Deckle Edge is a New Kind of Literary Festival

This year’s inaugural Deckle Edge Literary Festival is making a name for itself as anything other than your mother’s book fest. Yet, even with the intentional mission of creating something edgier, more casual, and more 21st century than yesterday's book fest, there's still plenty of stuff going on at this three-day inaugural event that your mom will enjoy taking part in, too.

What's different about Deckle Edge?

To start with, the events are skewing younger and a bit more in keeping with the many and varied ways contemporary culture tells its tales these days. And this is going to be a theme the DE steering committee, headed up by Annie Boiter-Jolley (full disclosure, Annie is the ops manager for Jasper, and her mom,  Cindi, edits Jasper and also sits on the committee along with Lee Snelgrove and Jonathan Haupt), will return to in years to come. While nothing will ever take the place of holding that solid tome in a reader's hands--the smell of the print, the tactile satisfaction of licking that index finger to flip to the next page--this fest also recognizes the way we use other art forms and non-traditional methods of conveying narratives. Stories can be told sentence by sentence, frame by frame, lyric by lyric, and more.

To that end, for example, the fest kicks off Thursday night with a free showing ($5 suggested donation) of The World Made Straight, a film based on the novel of the same name by Ron Rash, starring Noah Wiley and Steve Earle, along with the award-winning short film, Lawn of the Month, by local filmmaker Brad Wagster, which is also based on a Ron Rash short story. Both films will screen at 1216 Taylor Street (just beside Metropolis Salon and across the street from the One Columbia Office), and the Jasper Beer Hall, presented by The Whig, will be fully operational at that time.

Did we say "Beer Hall" -- did we say "The Whig" -- ?

Why yes, yes we did. Because the Deckle Edge steering committee knows that today's reader is just as likely to want a complex brew to sip while she's consuming Fulbright Fellow Mark Powell's most recent book The Sheltering as she is to want a cup of tea. That's why Jasper teamed up with the fine folks at The Whig to make sure your booze needs are covered at Deckle Edge. What's more, we've programmed an entire weekend of ancillary events in the Beer Hall-- which also doubles as the Deckle Edge HQ and Hospitality Space--to enhance your literary pleasures. Stay tuned for a complete listing of Beer Hall events, but know that once it's released you'll find opportunities like having a pint with a badass local poet, getting down old school style to a selection of one of the country's foremost Dead Head author's favorite tunes, and hosting a neighboring feminist mag's singer-songwriter session right there on it in black and white.

Might that neighboring feminist mag be the mighty Auntie Bellum?

Right again! We asked the amazing women and men over at Auntie Bellum to put together a panel and they left us in awe when they told us we'd be seeing and hearing  "Sirens of South Carolina: Songwriters and Singers from the Palmetto State." The line-up? Stefanie Santana, who will also be playing our Opening Night Celebration, Ony Ratsimbaharison of Fk. Mt., Kelley Douglas of the Prairie Willows and the Post-Timey String Band, and Amy Cuthbertson of Can't Kids. We're psyched about this and you will be, too, if you join us for this panel on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 pm.

What were we saying about an Opening Night Celebration?

Yeah, we've got one, and it's Friday night at the Columbia Museum of Art. You can read more about it here but, in a nutshell, we're talking three big acts: Stefanie Santana, who you already know and love, or should, Hunter Park of She Returns from War, also on your radar, (right?), and all the way from cigar-smoking Tampa Bay, Banned Books Burlesque. Ten bucks for a straight-up excellent night of entertainment, plus The Whig comes through once again to keep our whistles wet and our hearts pure.  (Tickets happen right here or at the door.)

Wait! There's more!

Yes, there is, there's a lot more, but our damn attention spans have just about petered out so let's just take a deep breath and a quick look at just a few more highlights of what is sure to become your favorite literary festival of all time. Go!

Carolina Writers at Home featuring Nikky Finney

Monsters and Memory

Shige talking about Comic Books and Alternative Narratives

Writing and Healing with Ed Madden

The Watering Hole Poetry

Superstars of Southern Fiction

Poets Respond to Race

A Brilliant "X Marks the Spot" Literary Themed Dinner by Scott Hall

Storyboard America

Eating and Greeting with the Deckle Edge Authors

A full Roster of Workshops

Free S.T.E.A.M. Workshop for Kids

Shakespeare for the Family

Writing Video Games with Richard Dansky

Oversound

Oh, and about your mom

Just in case you have one of those book club moms (some say "book" club, others say "wine" club -- they aren't fooling anybody!), DE has put together a Sunday afternoon event honoring and celebrating the area's book clubs by bringing us all together to swap ideas, share programming innovations, and discover new books to add to our ever-expanding lists. The Deckle Edge Book Club Tea promises to be a big old mess of book-crazy men and women chatting each other up, grabbing autographs from a few surprise authors, and sipping their tea in a take-home-with-you souvenir Deckle Edge mug.

We told you we had her covered.

For more info on Deckle Edge, coming this Friday - Sunday, February 19-21, visit the website, check out events on social media, and pick up a copy of this weeks Free Times which will contain a full listing of festival events.

Deckle Edge Opening Night Party w/ Stefanie Santana, She Returns from War, & Banned Books Burlesque

We here at Jasper are super-psyched for the Deckle Edge Literary Festival, particularly since so many of our staff members have had a hand in bringing it to fruition. We hope you’ll check out the full slate of events here, but particularly encourage you to come out to the Opening Night Party at Columbia Museum of Art. The opening entertainment for the evening happens to be two of South Carolina’s finest singer/songwriters, Stefanie Santana and She Returns from War frontwoman Hunter Park. The two also happen to be particularly appropriate for the literary-minded nature of the party thanks to the haunting poetry of their lyrics.

Santana, whose strong, pure vocals and adept ukulele accompaniment suggests an almost twee indie folk-pop archetype, writes with an uncommon sensitivity to character and situation. This is equally true of her most autobiographical writing, like “Liar Song” or “Grown Up Joke,” the latter of which balances parental expectations, heartbreak, and the struggles of the daily grind with a soaring repeated chorus of “I WANT TO QUIT MY JOB,” as it is with tunes where she turns her eye to the unlikely emotional cache of starfish and sea crabs. There’s something beautifully representative in Santana’s songs of the current crop of twentysomethings (of which the writer is one)—they seem to strike at the real, nuanced reality of the Millennial generation in a way that a thousand think pieces so utterly fail to do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qSbKVe-luo

Park is an ideal match for Santana. While her songs are almost exclusively focused on love and longing, there’s a poetic tendency in her writing that makes each song feel like its own philosophic treatise on the very nature of desire. “I would like a chance to travel all of the hallways of your spine/I would plant a thousand flowers and pick the petals for the rest of the time” she sings at her most giddily romantic on “Little Pharoah.” Elsewhere, she sings with stark honesty about romantic failure with equal conviction: “It seems pretty obvious we all got our poisons/be it arsenic or ether or fire on the cedar/or the telephone receiver/You know I can’t be your cure you were never mine either.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU5D9r02bUM

 Banned Books Burlesque

Hang around after the concert for part two of the night's entertainment when, all the way from Tampa, Florida, Banned Books Burlesque presents literary classics in a whole new light. Bringing beloved books like Gone With the Wind, The Great Gatsby, Harry Potter, and more, to life in the naughty ways those who’d like to ban them have portrayed, the cast of BBB guarantees a tantalizing look at censorship, great literature, and the art of the tease.

$10 admission for all three events

Find tickets at Brown Paper Tickets.

Vicky Saye Henderson Offers Improv Event Based on The Stone Necklace

Jasper: You're involved with One Book, One Community's 2016 selection, The Stone Necklace by Carla Damron, in a couple ways, right? I know you created the audio version of the book - what was that like?

VSH: Partnering with the USC Press team, Carla, and Ron Whitten at the SC State Library has been incredibly rewarding and a great joy. I feel so fortunate to have been invited to participate. This was a completely different way of exploring a narrative for me compared to simply reading a novel or preparing text for stage. It challenged me to prepare differently and stay in touch with the tempo, tone, and pulse of the story and its characters.

Jasper: Was this the first book you've recorded?

VSH: Yes, this was the first audio book I've done. In preparing for the audition taping, I asked the Richland Library staff to assist me in pulling some award-winning high quality audio books, I took them home and studied them. I noted and considered what seemed distinctive regarding the narrator's choices for voicing the text, and employed some of those things in both my audition and ultimately our recording of the book. Luckily, those things seemed to work!

Jasper: Tell us about the process. How long did it take?

VSH: A week before we started recording, I met with Carla to talk about the book, its characters, her writing process, and more. We then began recording in mid-October.Typically, we would record for 2-3 hours a session twice a week. Ron Whitten (recording director) and I found that we made for a great team. His years of experience and knowledge got me quickly acquainted to this new medium, and our intuitive combined ear for keeping the quality consistent kept us on target. We logged over 40 hours in the recording studio. Jonathan, Carla and other key staff came by during sessions to listen in and were consulted during our process. It was a highly collaborative experience.

Jasper: Have any of your friends or family listened to your recording and, if so, what did they have to say about it?

