REVIEW: Miss Bennet Christmas at Pemberley by Frank Thompson

(Clockwise from upper left) Martha Hearn Kelly, Marshall Spann, Hillary Scales-Lewis, G. Scott Wild, Jennifer Lucas O’Brient, Tashera Pravato-Hutchenson, Kira Nessel, Charles Bingley

The Yuletide is fully upon us, and one of the hallmarks of the season is getting together and spending time with old friends, some of whom you may not have visited in years. Such was certainly the case for this reviewer/bibliophie, who enjoyed a delightful evening in the company of a handful of classic Jane Austen characters last Saturday night at Trustus Theatre. Miss Bennet: Christmas At Pemberley is a lighthearted, oft-hilarious, affectionately cheeky sequel to Austen’s novel, Pride And Prejudice. Set two years after the events of the original story, we find the still-single Mary Bennett just as bookish, and perhaps slightly more sardonic than ever. The family circle is gathering for Christmas, with much excitement and befuddlement over the Christmas tree, a new holiday novelty of the era, only recently adopted from German culture. Lizzy Bennet, now Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy, is a bit less than thrilled that her husband has invited the socially awkward but charming Arthur de Bourgh to join the family for the merriment, but welcomes him warmly, as does the rest of the group. Kittenish younger sister Lydia amuses herself by chasing de Bourgh around the house with mistletoe, despite his bumbling efforts to dissuade her from her pursuit, while the fourth Bennet daughter, Jane, does her best to remain calm and relaxed as she awaits the any-minute-now arrival of her first child with husband Charles Bingley. A few comedic mishaps aside, all seems to be going smoothly, with the cozily predictable romance between Mary and Arthur developing slowly over their shared love of books and intellectualism, until Arthur’s in-name-only fiancée, Anne, shows up in full hauteur. The second act moves briskly, but pulls back slightly on the pace of the storytelling, allowing for several glimpses into the characters and their motivations. Multiple minor revelations, in tandem with a couple of significant eleventh-hour reveals, allow for a happy ending and the promise of contentment for all.

Director Libby Hawkins clearly loves the material, providing her cast with solid guidance and a well-developed sense of the show’s heightened reality. There’s more comedy here than in Pride And Prejudice, but Hawkins never allows the material to evolve into parody or satire. The direction is respectful to the source material without going so far as to lose its sense of freshness. Two subtle choices are perfectly integrated into the action, nicely counterbalancing the formality of speech and conduct that establish the period with a contemporary accessibility. The first is physical in nature, with the characters using gestures and movements that, while not at all anachronistic, could easily be seen in the interaction of young adults in 2019. It’s a small button on an already clearly defined universe, but it truly helps to draw the audience into the goings-on while humanizing what could have easily been a stereotypical set of 19th century formal poses and strictly choreographed standing, sitting, and grandly sweeping exits. The second choice is to punctuate scene changes and the passing of time with modern (well, 1960s and forward) Christmas tunes. From “Step Into Christmas” to “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” with such emotionally evocative musical checkpoints as “Blue Christmas” and “Please Come Home For Christmas” along the way, the production’s soundtrack entertains while gently reminding the audience that family and romantic entanglements are as timeless and sometimes messy as modern relationships.

The performances are, as is almost always the case at Trustus, polished and professional. In the title role, Martha Hearn Kelly skillfully walks a tightrope between loveable nerdiness and low-grade bitchiness toward those around her, and succeeds in creating a sympathetic and relatable character. Kelly’s Mary Bennet doesn’t suffer fools lightly, but there’s obviously a great deal of warmth beneath her icily intellectual façade. When we see her fall to despair, (don’t worry, it all works out) Kelly’s full commitment to Mary’s emotions reveals a tender, delicate soul who is more easily wounded than one might have predicted based on the early scenes. As her clumsily dashing counterpart, Marshall Spann brings Arthur de Bourgh to gloriously befuddled life, imbuing meaning and texture to every stammer, nervous tic, and forced chuckle. Tall, handsome, and wealthy, de Bourgh is set up from the start to eventually reveal the Superman we all knew was beneath his Clark Kent exterior all along. Not only does he find his backbone and win the love of his lady fair, he also provides a deus ex machina moment toward the conclusion that proves compassion and kind-heartedness to be prominent among his many good qualities. As boy-crazy Lydia, Kira Nessel enters with all the giddy naughtiness of a sorority girl on spring break, but doesn’t waste time in establishing Lydia as a semi-tragic figure making the best of a distant and unhappy marriage to an oft-absent husband. As with Kelly and Spann, Nessel begins as a caricature that soon becomes three-dimensional. (A tip of the hat to playwrights Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon, who provide an artfully crafted script which handles exposition and character intros early on, then allows the story to blossom as the characters unfold.) Having recently shared the stage with Nessel in OnStage Productions’ Oliver!, I was particularly impressed with her versatility. As Oliver!’s Nancy, she showed that she could play rough-edged with a heart of gold, while her Lydia exudes grace and privilege.

The rest of the cast has a bit less stage time than the three mentioned above, but this is most definitely an ensemble piece. G. Scott Wild, known for his facility with gruff, blustery characters, takes a softer, more avuncular approach to Mr. Darcy, and his scenes with Hillary Scales-Lewis’ Mrs. Darcy (nee Lizzy Bennet) exude warmth and mutual love. Scales-Lewis is a consistent ray of sunshine; her Lizzy cheerfully dismissing any wisecracks about her Christmas tree, and taking seemingly endless delight in the quirks and caprices of those around her. Wild and Scales-Lewis have outstanding chemistry, and I hope to see them paired onstage again soon. Tashera Pravato-Hutchenson is a soothingly maternal oasis of calm within the comedic hurricane surrounding her. Jane Bennet’s pregnancy isn’t a hugely significant plot point, but it does open opportunities for Pravato-Hutchenson to ground the lunacy through her aura of confident, quiet serenity. Her scenes with Vincent Sanders’ Charles Bingley gently establish the dynamic of a young couple starting out to create their own family. Sanders takes Bingley in a somewhat traditional leading-man direction, assisting his wife, paying respects to his host and hostess, and joining Mr. Darcy in offering brotherly romantic advice to the perplexed Arthur. This makes his second-act freakout all the more hilarious, having seen him hold it together for most of the show. As Anne, Jennifer Lucas O’Brient provides something of a mirror-image of Nessel’s Lydia, introducing the audience to a character who turns out to be far more than she at first appears. I can’t provide too many details without unraveling some nice surprises, but will say that O’Brient’s arc provides the most unexpected of character reveals, and she demonstrates Anne’s growth with great aplomb. As Gilbert & Sullivan wrote, “things are seldom what they seem,” and O’Brient’s Anne proves the axiom. Almost all the characters go through changes, but Anne’s is arguably the most dramatic.

Martha Hearn Kelly and Marshall Spann

Set Designer Sam Hetler and Property Master Matthew DeGuire have collaborated to create a most believable Victorian drawing room, complete with richly upholstered furniture and period bric-a-brac, and Costume Designer Janine McCabe has dressed the cast in an array of well-chosen colors and textures which evoke the period while quietly reinforcing each character’s persona. McCabe embraces the reality of an age when people changed clothes numerous times a day, and provides each actor with what appears to be a sumptuously stocked wardrobe. (Full confession: while getting a drink at intermission, I was asked what I liked best about the show, and without even pondering, I said “Oh my God, the costumes!”)

Miss Bennet: Christmas At Pemberley runs through 21 December, so there’s still time to work it into your holiday schedule, but tickets are likely to go quickly. As much as we all love Scrooge, Ralphie, George Bailey, and Charlie Brown, it’s most refreshing and fun to enjoy a new Christmastime entertainment featuring beloved characters, and this show more than fills the bill.

