMFA on Pulaski Street!

2014 JAY Awards - Big Apple Swing on Nov 21st - Limited tickets on sale NOW

Please join Jasper on November 21st at 7 pm as we announce and honor the recipients of the 2014 JAY (Jasper Artist of the Year) Awards in Dance, Literary Arts, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts at Columbia’s historic Big Apple.

Step back in time to 1937 when the Big Apple dance – which originated right here at the Big Apple in Columbia, SC – was hopping and the juke box was bopping. Grab a fistful of silver to toss from the balcony to the dance floor below when the music stops. Be sure to get your dance card signed so you’ll be ready to hit the floor when Vicky Saye Henderson sings those special tunes. Enjoy an open bar, hors d’oeuvres provided by Scott Hall Catering, dance demonstrations by Big Apple experts Durlach & Breedlove, chances to win great prizes & tickets to the most exciting arts events in town, and be the first to see an original 1930’s Dance Hall show starring Vicky Saye Henderson & the Apple Jacks.

Your Master of Ceremonies for the evening is Terrance Henderson.

Due to the intimacy of the venue, only 100 tickets will be sold to this event and they are going fast! So don’t wait too late to get yours. Click HERE to grab your ticket before they're all gone!

Tickets are $25 in advance, $50 for a preceding VIP champagne reception with Big Apple dance lessons demonstrated and taught to you and the 2014 JAY finalists by Richard Durlach and Breedlove.

Director Daniel Gainey Dishes on Workshop Theatre's "The Dining Room," opening Thursday 11/6 at 701 Whaley - a preview by Haley Sprankle

Chattering excitedly, the cast of The Dining Room at Workshop Theatre fills the room with energy as they await the start of rehearsal.

“Alright everyone, let’s get started.”

The cast immediately focuses, and Act I begins.

“And the dining room!  You can see how these rooms were designed to catch the morning light.”

The Dining Room is a play by A. R. Gurney which features 18 vignettes set in various dining rooms, and the problems each family may face in theirs.

In director Daniel Gainey’s upcoming production, there is a cast of six actors (Ruth Glowacki, Samantha Elkins, Emily Padgett, George Dinsmore, Hans Boeschen, and Lee Williams) who portray all the characters, young or old.

"If I win the lottery, I'd form an acting troupe with this group and be a happy man. I look at them, and can't help but smile that six intelligent and talented people trust me enough to risk themselves and their craft for my vision.  It's humbling, and they are so brilliant," Gainey remarks.

Not only does having the cast play a multitude of characters of different ages showcase each actor’s versatility as a performer, but it also gives a sense of timelessness to the play; it shows that we all carry the issues we face throughout our lives.

"Nostalgia is a vicious plague or an effective sedative, depending on where you fall in history,” Gainey says. “Gurney is poking at a lot of nostalgic icons or scenarios, as if to make us diagnose ourselves. Are we holding on to our pasts because our futures are empty, or are we living in a past dream to avoid a current nightmare? What are we really missing, and is it worth the energy we spend to pass it to the next generation? Those questions are relevant everywhere and at all times, I think."

This generational difference plays a major part in the production. Each scene is set in a different time with people of differing ages trying desperately to understand each other.

“That’s your generation, Dad.”

“That’s every generation.”

“It’s not mine.”

“Every generation has to make an effort.”

Although new generations may bring change, people often still hold on to what they know, and hold on to the past.

"When you walk in a room, but forget why you went there - that pull, that path that leads you to that spot over and over again - like the pause in a seeming ridiculous, heavy handed run-on sentence - that feeling is what this show is all about,” Gainey says.

Gainey’s direction of the cast and minimalist use of props and costumes draws the audience in to what the story is really about: a sense of home.

The Dining Room connects, whether it is the room or the play. But I didn't want this to be a love letter to a room that is disappearing in many new home constructions,” Gainey says. “For me, it's the characters. I feel like I've known the people before--or even be related to them--and sometimes, I think I am these characters. When a play can do that, you have to dig into it."

The Dining Room runs at 701 Whaley’s Market Space from November 6-9. Thursday through Sunday performances are at 8 p.m. with additional matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. Go to workshop.palmettoticketing.com, or call (803) 799-6551 to reserve your tickets now.

~ Haley Sprankle

Preview: PURE Theatre Brings The Mountaintop to Columbia

 

Audiences will be transported to 1968 Memphis during The Mountaintop, a drama produced by Charleston’s PURE Theatre at Harbison Theatre at Midlands Technical College on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014 at 7:30 p.m.

Regarded by the Charleston City Paper as “Charleston’s go-to for the best in contemporary theatre,” PURE Theatre will bring The Mountaintop to Harbison Theatre’s stage during its tour as the inaugural production of a new statewide touring circuit, developed this year in an initiative led by Harbison Theatre with other presenting theatres in the South Carolina Presenters Network. By collaborating with producing theatres like PURE, Harbison Theatre hopes to expand and ensure access to excellent, professional theatre in all South Carolina communities.

With a powerful dialogue that delves into Martin Luther King Jr.’s fundamental humanity, the play takes place on April 3, 1968, in Memphis’ Lorraine Motel, Room 306, where Dr. King spent the final evening of his life. The story consists of only two characters: King and hotel maid Camae, who turns his room service call into a stirring and poignant discourse marked with moments of levity and humor.