VSH: Yes, Jim Dukes listened to some early parts of the first few chapters. What he said was interesting to me---that he could very distinctly see in his mind's eye all the colors and textures of the story in ways that just reading a book had not afforded him in the past.

Jasper: Is it something you'd like to do again?

VSH: Absolutely! I loved doing it. I really like the team of people I've come to know, I grew as a performing artist, and I found and added a totally new means of being a storyteller.

Jasper: Now, can you tell us about the improv event you'll be conducting for The Stone Necklace on Tuesday, February 11th at 7 pm at Tapp's Arts Center?

VSH: I've heard it said that two ways we can create more empathy in our lives are to read more novels and take an improv class. This event combines both elements! We will be "walking through the halls" of this book and exploring its story lines, characters and settings (the book is set in Columbia, SC) via interactive improvisation techniques. It's not about performance, but rather about becoming co-explorers of story using Carla's existing elements as prompts. A whole new way to appreciate an author's work.

Jasper: How can the public be involved in this and what do they need to do to prepare?

VSH: There's nothing to bring or do to prepare for the event. Come with a curious spirit and willing heart to learn about the book, engage your creativity, see things from a new perspective, and apply your own point of view.

Jasper: How would we benefit from participating?

VSH: It will be a new and more intimate way to meet a story and its creator. People will get to know one another in the room, and hopefully learn a little about the highly versatile medium of improv as a tool for discovery and collaboration.

Jasper: Do we need to have read the book first?

VSH: No prior reading is necessary. An overview of the story will be given and excerpts from the novel will be read.

Jasper: Finally, what's your favorite thing about (or part of) the book The Stone Necklace?

VSH: The two things I appreciate most about this book is the keen, intuitive and seamless way Carla weaves the stories of these seemingly different people into a common tapestry, and her choice to set it in Columbia, SC. I became very emotionally invested in the characters very quickly (especially one character, Joe), grew to appreciate their individual and combined roads of healing, and saw my city through a new lens.

---

Vicky Saye Henderson is a performer and teaching artist, whose projects include live stage, film, TV, voice-overs and cabaret. On staff at Trustus Theatre, she serves as Director of Education and Professional Development.  She is also a member of Trustus' residential performing ensemble, appearing most recently in The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical. She is the recipient of the SC Arts Commission's 2015 Individual Artist Fellowship in Acting and was named the 2013 Jasper Artist of the Year in Theatre. She received her improv training in Orlando, FL (KVG Studios) and is co-director of Trustus' Improv and Sketch Comedy master track Apprentice Company program. Vicky recently provided vocal narration for USC Press' audiobook of Carla Damron's novel, The Stone Necklace. 

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

Come and be introduced to Carla Damron's new novel, The Stone Necklace, in a highly active way! Trustus Theatre Ensemble member and Director of Education, Vicky Saye Henderson will use the versatile medium of improvisation to explore the novel's narrative, its characters and setting, the author's process in fun, unexpected and non-traditional ways using readings, music, audience interaction and more.

More than Magic: USC’s Green Room Productions presents She Kills Monsters

by: Haley Sprankle

“Some people run, some people paint, and some people play D&D.”

Green Room Productions, the completely student-run production company at the University of South Carolina, presents Qui Nguyen’s play She Kills Monsters.

The play follows Agnes Evans, a woman who lost her parents and younger sister Tilly in a car crash, as she moves out of her childhood home. While packing up, she discovers her sister’s Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) campaign book, and she takes on the journey to learn more about herself, her sister, and how to cope with loss.

“I think that the play makes a lot of statements. On the surface, it's a celebration of ‘nerd culture’ and misfits and kids who may be a little different,” junior Brooke Smith, playing Agnes, explains. “But, the biggest statement that it makes is on how people deal with grief and what it takes to process tragedies in our own lives.”

Graduate student Ryan Stevens returns to the director’s chair with this production. His work was last seen in the USC Lab Theatre where he directed his original piece Player King, but he has also produced some intimate staged-readings of other original works since then.

The crew is full of USC seasoned regulars with Megan Branham (lighting designer), Jordan Young (sound designer), Rebecca Shrom (costume designer), Kira Neighbors (stage manager), and Grace Ann Roberts (assistant director/choreographer). They have put together a technical show with impressive and complex design elements. Also, with the USC Theatre Department’s season in full swing, Stevens was able to accrue a sizeable, talented group of students to be a part of this production.

“This cast is extremely diverse. Yet again, I’ve drawn extensively from Columbia’s improv community and brought in a few people who are relatively new to the acting game, because the script, in my mind, dictates a large amount of looseness and freedom and natural reaction from its actors,” Stevens elaborates. “These twelve actors are all giving their all to immerse themselves in the worlds of the play, both real and imaginary. This script has most of its actors playing multiple roles, or multiple versions of the same character, so it’s really a great showcase for their range, and they are absolutely rising to the occasion.”

One of the new kids on the block is junior Corey Drennon. Drennon was showcased previously this year through the Overreactors improv group, but she has not pursued theatre since high school. Adopting the role of Tilly Evans, Drennon has had to learn how to bring a deceased character to life.

“Tilly is exuberant, imaginative, and steadfast, especially when it comes to her friends. She’s funny and extremely sarcastic. Tilly has a spark in her--she definitely goes against the crowd. In a field of flowers facing the sun, she’s facing the opposite way,” Drennon highlights.

This complex character leads her sister into a world that not everyone gets to experience in their lives--the elaborate world of Dungeons and Dragons.

“I’d actually never played D&D until my freshman year. I thought that it was just a very long-winded and jargon-heavy sort of board game, with all the maps, graph paper, figurines, dice, and huge books, because that’s how it always looks on TV,” Stevens relays. “It was a really refreshing surprise when I found out the game is mostly imaginative. Sure you have like a sheet of character information, and you have dice, but it really is just a lot of world-building with friends. It’s a very communal game, all about working together to tell, and participate in, this story that no one really knows how it’ll turn out.”

Get a feel for that D&D experience February 4-7 at Benson Theatre. Tickets are $5 at the door, with limited seating available.

“I think audiences will be charmed by the fantasy of the escapism and the spectacle of this magic, Lord of the Rings-on-Adderall type of world we’re creating,” Stevens adds. “But I think once they’re charmed, they’ll find a lot in common with Agnes in her attempt to reconnect with her late sister. It’s a very human longing, the longing to have known someone better, all the more exacerbated after that person has been lost. It’s very much a play about bonding and connection, whether through a sense of capital-H Honor, through family bonds, or just plain old love.”

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Fall Lines - a literary convergence

Fall Lines – a literary convergence is a literary journal in its third year of publication based in Columbia, SC and presented by Jasper Magazine in partnership with the University of South Carolina Press, Muddy Ford Press, Richland Library and One Columbia for Arts and History.

With a single, annual publication, Fall Lines is distributed in lieu of Jasper Magazine’s regularly scheduled summer issue. Fall Lines will accept submissions of previously unpublished poetry, essays, short fiction, and flash fiction from February 1, 2016 through April 1, 2016. While the editors of Fall Lines hope to attract the work of writers and poets from the Carolinas and the Southeastern US, acceptance of work is not dependent upon residence.

Publication in Fall Lines will be determined by a panel of judges and accepted authors will be notified in May 2016, with a publication date in summer 2016. Accepted authors will receive two copies of the journal. Two $250 cash prizes, sponsored by the Richland Library Friends, will be awarded: The Saluda River Prize for Poetry and The Broad River Prize for Prose.

• Each entry must be submitted as a single independent entry with the appropriate category (poetry, essay, fiction, flash fiction) typed in the email subject heading.

• Submit poetry to submissions.poetry@jaspercolumbia.com.

• Submit prose to submissions.prose@jaspercolumbia.com.

• Please include with each submission a cover sheet stating the title of your work, your name, email address, and USPO address. There is no fee to enter.

• Please limit short fiction to 2000 words or less; flash fiction to 350 – 500 words per submission; essays to 1200 words; and poetry to three pages.  Please submit no more than a total of 5 entries.

The Columbia Fall Line is a natural junction, along which the Congaree River falls and rapids form, running parallel to the east coast of the country between the resilient rocks of the Appalachians and the softer, more gentle coastal plain.