-FLT3

Frank Thompson is proud to serve as Theatre Editor for JASPER.

Eileen Blyth Takes on Final Tiny Gallery at Tapp's This Thursday

While our Tiny Gallery Series at Tapp’s Arts Center will conclude on Thursday night, we are working to find locations for the interim month Tiny Galleries as we wait to move into our new home in 5 Points.

Jasper is excited to welcome esteemed sculptor and visual artist Eileen Blyth to the Tiny Gallery Series on Thursday, December 5, 2019 during our final Tiny Gallery show at Tapp’s Arts Center.

The Tiny Gallery Series, under the direction of Jasper Project board member Christina Xan, was developed in 2018 as a unique way to challenge artists to create smaller art pieces at smaller price points, consequently allowing for collection and appreciation of art by art lovers on more fixed budgets, including young folks who are just starting their careers, students, and artists themselves. During this time of year, it’s also a great time for Christmas shopping for your special friends.

We are particularly excited to host local sculptor and visual artist Eileen Blyth, whose work is typically large scale and sometimes sight specific.

2011

2012

Originally from Charleston, Eileen has always thought of herself as a painter. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of Charleston where she studied under William Halsey and John Michel.

Halsey’s use of color, texture and humor was an influence on how she approached her work. She also studied graphic design at The University of South Carolina.

According to Blyth, “There are times when I have an idea in my head of how a painting or sculpture will go. Most always, as I work, a completely different thing happens, as if the paint or object had a plan of its’ own. Somewhere between building a structure or making and erasing marks there is a shift. It is that moment of knowing, of seeing that shape or line, of finding the composition that is the exciting thing for me.”

“On the Fence”

Blyth continues, “My head is full of thoughts, conscience and sub-conscience. I am in conversation, or meditating, over analyzing, or simply joyfully reacting to an environmentally inspired mood. Bold lines are followed by quieter thoughtful ones as if i am having a discussion; debating. Sometimes it amuses me. Sometimes it is frustrating. I am digging in, digging deep. It has to feel authentic. I am trying to discover, not just repeat the same words over and over. My mood may change from one day to the next so balancing the conversation, being consistent in thought; one conversation at a time, is impossible. I usually work on 4 or 5 pieces at a time, turning from a painting to a sculpture and then to yet another painting in one session. Starting on the floor, I may be moving paint and lines around. Then, I find myself in another corner of the studio playing with a piece of worn wood and rusted nails. It makes perfect sense that I see my lines in my sculpture and my sculpture in my drawings but it always surprises me. I like experiencing that same moment of surprise when a viewer, for just one second, isn't sure what they are looking at.”

Join us at the Jasper Project Studio #7 tomorrow (Thursday) night, December 6th starting at 6 pm for our final Tapp’s Tiny Gallery as we celebrate the work of Eileen Blyth.

Artist Eileen Blyth

REVIEW-- Marjorie Prime at Trustus

Trustus Offers A Smart, Thought-Provoking Marjorie Prime

By Frank Thompson

Len Marini

While talking with a good friend just before the performance of Trustus Theatre’s Marjorie Prime, I picked up a most interesting statement which I wish I could claim as my own. “I steer away from using the term science fiction when describing this show, because I don’t want to scare people away.” Aside from a small internal grumble that quite a few of us would love to see a play grounded in science fiction, I completely understood his point. Marjorie Prime, playing a limited engagement through this weekend at Trustus Theatre, may not involve spaceships, light sabers, or fiendish plots by alien villains bent on ruling the universe, but it takes a near-future scientific development and explores how technology can (and does) alter the human experience. Staged on the diagonal, (or on the bias for those who sew) the show is viewed much in the style of a football or basketball game, with the audience observing from the bleachers on both sides. While on the surface a fun, clever, idea for giving Marjorie Prime a fresh look, the seating also subtly reinforces the adversarial nature between Marjorie (Len Marini) and her daughter, Tess (Becky Hunter.) As with a sporting event, the teams have firmly established end zones. Marjorie seldom, if ever, ventures beyond her sitting room, which is located on one end of the set. Her computer-generated husband, Walter (Clint Poston) never leaves her side, moving to a quiet space just behind her chair when he needs to disappear. Tess, for the most part, remains solidly in her comfort area of the kitchen, located as far as possible from Marjorie, while her husband, Jon, (Glenn Rawls) works the entire playing space, underscoring his role as referee and peacemaker. Hats off to director Elena Martinez-Vidal for this visually and dramatically effective detail in blocking.

Martinez-Vidal has also clearly worked her team of pros on digging deeply into Jordan Harrison’s script, a 2015 Pulitzer Prize Finalist. Without revealing too many specifics, the gist of the story is that in the year 2050, the technology exists to create replicas of deceased loved ones. As with many of today’s smart devices, the more it learns, the more accurately the simulation can tailor itself to its users’ needs and memories. When elderly Marjorie starts spending more and more time talking to her ersatz husband, (long dead, but here appearing as she recalls him; a handsome man in early middle age) Tess begins to worry about the psychological and ethical implications of the arrangement. Jon simply wants to preserve household peace while defending an almost 90-year-old woman’s right to be happy in her final years, opting to simply indulge Marjorie in enjoying what seems to him little more than a child’s toy.  As the show progresses, the very concepts of reality and simulation begin to intersect, ending with a fully resolved plot that still manages to leave the audience with questions. If your plans for the evening include a drink with fellow playgoers after seeing Marjorie Prime, I promise you’ll have plenty to discuss.

The cast is a well-known quartet of Columbia theatre regulars, with Len Marini turning in a tour-de-force performance in the title role. Her Marjorie is aged and infirm, but still sufficiently aware of her surroundings to wage an ongoing battle of wills against her daughter, a dynamic through which Marini succeeds at demonstrating an iron will inside a rapidly-declining body, with a mind in the early stages of dementia. Marjorie is neither all victim nor all aggressor, and Marini creates a three-dimensional character with whom the audience sympathizes, but isn’t afraid to allow Marjorie to occasionally wander into the grey area of human nature.

Len Marini and Clint Poston

As the incarnation of Walter, Marjorie’s late husband, Clint Poston shines in a fine example of stylized acting that impresses in both its subtlety and effectiveness. As it is revealed (minor spoiler alert) that Walter is still relatively new, he asks lots of questions, and often responds in an intelligent, yet childlike manner. I was reminded of the vocal cadence of Iain Armitage, the child actor in the title role of the TV series, Young Sheldon, as Poston delivered his perfectly-crafted sentences with an innocent lilt to his speech. The show’s opening scene, with Poston’s youthful singsong playing against Marini’s realistic older-person vernacular, is one of the show’s most fascinating, as it begins to define the reality of the script’s universe. The slightly disjointed quality to their wordplay establishes a set of rules in which we soon discover that truth and fantasy have become more subjective concepts in the near future.

Becky Hunter, as usual, turns in a solid, textured performance as Tess, Marjorie’s realistic and put-upon daughter. In her early fifties and frustrated by her role as caretaker to her elderly mother, Tess yearns for a life of her own, yet takes her filial duties to heart. Hunter gives the audience glimpses of the girlishness still alive in Tess, while overlaying her interpretation with a world-weariness oft associated with those who have been forced to grow old before their time. In the hands of a less skillful actor, Tess could have come off as shrill or unlikeable, but Hunter infuses the role with an undeniable warmth and obvious love for Marjorie and Jon.