The Mountaintop depicts King as a man exhausted from his travels and concerned for the safety of his family, an image that strays from the common view of King as an always-poised, indestructible public figure.

“I love this play because it shows one of our country’s greatest leaders as the person he was when no one was watching,” says Katie Fox, Executive Director of Harbison Theatre at Midlands Technical College.

“Martin Luther King Jr. accomplished amazing works and led thousands of people, but he was also a person who questioned himself, made mistakes and sought forgiveness,” notes Fox. “When we remember these things about him, we also remind ourselves that though we may experience moments of weakness and doubt, we are called on to be our best for each other.”

It has been a longtime professional goal of Fox’s to make it easier for all communities to have access to high-quality theatre, believing that everyone benefits from involvement with professional artists – yet it can be hard for rural areas and smaller communities to afford top-rated, artistically strong touring groups.

As a part of this new statewide touring circuit, The Mountaintop will be presented in five theaters in Camden, Beaufort, Manning, Cheraw and here at Harbison Theatre in Columbia, the first theatre to invest in the circuit, giving it seed money to make smaller theatres' commitments easier. Fox and fellow participating presenters are optimistic that the statewide touring initiative will be successful with The Mountaintop, and expand in years ahead.

The Mountaintop is one of 9 shows selected for Harbison Theatre’s 2014-2015 Signature Series. Individual show tickets and The Flex Pass, offering a 10% discount with the purchase of 4 or more tickets, can be purchased at www.HarbisonTheatre.org.

Tickets are available via phone at 803-407-5011, or in person at the Harbison Theatre Box Office, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The box office also will open two hours prior to each show in the Signature Series.

About Harbison Theatre

Rooted in the performing arts, Harbison Theatre at Midlands Technical College offers programs and productions that encourage reflection, examination and discovery; and that provide entertainment, education and opportunity to professionals, learners and community members in all stages of life. To learn about upcoming events, purchase tickets, or pursue sponsorship and volunteer opportunities with Harbison Theatre, please visit www.HarbisonTheatre.org.

Drac is Back! At the Koger for the next three nights -- by Abby Davis

The dark and delightful Dracula is back! Columbia City Ballet presents Dracula: Ballet With A Bite at the Koger Center Thursday, October 30^th through Saturday, November 1^st at 7:30 pm each night.

Columbia City Ballet’s Artistic and Executive Director William Starrett transformed Bram Stoker’s classic horror novel into a classic and captivating performance. Premiering in 1991, Dracula has since become both a Columbia favorite and a widespread phenomenon. As stated by Dance Magazine, “This entertaining extravaganza guarantees a good time.” The performance is sexy, spellbinding, and an incredibly fun experience for all, appealing to both ballet aficionados and newcomers simply seeking some Halloween fun and entertainment.

Dracula’s 19^th year is sure to deliver just as much of a brilliant bite as in years past. The show features many returning cast members as well as some fresh new faces. Autumn Ingrassia, Bonnie Boiter-Jolley, and Claire Richards are this year’s beautiful maidens. Regina Willoughby, a company favorite, returns as Lucy Westenra, and Claire McCaa is back as Mina Hanker. While your eyes might be focused on the gorgeous and scantily clad dancers, the visuals and lighting are equally spectacular. The spooky visuals have been designed by Columbia City Ballet’s own Technical Director, Ryan Stender, and Lighting Designer Aaron Pelzek has also contributed his touch to Transylvania.

T his haunting extravaganza is the perfect way to get into the Halloween spirit and kick off the holiday season. If you want to dive into the spirit of the season even more, be sure to participate in the annual costume contest during Saturday’s performance.

Tickets can be purchased at Capitol Tickets, online at www.capitoltickets.com, or by calling (803)-251-2222 and range from $15-$42. University students are encouraged to take advantage of special discount student pricing on Thursday, October 30^th: all tickets are $10 with a valid student i.d.

- By Abby Davis

Guest Blog: Cathy Stayman invites you to Gurf Morlix at The Little Yellow Music House

The intimacy of a private event like this is replicated all over the world now and LYMH is fortunate to be among them. -- Cathy Stayman

The Little Yellow Music House will be hosting an evening of music with song writer and producer Gurf Morlix on Sunday, November 9th. As a supporter and mutual friend of Jasper’s creator, Cindi, it would be my pleasure to extend an invitation to you.