USC Hosts Shared Traditions -- Sacred Music in the South

The University of South Carolina’s McKissick Museum will host a music symposium entitled Shared Traditions: Sacred Music in the South on February 26th and February 27th, 2016. The program will feature live performances, a panel session, presentations, and music workshops. All Shared Traditions programs are free and open to the public. The event is co-sponsored by the USC School of Music and Brookland Baptist Church. Shared Traditions will start with a meet & greet with Gullah storyteller Anita Singleton-Prather at 3:30pm on Friday, February 26th at McKissick Museum on USC’s historic horseshoe. Singleton-Prather, a recipient of the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award, is a singer, actress, and the director and producer of Broadway Back In Da' Woods Productions, a full-stage musical theater experience featuring the performance group The Gullah Kinfolk. Friday evening will also include a presentation at 6:30pm by Dr. Eric Crawford on the topic of African-American spirituals in the South Carolina Sea Islands. Held at Johnson Hall at the Darla Moore School of Business on the USC campus, the talk will lead into a live performance of Circle Unbroken: A Gullah Journey from Africa to America by Anita Singleton-Prather and The Gullah Kinfolk at 7:00pm. Brookland Baptist Church in West Columbia will host all program events on Saturday, February 27th. A detailed schedule of events is included with this press release. The day will begin with a panel presentation entitled “Vocal Godliness: Gospel in Black and White” and will feature current research by graduate students from Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Following this session, Dr. Minuette Floyd will present on the topic of the music of the African-American camp meeting. The keynote speaker, Dr. Cynthia Schmidt, will screen The Language You Cry In, a film based on her research chronicling an amazing scholarly detective reaching across hundreds of years and thousands of miles, from 18th century Sierra Leone to the Gullah people of present-day Georgia. Dr. Schmidt will share an update on her research and host a Q&A with the audience. Following the keynote address, conference participants will have the opportunity to attend three music workshops focusing on shape-note and hymn-raising traditions. Led by practitioners and choir leaders, these workshops will provide the opportunity to learn about the history of these traditions and the chance to participate in fellowship and song. Saturday’s program will conclude with an evening concert, highlighting the songs and styles learned during the workshops. For more information, visit http://artsandsciences.sc.edu/mckissickmuseum or call Saddler Taylor at 803-777-3714. This program is funded in part by the Humanities CouncilSC and the South Carolina Arts Commission.

The Stone Necklace Sparks Multidisciplinary Arts Events

 

In celebration of the 2016 One Book, One Community selection, The Stone Necklace by Carla Damron (USC Press, 2016) a number of multi-disciplinary arts events are planned to more fully enjoy the community reading experience, including a three-person photography exhibit opening on Thursday, February 4^th with a panel presentation by the participating photographers. In the weeks to come additional programs involving theatre arts and music, all inspired by a reading of The Stone Necklace, are also planned.

Set against the backdrop of contemporary Columbia, South Carolina, The Stone Necklace braids together the stories of a grieving widow, a struggling nurse, a young mother, and a homeless madman, reminding us of the empowering and surprising ways in which our lives touch one another and through which, together, we recover from even the greatest of losses. Bestselling and award-winning author Mary Alice Monroe praises The Stone Necklace as “a celebration of the transformative power of shared experiences and of the connections that bind us.”

Off Page – Photography: Artists Respond to The Stone Necklace will open on the Tapp’s Arts Center on Thursday, February 4^th as part of the First Thursday celebration of Columbia arts. Columbia photographers Thomas Hammond, Robert Coffey, and Kristine Hartvigsen, having read advanced copies of the novel, will show the work they created in response. A brief panel presentation discussing the exhibit will take place at 7 pm in the Fountain Room downstairs at Tapp’s. https://www.facebook.com/events/542294492601031/. Free.

Off Page – On Stage: Imrov with Vicky Saye Henderson will take place on Thursday, February 11^th at 7 pm in the Skyline Room of Tapp’s Arts Center.  In a program created by local theatre artist and educator Vicky Saye Henderson based in part on Damron’s novel, Henderson will lead an improvisation workshop and demonstration. https://www.facebook.com/events/1188116441213546/.  Free.

Off Page – Music: A Musical Response to The Stone Necklace featuring original work created by Todd Mathis and Cully Salehi in response to the novel The Stone Necklace will take place on Saturday, February 20^th at 7 pm at the Deckle Edge Literary Festival Saturday Night Reception at Main Street Agape. Tickets available via Brown Paper Tickets.

The above events are presented via a partnership between One Book, One Columbia, One Columbia for Arts and History, Jasper Magazine, The University of South Carolina Press, and Richland Library.

About the Artists

South Carolinian Carla Damron is a fiction writer, clinical social worker, and author of the Caleb Knowles mystery novels Keeping Silent, Spider Blue, and Death in Zooville in which she explores addiction, homelessness, and other social issues. Her short stories have appeared in Fall Lines, Six Minute Magazine, Melusine, In Posse Review,and other journals. Named the 2014 South Carolina Social Worker of the Year, Damron holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from Queens University and a master's degree in social work from the University of South Carolina.

Thomas Hammond is a freelance photojournalist from Columbia, South Carolina specializing in human interest, political, and cultural stories from the heart of the American South to the Middle East and wherever else the road takes him. In 2015, he won a South Carolina Press Association award for his work documenting the war and humanitarian crisis in and around Syria. More recently, he's covered local stories such as the removal of the Confederate flag, the devastation of the recent floods, and the evolution of the local music scene.

Born in San Francisco, California, Kristine Hartvigsen earned a bachelor’s degree in education and completed graduate studies in journalism at the University of South Carolina. She began her journalism career in the mid-1980s at The State and The Columbia Record newspapers. She is a past editor of South Carolina Business and Lake Murray-Columbia magazines as well as a past associate editor of Jasper magazine. Her photography has been published in:  Sandlapper, South Carolina Business Monthly, Lake Murray-Columbia, Columbia Business Monthly, and Jasper magazines; in The State, the Free-Times, the Myrtle Beach Sun News, Lowcountry Life, and the Georgetown Times newspapers; as well as in print and online publications of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, The Nature Conservancy of South Carolina, and the South Carolina Education Association. In 2012, Muddy Ford Press published her first poetry collection, To the Wren Nesting.

Vicky Saye Henderson is a performer and teaching artist, whose projects include live stage, film, TV, voice-overs and cabaret. On staff at Trustus Theatre, she serves as Director of Education and Professional Development.  She is also a member of Trustus' residential performing ensemble, appearing most recently in The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical. She is the recipient of the SC Arts Commission's 2015 Individual Artist Fellowship in Acting and was named the 2013 Jasper Artist of the Year in Theatre. She received her improv training in Orlando, FL (KVG Studios) and is co-director of Trustus' Improv and Sketch Comedy master track Apprentice Company program. Vicky recently provided vocal narration for USC Press' audiobook of Carla Damron's novel, The Stone Necklace. 

For the past 15 years, Todd Mathis has been a solid fixture of the South Carolina music scene, and well beyond, playing in a number of groups from the indie soul of Betty Sneetch to the Brit-tinged rock of Boxing Day (Universal/Republic), fronting the alt-country turned rock of American Gun, crafting the soundscapes of Interruptions of the Mind, and releasing a few solo albums along the way.

Cully Salehi, a graduate of North Carolina School of the Arts, began her journey in music as an orchestral violist. After eight years of classical playing she began exploring the worlds of improvisation, jazz, and rock. Since contributing viola and keys to North Carolina Indie rock group Silver Hill Mine, she has performed several seasons with Columbia Community Orchestra and Lake Murray Symphony Orchestra. She currently enjoys playing local venues, growing in her own songwriting, and collaborating on recording projects at Jangly Records.

REVIEW: Appropriate at Trustus Theatre

By: Kyle Petersen

Appropriate, the new play Trustus Theatre opened this past Friday and runs through February 13^th, is a curious thing. Both deeply conventional in its family drama premise and deeply subversive in its side-eye examination of the only partly-obscured racist foundations of that disintegrating family, the story often feels like a bold bid by Obie-winning wunderkind playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins to bind a specific thread of American theatre with a sharp and insightful take on what might be called a specific kind of American racism.

Set in the living room of a former plantation home that the deceased patriarch of the LaFayette family was futilely attempting to turn into a bed-and-breakfast, the play circles around the three offspring and their families during a roughly 36-hour period in which they convene to auction off and settle the remainder of the estate. Amid predictable, even cliché, sibling squabbles about responsibilities, money, and a hazy shared history, the reality of their father’s questionable past and possible involvement in the darkest aspects of our country’s racial history is revealed through a variety of artifacts uncovered throughout the house.

Despite that, the play is barely brushed with any discussion of race—it is the absence of that discussion and understanding that instead leads to emotional focal points, particularly as characters alternate between a desire to “use” or exploit the power of the artifacts for monetary gain or treat them with an alien sense of distance, as if they have nothing to do with their own history and the very reason they are who, where, and what they are.

That this is played for unsettling laughs more than queasy blanches is as much a token to Trustus’s production and Jim O’Conner’s direction as Jacob-Jenkin’s writing. With characters that are constantly teetering on the edge of stock archetypes, both Trustus Main Stage newcomers, as well as veterans, shine. Burke McLain as Frank/Franz Lafayette, the youngest sibling, and Jennifer Webb as his much-younger girlfriend River Rayner turn in as rich and nuanced performances as their characters allow, with the former tackling the nervous narcissism and awkward earnestness of a recovering alcoholic with jittery energy and the latter latching on to a surprising strength somewhat hidden by the new age hippie smarm on the surface. G. Scott Wild delivers another predictably assured performance of a harried white man accustomed to his own privilege as the eldest son Bo LaFayette, as does Chloe Rabinowitz as Bo’s wife Rachel Kramer-Lafayette. Rachel could have easily fallen prey to the stereotype of the cultured urban Jew, but Rabinowitz gives her a warm presence and relative grace in even the play’s most heated moments. And Erica Tobolski practically disappears into middle child Toni Lafayette, a put-upon divorcee whose life and family are crumbling around her. Toni’s role veers nearest to antagonist in this play, which, despite the degree to which Jacobs-Jenkin’s toys with archetypes here, never fully emerges.