Speaking of Jon, somehow this was my first time seeing Glenn Rawls onstage, and I do hope it won’t be the last. With a four-or-five day scruff and an untucked sports shirt, Rawls brings to life easygoing peacemaker, Jon, which may well be the most layered role in Marjorie Prime. While an interesting person in his own right, Jon is also the lens of reality through which we are able to catch an accurate glimpse of the other three characters. Rawls establishes Jon as an individual by the sincerity and realism with which he handles sharing a home with a dysfunctional parent/child team, the latter of whom happens to be his wife. Jon is far from cheerless, yet Rawls invokes a feeling of hopeful melancholy in his interpretation. Jon has not given up hope, but he has abandoned unrealistic optimism.

Becky Hunter and Glenn Rawls

On the tech side, Sam Hetler’s set is sleek and minimalist, as is usually the case in the intimate Side Door Theatre at Trustus. Hetler has done his usual fine job of making use of every inch of available space, and in making a black box space seem roomy. Laura Anthony’s lighting is also somewhat basic, yet never feels skimpy. One of her best effects occurs when a specific twist in reality happens repeatedly as a plot device. A simple pop of light, (accented by an appropriate noise from Sound Designer Patrick Michael Kelly) lasting maybe a second, clearly establishes what otherwise could be a somewhat confusing plot convention. Costume Designer Abigail McNeely has dressed her actors in contemporary casual, which suits the script perfectly. Any attempt to suggest a “futuristic” fashion sense would have robbed this cerebral piece of its grounding in reality, and McNeely has wisely avoided such.

Part family drama, part cultural think piece, and part morality play, Marjorie Prime also has a sprinkling of The Twilight Zone about it. It’s an intelligent and provocative work that reflects Trustus’ mission to present new and timely theatre, as well as a most enjoyable show. The run is limited, with performances 13-16 November, at 8pm, with a 2pm matinee also on Saturday. Tickets can be ordered online at Trustus.org, or by ringing the box office on (803) 254.9732.

Frank Thompson is proud to serve as Theatre Editor for JASPER.

Nominations Open for Jasper Artists of the Year (JAYs) 2019

Jasper is excited to add a new art discipline to the Jasper Artists of the Year Awards this year -- Film!

Filmmakers should have had work screened in a theater, film festival, broadcast, or through a streaming service between November 2018 and November 2019.

Please follow the attached guidelines for submitting your nominations. Deadline is December 1st!

Nominations for

Jasper Artists of the Year 2019

in

Dance, Music, Theatre, Literature, & Visual Arts

Will be accepted from Sunday November 3rd through Sunday December 1st

Individual Artists, 18 and older, working in the greater Columbia arts community are eligible for the title based upon their artistic accomplishments during the period from November 1, 2018 through November 3, 2019.

Nominations MUST be sent to editor@Jaspercolumbia.com with the subject heading “Artist of the Year” and MUST be accompanied by a numbered list of works or accomplishments produced or performed during the designated time period.

Artists MUST be made aware of their nomination before their official nomination and agree to participate in the competition.

Upon closing of the nomination call, a panel of judges will select the top three candidates in each field, and the public will be invited to vote online for their top choices.

Finalist results will be announced in early December.

The JAY 2019 Awards celebration will take place in January 2020 and the winners will be featured in the spring issue of Jasper Magazine.

The category Dance includes:  performance, choreography, or direction of any form of dance including, but not limited to ballet, contemporary, jazz, tap, ballroom, folk, or dance-based performance art.

The category Theatre includes: directing or acting in one or more local performances.

The category Music includes: conducting, directing, writing, or performing any style of music in one or more local concerts or recordings; both individuals and groups are eligible.

The category Visual Arts includes: the completion & presentation of a form of non-performing or non-literary arts, such as painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, print-making, mixed-media, etc.

The category Literary Arts includes: the completion, publication, and/or presentation of any form of prose, poetry, or non-fiction writing, as well as playwriting and the writing of executed screenplays.

NEW for 2019! The category Film Arts — Filmmakers should have had work screened in a theater, film festival, broadcast, or through a streaming service between November 2018 and November 2019. Please follow the attached guidelines for submitting your nominations. Deadline is December 1st!

Only individual artists may be considered for nomination. While arts groups, such as musical groups or arts troupes, are not eligible for consideration, individuals within those groups may be nominated. The purpose of the awards is to recognize artistic achievements accomplished within a calendar year. There is no fee to enter. Artists may nominate themselves.

Past Jasper Artists of the Year

2018

Darion McCloud, Trahern Cook, Monifa Lemons, Marcum Core

2017

Al Black, Fat Rat da Czar, Bakari Lebby, Cedric Umoja

2016

Michaela Pilar Brown, Baxter Engle, Mark Rapp, Len Lawsom

2015

Julia Elliott, Kimi Maeda, Dewey Scott-Wiley, Martha Brim, Craig Butterfield

2014

Catherine Hunsinger, Katie Smoak, Darian Cavanaugh, Kathleen Robbins, Greg Stuart

2013

Vicky Saye-Henderson, Terrance Henderson, The Restoration, Janna McMahan, Philip Mullen

2012

Regina Willoughby, Kwame Dawes, Morihiko Nakahara, Chad Henderson, Susan Lenz

Halloween Film Faves from Columbia Arts Friends & Neighbors

What Columbia’s Arts Community watches

when they stay home on Halloween

No offense to all of you with mad costume skills out there and those of you who live for Halloween each year as a time to dress up, go out, and show off your own personal magic. But for some of us who are either costume-challenged, lazy, tired, shy, or indifferent, our favorite way of celebrating Halloween is turning off the porch light, bogarting our favorite bags of sugar, and hunkering down on the couch with one of our favorite frightening flicks.

 If you find yourself if any of the above categories, you have nothing to fear but the films themselves.  Jasper polled some of Soda City’s artists, activists, admins, and supporters for their advice on the perfect way to spend a comfy-cozy Halloween night in our jammies celebrating Samhain with a favorite film.

Here’s what they shared with us. 

From Kristin Cobb, Executive director of Harbison Theatre at Midlands Technical College

“I am not a scary movie person - but I did love The Shining with Jack Nicholson!  Oh, and Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands.

Having had two kids four years apart, and living in the perfect “one street in” neighborhood,  we did lots of trick or treating.  It was always a family affair as my dad loved to come give out and eat the candy.  We always ordered pizza from the local Greek restaurant and red wine for the adults.  Halloween candy is a mainstay in my house from mid-October until the big day.  Who doesn’t love a fun size Snickers?

This year, Harbison Theatre at Midlands Technical College had some fun with a screening of the popular Hocus Pocus Halloween fave.”

From Chad Henderson, Artistic Director at Trustus Theatre

 “At Halloween, I often feel that as a theatre-artist that wearing a costume is something I do professionally when acting – so Halloween can feel like amateur night. While I’m actually breaking with tradition and plan on experiencing the Elmwood/Earlewood Halloween festivities this year, I usually make little to no effort to celebrate Halloween like I did in my college days (even then, I still made little to no effort in regards to a costume and focused on beer). I’m still not on task with selecting a costume for next week (if I even do it at all), but I look forward to seeing many friends from the neighborhood and witnessing the madness that I’ve never experienced but heard a lot about.

 Usually around this time of year, I try to get a viewing of It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown in, or the Garfield Halloween special. Though I haven’t done it this year, I also try to squeeze in a viewing of a classic horror film like Nightmare on Elm Street or Halloween. I did re-watch the first half of the 90s version of Stephen King’s IT with Tim Curry this month – does that count?

Chad is excited about the upcoming Trustus production of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize Finalist, Marjorie Prime for more info visit https://trustus.org/event/marjorie-prime/

Lee Snelgrove, executive director of One Columbia for Arts and Culture

“Favorite go-to Halloween flick - Beetlejuice, because I'm not a huge fan of scaarrrry movies. This one has the right mix of humor, spookiness and the special early-Tim Burton eeriness for me.  Halloween to me has always been less about frights and more about the strange and macabre. That's the vibe I get from Beetlejuice. 