The Little Yellow Music House is my living room where we have changed it up once a month, for the last three years, to host small intimate house shows. The living room furniture is slid aside, followed by bringing in comfy folding chairs allowing us a relaxing cozy atmosphere. In preparation for the concert, we are all asked to bring a dish to share along with your choice of beverage. The intimacy of a private event like this is replicated all over the world now and LYMH is fortunate to be among them.

~~~

A friend of mine once said, "Gurf is a rare visitor, and a peerless songsmith. Don't miss him. He's also droll. You can never go wrong with droll. Anyone can be acerbic, but it takes a master to be droll."

“In my pocket, weighed a thousand pounds. I could hardly move, it was dragging me down.”

“Strike a bargain, what you think you need. But, you’re gonna get cut and you’re gonna bleed.”

It’s lyrics like these which stands up and grab my full attention! What about you? Who is this fellow? His name is Gurf Morlix, yet I don’t know him. As time passed, his name continued to show up on other CD liner notes, yet I still didn’t know him.

I first saw Gurf, along with Kevin Triplett, in Charlotte at the Evening Muse. The two of them were touring in support of Kevin’s taping of the film “Duct Tape Messiah” and Gurf’s CD “Blaze Foley’s 113^th Wet Dream”. What kind of combination is that? Gurf used to play with Blaze Foley until the untimely death of his friend. I don’t know if I want to tell you about the bits and pieces I’ve collected in my head over the last handful of years. I feel strongly that Gurf Morlix and furthermore his friend Blaze Foley’s lyrics can, will, and do stand up on their own.

“I’m tired of running around finding answers to questions I already know.”

“Almost felt you touching me, just now. Wish I knew which way to turn and go.”

As we are reminded over and over again, very few of these well crafted songs end up recorded by the legends. As for Blaze Foley, John Prine recorded Clay Pigeons, Merle Haggard recorded If I Could Fly, and Lyle Lovett recorded Election Day. In other situations such as Gurf’s, he has either worked with or produced for Lucinda Williams, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Warren Zevon, Ian McLagan, Patty Griffin, Robert Earl Keen, Michael Penn, Buddy Miller, Mary Gauthier, Tom Russell, Jim Lauderdale, Grant Peeples, and Slaid Cleaves, to name but a few. Oh my goodness, the feeling that must be!

For this house concert there is a $20 suggested donation with 100% of your donation given to the musician.

4:00 PM - BYOB/Potluck Social Gathering

5:30 PM - Gurf Morlix

In conclusion, I suppose this is how we all get to know people, one note at a time, one word at a time, and one conversation at a time. We’d be so blessed to have you come join our musical family at our Little Yellow Music House. To get your reservations, email lymh2011@gmail.com or call me at 803-309-0214.

Your hostess,

Cathy

Two Worlds in One Night: 2014 Cola-Con Dance Party

 

Cola-Con is not your average comic book convention: not only is the convention centered on the relationship between hip-hop culture and its influence in the comic book world, but it also focuses on local hip-hop and alternative artists in the performing and visual arts categories. This year, Mo' Betta Soul & Cola-Con present the Cola-Con Dance Party, which will be held this Thursday, October 30^th 2014. The dance party will serve as a fundraiser for the upcoming Cola-Con 2015.

Since its conception in 2011, Cola-Con has been a culturally vibrant event that brings local artists together while cultivating the parallel worlds of comics and hip-hop. “Cola-Con was an idea that initially began as a way of showcasing all of the great talent of artists in

Hip-Hop and the comic world in South Carolina,” says Preach Jacobs, the founder of Cola-Con. “I used to go to all the comic cons with Sanford Greene, one of my best friends that has worked for Marvel and DC and saw how many artists loved hip-hop culture. [It] wasn’t a huge leap to put them together.”

Some of the first guest artists to be represented at the 2011 convention included Talib Kweli and 9^th Wonder. Since then, the convention has featured performances from artists including Ghostface Killah from Wu-Tang Clan, Phife from A Tribe Called Quest, dead prez and the Foreign Exchange. In addition to these performers, the convention has featured panel discussions with names from the comic industry including the executive producer for The Boondocks and Black Dynamite Animated Series, LeSean Thomas.

Many people in Columbia may not realize how interrelated the comic and hip-hop cultures are with each other, and how they have influenced each other as they developed.  Cola-Con helps bring these two worlds together while educating those in our community who may not be as familiar with these scenes.  Jacobs says, “Comic industry is almost identical to hip-hop culture. . . .Every comic illustrator I know started with doing graffiti. So, it’s something that hip-hop knows well.  Years ago, comic books were not seen as a legit form of writing or entertainment, maybe even seen as a fad.  Now, we have books like The Watchmen that’s on the Time magazine’s top 100 books of all time. Hip-Hop is getting the recognition the same way.  Harvard University, the flagship university this country and probably the world, has started a hip-hop archive.”  Jacobs also states that this hip-hop archive is a big achievement in representing the importance of Hip-Hop culture in our society’s development.

“I used to be frustrated by the lack of diversity, but it’s my responsibility to create what I don’t see.  Columbia is a city that doesn’t have many outlets not just for hip-hop, but for black music in general.  There aren’t places for soul music in this city.  So, I’ve been doing things like my show, Mo’ Betta Soul, bringing soul musicians to the area like Eric Roberson, Anthony David and looking at bringing people like Musiq Soulchild and Bilal along with the hip-hop events I’m doing with Cola-Con to help.”

This year’s dance party will include performances by Pete Rock, a legendary hip-hop producer, doing a DJ set. Other guests include Producer Black Milk, representing Detroit, and Atlanta’s finest: DJ Rasta Roof (Phife of ATCQ) from Smokin’ Shells.