That being said, the persistent mismatch of age to character weakens the execution to a certain extent, particularly in moments when the script depends heavily upon it. The two central younger characters here, Toni’s son Rhys Thurston, played by Trustus Apprentice Brice Hall, and Bo’s daughter Cassidy (Rebecca Shrom) in particular feel a bit odd, given that Cassidy is supposed to be an insouciant young teen and Rhys her senior by a few years. Shrom conveys all of the childish lack of sophistication and imperious adolescent angst that the character requires, but it’s still a bit jarring next to Hall’s more authentic youthful ungainliness. The same problem crops up to a lesser extent between Frank and River, who are supposed to look twenty years apart but seem fairly close in age, making Frank’s sexual improprieties in the past a bit more confusing. Even the relative ages of Bo and Rachel can throw the timeline into some confusion.

The production overall, though, is quite strong. The play’s demand on scenic and sound design are deceptively tricky, particularly given the thematic heft that the unseen cicadas and the structural deficiencies of the house itself have on the production as a whole. Their role in undergirding the weight of place and history in lieu of the character’s direct confrontation with those issues is paramount, and Baxter Engle (sound design) and Heather Hawfield (scene design) do a superb job in delivering some of the most genuinely devastating moments in a play that more often produces ambivalence to the characters themselves.

In the end, it is Jacobs-Jenkins and his dazzling pen that will dominate how you feel about Appropriate. On technical and conceptual levels his accomplishments are difficult to deny, but there’s a countervailing corollary to any play so invested in both its writerly nature and high-concept premise. The sense of constraint that comes from working from semi-stock characters, even as they become imbued with a degree of nuance by both script and actor, might have some theatregoers leaving with some sense of hollow artifice to the whole endeavor. Even if that is the case, though, the production does without qualification force an uneasy confrontation with the particular ways white America does, and doesn’t, consider the full impact of our country’s racial history on both moments large and small, personal and societal. In a time when the Black Lives Matter movement struggles to get our country to confront the full measure of its sins past and present, and in the midst of a presidential election cycle which suggests that we not only seek to forget our legacy but that we’re still very much embroiled in a modern-day xenophobia, these confrontations are very much worth having.

*Update: We regret that we failed to note that this review was based on a preview performance of the production.

The Ballet Aladdin Returns to Columbia After 13 Years

Conceptualized and choreographed by Artistic Director William Starrett in 1995, Columbia City Ballet presents the return of Aladdin for one weekend only, January 29^th and 30^th. Last performed 13 years ago to the musical score of composer Ludwig Minkus, Columbia City Ballet brings back this classic fairy tale based on Arabian Nights, a collection of Middle Eastern and South Asian folktales. “Aladdin is a huge epic ballet, technically demanding for the dancers, visually thrilling for the audience and perfect for the entire family. It is such fun to see Aladdin and Jasmine flying on their magic carpet as the Genie grants Aladdin’s famous three wishes,” says Starrett.

But "the ballet Aladdin isn’t just for children," Starrett says, "because the choreographic foundation of the full length production is based on the 1877 ballet La Bayadere that was first choreographed by Marius Petipa." The ballet La Bayadere is a story of deceit and love, poisonous snakes, ghosts, and murder. The ballet "pre-dates the major romantic era by several years and it includes the famous scene from the ballet The Kingdom of the Shades, one of the most celebrated excerpts in all of classical ballet." The famous late critic Clive Barnes of the New York Times is well known for having said, 'If you don’t like the scene of The Kingdom of the Shades you don’t like classical ballet,'” Starrett says. "So even though the children are so familiar because of the Disney popularity adults will love it because it is rooted in such a strong classical foundation in ballet technique and tradition."

This three-act performance is developed from four of Minkus’ most memorable ballets including Paquita, and La Bayadere; excerpts are incorporated into the score of Aladdin.  The roles of Aladdin and Princess Jasmine, originated by Peter Kozak and City Ballet Prima Ballerina Mariclare Miranda, will be performed in this production by Ballerina Regina Willoughby and Principal Dancer Christopher Miro. Willoughby, who grew up in Texas, came to CCB in 1997 and has risen through the ranks of the company to the position of Ballerina. Reinaldo Soto will be featured as the Genie. Other favorites from Columbia City Ballet include Claire McCaa, Autumn Hill, Bonnie Boiter-Jolley, and Claire Richards.

Columbia City Ballet will give three performances of Aladdin at the Koger Center for the Arts Friday, January 29^th at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, January 30^th at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets, starting at $20, can be purchased at the box office, at www.kogercenterforthearts.com or by calling 803-251-2222. An Aladdin tea will be held prior to Saturday’s performance at 1:30 p.m. in the Koger Center ballroom. For tea tickets and information call 803-799-7605. Call today as seating is limited.

CMA Offers Ambitious Look at African-American Art via REMIX

The Columbia Museum of Art opens a new year of programming by presenting a major exhibition featuring some of the most important artists of the 20^th century and today.

REMIX: Themes and Variations in African-American Art and its accompanying catalogue focus on work that reassembles and reconfigures prior sources from history and culture into new works of art. The 45 works in the show represent some of the most innovative and influential African-American artists including Jacob Lawrence, Elizabeth Catlett, and Romare Bearden, alongside contemporary superstars like Kehinde Wiley, Kara Walker, and Fahamu Pecou. Nine South Carolina artists are included such as Leo Twiggs, Michaela Pilar Brown, and Colin Quashie. This show is curated and organized by the CMA, which is its only venue.

The lively form of the works - paintings, sculpture, works on paper, video, and textiles - showcase diverse styles that explore the American experience. "In the face of our current divisive political climate, it is important to deconstruct the master narrative," says Jonell Logan, independent curator specializing in contemporary American art and REMIX essayist. "REMIXprovides us that opportunity - to include more voices in the conversation of history, identity, and the image - and to provide a truer picture of what our world, our society looks like."

The exhibition opens on Friday, February 5, and runs through May 3. The CMA is offering free admission to the exhibition during regular public hours on opening weekend (February 5 - 7), courtesy of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina.

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REMIX Programs

Ongoing: February 5 - May 3

-         Guided tours every Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

-         TAP Multimedia Tour available on your own smart phone or on iPod Touch devices provided by the CMA.

-         Thirty-minute "Spark Tours" every Friday at 2:00 p.m.

-         We will also feature thematic Art Explorer Backpacks and baby guides that are tailored to the REMIX exhibition.

 

Evening for Educators with special guest REMIX Artist and Art Educator Willis "Bing" Davis

Wednesday, February 3 | 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.

This is a free event at the Columbia Museum of Art for all South Carolina educators. It's the perfect opportunity to meet colleagues, enjoy light appetizers and libations, preview special exhibitions and upcoming programs, and enjoy gallery talks and creating works of art.Professional Development renewal credit forms available.

Willis "Bing" Davis is the founder and president of EbonNia Gallery and SHANGO: Center for the Study of African American Art & Culture, both located in Dayton, Ohio. Born in Greer, South Carolina, Bing has a master's degree in education from Miami University. He has been an important artist, teacher, lecturer and community leader for over 50 years. In 1997, he received the Ohio Art Educator of the Year Award, and in 2010 he was given a major career retrospective at the Dayton Art Institute and the University of Dayton.

 

REMIX Lecture: Jonell Logan

Friday, February 5 | Noon

Jonell Logan, independent curator and consultant specializing in contemporary American art, speaks about the themes that shape modern and contemporary African-American art. Free with membership or admission.

Arts & Draughts

Friday, February 5 | 7:00 - 11:00 p.m.

Art, drink, and be happy! Enjoy tastings of Catawba Brewing's White Zombie Ale from The Whig, live music, food trucks, REMIX-inspired art projects, DIY activities from Izms of Art, Richland Library, and What's Next Midlands, plus photo booths, scavenger hunts, short films from the Nickelodeon's past Indie Grits festivals, unique perspective tours by local artist and designer Dalvin Spann, remixed Shakespeare performances by Darion McCloud and NiA, and One Columbia with the Art-O-Mat. DJ Preach Jacobs provides the soundtrack for the evening. Presented by Cyberwoven. Sponsored by The Whig, WXRY, and Free Times. $9 / $5 for members or renew your membership that night and get in free.

Learn to Draw in a Day Workshop

Saturday, February 6 | 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Devote a day to drawing with master draughtswoman Mary Hendrix. Experiment with pencil, charcoal, conté crayon, and more as you examine the work of contemporary artists like Damond Howard and Whitfield Lovell in our REMIX exhibition and in the CMA collection. All materials included. $75 / $60 for members.

 

Printmaking REMIXED

Tuesdays and Thursdays, February 9, 11, 16, and 18 | 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Learn the finer points of printmaking in a four-night class that explores techniques like drypoint and incorporating gold leaf to create multimedia masterpieces with art educator Jimmy Hiller. These techniques date back to the days of Raphael and Rembrandt but are still being used by artists today. Explore the work of contemporary artists like Radcliffe Bailey and Kehinde Wiley featured in our REMIX exhibition and the CMA collection as you design, print, and assemble your own modern creations. All materials included. $250 / $200 for members.