 I'm probably going to enjoy plenty of candy (Kit Kat and Krackle for the win) on Halloween night since we don't get a whole lot of tricker-treaters at our house. So, I'm going to need something to counter that chocolatey sweetness and my go-tos are Irish whiskey or bourbon-barrel aged barleywines.”

 Lee is looking forward to Columbia’s new Public Art directory as well as Amplify Columbia

http://publicart.onecolumbiasc.com 

amplifycolumbia.org

From Martha Hearn Kelly, artistic director of The Mothers Comedy Group

“My favorite film for Halloween has to be Shaun of the Dead. Sharp, silly, and a bunch of zombies? You had me at ‘braaaaains.’ I prefer to watch with a pile of friends, a bag of Cheddar Sour Cream chips, and the candy I bought on sale November 1.

 Martha Hearn Kelly will be playing Mary Bennet in Trustus' upcoming production of Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberly.

Mark Ziegler is owner and Master designer hairstylist at Five Points Salon as well as musical theatre actor and company member at Trustus.

“So my favorite go to Movie for Halloween would definitely be the original Scream movie! Not just because, obviously, it has a cult following with all the sequels, but the original cast is stellar with great cameos and what not.  Over the past several years our group of friends has set up a porch party on Park Street and drank lots of libations and handed out candy to the many trick or treaters that come to Elmwood Park! It’s become quite the tradition!”

From Jay Matheson, owner of the Jam Room and director of the Jam Room Music Festival

“I don't have much of a Halloween tradition. I do watch some Halloween themed films leading up to the holiday then, if I'm home that night. I’ll do the same. My overall film selection is typically the original classics mixed with campier ‘50s – ‘70s horror.

I also throw in a Hammer versions of the Mummy, Frankenstein etc. Occasionally something new pops up that I want to watch but most modern horror isn't something that I enjoy.

As far as snacks go I cook organic popcorn in in a cast iron skillet with some real butter on it. Beer and then maybe a scotch at the end would be a beverage choice.

Jay is looking forward to the Brandy and the Butcher show coming up on November 15th.

From Faith Creech, co-owner of PMG Studios, co-director of Freedom Festival International, and director of public relations for Carolina Film Network

“My favorite movie to watch on Halloween is Hocus Pocus, because to me it embodies everything about the holiday.  There is nothing better than popping some popcorn, having a glass of wine and watching Hocus Pocus! 

Check out the Freedom Festival International at www.freedomfestfilm.com

From Angi Fuller Wildt, chief development officer at the Columbia Museum of Art

“The House on Haunted Hill (1959), starring Vincent Price. I first saw this scary film (to my 10-yr old self) when I had the chicken pox and my mom put a TV in my room. This was my first taste of late night TV – I also subjected myself to The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976), starring Jodie Foster and Martin Sheen, and Planet of the Apes (1968) – that Statue of Liberty scene spooked me! I like to revisit these classics on Halloween night as we don’t get trick-or-treaters on my street. Red wine goes well with mini candy bars in Halloween-colored wrappers for these viewings.”

Angi is looking forward to the classic sci-fi and horror film memorabilia exhibition, It’s Alive!, opening February 15th at the CMA.

+++++++

Whether you go out and treat yo’self this evening or stay in and shiver, from all of us at the Jasper Project to all of you …

-Cindi Boiter

Cindi is the executive director of the Jasper Project and the editor of Jasper Magazine

REVIEW: Much Ado About Nothing at USC

Come, come, we are friends: let's have a dance ere
we are married, that we may lighten our own hearts
and our wives' heels. — Benedick, Much Ado About Nothing

In a cheeky twist on the title of Shakespeare’s comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, The UofSC Department of Theatre and Dance’s production of this First Folio play actually creates quite a bit of ado, or fuss, about a fairly straight-forward connivance—which was surely Shakespeare’s intention given that he wrote an entire play about a pair of vengeful practical jokes. But while this reviewer is nothing if not a fan of whimsy and irreverence, giving this production exceedingly high scores on the application of both, for some viewers the added bells and whistles might feel a bit gimmicky in places. That said, I had more fun at this production than at any of Shakespeare’s plays I’ve had the good fortune of seeing performed anywhere other than at the Globe or the Sam Wannamaker playhouse in London.

The key to the success of this production is its accessibility. And it is precisely the extraneous bonuses—the use of pop music, the incongruous costuming by Kristy Leigh Hall, the full-company pop-up choreography by Andre Megerdichian—that break through what sometimes seem to be immovable obstacles in the way of fully appreciating a play that was written in 1599 a full four hundred and twenty years later.

The reality is that enjoying Shakespeare requires work for even the above-average audience member. From the early modern English language, which was less than 100 years old when Shakespeare created the majority of his works (and subsequently recorded a few thousand words for the first time in history), to the patriarchal influences on casting, plot, and whether characters live happily ever after or not, fully appreciating Shakespeare can surely be enhanced by tactics and ploys that make the purpose of the play more meaningful to the audience.  

Perhaps director Dustin Whitehead had this in mind when he cast against gender several times in this production.

In the original play, Don John is the bastard brother, if you’ll pardon the anachronism, of Don Pedro (Nicholas Good). Don John, played with just the right amount of eye-rolling, cynicism, and indifference by Beck Chandler, carries a chip on his shoulder and likes to cause trouble where there is none. It is Don John’s interferences in the happiness of Claudio, a follower of Don Pedro, as he attempts to court and marry Hero, the daughter of Leonato who is the governor of Messina, a friend of Don Pedro’s, and the party’s host for a month of post-war R and R.

Through the machinations of Don John and his wicked sidekicks Borachio, played like sleaze in a leisure suit by Jacob Wilson, and Conrade, played against gender by Kinzie Correll, Claudio (Cameron Giordano) is led to believe that Hero (Ezri Fender) has been unfaithful. In a real dick move, Claudio waits until the wedding to accuse his betrothed of her dishonor, making the kind of scene that, in the 21st century, might more likely result in a well-aimed kick to the groin by the bride-to-be, but in Shakespeare’s day ostensibly causes Hero to fall out, faint, and, for all we know as we’re watching the play, die.

Here is where the cleverness of casting against gender, consequently creating a far more accessible message, comes in. Rather than cast Leonato as a man, Whitehead casts Leonata as a woman and has her played with great passion by Caroline Clarke. While at first Leonata condemns her daughter to death for her perceived transgression, the character ultimately becomes devoted to proving the innocence of her daughter and in what would have been read, with a male in the role, as a patriarchal defense of a family’s bloodline, the act becomes a feminist defense of a young woman’s integrity by a female champion.

Along those same lines, it is Friar Francis, played by Susan Swavely, who believes and defends Hero all along, and it is Constable Dogberry and partner, Verges, played brilliantly and also against gender by Cassidy Spencer and Lily Heidari respectively, who capture Conrade and Borachio and bring them to justice before Claudio and Don Pedro, clearing Hero’s name.

Consequently we have a version of the conflict resolution in Much Ado in which women band together to defend another unjustly accused woman, and I’m not sure what could be more 2019 than that.