In addition to great music and dancing there will be a silent auction, live art, and a costume contest! The dance party will be, “an opportunity for like-minded artists to be together. It’s very rare to have an outlet for hip-hop music in this city and this is something for us,” says Jacobs. Make sure to wear your Halloween costumes and be ready to dance!

“Cola-Con is just proof that hip-hop and comic book cultures aren’t going anywhere. . . . My goal is to keep it moving.”

~By Sirena Dib

Event will be held Thursday October 30^th, 2014 @ 701 Whaley from 8pm-12am. Advance tickets are $25. Get tickets here: goo.gl/4VGL

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE ON THIS YEAR'S JAYS -- JASPER ARTISTS OF THE YEAR - VOTING ENDS AT MIDNIGHT ON NOVEMBER 3RD -- DO IT NOW!

REVIEW: Dancing Through Life – A Look at Paul Taylor and His Work by Haley Sprankle

“I can’t help it.”

That is dancemaker Paul Taylor’s response when asked why he choreographs.

Taylor became a professional dancer and choreographer in 1954 and has astonished audiences with his innovative pieces since then. In relying on the music and the world around him, his work is unique and draws audiences in with its relatability and infectious energy.

The Paul Taylor Dance Company graced the Koger Center stage last night and performed three of Taylor’s pieces, each with its own distinct theme and vibrancy.

The first, Diggity, was a lively take on dogs and their interactions with each other. Each dancer executed their solos with grace and wonderful stage presence and then melted into a wonderful unity with the ensemble that not many soloists can accomplish. The ensemble as a whole displayed phenomenal transitions from energetic, fast movements to complete control, giving the piece beautiful shape and dynamic.

The second, The Word, shocked audiences with its eerie vulnerability. The piece featured what seemed to be school boys faced with their innate sexuality and inner desires, similar to what is presented in Duncan Sheik’s musical Spring Awakening. The dance featured ominous shadows, a lot of contrast in movement and formations, and amazing characterization. The piece was attacked with such intensity that audiences were left silent in fear of ruining the mood set by the piece with their accolades.

The show closed with the third piece, Esplenade, one of Taylor’s most well-known pieces. The dance is characterized by a sense of nonchalant playfulness as take on pedestrian movement, giving the piece a sense of realism. Between the beautiful canons, effortless formation changes, and complete trust between partners, the piece exuberated energy that was the perfect end to the evening.

The USC Dance Company is taking on Taylor’s much sought after choreography November 6-7 at 7:30 at the Koger Center in their Masterpieces of the 20^th Century concert in which they will perform his piece Company B.

“When looking at the repertory that would be included in the season Susan Anderson spoke to Kyra Strausburg and Stacey Calvert to see what Paul Taylor work they suggested we look into.  Without hesitation both replied Company B. It is a work that was created for professional ballet companies.  Being that our program is known for its strong ballet concentration we saw this as a great opportunity to expose our students to something different,” Sabrina McClure, the Administrative Specialist of the USC Dance Program, says.

With the presence of Taylor’s company this past week, dancers who will perform in Company B were able to take advantage of their expertise and experience.

“The residency of the Paul Taylor Dance Company included the opportunity to present our rehearsal of Company B to the Paul Taylor Dancers.  They were able to provide feedback and suggestions on the work based on their own experiences performing the piece,” McClure says.  “The USC dancers were able to converse with their counterpart from the Taylor company to discuss their role and how to take their performance to the next level.  This amazing opportunity will give new light to the USC dancers to further investigate their movement and performance in Company B.”   

For 60 years now, Taylor’s work has influenced and impacted audiences and dancers alike, and will continue to impact the world of dance and the arts.

“Paul Taylor has made modern dance more attainable and relatable. The topics he touches are profound and sometimes controversial yet relatable to any audience,” McClure says. “His choreography is highly sought out by many professional companies based in different genres.  It is not specific to just modern dancers or just ballet dancers.”

CMA brings a Ceramics Workshop - Ladies Night Out (can dudes come, too?) - Arts & Draughts - Rahul Pophali concert at Baker & Baker

Columbia Museum of Art Adult Art School: Ceramics Workshop

Explore the expressive possibilities of hand-building and decorating functional earthenware pottery. Learn hand-building techniques using underglazes and slips to create a variety of surface textures and designs and how to successfully fire work. This two-day class is designed for all levels of experience with clay, and allows you to both create three-dimensional objects and address the issues inherent to decorating these forms. The objects you create from clay will become three-dimensional canvases on which you can explore your own personal style and artistic voice.

Instructor Kristina Stafford is currently working as education coordinator at the Columbia Museum of Art. Since earning her MFA from the School for American Crafts at the Rochester Institute of Technology, she has also worked as a Professor of Art at Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater, MA, and Artist-in-Residence at the Clay Art Center in Port Chester, NY. Stafford has work in galleries from South Carolina to New York and continues to enjoy an active studio process.

Saturday and Sunday, November 1 and 2, 2014

Noon - 4:00 p.m.

$100 / $80 for members.

And ...

"Ladies' Night Out" is a celebration of women, fashion, and art, featuring fabulous food, local artisans selling their work, and the mind-blowing sounds of DJ Alejandro. (But we hope the dudes can come, too!)Guests can peruse wares and shop with vendors, whose offerings include scarves by Alicia Leeke, purses by Mary Catherine Kunze, and jewelry by Cindy Saad, among others. The CMA's deluxe gift-wrapping station will be available to beautifully package parcels. Attendees also have the opportunity to view the Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera exhibition. Hors d'oeuvres are provided by Earth Fare and a cash bar will be available for wine, beer, and a specialty drink prepared just for the occasion.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