 

Artist Salon: Damond Howard

Friday, February 12 | Noon

The artist salon series features gallery talks about a wide range of subjects, topics, and disciplines. These talks showcase the artwork on view at the CMA. In this salon, SC Artist Damond Howard discusses his work in REMIX: Themes and Variations in African-American Art. Free with membership or admission. Sponsored in part through Leslie's Legacy Fund.

Sweet on CMA

Saturday, February 13 | Noon - 3:00 p.m.

Come have a lovely time at the fourth annual Sweet on CMA family fun event. Get creative at art stations, play the valentine bean bag toss, take the "Young at Heart" tour, try the "Two of a Kind" gallery hunt, and make art-inspired valentines. And don't miss Columbia Marionette Theatre's performance of Anansi the Spider at noon and 2:00 p.m. Free. Sponsored by Eau Claire Cooperative Health Centers. Free.

 

*ArtBreak: An Exploration of African-American Art on View with USC History Professor Dr. Bobby Donaldson

Tuesday, February 23 | Café at 10:30 a.m. | Lecture at 11:00 a.m.

ArtBreak is a program that looks at art through a different lens. A speaker, typically from outside the art world, gives insight into their worldview by sharing their interpretation of works of art at the CMA. Begin your morning at 10:30 with coffee and pastries, and then enjoy the program at 11:00. Free with membership or admission. Sponsored in part through Leslie's Legacy Fund.

Gala 2016: In the Mix: From Vintage to Vogue

Saturday, March 5 | 7:00 p.m. - Midnight

The annual CMA Gala is a themed party that draws art lovers from across the Midlands. The 2016 Gala celebrates our major spring exhibition, REMIX: Themes and Variations in African-American Art, in an evening filled with extraordinary cuisine, décor, and entertainment including Reggie Sullivan and His Music Machine, DJ Irv, and Life in Notes and Steps, original jazz and dance by Mark Rapp and Stephanie Wilkins. Tickets are $150 ($75 tax deductible).

 

Passport to Art: Mix It Up

Sunday, March 13 | Noon - 3:00 p.m.

This FREE drop-in studio program for families features thematic hands-on art projects and a family tour. Create, cut, and collage a masterpiece based on the artwork of Mickalene Thomas. Join us and get inspired at 1:00 p.m. with a tour of the galleries. Free.

*Lecture: Fahamu Pecou

Wednesday, March 16 | 6:00 p.m.

Fahamu Pecou, a popular artist featured in REMIX, presents an engaging lecture and answers questions about his works in which black masculinity, commercialism, and commodity are interwoven with hip hop theory. This talk gives visitors of all ages a chance to interact with the artist directly, just steps away from his incredible Rock.Well painting. The talk is followed by a book signing of the illustrated catalogue of the exhibition. $7 / $5 for members.

Gladys' Gang: Lost and Found

Wednesday, April 6 | 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

What is a 'found object' anyway? We'll delve into found objects - what they are and how can we use them in art. We'll read stories and explore the REMIX exhibition, searching for found objects, and then create our own spring sculptures in the studios with recycled materials. Participants (ages 2-5) and their adult companions explore art through the introduction of elementary art terms such as color, line, shape and texture during the Gladys' Gang series. This program includes story time and a creative studio activity related to the art exploration theme. Free with registration.

 

*Theatre of the Oppressed

(First) Thursday, April 7 | 7:00 p.m.

As a part of Columbia's First Thursdays on Main, Shannon Ivey Jones leads an interactive storytelling performance that touches on issues raised in the REMIX exhibition. Free.

 

*Artist Salon: Leo Twiggs

Friday, April 8 | Noon

The artist salon series features gallery talks about a wide range of subjects, topics, and disciplines. These talks showcase the artwork on view at the CMA. This month, South Carolina Artist Leo Twiggs discusses his work in REMIX: Themes and Variations in African-American Art. Free with admission or membership.

 

CMA Educator Workshop with REMIX Artist Damond Howard

Saturday, April 9 | 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Designed for small groups, in-depth educator workshops use the museum's art collection and exhibitions to introduce new ways of thinking about the curriculum and to show innovative teaching approaches. Each educator receives an illustrated teacher packet and a certificate of participation. $30 includes lunch.

Tour and Tasting

Sunday, May 1 | 6:00 p.m.

$65 / $55 for members

Enjoy the exhibition, REMIX: Themes and Variations in African-American Art, with a guided tour on the last weekend of the show. Doug Aylard from Vino Garage furthers your wine education with a selection of American wines alongside light appetizers.

Craig Butterfield and Jesse Jones Concert

by: Jasper intern Chelx Bundick

West Columbia’s Mount Tabor Lutheran Church (1000 B Ave, West Columbia, SC 29169) will be showcasing the phenomenal movements of musicians Jesse Jones and Craig Butterfield.

Occurring Sunday, January 31th from 3PM to 5PM, the performance will be free admission and feature musical assembles from their debut album Stickerfoot along with their latest project Pisces.

Teaming up just over a year ago, the duo met while teaching at the University of South Carolina. When discovering their mutual contemporary interest in the growing American style of music known as ”New Grass,” the two joined forces.

Classically trained, their bluegrass compositions incorporate implement the foundations of classical music to the resonances of jazz and blues. Influenced by artists such as Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile, Bela Fleck and Sam Bush, the duo composed their first album Stickerfoot last year.

Recorded only 12 months later, their second album Pisces brings life to century old forms of compositional writing with arrangements like Rondo a la Kentucky. By interpreting the works of Bach, Butterfield says the two took hold of the concept of instrumental texture to compose the new album. As a bassist, Butterfield magnified Bach’s writing for the left hand on piano and it’s conjuring of the “bass” role and Jones inversely.

“He has a lot more formal training in the process than I do,” says Butterfield, “ but I think our writing styles complement each other quite well.”

Jones, specializing in the mandolin, graduated from Cornell University, where he became a Doctor of Musical Arts in music composition. Studying composition alongside the like of Steven Stucky. Roberto Sierra and Xak Bjerken, he now resides in Georgia as Professor of Composition at the University of Georgia.

In receiving the Guggenheim Fellowship and Elliot Carter Rome Prize, Jones has performed across the national front, attributing his talent as a vocalist in pair. Featured in the nation wide radiobroadcast show Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor, his talent and compositions have aired to an audience over eight million listeners.

In teaming up with the 2015 Jasper Magazines Artist of the Year, Jones and Butterfield unite to display their pioneering infusion of bluegrass and classical rendition. In presenting the original compositions from their albums Stickerfoot and Pisces, Jesse Jones and Craig Butterfield will perform at the Mt. Tabor Lutheran Church on Jan. 31st at 3p.m.

More on Misty Copeland Visit as Columbia City Ballet & Columbia Classical Ballet Join Forces for Ballet Fundraiser

Columbia City Ballet and the Columbia Classical Ballet have joined forces to bring Misty Copeland and Brooklyn Mack to the City of Columbia for a special fundraising luncheon that will work to benefit both ballet companies.

The two companies have a long history with the region and each other, and before now haven’t been known to work together this formally or prominently.

“This fundraiser is about the impact the Ballet has had on our community over the years.” says William Starrett, Executive and Artistic Director for Columbia City Ballet.  “Both of us have had significant funding losses over the past years and we are struggling to continue the tradition of ballet and the standard our audiences have come to cherish and expect here in Columbia.”

Columbia Classical Ballet has had a particularly difficult season.  The October floods hit them hard with the total loss of their home dance studio.  On top of that, Pavlovich has experienced some health issues, has Jasper reported in the September issue of the magazine.

In an effort to help, Brooklyn Mack reached out to Misty Copeland to see if there was an interest in helping support the company where he began dancing at the age of 12 before leaving two years later to attend the Kirov Academy of Ballet on a full scholarship.  Without hesitation, she wanted to help, but there was one stipulation; she didn’t want to leave Columbia City Ballet out of the mix because of previous discussions about their commitment to diversity and how combined efforts can have a positive impact on the community. Copeland proposed the idea of a joint venture.

“We felt we would have a bigger impact working together, and only together could we bring Misty and Brooklyn here for one event, to benefit us all,” says Starrett.

Both companies are hosting the joint fundraiser and will split the costs and proceeds 50/50.  The luncheon will be held on March 15, 2015 and though still in the planning stage, will feature a Q&A with Misty Copeland and Brooklyn Mack and a VIP reception.

“We are excited to be working together to help promote something we both love so very much,” says Starrett.  “We couldn’t be happier or more excited to be able to bring this event to our region.”

If you are interested in a sponsorship or table at this event, please contact Alana Jordan at alana@bigeyebird.com or Alexandra Cebry at acebry@columbiacityballet.com

Trustus Theatre Announces New Executive Director - Leila Ibrahim, Welcome to Columbia! A Jasper Exclusive --

The new face you see at Trustus Theatre may seem young and enthusiastic, and Leila Ibrahim is both those things and more, but most of all she’s completely confident that she is taking over the job she has always been meant to have—executive director of a ground-breaking regional theatre that is on the verge of making itself known to the greater world of theatre in the southeast and beyond.