It should be noted that in an overarching subplot of the play, which most might argue typically eclipses the primary plot, Beatrice, who is the niece of Leonata, engages in a classic Hepburn and Tracy/Muldur and Scully/Ross and Rachel romance with Lord Benedick, a soldier from Padua who fought in Pedro’s army. The couple, strongly played by Jordan Postal as Beatrice and Anthony Currie as Benedick, carry the weight of the characters well and shine particularly brightly during a musical interlude, set to an instrumental rendition of Lennon and McCartney’s “Come Together.” This is one of those places where Whitehead’s bonus bells and whistles really pay off. It is in this added intermezzo that the audience gets to witness the push and pull and all the acrobatics of a real love affair working its way into existence. Whereas Claudio declares his love for Hero and she basically says, Ok – Why Not? Beatrice and Benedick are strong-minded individuals who not only aren’t looking for love, they don’t want to identify themselves when love finds them. The audiences who see this version of Much Ado come away seeing the Beatrice and Benedick romance as real and meaningful rather than almost spiteful and trivial when depicted by dialogue alone.

It is, in many ways, the music that makes this performance progress particularly cohesively for a cast of primarily undergrad actors. And the stand out actors are the ones who begin the production in another added scene when Spencer and Heidari take the stage as the comically inept watchwomen sweeping up, preparing for the day, and ultimately singing and accompanying themselves on piano, as do several characters throughout the play. Having seen these young women perform lead roles this summer in Montgomery at Trustus Theatre it was a gift to see them together again. Spencer rises well to the traditionally comical challenge the character of Dogberry demands and Heidari is right there with her.

The lone MAT student, Amber Coulter, in the role of Margaret, also offers a stand-out performance, of note not only due to her comic timing but her confidence and ease of delivery, as well. Having performed in seven shows on the main stage at USC, (this reviewer remembers her from Top Girls and The Crucible), Coulter is a fine example of the kind of theatre artist the UofSC Department of Theatre and Dance can produce.

Though not a perfect performance—Benedick could project more, for example—the choreographed (or were they blocked?) numbers made up in enthusiasm for what they lacked in technique, and Michael Taylor in the role of Ursula wore a skirt like nobody’s business. Audience members laughed, tapped their feet, and smiled broadly at the closing number. It was a joyous performance and, at the end, we could ask for little more.

The performance runs Thursdays through Sundays until November 9th at Longstreet Theatre and tickets are available at tickets.vendini.com

-Cindi Boiter

Cindi Boiter is the editor of Jasper Magazine and the executive director of the Jasper Project.

CMA Writer-in-Residence Ray McManus Brings Top Names to Poetry Summit

The Columbia Museum of Art’s (CMA) Writer-in-Residence, Ray McManus, will be hosting his newest project this coming weekend: a Poetry Summit featuring three award-winning poets: Nickole Brown, Jessica Jacobs, and Ashley M. Jones. During his residence last year, McManus developed the Write Around Series where local poets read ekphrastic work they write inspired by the CMA’s galleries. The Poetry Summit will be one half-day event that continues this tradition of celebrating the marriage of poetry and visual art.

The idea of a Poet Summit came to McManus from Kwame Dawes, back when the South Carolina Poetry Initiative would hold an annual event where poets came from around the state to both read and lead workshops at the CMA.

 “It was an amazing experience and helped to foster incredible comraderies that South Carolina poets still have today,” McManus recalls, “I want to try and bring that back.”

This summit is a workshop created for writers in any stage of their craft. Participants will work with each of the poets during the workshops, where they will gather ideas for crafting poems that push the boundaries of writing, especially in relation to art. Writers will ask themselves the questions: what do we feel when we are in the presence of art? How do others react to it? How do I put those concepts into words? And then, they will learn to generate their ideas so that both they, and others, can experience it.

McManus’ decision to bring in Brown, Jacobs, and Jones to lead this summit was not a difficult one, as he has been scheming of ways to bring these women to the city since he first encountered their poetry. He learned of Brown through her poem, “Fuck,” (a stunning read) and then met her in person during a reading in Nashville. McManus met Jacobs at this event as well, and “immediately ran out” to buy her debut collection, Pelvis with Distance.

“Both poets are just so inviting in their work and so generous with their spirit and kindness,” McManus expressed, “I knew if I could get them to Columbia, we would be better for it.”

He garners the same enthusiasm for Jones, who he met while doing a reading together at the WOW Symposium in Spartanburg. About her debut collection, Magic City Gospel, McManus most appreciates the way she “wrestles with place and the past” – two themes pervasive and pertinent in Southern writing.

Beyond his admiration for their work, McManus recognizes these poets as “seasoned, committed teachers when it comes to craft and pushing the boundaries of form.” As is apparent in their bios, they each have something unique and wonderful to bring to the table, some element within their souls to share to those who will participate – a way for all to grow together in their art.

Nickole Brown

Brown is the author of two books of poetry: Sister (2007) and Fanny Says (2015). The latter won the Weatherford Award for Appalachian Poetry. Brown is currently the editor for the Marie Alexander Poetry Series and teaches at two programs: the Sewanee School of Letters’ MFA Program and the Great Smokies Writing Program at UNC-Asheville. She currently lives in Asheville with her wife, fellow poet Jessica Jacobs. Brown released a chapbook, “To Those Who Were Our First Gods,” last year, and an extension of the ideas traversed in the collection will appear in a chapbook next year entitled “The Donkey Elegies.”

Jessica Jacobs

Jacobs is the author of two books of poetry: Pelvis with Distance (2015) and Take Me with You, Wherever You’re Going (2019). Her initial collection won the New Mexico Book Award in Poetry and was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award. Jacobs is no stranger to teaching, having both led workshops and been a professor in multiple programs including UNC-Wilmington. She is currently the chapbook editor for Beloit Poetry Journal and lives in Asheville, NC, with her wife, Nickole Brown. 

Ashley M. Jones

Jones is the author of two poetry collections: Magic City Gospel (2017) and dark / / thing (2019). She has received a multitude of awards for her work including the Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers Award, the Lena-Miles Wever Todd Prize for Poetry, and the Lucille Clifton Poetry Prize, among others. Currently, Jones teaches at both the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Alabama School of Fine Arts. She is also the founding director of the Magic City Poetry Festival, also in Birmingham.

Pretty impressive, right? I think McManus said it best – “Simply put, these three poets are some of the sweetest badasses I know.”

 The event takes place Sunday, November 3, from noon to 5:00 p.m. with a free public reading, book signing, and reception on Boyd Plaza at 4:00 p.m. Participation is $20 for non-members, $10 for members, and $5 for students with ID. Registration is required for the workshops, and the price of the ticket also includes admission to the galleries, including the new exhibit “Van Gogh and His Inspirations”. The public reading, book signing, and reception are free.

 For more information on how to experience what these poets have to offer, visit the CMA’s website: www.columbiamuseum.org. 

by Christina Xan

2nd Act Film Project Brings Filmmakers Back Year After Year

Back for its 6th installment, the Jasper Project is delighted to celebrate the 10 filmmaker team leaders whose 6 minute films will premiere on Wednesday October 30th at the 2019 2nd Act Film Project.

The brainchild of filmmaker and project director Wade Sellers and sponsored by the Jasper Project, 2nd Act Film Project is unique in its creative challenge, for seasoned and first-time filmmakers alike, in that the first and third acts of a screenplay are provided to the artists who, in turn, write the second act and create the film in its entirety.

Several veteran 2nd act filmmakers are returning to the project for the 2019 event including Ian O’Briant and Amy Brower.

Amy Brower is an actor, film maker and producer based in Columbia, SC. This is her 3rd year involved with 2nd Act. Her overall goal with the festival this year is to challenge herself as a writer and director and support and celebrate the film community in SC. It was a no-brainer for her to join the project again this year. “I just asked myself, ‘Why not?’ she says. “ I wear a lot of hats in the film world, but screen writer is a first for me. 2nd act is special because, unlike a 48, or a feature, it provides just the right kind of time line and writing prompt to fit into my already booked schedule.”