$10 / join or renew your membership that night and get in for free.

And ...

Another Great Arts & Draughts

The Columbia Museum of Art hosts the next Arts & Draughts on Friday, November 7, 2014. Art, drink, and be happy! Special thanks to our sponsors The Whig, WXRY, Jam Room, and Free Times.

The BANDS: •Stephanie Santana •Can't Kids •ET Anderson

The FOOD: •The Wurst Wagen •Bone-In Artisan Barbecue •Fair Food Truck

The BEER:

Enjoy a beer tasting of selections from Widmer Brewery of Portland, Oregon and Cash Bar provided by The Whig. •Widmer Brrr seasonal ale - a hoppy Northwest-style red ale •Widmer Hefeweizen •Widmer Alchemy Pale Ale

And MORE...

•Unique perspective tour: "A Queer Tour of the Gallery" led by USC Director of Women and Gender Studies and Jasper Literary Arts Editor, Dr. Ed Madden. •Exhibition Tours of Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera led by Bauer Westeren. •Dance: Rockwell-inspired dance demo by the Richard Durlach and Breedlove dance team - (catch Durlach & Breedlove at the Nov, 21st JAY Awards ~ Big Apple Swing!) •Film screenings of The Norman Rockwell Code, a short film parody of The Da Vinci Code. •Dr. Sketchy's Live figure drawing sessions at 8:15 p.m. and 9:35 p.m. •Rockwell-Inspired Photo Booth •D.I.Y. Art projects •Interactive art •Scavenger hunts

Friday, November 7, 2014

7:00 - 11:00 p.m.

$8 / $5 for members / join or renew your membership that night and get in for free.

And ...

Baker & Baker Presents the Art of Music

The Columbia Museum of Art Hosts an Evening with Tabla Master Rahul Pophali

The Columbia Museum of Art hosts the next Baker & Baker Art of Music concert with tabla master Rahul Pophali on Sunday, November 9, at 6:00 p.m. Pophali is one of the most versatile tabla players in today's younger generation. A dazzling performer and an incessant innovator, he has carved a niche for himself in the world of percussion music.

"Tabla is the principal rhythm instrument in North Indian Classical Music," says Pophali. "It is widely used in different styles of Indian music and in fusion with world music today. The art of tabla-playing features spontaneous improvisations alongside renditions of traditional repertoire.

I believe my music is a journey, an adventure into the realm of sounds and rhythms. I draw inspiration from the audience and surroundings to fuel my creativity. I am looking forward to performing at the Columbia Museum of Art; a place replete with works of art will surely inspire the best out of me!"

Pophali began concert performances at an early age and, since then, has toured extensively in several countries in Europe and Asia. His desire to explore various possibilities with the tabla and an urge to experiment led him to perform with several reputed world, rock, flamenco, and jazz musicians across the globe. Passionate about spreading his art form, Pophali has conducted workshops and lecture/demonstration sessions for several institutions and music schools in India and Europe.

Sunday, November 9, 2014. Doors at 5:30 p.m. Galleries open. Concert at 6:00 p.m. $12 /

$10 for members / $5 for students

For more information on all these exciting CMA events and offerings, visit

columbiamuseum.org

"The Other Place" at the Trustus Side Door Theatre - a review by Rachel Arling

The Trustus Side Door Theatre production of Sharr White’s The Other Place provides an intriguing  night of theatre that challenges its audience with questions about personal identity, the effects  of illness on relationships, and the conflict between memory and reality. The eighty-minute play  begins relatively straightforwardly as Juliana, a brilliant 52-year-old scientist, gives a presentation pitching a new drug to a group of doctors. Juliana’s lecture is practiced and polished, and she  radiates self-assuredness to an almost annoying degree. We have no reason not to take her at  her word. However, as this darkly humorous mystery play continues, it becomes clear that Juliana  might be a less reliable narrator than we first assumed.

Directed by Jim O’Connor, the show is well-suited to the intimate venue because the script gives  the audience a first-hand view into Juliana’s head. We experience events in the same fragmented  way that she does, so it’s appropriate that we are also right there with her physically in the small  space. The set is minimalistic, especially during the first half of the play, when the scenes switch  abruptly (sometimes mid-sentence) between various locations. The slightly more detailed set of  the play’s second half depicts “the other place:” the Cape Cod vacation home that has been in  Juliana’s family for generations. The set is supplemented with excellent use of projections that  serve as PowerPoint slides for Juliana’s presentation, and the projections also occasionally set  the turbulent mood with images of crashing waves. The costumes, designed by Jean Gonzalez  Lomasto, are simple but well-chosen (though I was sometimes distracted by the clomping sound  of the women’s high heels on the hollow wooden stage, but this is a minor complaint.)

The cast is comprised of four capable actors whose chemistry together increases as the play goes on. As Juliana, Erica Tobolski must carry the show. She navigates the highs and lows  of the complex character with dexterity, understanding that Juliana uses her acerbic wit and  authoritative demeanor as coping mechanisms that help her to grasp at the vestiges of control  over her life. Like the character of Vivian in Margaret Edson’s Wit, Juliana often breaks the fourth  wall to share the details of her struggle with an illness that might be cancer. Tobolski successfully  establishes a close relationship with audience members as she enlists our help to try to make  sense of her “episodes.” I do wish that some of the transitions between the different scenes and  audience addresses were clearer; however, I recognize that the blurred transitions might be a  directorial choice intended to illustrate the muddled nature of Juliana’s experience.