Born and raised in Georgia, Ibrahim cut her theatrical teeth working backstage before moving to box office work and then on to theatre administration. After earning an undergraduate degree in business she moved to Philadelphia where she continued to work behind-the-scenes in theatre while earning her master’s degree in Arts Administration. “I went to Philadelphia for the job and the education but I always knew I wanted to come back to the South,” she explains.

Ibrahim took the job of executive director of Florence Little Theatre in February 2015, full of plans and ambitions for what she calls the “robust community theatre” she adored. But when the job came open at Trustus Theatre, she found herself in a conundrum. “I had always heard about Trustus Theatre and what a great reputation they have,” she says. “My plan had been to be at Florence Little Theatre for a while longer and accomplish more. But sometimes when a certain job becomes available you just have to take it. I’m excited to be working with such a progressive repertoire and a board of directors who want to grow this amazing theatre.”

Ibrahim is also excited about working with an artistic director, having worked primarily with a board of directors at Florence Little Theatre who selected the production season themselves. “I have tremendous respect for [artistic director] Chad Henderson,” she says. “Chad and I have strengths in different areas and I think we’re going to work together very well. I’m really good at the business of art, but I’m not an artist myself, like Chad is. I still love being part of it.”

Henderson responds equally enthusiastically. “"I'm looking forward to working with Leila. She comes to Trustus with experience in the areas that, when coupled with the artistic elements, will serve the theatre's goals for the future. I expect we'll have a wonderfully productive relationship as the leaders of this organization. This is truly the start of a new era at Trustus, and there are great opportunities ahead."

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The Nitty-Gritty on Ibrahim:

She's 31 years old, the same age as Trustus and almost the same age as Henderson  --    "We match!" She says

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Her favorite playwright is Tennessee Williams -- "I love the classics!"

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"But first and foremost I'm a musical theatre person."   --   Her favorite musicals are Rent, Wicked, and American Idiot (on the Trustus schedule for Summer 2016)

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The first play she ever saw -- Of Mice and Men.

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"With any kind of performance I want to be fully entertained, made to think deeply, inspired, and pushed."

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"New art is imperative for a theatre's health. Look at how opera suffered because it went without significant development for so long. We can't let that happen to theatre and we want let it happen at Trustus."

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Misty Copeland Heading to Columbia to Benefit Columbia City and Classical Ballets - A Jasper Exclusive

When the 75 plus attendees at Columbia City Ballet's Uncorked Ballet Preview on Saturday night first arrived at the CCB Studios at Taylor and Main we knew we were in for a dance treat. Much of the choreography for the company's upcoming performance of Aladdin comes from challenging classical ballets with time-tested variations such as La Bayadere. Seeing the dancers perform the difficult movements on stage comes complete with a required finesse suggesting a certain ease of performance. But witnessing the dancers in the glaring lights of the studio gives no such illusion. The difficulty, and sometimes danger, of the choreography is plain to see as the dancers pant and grunt and sweat and almost fall then regain their footing, before collapsing at the sides of the studio, exhausted and exhilarated.

No make up, no costumes, no nets.

But before the backstage preview even got underway CCB executive director William Starrett shared an exciting announcement. In conjunction with Columbia Classical Ballet, who suffered tremendous studio losses last fall during the October floods, Columbia City Ballet will be bringing American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Misty Copeland,  to Columbia on March 15th for a luncheon to benefit both Columbia City and Classical Ballets.

"We are thrilled to make this announcement and looking forward to sharing more details as they become available," Starrett said.

Misty Copeland is known throughout the dance world for her athletic dance style as well as for being the first African American principal dancer in American Ballet Theatre's 75 year history.  She performed the lead role in Washington Ballet's Swan Lake last spring with Columbia native Brooklyn Mack who is in his fifth year as principal dancer with Washington Ballet.

Following the announcement, the dancers of Columbia City Ballet continued to take our collective breath away.

Darling Dilettante: Blooming into your best, creative self this 2016 by Haley Sprankle

 

“HOLIDAY DANCE CLASS, $10, 2:00 p.m.” the Instagram post read. All I could think was how out of shape I was, especially dance-wise.

Dance has always been a passion of mine, whether I’m watching or partaking in it, but I’ve never been able to make the time to pursue it consistently. Recently, I’ve been in a funk where I want to dance so badly, but due to my schedule, funds, time, or a combination of the three, I’m rarely able to.

On that Sunday afternoon, however, I decided I had to make it happen.

I texted my friend Grace Ann and we both decided we would go. Whether we felt confident, or not, and we headed to the new Bloom Healing Arts Studio to try something new.

“Arts therapies are so healing for many. It is necessary to process the worries and struggles of daily life and release those emotions associated with them. Some people are okay with just talking them out, but highly creative people need other options, in my opinion” studio co-owner Mandy Applegate Bloom said. “I think that's the beauty and the curse of being an artist--many of us have a deeply dark side. It can produce some beautiful art, but we must be sure to take care of all aspects of ourselves. I believe that regarding our dark side as a necessary part of the self and not repressing it is important, but I also believe none of us should foster our own suffering for art's sake. We can most definitely heal the suffering part, and let our art evolve into something more mature and healthy. For those who haven't explored their inner creativity, it may be a way for them to bring out some deep emotions as well, then let them go in the form of art, dance, writing, or making music.”

Bloom Healing Arts Studio opened in August 2015, and has offered classes in yoga, dancing, hooping, and stretching, as well as services in life coaching, nutritional therapy, Migun thermal massage bed, energy work, chakra reading/balancing, Reiki, and meditation. With such positive energy flowing through the studio, I immediately felt welcome and at ease when I walked in.

“I once visited an all-encompassing, multi-practitioner wellness center in Greenville. It offered all types of healing modalities, from acupuncture to massage to colon hydrotherapy. There were two up there, actually. The one I felt drawn to also had a health food cafe and a new age bookstore,” Applegate Bloom said. “I moved back to Columbia and realized that was my dream- to open something dynamic in the way of healing in my home town, and have all of my friends and connections in the healing and spiritual realm join me!”

When we got into the studio this comforting vibe that Applegate Bloom and her studio exudes filled the room, but there was still one catch: we had no mirrors. I was expected to let go of my perfectionist disposition and just dance. Needless to say, I had no idea how this was going to go.

“We’re going to start off with a warm-up, but I wanna focus a lot more on safe, well-rounded stretching.”

Applegate Bloom led us in a warm-up composed of some familiar dance stretches and isolations with a bit of a yoga twist on them. It was different, and it challenged me, but I felt the benefits immediately.

Leading us across the floor, Applegate Bloom helped both myself and Grace Ann let go and have fun as we tried different old-school showgirl steps and high kicks. Both of us had taken classes before and both of us had performed around Columbia before, but this was out of our comfort zone… And it was fun.

“I believe we are already very well connected to the arts community as we have both been very active local performers (we’ve both been on hiatus since having the baby, but plan on getting back out there as soon as she starts sleeping through the night). I think the yoga and specifically the dance classes are going to be very popular within the theatre and dance community. Our studio space is available to rent for any groups wanting to have an intimate performance or rehearsal space and we have rotating art gallery for local artists to feature their works. We have also been in talks with an art teacher to offer a children’s art class in conjunction with a yoga class for parents so they do not have to worry about finding someone to watch their children while they do yoga,” co-owner Bobby Bloom said.

This unique, uninhibited space has so much to offer, and we were soaking it in for all it was worth. We eventually began working on a combination that was fun, easy, yet still challenging enough to be creatively and physically stimulating. The craziest part is, I eventually forgot that there weren’t mirrors. I was having so much fun creating and doing that I was able to let go and just be.

“We all live with discomfort on some level, or on many levels. Healing, to me, is taking a good look at ourselves and confronting the pain of the mind, body, and/or soul and making a shift. It's about a conscious decision to ALLOW yourself to feel good,” Applegate Bloom said. “Once you open the door to healing, you often find exactly what you need to fix or remove the discomfort, or rather, it finds you! Many times it consists of removing crutches and limiting beliefs, and is not always an easy process. But, the outcome is living a more authentic and healthy life that's free of discomfort on whatever level it has manifested. Most of the time the only thing standing in our way is our own self.”

By the end of the class, I was laughing and smiling and just felt great. Sure, my toes weren’t perfectly pointed all the time. Yes, I know I have soft knees all the time. Of course my extension isn’t the best.

But I was happy and in my creative element.

“It takes someone well-versed and fluent (or an artist, if you will) in finding these causes to pin-point many health issues people face. Mandy is such an artist, she listens to clients’ issues and seeks to find different ways of helping and guiding the client to heal themselves by changing their lifestyle and partnering those changes with the different therapies we offer at our studio,” Bloom said. “We are constantly looking to help our clients find the right therapies for their needs and if we don’t provide a service, we can refer them to someone who does.”

Check out the Bloom Healing Arts Studio (735 Meeting Street) for a myriad of healing and creative services. Like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter or Instagram, or go to http://bloomhealingartsstudio.com/ for more information!