Amy Brower

Brower continues, “This year was about taking everything I’ve learned and linking arms with some of my favorite people and committing to tell a story that we hope people with connect with. As a film maker, I knew I wanted to share more of myself. 2nd Act film Project gave me the push I needed to actually make it happen.”

Ian O’Briant agrees. Having lived in Columbia since 2000, O’Briant shares a home with his wife and three children. A graduate of UofSC Media Arts, O’Briant is now an IT director after ten years as a multimedia journalist and television producer. The 2nd Act Project is his preferred annual outlet for all things sleepless and cinematic. 

Ian O’Briant

“I’m convinced that the 2nd Film Project is the best way to network with other artists and promote the very talented and growing community of motion media artists here in Columbia,” he says.

Filmmaker Jennifer Baxley is also returning to 2nd Act this year. According to Baxley, she “actually met President Trump during the auditions for Season Five of the Apprentice because of her first film (yes, hold your applause).”  For the 2019 project she is partnering with the law firm Baxley, Pellerin, and Lindley. In her other life, she is a software developer and an adjunct instructor for Midlands Technical College.  This will be her second foray into the 2nd Act Film Project.

Though this is his first experience with 2nd Act, David Axe is a veteran filmmaker based in Columbia, SC, who also writes, creates content for graphic novels, and serves as a freelance war correspondent. Axe wrote and produced The Theta Girl (2017) and wrote and directed Azrael (2019) and Shed (2019). His goal in producing a short for 2nd Act Film Project is to make something memorable and weird — and to do it quickly.

From the age of 13, Silas James Rowland has been creating and producing visual representations of his ideas through the art of filmmaking. Ten years later, he has two feature films under his belt as director (The Sinful South, Cracks), has DP'd three feature films, a handful of shorts, and most recently ne created an hour long documentary filmed in Scotland. His goal with 2nd Act is to dive back into experimental short films and enter into the festival circuit, something he has never done.

2nd Act first-timer. Henry Coonrod, says that, as a filmmaker his top priority is his cast and crew. “I chose this career because I wanted to make interesting things with interesting people, he continues. “Film is this magical medium where private, intimate, intense and beautiful spaces are created; spaces where people work their hardest to create something real. As a writer, director and student myself I seek to create sets where people aren't afraid to ask questions, learn, and build a foundation to create their own movies. My work moves between traditional narrative films and experimental, usually animated, shorts. I have been making films for three to four years now and I still have a lot to learn, I just feel lucky to be part of such a great local film community!”

 Also a cinematographer and graphic designer, Sean Parsons started out as a 35mm film photographer. He then went on to enroll in traditional film studies which eventually led to work in animation for children's education where he focused on background and layout artwork. Parsons returned to filmmaking with short films like, Terminus and Syntrifica, which he directed, photographed, edited, sound designed and did the visual effects for.

Taiyen Stevenson

Taiyen Stevenson is a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a Bachelors Degree of Arts and Science. After his experiences with acting, he decided to write and produce his own short films (Images, Thanks for Everything, and his most recent, The Street Lights Are On).  He is currently in the process of launching his film production company, "Virgo Kid Productions."  This is his first time entering the 2nd Act Film Project and his main goal is to create strong and significant movies that will capture the audience's attention.

Daniel Colella is a senior undergrad student at The College of Charleston pursuing a BA in English and Film Studies. He is the president of the CofC Film Club and the executive video producer for the Campus Media Organization, CisternYard Media.

Finally, William Woody considers himself pleasantly condescending.  He busies himself in screenwriting, stand-up comedy, and illustration. 

Poster art by Cait Maloney

The public is invited to join these filmmakers and the board of directors for the Jasper Project on Wednesday, October 30th for the 2nd Act Film Project, offering two screenings at 7 pm (sold out) and 9:15. While the first showing will invite audience members to vote on their favorite film for the Audience Award, and the filmmakers themselves to select the coveted filmmakers’ award, the awards will be presented following the earlier screening and announced to the audience of the later screening following that performance. Ticket are available at Eventbrite and are only $10.

The Jasper Project wishes to recognize our generous and steadfast 2nd Act Sponsors Mr. Bill Schmidt, Precision Overhead Door, Columbia Arts Academy, Sound and Images, Trustus Theatre and Coal Powered Filmworks. We are especially appreciative of Chad Henderson, artistic director of Trustus Theatre and former winning 2nd Act Filmmaker himself, who is serving as our host for the second year, Cait Maloney who created our poster art, and Matthew Kramer, formerly of Columbia, who sculpts traditional trophies for our winning filmmakers.

Jasper Project and Harbison Theatre at MTC Bring Art Exhibitions to Lobby Gallery

Artist - MTC Graduate Anthony Lewis

In an exciting partnership with Harbison Theatre at Midlands Technical College, Jasper is pleased to announce a series of art exhibitions in the Harbison Theatre lobby’s gallery space.

Last year, the Jasper Project worked with Harbison Theatre to exhibit several shows, beginning with Camden native and retired educator Keith Tolen’s work. Having enjoyed the collaboration so much we have developed a full season of exhibitions for the 2019-2020 art season, which started with the installation of the Supper Table in early September and runs through summer 2020.

Beginning with the continued exhibition of Kirkland Smith’s Supper Table Portraits, which will remain on display until early November, we follow up with an exhibition by photographer Kathryn Van Aernum titled Common Ground.

A Young Sara Leverette by Kirkland Smith

Van Aernum’s photographic subjects range from the mundane to the sublime, and she continues to cultivate a sense of spaciousness, curiosity, humor and wonder in her work  through the exploration of themes such as Reclamation; Ubiquity (her CocaCola® series); and Common Ground. While photography is her main medium, she is also an accomplished watercolorist, mixed media and book artist. She teaches classes in photography, creative process, watercolor, and journal making. Her work has appeared in juried competitions, and group and solo exhibits in Key West, FL; Boulder, CO; Fort Collins, CO; Ann Arbor, MI; and Columbia, Spartanburg and Lake City, SC. and is in many private collections throughout the US. Most recently, she was one of 19 Columbia artists whose work was juried into ArtFields 2019. Find her on the web at KvanaStudios.com KathrynVanAernum.com.

About This show Van Aernum says, “Most of the images in Common Ground were gathered on my morning and evening walks with my dog Noah. I live in Midlands Terrace in Columbia, but he and I will frequently hop in the car and walk in other neighborhoods for a change of scenery. There are a few photos from other SC locations, and a 2018 trip to Greece. Living in a city, man-made surfaces are the predominant element I come in contact with. With no sandy beaches, mountains, or vast vistas for inspiration, I often look down to the ground. As I allowed pavement, asphalt, cobblestones and concrete to become my muses, abstract “paintings” created by the interaction of time, weather, earth and humans began to reveal themselves. All the artificial terrains portrayed have one thing in common: to facilitate human flow and interaction. What I hope to offer here is a surprising, whimsical, striking, and maybe even beautiful meditation on the surfaces we share in common.”

Jasper and Harbison Theatre will celebrate the opening of Van Aernum’s exhibit on Friday, November 15th at 6 pm in conjunction with a stellar performance by Motown Superstar Thelma Houston. (Reception – free; Concert tickets at harbisontheatre.org.)

Artist Kathryn Van Aernum from the Common Ground collection

Following the Van Aernum exhibition, acclaimed artist Stephen Chesley’s art will be exhibited in January and February 2020, with an opening reception on January 24th, 2020 at 6 pm in conjunction with a performance by Akintunde and Joey I.L.O.