Bryan Bender plays Ian, Juliana’s husband. (Or is he her “soon-to-be-ex?” This is one of the  mysteries the playwright wants us to contemplate.) Both physically and emotionally, Bender  provides a solid, patient, and grounded presence compared to Tobolski’s agitated restlessness;  their relationship dynamic reminds me of the couple from Next to Normal in more ways than one.  Bender and Tobolski do their best work together during the climactic flashback scene that takes  place at “the other place.”

G. Scott Wild and Jennifer Moody Sanchez play the other men and women in the show. Wild has  the play’s two smallest roles, but he brings them to life with his typical skillful energy. Sanchez  plays three different characters: Juliana’s doctor, Juliana’s distant adult daughter, and a stranger.  She makes distinctive choices for each one, but I liked her best as the stranger. The scene  between Juliana and the stranger is hilariously entertaining because of the ridiculous situation  and the way the two actors react to one another. More importantly, though, the scene provides a  touching example of an empathetic connection between two people who have never met before. The stranger shows kindness to Juliana even though it doesn’t come easily to her because she is  dealing with myriad issues of her own. The two women are united by their suffering in “the other  place,” and sometimes the formation of such a connection is enough to help both of them start  the healing process.

This production of The Other Place, which runs through November 1, is worth seeing. Don’t  expect to sit back in your seat and relax, though; the show requires its audience to watch actively  and make judgments about what’s happening. But doesn’t all effective art do that?

~ Rachel Arling

The Other Place runs through Saturday, November 1st in The Richard and Debbie Cohn Trustus Side Door Theatre (although the closing Saturday night is currently sold out.) The doors and box office open thirty minutes prior to curtain, and all Trustus Side Door tickets are $20 for general admission and $15 for students.  Reservations can be made by calling the Trustus Box Office at (803) 254-9732, and tickets may be purchased online at www.trustus.org.  The Richard and Debbie Cohn Trustus Side Door Theatre is located at 520 Lady Street, behind the Gervais St. Publix. Parking is available on Lady Street and on Pulaski Street.  The Trustus Side Door Theatre entrance is through the glass doors on the Huger St. side of the building.

Meet Tom Dempster -- Composer, Educator, & Assistant Editor of Music at Jasper Magazine

Thomas Dempster is a composer writing predominantly chamber, electroacoustic, and multimedia works. With over 70 completed works to his name, his output ranges from solo miniatures to extended works for orchestra with soloists. His music bears accessible yet decidedly individualistic traits, from tonal references to extended techniques, from touching on classical forms to experimental soundscapes and video works.

His music has been performed widely throughout North America and Europe, including GEMDays (UK), Di_Stanze (Italy), Toronto Intenational Electroacoustic Symposium, the San Francisco New Music Festival, Electronic Music Midwest, Electroacoustic Barn Dance, NYCEMF, University of Kentucky new Music Festival, ICMC, the Indiana State University Music Now! Series, SEAMUS, Society of Composers Inc., College Music Society, the National Flute Association, the North American Saxophone Alliance, and numerous others. Dempster is a recipient of awards, honors, and grants from BMI, ASCAP, the South Carolina Arts Commission, Sigma Alpha Iota, Ithaca College, Black House Collective, Vox Novus, and the Columbia (SC) Museum of Art. Among the commissions he has received are those from the Greenbrook Ensemble, the Blue Mountain Ensemble, the Governor’s School of North Carolina, the Ohio State University New Music Ensemble, and others. Several of his works are commercially available from Potenza Music Publishing. He is an affiliate composer of Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)

Dempster serves as an Assistant Professor of Music at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, SC, where he teaches courses in music technology, composition and theory, and music business. He directs the BulldogBytes Concert Series at SC State, an annual concert series devoted to experimental and digital music. He is an assistant editor with Jasper magazine (Columbia, SC), a contributor to the new music digest I Care If You Listen, and an album reviewer for the Society for Electroacoustic Music in the United States (SEAMUS). He has given lectures on musical aesthetics, intellectual property issues, and musical analysis at CMS, NYCEMF, and SCMEA conferences. He studied at the University of Texas (MM, DMA) with Kevin Puts, Dan Welcher, and Russell Pinkston, and at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (BM) with Eddie Bass, Craig Walsh, and Frank McCarty. He studied bassoon with Michael Burns, has performed with many orchestras throughout the Southeast, and is a proponent of extended performance techniques for the bassoon.

Dempster resides in the Columbia area with his wife, visual artist Kara Gunter. When not teaching, composing, bassooning, or otherwise musicking, Dempster can be found tending to his lush front yard gardens or thumbing through the various books that have taken over his house. Some weekends he can be found searching the state for either the perfect shrimp and grits or the best curry. Visit his website at www.thomasdempster.com.

A Soda City Love Letter from Emile DeFelice

This love letter to the city appeared this morning on the Huffington Post's blog. It's a lovely piece that captures the way so many of us feel about our city, to which I would only add that we have an arts community that rivals and will soon surpass any other city in the Southeast. Lots of folks seem to want to compare us to Austin -- and that's nice. Austin is a very nice town. But we aren't Austin -- we're our own city. We are Columbia. And this is Emile -- and he's running for office.

Dear Columbia, or as I like to call you, Soda City,

It's been 23 years since I was dropped off at your doorstep with only a suitcase, a box and not much to offer. You quickly became one of the best things that ever happened to me.