Jasper's Best Records of 2015

This is what it comes down to at the start of every New Year. We Columbia music fiends must look back and take stock of all that happened in the past twelve months. A lot of music was hurled at the listening public and, as the case always is, some of it stuck and some of it slid sadly to the floor. And so, Jasper proudly brings to you our list of the top ten favorite records coming out of our city in 2015. Remember, this list is not the product of one mind, but of many – a rag-tag team of editors, artists, and general ne’er-do-wells. Dozens of albums got votes, but these are the ones we (mostly) agreed on. As always, we hope you enjoy or at least satisfied by our conclusions. Good, bad, or ugly, all comments and criticisms are welcome and can be directed to michaelcspawn@gmail.com.

Cheers,

Michael Spawn, music editor

10. Ugly Chords – Harbinger

True to the band’s name, Harbinger isn’t always pretty. It’s sometimes dissonant, often cacophonous, but never, ever, dull. The odd moment of quiet intricacy is nothing more than the tornado’s eye, with a dust storm of howling vocals and frenetic guitars lurking only moments away.

9. Debbie & the Skanks – Live & Buck Wild

The philosophy behind Live & Buck Wild exemplifies what Debbie & the Skanks are all about in a way that a ‘proper’ studio debut could never match – hit the Jam Room, gather your friends, stock the cooler, set up the mics, and hit Record. It’s both a studio recording and a live album from one of the few bands cavalier enough to ignore the pitfalls and smart enough to see the rewards inherent in such a venture.

8. ColorBlind – ColorBlind

This is easily one of Columbia’s most satisfying hip-hop releases of the year. On paper, the pairing of local hip-hop don Fat Rat da Czar and singer/songwriter Justin Smith might seem a bit strange, but it’s hard not to get behind a project whose entire reason for being is the promotion of racial equality and an honest look at how we, as both Americans and southerners, take stock of our past and present. And it doesn’t hurt a bit that the record shirks none of the sonic quality we’ve come to expect from da Czar.

7. ET Anderson – ET2

There’s some debate as to whether this sophomore release lives up to its predecessor, Et Tu,____?, but as valid as either view might be, an equally strong case can be made that it really doesn’t have to. As a standalone record, ET2 finds mastermind Tyler Morris allowing his musical paranoia stretch to potentially dangerous limits while never losing or altering his innate gift for indie-rock songcraft.

6. Abacus – En Theory

It can be safely said that no Columbia metal band had a better year than Abacus, and En Theory is the unapologetically rotten fruit of their labors. For listeners who aren’t wool-dyed devotees of hardcore heavy metal, it can be difficult to digest something this aggressive and impenetrable. It’s even more difficult, however, to deny it when a given record has sufficiently rocked one’s ass clean off.

5. New SC – More Success

New SC’s debut, New Success, introduced Columbia to this six-deep collective of emcees, guided by Fat Rat da Czar. As solid as the mixtape was, More Success finds New SC a little older, a little wiser, and draped regally in the sort of swaggering confidence perfectly suited to a group with the single-minded, sink-or-swim-together mentality that defines their latest work.

4. fk. mt. – fertilizer

The best kind of punk rock always arises when a band simply wants to rock as best they can, only to find that they can’t repress their natural penchant for raunchy aggression and a spitfire attitude. fk. mt. may not consider themselves a punk band, but neither did Nirvana, the band’s closest aesthetical antecedent.

3. Danny Joe Machado – D A N A S C U S

With Danascus, Daniel Machado gave us not only another document of his exceptional songwriting, but the most lovably unlikeable musical character since Tony Clifton. It’s a pie-eyed treatise on the egos and insecurities of creative people and, like all good satire, the truths it illuminates are funny and uncomfortable and brilliant and sad.

2. Marshall Brown – Second Childhood

Reviews of Marshall Brown’s early work were prone to Jeff Buckley comparisons because of his extraterrestrial vocal range and light musical touch, but Second Childhood’s pop adventurousness reveals an artist more in stride with Sergeant Pepper-era Paul McCartney or Pet Sounds’ Brian Wilson. This may well sound like bold praise, but it’s also a bold record, and one that only gets better with each listen.

1. Brian Robert – 1117 Magnolia

At least from a male point of view, appreciating Brian Robert’s solo debut is a dual exercise in catharsis and masochism. On one hand, his everyman tales of late-night bars, unreachable women, and the painful process of getting to know oneself transcend those of most country and Americana artists of any level. On the other hand, to uncover bits of your life in his lyrics is to confront the aspects of yourself most of us would prefer to sweep aside. Brian Robert sings on behalf of every well-intentioned asshole among us, and does so with a vocal sadness that all but wrings out the heart.

Ballots collected from Kyle Petersen, David Travis Bland, Greg Slattery, and Michael Spawn. All words by Michael Spawn.

CMA Curator & Frequent Jasper Contributor Will South to Exhibit Work at Gallery West

Gallery West, located at 134 State Street in West Columbia, will host a special exhibition of recent work by artist Will South from January 26 through March 13, 2016. A wine and hors d'oeuvres Opening Reception will be held at the gallery on Tuesday, January 26 from 6:00-9:00 pm.

Will South, a frequent contributor to Jasper Magazine, has become known on the Columbia scene over the past four years for his work at the Columbia Museum of Art, but also for his role as a painter in his own right. Wearing two hats, in Will's view, is fine "as long as the hats fit." 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.

In a number of his most recent paintings, the influence of art history is out in the open. One painting features a lounging cat with a painting by the great Italian modern Modigliani in the background. The Modigliani is interrupted by a floral spray, and the entire image is in a blurred, smoky light. There is no specific message here (or in any of the work, according to the artist) other than the poetry of the moment. The Modigliani in question sold recently for 170 million dollars, but the cat sharing its space is completely unconcerned. The atmosphere is one of quiet and detachment, where, for the artist, what is depicted supports the mood first and foremost.

In addition to oils on canvas, Will is a prolific draftsman and a number of recent figure drawings will be featured. His attitude toward figure work is unabashedly selfish: "The world doesn't need any more figure drawings, but I do, and so that's why I make them. There is a world of difference between hearing someone sing and singing yourself. Happily, in the shortness of life, we get to do both."

Civil Blood Makes Civil Hands Unclean: Jason Stokes Premiers Original Historical Screenplay, Composure - by Haley Sprankle

 

Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Columbia where we lay our scene...

The year is 1903. The Tillman family, headed by the Lieutenant Governor for the State of South Carolina, and the Gonzales family, headed by the founder of The State newspaper, are in a known feud. This ancient grudge (that began in the 1880s) broke to new mutiny as Lieutenant Governor James H. Tillman murders NG Gonzales.

That’s where local actor, filmmaker, and screenwriter Jason Stokes’ story begins.

“I first heard about this story at my ‘real’ work (Media Director for the South Carolina Bar) in 2000 during a presentation on the subject by Donnie Myers. I was fascinated by the story in part because of the sensational nature of the crime, but the more I began to research the story I realized that there was much more to it than just a murder and a murder trial,” Stokes explains.  “The Tillmans and The Gonzaleses were two powerful families in the city of Columbia who did not like each other for various reasons. This feud began in the late 1880’s and continued even after the events of January 15, 1903. During that time one side wielded power and opinion in the public press while the other side railed against the Gonzaleses and The State newspaper with every stump speech.”

This Saturday, Stokes presents an original screenplay titled Composure based on this rich piece of Columbia’s history. His cast includes such luminary local talent such as Paul Kaufmann, Eric Bultman, Stann Gwynn, Terrance Henderson, Hunter Boyle, Clint Poston, Katie Leitner, Stan Gardner, G. Scott Wild, Libby Campbell, Kevin Bush, Jonathan Jackson, Nate Herring, and Kendrick Marion.

“I’ve been very fortunate not only to have these talented actors lend their craft to this project but they are also valued friends and colleagues. I promise to anyone in attendance, if the story doesn’t impress you the talent certainly will,” Stokes says.

While Stokes is certainly no stranger to the Columbia arts community, having been seen in productions ranging from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof to Rent, not many know that he is a writer.

“I began writing just after my father passed away in 1989. My mother gave me a notebook to write down memories of my father when I had them but, being an adolescent, as I started writing down a memory or story it would veer away from facts to whatever fiction my mind was dreaming up at the time. So I’ve been writing for the last 27 years (to varying degrees of success),” Stokes said.

After writing about 30 screenplays, some of which have television spec scripts pitched to shows such as The West Wing and Castle, Stokes has developed his own style and writing process.

“Each screenplay is different, but they all seem to start before I really know where they are going. For example, I’ll write a scene that I either have no idea what it’s trying to say in a grand scheme, or I don’t know where it belongs in the story I’m thinking about,” Stokes delineates. “Composure was no different. The surface story was there but to make it interesting and make it build to something that makes people think was the challenge. This being a historical piece I just kept doing more and more research to see if I could find anything new to add to the layers, which took time. I worked off-and-on on the screenplay for about three years, and it wasn’t until I decided to begin with the murder and then bounce back and forth in time during the trial, to add the ‘why’ of the murder, that made it really exciting for me to want to write it.”