Stephen Chesley was born in Schenectady, New York in 1952. He exhibited a natural proclivity for drawing and art almost as soon as he could hold pastel and pencil which were often Christmas gifts from his family. Growing up in Virginia Beach in the late 1950s he was exposed to the Beat Generation of musicians, artists, and writers when Virginia Beach was still a seasonal seaside resort. Self motivated, he continued with his drawing and small paintings along with exposure to local artists throughout elementary and high school and into college. His collegiate exposure led to a meld of art and science with degrees in Urban Studies and a Masters Degree in Urban Planning in 1980 from the school of Architecture at Clemson University. Graduating in a deep national economic recession Chesley turned back to his art. Spending 5 years on rivers and sea islands to explore his asthetic, subject matter, influential painters, and styles, Chesley’s paintings and art work began to move to the foreground. Recognized in 1981 by the Columbia Museum of Art as an emerging talent, he went on to win top 100 in the first National Parks competition of 1987, exhibiting at the Smithsonian, and in 1996 a National Endowment for the Arts, Southeast Regional Fellowship, Southeast Center for Contemporary Art. Chesley has continued his work, characterized as poetic realism, along with welded and carved sculptural pieces in addition to joint works illustrating Archibald Rutledge short stories and WS Merwin’s poem, ”Palm” for the Thomas Cooper Society’s Thomas Cooper Medal for WS Merwin in 2012.

Stephen Chesley

Arts photographer Kevin Kyzer will exhibit in March and April, 2020 with an opening reception on March 21st, 2020 in conjunction with the wildly popular MTC Show-Off.

Artist Kevin Kyzer’s photo of dancers Claire Richards Rapp and Bonnie Boiter-Jolley

Anthony Lewis is an emerging self-taught visual artist and a resident of Columbia, South Carolina. Anthony was born in raised in Camden, NJ.  The owner of Alewisproject,LLC, Lewis will exhibit in May and June 2020.

Anthony Lewis

And closing out the season we will be featuring Ginny Merett. Ginny currently uses collage techniques to create portraits and figurative works of art that are best described as a mix of surrealism and whimsy. Ginny’s work has won several awards and accolades. She is the cover and featured artist in The Jasper Magazine Spring 2019 edition; and received First Place and Second Place Awards at the Rosewood Art and Music Festival, Best in Show at Time for Art sponsored by the Jasper Project; and participated in Women Speak Art Gallery at SC State Library 2017, Artfields 2019, and numerous other exhibits.

Women in Hats by Ginny Merett

Information on artists talks and additional opening receptions are TBD. Stay tuned to www.JasperProject.org and https://www.harbisontheatre.org/ for updates and information.

REVIEW: Company at Trustus Theatre by Jason Craig

Walter Graham plays Bobby in the Trustus Theatre production of Stephen Sondheim’s Company

Full Disclosure -- I happily went to see Trustus Theatre's production of Company last Thursday night (running through Oct. 26th).  If given the chance (and a sitter) I will always go and see a live theatre event – stories shared together in public continually make my life richer.  So, read on with the knowledge that this post is biased!  If you know Sondheim’s music, or know the performers, then you probably don’t need any more reason to spend a nice evening out at Trustus; however, if you are on the fence about how to spend your precious hours, then I hope I can shed light on some of the ways this production was worth my time.

Ear Candy 

First off, it’s Sondheim and for whatever reason, live Sondheim has become a rare treat.  Stephen Sondheim has a talent for honing into the heart of life’s dilemmas and cleverly bringing clarity to the nuances of those dilemmas.  The rich harmonies and catchy melodies are joyful, moving, enlightening and complex.   For these reasons, Sondheim can be a challenge for regional theatres. Bringing together 19 actor-singer-musicians without a Broadway-sized-budget is no easy feat, but the folks at Trustus Theatre put together a tight ensemble of talented performers.

Fun Fact: There is a nice cast recording from the 2007 Broadway revival that can be streamed free through Hoopla – Thanks Richland County Public Library!

Soul Food 

I appreciate the way Sondheim explores the tragic-comic nature of human experience.  At first glance, this dilemma appears to be embodied in Bobby (played by Walter Graham), who is turning 35 and at a crossroads of whether to pursue marriage or continue on with his seemingly content life as a New York City bachelor.  However, after watching the entire show, I found one song in particular nicely put the rest of the scenes and songs in perspective.  Toward the end of the first act, one of Bobby’s eligible bachelorettes, Marta (played by Hillary Scales-Lewis), beautifully sings what appears to be an ode to life in the City.  In Another Hundred People Sondheim describes life in a “city of strangers,” where it doesn’t matter whether a person is getting off the train or going to a party, they are always one person in a crowd of strangers – always crowded AND, always alone. 

Seen in this light, every relationship -- marriage or friendship offers another variation of New Yorkers trying to negotiate life’s decisions in the cauldron of these two fears – the fear of being over-crowded vs. the fear of being lonely.  Each scene, each relationship, and each song offers sometimes amusing and sometimes poignant glimpses into this cauldron. 

Side by Side…by Side 

It’s important to note that this show is structured in vignettes. In place of a major story arc with rising action, primary and secondary conflicts, etc., there are variations on a theme.  The main character is less of a protagonist and more of a cruise director and Graham does an excellent job, charismaticly and confidently guiding us through these variations. 

One of the unique qualities (and most fun for me personally) was that each marriage relationship was somehow made richer, more complete, when the best friend came to dinner.  The best friend in this case is Bobby, and so we see that not only do these couples appreciate the opportunity to show off the uniquely amusing way they’ve learned to negotiate their fears, they actually need Bobby.  It turns out that marriage is not necessarily a solution to loneliness and crowdedness – in fact, the act of marriage seems to make these fears more complicated, and the couples a bit crazy.  Bobby is not only a witness, he is also the glue that somehow makes the marriages work – one part confidante, one part therapist, one part distraction, one part mirror. Bobby’s presence in these many lives is both appreciated and necessary.

Sondheim celebrates this phenomenon in the number Side By Side By Side.  This number was fantastic to watch. Terrance Henderson choreographs this piece in a way that harkens back to blockbuster shows of the ‘30s and ‘40s – canes, imagined top hats, soft-shoe dance breaks.  It felt like a celebration of the “threesome” -- not the kinky kind, but the mutually appreciative kind where the idea of family starts to extend into deep, lasting friendships.  I loved getting to think back to all of the many couples I kept together as a single person in my twenties and early thirties, as well as the ways in which these couples welcomed me into their homes and their families.  And now, after having been married with children for 10 years, I love having the opportunity to appreciate the single friends that extend our family and keep us a little saner.

Fun Fact: The Broadway debut took place 4 days after the first Earth Day Celebration. 

The Better World We (can) Imagine 

The Show originally opened on Broadway almost 50 years ago and was based on one-act plays by George Furth.    Written about and for New York’s upper-middle-class, as Sondheim has noted, the problems are those of the very demographic most likely to attend a Broadway musical at the time.  This is art as a mirror to life, and that mirror reflected white, ivy-league educated, urban professionals.

Even if the demographic is limited, the issues or problems that arise are universal. Social acceptance and stigma associated with alcohol and food addiction, drug use, racial disparity, homophobia, and conspicuous consumption, are some of the topics that get touched in the midst of singing and dancing.

When directing shows written for another place and time, directors make choices about how and when to highlight or alter elements that keep the show fresh and timely – connecting the original themes to modern ears and eyes.  Sondheim, himself has worked with directors over the years to make some of these scenes timely, and most recently he worked to update the 2018 London revival that included a female protagonist as Bobbie, as well as a same sex couple about to embark on their own wedding day.  One can imagine how such changes might offer new insights into our modern lives.