Within days, you gave me three restaurant jobs throughout your Five Points. I worked the breakfast shift at what is now Drip Coffee, lunch at the Gourmet Shop and dinner at Garibaldi's. You gave me the opportunity to attend grad school at the University of South Carolina. You gave me my first home, a small and sturdy in-town house for $39,000, on which I made many monthly payments of $332 by selling vegetables I grew in the back yard. You gave me a neighbor who loved me like a son. You gave me Chris the Postman who sees the overdraft notice come in one day and texts me the next when he has a few checks for me in his bag.

You gave my two children great educational opportunities. One grew up in the (three!) ballet companies here and is headed to Yale after a dance stint in D.C., and the other is spending her tenth grade year in Spain on her own volition.

You gave me great mentors and people to look up to and emulate, and I take great pleasure in returning the favor to help folks get up the ladder. You gave me newspapers that are small enough to listen and engage with me, yet large enough to matter. You gave me racial and international diversity. You gave me a business atmosphere that had plenty of opportunities for me to fill in the missing pieces with my own ideas. You gave me a city filled with people who are ready for good things to happen and who give people that try a chance.

You have a vibrant Main Street with my favorite dive bar, The Whig. I can take the family to dinner for less than $50 out on Decker Boulevard at my favorite Korean restaurant, Arirang, or hit up Real Mexico for lunch - Cubano, please! You help me relax with killer cocktails at Motor Supply, The Oak Table - and oh yeah, thanks for the 150 bourbons to choose from at Bourbon! We sneak away to the Nickelodeon for great indie movies and hit the amazing Three Rivers Greenway when we want to get out and move our bodies. You give me everything I want and need. I lack for nothing. You are the most underrated and misunderstood town in the South, the gangly girl who's growing into a great beauty.

I've done my level best to give back even more than you've given me, and after it's all over, I hope you think I'm one of the best things that ever happened to you.

Love, Emile

Emile DeFelice loves food, the challenges of farming and business, and finding ways to connect farmers and feeders. He founded the All Local Farmer's Market in 2004, now called Soda City, featuring dozens of farmers, food, and artisans from Columbia every Saturday morning on Main Street. Emile grew vegetables and produced specialty pork at his nationally-acclaimed Caw Caw Creek Farm for nearly 20 years before recently redirecting his attention to Soda City and a brick and mortar version of the market, Nest. His efforts earned him a fellowship award by the Southern Foodways Alliance. He serves on the board of the Animal Mission and co-founded Columbia's Mardi Gras Festival, from which 100% of the profit goes toward the Mission's spay and neuter program.

"King Lear" in Finlay Park - a review by Jillian Owens

The South Carolina Shakespeare Company opens their fall season with King Lear, one of Shakespeare’s best-known tragedies. George Bernard Shaw once said "No man will ever write a better tragedy than Lear,”  and one can definitely see where he’s coming from. Madness, betrayal, suffering, war, and death are all over this play, and the body count is nothing short of impressive.

The elderly King Lear (Chris Cook) is ready for retirement. He plans to divide his kingdom among his  three daughters, Goneril (Raia Hirsch), Regan (Sara Blanks), and Cordelia (Katie Mixon.) But there’s  a catch: the largest quantity of land will go to the daughter who can prove she loves him most. Goneril  and Regan are perfectly happy to deliver speeches of loyalty and devotion that drip with aspartame. But  Cordelia remains stoic, saying she has nothing to compare her love to. Her frankness leads to her father  disowning her and splitting his lands between Regan and Goneril. The King of France, impressed with her honesty offers to marry her:

“Fairest Cordelia, that art most rich, being poor; most choice, forsaken;  and most lov'd, despis'd!  Thee and thy virtues here I seize upon. Be it lawful I take up what's cast  away.”

And they hop off to France.

Lear quickly learns how fickle filial loyalty can be. As soon as he relinquishes his power, he loses all  respect from both of his daughters. They chide him for being raucous, and force him to let the majority of  his entourage go. This shocking fall from power and dignity leads Lear to become more and more insane as the play progresses. The former King quickly learns that his only true friends are his now-disguised former pal Kent (Tracy Steele) whom he banished for defending Cordelia, and his Fool (played by Jeff Driggers.)

Intermingled in this main plot is further drama with a troublemaking illegitimate son by the name of  Edmund (Bobby Bloom) to the Earl of Gloucester (Richard Purday.) He tricks Gloucester - way too easily - into thinking his legitimate son Edgar (William Cavitt) plans to steal his estate.   Eyeballs are removed, women are seduced, and lots of folks die in some pretty creative ways.

In this production of Lear, director Linda Khoury has assembled a large cast with varying skill levels and a  curious array of accents. Cook is a vulnerable and powerful Lear, and he captures his descent into madness with an intensity that evokes sympathy. Hirsh and Blanks are appropriately evil as Goneril  and Regan, and Mixon makes for a wonderful contrast as the honest and sincere Cordelia.  Edmund gets some of the best lines in the play, and Bloom delivers them with acerbic intensity:

“Wherefore should I stand in the plague of custom, and  permit the curiosity of nations to deprive me, for that I am some twelve or fourteen moonshines lag of  a brother? Why bastard? wherefore base?”

Driggers plays the Fool (see what I did there?) not so much as a clown, but as a terrified young man who grasps  the gravity of a dangerous situation from which he must save his friend. There’s an urgency about this Fool that is an unexpected take on the character. Cavitt delivers one of the most challenging and high-energy  performances in the play as the selfless, though hopelessly naive, Edgar.