Being an actor himself adds a particularly interesting dynamic to Stokes’ work and process, as well.

“As an actor, it’s always a blessing to work on a well written piece of work, Tennessee Williams, Terrance McNally, Jonathan Larson, you want to chew on it as long as you can because really good, juicy dialogue and lyrics don’t come around all the time. So when I write I like to think of the story and dialogue in the vein; Would this be something I would want to sink my teeth into as an actor and rejoice in the fact that I GET to say these lines and tell this story?” Stokes adds.

Don’t miss the two hours’ traffic of the Trustus Side Door Theatre this Saturday, January 16 for free! Doors and bar open at 6:30 with the performance beginning at 7:30.

“Opinion reporting is nothing new, as evident by this story, but with the advent of technology and polarizing news outlets only compounding the divisive nature and climate I think we find ourselves in today, this is a true story that still has relevance and meaning,” Stokes says. “No one story, one person, one political ideology can be measured strictly in absolutes. If the audience can be entertained and enlightened in some way through the events of these gentlemen, then maybe the cast and I will have offered a different perspective in which to view our own world.”

New Work from Michaela Pilar Brown by Alivia Seely

Michaela Pilar Brown brings her installment piece titled “Where They Cut Her I Bleed” to the Tapp’s Art Center, with an opening reception on Thursday, January 7.

This installment is a part of a three part body of work titled “Mother Wound.” Each installment explores Brown’s residential research project of generational trauma and violence against black women. “I take the exploration of violence and the empathy, or lack thereof, of the greater population and study the current movements in social justice, including black lives matter,” says Brown.

The exhibition will be presented in two dimensional, three dimensional and performance art. The piece will feature many materials like paper, fabric, cast plaster, sound objects and much more.

With a degree in sculpture and art history from Howard University, Brown is able to take her studies and her passion of narratives and fuse the past and present of “age, race, gender, sexuality and history. ... All of my work over the last ten years has had to do with issues of black women. I take frames of the vision of the black female body in the current culture,” says Brown.

Brown has always immersed herself in arts culture and objects, having “cut [her] teeth in the halls of the museum where [her] mother worked.” Her exhibitions have been shown in Washington D.C. and throughout the state of South Carolina. Brown has also done non-profit work and work in arts education. Now she resides in Columbia, South Carolina.

Brown is also an Artist in Residence at Tapp’s Art Center. “Tapp’s has provided me to work in an area outside my own house. It provides me a bit of isolation and to think without the pressure of producing a final object, and it gives me the opportunity to explore and experiment,” says Brown.

Following this exhibition opening, Brown will also perform Mother Wound live January 21 at McMaster Gallery. The live performance will feature sounds, video projection and body markings. It may also contain nudity and provocative subject matter.

Brown encourages her audience to consider their personal experiences in order to fully immerse themselves in the piece and to have conversations with one another.

The reception starts at 6 p.m. at Tapp’s Art Center. For more information about Brown or to see pictures of her previous work, visit her website michaelapilarbrown.blogspot.com.

The Top Eight Films I Didn’t See This Year -- By Wade Sellers

I watched a lot of films this year. Thanks to pay cable getting their streaming catalogs stocked with quality films, I may have watched more films than in any year prior. The frustration I have with myself is that I missed seeing many of these on a big screen. There is no substitute for a theater. Netflix will never be able to change this, no matter how dark the room, good the sound, and large the television. Others on this list haven’t made it to our part of the world yet. Either way, I’m excited to resolve myself to go through this list as my new year begins. I suggest you do the same.

45 Years

If Michael Caine taught that film acting is in the eyes, then Charlotte Rampling is one of the best in the business. Rampling co-stars with veteran English actor Tom Courtney in this film about a couple planning the celebration of their 45^th wedding anniversary. A week before the party a letter arrives for Courtney’s character that informs him that the body of his first love has been discovered, frozen, in the Swiss Alps. Directed by Andrew Haigh, this drama opened December 23^rd for a limited run. I first remember Rampling’s unforgettable longing stare as she starred with Paul Newman in the 1982 film The Verdict and have loved it ever since. They are a couple of deep eyes that can only be seen on the big screen. Find the film somewhere and you’ll see what I mean.

A Most Violent Year

In my opinion, Oscar Isaac stole the movie Drive from Ryan Gosling. It was the first time I remembered him in a role. I wasn’t the only one. The Coen Brothers picked him to lead Inside Llewyn Davis (on reflection one of the best films of the 2010’s). Along with Academy Award nominee Jennifer Chastain, Isaac stars in the crime drama from J.C. Chandor. Quite honestly, I have no idea how I haven’t seen this film. It was released at the beginning of the year, received mixed reviews, but over the following months has picked up some strong momentum. The poster image is staring at me on Netflix so I don’t have any more excuses.

Room

I’m always wary whenever I see features about a film before it’s release that focus on the production. With Room the focus was on the interior set that was built for the film and how the filmmakers created a set of rules when filming. My first thought is that the distributor’s PR department is pulling a sleight of hand away from the mass appeal of a film. The film’s star, Brie Larson, picked up a Golden Globe nomination for her role as a woman held captive for many years and the resulting adjustment for her and her young son when they are freed and have to adjust to the outside world. I’m excited to see if this film can move past the Mamet view of theater blocking caught on film to small location indie cinema in the tradition of Hard Candy and Reservoir Dogs.

Carol

Todd Haynes film Safe could be my favorite film of all time. His student film Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story is one that made me want to be a filmmaker. I don’t think the man has made a bad film and I get frustrated he isn’t more widely celebrated as one of our great filmmakers. The man just makes great films that reflect on us as individuals and a society; I’m biased. I also anticipate that his film Carol, an adaptation of the 1952 novel The Price of Salt, will do nothing to harm the opinions of his filmmaking. The fact that Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara and Kyle Chandler star only make it more attractive. The film is set in New York City and follows a young photographer and her relationship with and older woman. There is something magical about seeing a film in the city it takes place. I missed seeing this film the week before Christmas while visiting New York City and already regret it.

Tangerine

I may have been cheating so I could add Sean S. Baker’s film to this list. Tangerine has been staring at me on Netflix for over a week and at one point I think I hit play but the internet went out. Either way I’ll be watching it soon, probably before you read this list. Baker got his start as the creator of Greg The Bunny, and since then has accumulated an impressive list of small indie films as writer/director. Tangerine is his latest. The drama/comedy follows Sin-Dee Rella, a transgender sex worker just finishing a month long prison sentence who finds that her boyfriend and Pimp, Chester, has been cheating on her. I was worried that the fact that this film was shot entirely on an iPhone was being used as a hook for a film that may be one dimensional in story. After I read a couple of reviews of the film from those I respect it is the first I’ll be watching from this list.

Dope

I think I missed Rick Famuyiwa’s film Dope because I was out of the country on vacation when it was released. I saw the film’s trailer before a screening at the Nickelodeon and didn’t give it a thought afterwards until I was compiling this list. I feel like a lazy film writer for doing so. Forget the talented list of names that are behind this project, or Famuyiwa’s strong directorial history (Talk To Me was as good as a biographical drama gets), I just like seeing films that tell stories that it seems would never be told if it weren’t for the group who championed it. I also like seeing new young talent take over a big screen and hope they have a bright future. The screen will probably have to be small when I watch this movie in the coming weeks, but I’m sure the talent will still shine through.

Hitchcock/Truffaut

After graduating my college film program, I found out there was a book that was a result of filmmaker Francois Truffaut and Alfred Hitchcock locking themselves away in Hollywood for a week so Truffaut could mine Hitchcock’s brain about his approach to filmmaking. I loved Truffaut and I loved Hitchcock. I was pissed. Why was this never brought up? How deficient was my instruction? I still include it among the three publications that I feel are the only books a film student needs- along with David Mamet’s On Directing and Edward Dmytyk’s On Film Editing. Kent Jones’ documentary collects interviews with well respected filmmakers and mixes their praise with audio that Truffaut recorded during his sessions with Hitchcock. You may have to be a film nerd to make it through the whole film (I couldn’t make it through a film with famous salesmen talking about the two of the best salesmen who met to talk about how they sell), and it is quite possible the film may ruin the way you watch movies, but so what- educate yourself, Son.

The Forbidden Room

If you pushed me for an answer about my favorite filmmakers, there is Guy Maddin and everyone else. His films are, in my opinion, what filmmaking should be about. There is no grey area with this statement. He just gets what being cinematic is all about. He’s not Scorsese or Anderson or any of the great names, but that’s the point. He is his own voice and influence. I watched my first guy Maddin film from a VHS tape I grabbed off of a shelf at the SC Arts Commission Media Center- you know, back when our state supported things like young filmmakers by offering them the tools to make films at reasonably low rental rates. I popped the tape in and instantly knew that I had never seen anything else like what was in front of my eyes. The best part is that over the years I have found that his films work on big screens and small screens. Maddin is a prolific filmmaker and artist and The Forbidden Room is his latest. It may be twenty-five years too late for you, but find a film of his and make it your New Year’s Resolution to watch it.

What were the top films you DID or DIDN'T see this year? Share below!

Wade Sellers is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker and the Film Editor for Jasper Magazine.