A few members of the ensemble couldn’t quite pick an accent - which was distracting - but as I said  before, this is a large cast and every actor’s performance can’t always be golden. At the preview performance I attended, there was a moment of nudity that I’m not altogether sure was simply a wardrobe  malfunction. I can’t imagine bringing small children to something as heavy as a Shakespearean  tragedy, however, so this might not be an issue for you. The key players do interesting work, and the SC  Shakespeare Company takes a straightforward interpretation of King Lear to a few surprisingly creative  places.

~ Jillian Owens

King Lear runs Wednesday, October 22 through Saturday, October 25 in the Amphitheatre in Finlay Park. Curtain is at 7:30 PM, and the Wednesday performance is free!  For more information, visit http://www.shakespearesc.org/ .

City Art presents Judy Bolton Jarrett's "Passages" - opening reception Thursday during Vista Nights

Judy Bolton Jarrett’s solo exhibition “Passages” begins Oct 16 for Vista Nights. The opening reception at City Art will be the next Thursday, Oct 23 from 5-8pm. The artist will be in attendance for both events.

Jarrett comments, “Several years ago, as a pure transparent watercolor purist, I was introduced to the wonderful world of acrylics, especially the endless possibilities of adding and subtracting elements, and thus began a new chapter in my painting life! While I certainly consider my works as interpretations, I am constantly aware of what is not easily seen but is felt. My paintings reflect my love of color, design, pushing the envelope, and satisfying my ever-evolving curiosity of what's next, as art is a continuous flow of creative energy. Most recently I was given a “challenge” by a friend who builds and repairs clocks. He sent me a box of discarded parts and said, ‘Do something creative!’ That is how the Time Series began. Always remembering the power of words, I incorporate inspirational and motivational messages into each painting into each of the Time Series paintings. Also, a recent introduction to high-flow acrylics has added another element to my ever-growing list of favorites!”

Jarrett grew up in Winder, GA, in the north GA foothills and then graduated from Presbyterian College, Clinton, SC, in 1963. For 21 years she taught English in grades 7-12 in South Carolina and Alabama, changing careers in 1986 to pursue her artistic endeavors. Since 1990 she has had a small studio and gallery in the first bank building (circa 1908) in Chapin, SC, and continues to use that as her home base for showing her work and for creating new paintings, a continuous process.

She has originals in collections locally, nationally, and internationally and is a signature member of the South Carolina Watermedia Society and the Georgia Watercolor Society.

Jarrett was also featured in the September 2014 issue of Jasper Magazine.

City Art Gallery is located at 1224 Lincoln St. in the historic Congaree Vista area in Columbia, South Carolina. Gallery hours are Monday – Thursday 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., Friday 10:00 am until 5 p.m., and Saturdays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information contact Wendyth Wells, City Art Gallery, at 803-252-3613 or email ww@cityartonline.com. Visit online at www.cityartonline.com.

Will South & Douglas Gray - New Works at Gallery West -- Tuesday

Will South makes art, writes about it, organizes exhibitions on it, and very frequently talks about it. Art has been the single constant thread in his life. Like most of us, Will drew as a child. He simply never stopped. With a degree in studio art from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, his professional life began managing a gallery where he organized shows on painters and wrote their biographies. This led to a Masters Degree in art history, which led to a PhD from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Living in Manhattan, Will took courses at the Art Students League while steeped in art theory at the Graduate Center. Today, he remains an art historian and an artist in equal measure.

As a museum curator, Will is known for making art accessible, whether in writing, on the wall, or in public talks. He shares his passion for art freely, and sees museum work as an ongoing opportunity for public service. Back in the studio, however, he reverts to the artist who has made art his entire life, only now one who has learned a great deal from art history.

"I enjoy narrative, abstract and innovative art forms," he says, "but as an artist myself I'm not interested in telling a story or inventing something new. What is enduring about an image is the sensuality of color, the refinement of shape, the human intelligence contained in line. The challenge for me is to edit out all but the essential. And the ongoing problem is to know what the essential is. If he or she keeps working, once in a great while an artist will touch on what it means to be human."

Douglas Gray is a Professor of Art at Francis Marion University in Florence, South Carolina. He joined the faculty in 1997 and is responsible for teaching Ceramics, Ceramics Sculpture and Three-Dimensional Design. Before coming to Francis Marion University, he taught at Sul Ross State University in Texas. He holds degrees from the University of North Texas and the University of Louisville.

In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Doug exhibits his artwork both regionally and nationally. His work has appeared in several periodicals and books including: Pottery Making Illustrated, Ceramics Monthly, Clay Times, Southern Living and the Lark Books' 500 Series. Originally trained in functional pottery, his work has evolved to include sculptural and architectural forms. He is particularly interested in color and surface. Additionally, he has explored various image transfer techniques on clay, a reflection of his interest in photography, printmaking, and story telling. Doug regularly shares his creative process through demonstrations, workshops, and publications.

Gallery West at 118 State Street in West Columbia will host a special exhibition of recent work by artists Will South and ceramist Douglas Gray from October 21 through November 16, 2014, with an opening reception on Tuesday, October 21, 5:00 - 8:00 pm. The public is invited to join the artists for wine and light hors d'oeuvres.