Director Dewey Scott-Wiley chose to stick with an earlier variation of the script, and it is easy to see why she might make this choice.  Life in Columbia, South Carolina offers a unique mix of old and new sentiments and although same-sex marriages are openly celebrated in many circles, there is still a very real possibility that one could be confronted with direct or indirect homophobia.  This production gives us an opportunity to witness someone struggle with the fears of homophobia, and then find the courage to overcome those fears, speaking quietly, behind closed doors without the security that what is revealed will be accepted.  This is a well-performed scene and one that will likely spark interesting dialogue.

Another choice that seems worth noting is the choice to cast in a way where talent, not race or age, is the primary casting consideration.  When Sondheim references the audience of the 1970s, he might as well be referencing a structural racism embedded in the art form itself.  Many theatres are working to change these dynamics and it is fun to see how well it works to portray these 50-year-old, upper-middle-class stories with the kind of diversity this cast brings.  It is also fun to see how these choices might bring further insights or springboard conversations around other ways our community can work together to address structural inequality.

A final update, and one that works very well with the theme is the constant presence of cell phones in the lives of the characters.  If Marta’s ode to life in New York sets up a primary theme -- forever crowded and always alone – then the choice to highlight the central role that cell phones play in communication becomes an important way to see how these devices might help us deal with the loneliness and simultaneously make us feel more crowded.

Shout Outs

 This show is designed for a talented ensemble and it was a joy to see so many people working to generously support each other toward this end.   This is important to note because Sondheim did write some very catchy, well known songs – show stoppers – and it would be easy to focus too much on some of the individual talents that performed these numbers while ignoring the equally talented individuals who offered their voices in more supporting roles.

Thursday night’s crowd was particularly pleased and primed to enjoy those numbers originally performed by the late Elaine Stritch.  The character Joanne has attracted some big name musical stars over the years and Sheldon Paschal did a great job performing the The Little Things You Do Together and The Ladies Who Lunch. I didn’t know this latter song in advance, but there was a fairly good sized audience who did, and who seemed to treat it as a personal anthem. 

Another song that stands out for its surprising cleverness is Getting Married Today. Brittany Hammock, who portrays Amy, sang this lightning-paced song with clarity and precision while embodying the particular kind of craziness a person might feel on their wedding day.

Final Pitch

 There are many ways to enhance your experience seeing this show before it closes Oct. 26th, and here are a few recommendations.  Before the show, use Richland Library’s audio streaming services to stream the cast recording so that you can mouth along with the words.  If you are single, go on a date with your favorite couple; if you are coupled, bring your favorite single friend.   If you like to be a part of community dialogue, plan to see the show before attending an “On The Table” (Oct. 24th) event hosted by Central Carolina Community Foundation -- the discussions will only benefit from theatre-infused insights.  

Jason Craig

(he, him, his)

Sustainable Midlands

Columbia Resilience

Raconteurs Storytelling Club

PREVIEW: Ceviche o No Ceviche - A Fresh and Zesty Stage Novela By Elizabeth Rosa Houck

Stories about people of color are far and few in between in the stage scene; stories featuring people of color in intercultural non-monogamous romantic relationships are unheard of. Ceviche o No Ceviche is a refreshing, tangy piece of theatre that inhabits a space outside of classic plays about love. Ceviche o No Ceviche is a modern-day novela through and through: it is seasoned with humor, camp, family drama, twists, and lots of love. 

The story’s main course is a relationship triad among Sol (Lucy Jaimes), Keith (James Frush-Marple), and Robert (José Luís Gallardo). Through their saccharine and silly interactions, the audience is brought into [insert today’s date] 2019: there is a mention of House of Cards and Queer Eye as the triad’s favorite shows, the current presidential administration, the topic of immigration and the path to citizenship being a trepidatious and nearly impossible one. Together, they try to figure how to support Sol on her path to United States citizenship at the end of her student visa, as she is originally from Colombia. Following some very brief discussion, Sol and Keith both decide to get married to kill two birds with one stone (or, matar dos pájaros de un tiro), at once committing their love to each other and solidifying Sol’s ability to stay in the United States. Even with this decision for Sol and Keith to be legally wed, the triad is certain that their relationship will remain the same. In the way of any feel-good rom-com about people from different backgrounds, hijinks peppered with humor and cultural clashes ensue. Throw in a Catholic priest and all the drama of planning any wedding, and we have ourselves something worth savoring.

Meeting Sol’s parents, Dulce and Jesús played by Julia Vargas Pardo and Marco Marmolejo respectively, via a Skype conversation (classic ringtone known by anyone who has tried to keep a close connection via modern technology included) feels authentic and warm. Vargas Pardo’s performance gives the feeling of a true Latina mother: opinionated, animated, loving, intense, dramatic. Her fire is met with the calm, cool energy of Jesús, and later, her cerebral, comedic sister Cuco (Mayte Velasco Nicolas). Sol and her parents’ Skype conversation also offers the audience a sense of the distance Sol must feel with her family. There is unconditional love but also a lack of understanding: Sol’s somewhat tedious explanation to her parents about the important of Queer Studies is just a microcosm of their traditional values, especially in terms of relationships. Upon Sol mentioning that she would be marrying Keith, a Protestant gringo, there are immediate, repeated assumptions that Sol is pregnant. Because if she is not pregnant, she would marry a Catholic instead. Despite Sol’s protestations and her parents’ reluctance to accept a Protestant groom, wedding bells will still ring. 

Familial relations remain a theme, though Keith and his mother, Linda (Betsy Newman), certainly have a more strained mother-son relationship. Upon Keith sharing his nuptial news with his mother, she shares her intense and bigoted discomfort with him marrying someone who is not a sweet tea-drinking, pickled sauage-eating Baptist white woman like herself. The conversation is heard through bitten tongues: Linda is as proper as she is ignorant in her views of people with backgrounds and beliefs different than her own. Admittedly, as a Mexican-American audience member, it was yet another reminder for me of how much hate someone can hold toward a particular group of people for no reason other than their existence. Ironically enough, this same sober, spiritually-minded mother falls for Sol’s uncle, Juan de Dios (Ysaul Flores), a Catholic priest who actually baptizes Keith and weds the couple. Star-crossed lovers, indeed.

The phrase “killing two birds with one stone” is mentioned three times throughout the play. The phrase is significant for its repetition but also because it serves as the impetus for the entire show. Sol and Keith get married for both love and to secure Sol’s path to citizenship. The play itself attempts un tiro to take on queerness, non-monogamy/polyamory, intercultural interactions where Colombia meets Columbia, religious differences, marriage traditions, and familial expectations (to name a few). Leaving no stone unturned even in its staging, Spanish-to-English subtitles of the dialogue are displayed on monitors to invite intercultural interactions, which is especially important as much of the show is in Spanish. I was impressed to learn that the play owes its charm to its writers who are no other than the very actors who bring the story to life. While I enjoyed the exploration of seldom discussed topics, the story spills out a little beyond its edges. Somewhere between all this, I felt the compounding of identities and storylines but also the challenge to wrangle all of these identities, even further complicated by a collaborative voice in the play. Tropes and stereotypes surrounding queerness, Latinidad, and the South rear their heads inconsistently and land somewhat awkwardly on attentive ears. Still, the heart of the show is pure and good, and the labor of Love’s work emanates from it. And we could all use a little more love.

Get your fill on Friday, September 13 at 8:00 PM, and Saturday, September 14 at 3:00 and 8:00 PM at Trustus Side Door Theater.

Supper Table Spotlight: Ebony Wilson and Malie Heider

We’re featuring the artists from the Supper Table project throughout the summer. This is the 23rd in our series on Supper Table Artists!

Still from Ebony Wilson’s film honoring Sarah Leverette

Sarah Leverette was, and is, a powerful inspiration to women in and outside of South Carolina, having spent her life breaking glass ceilings wherever she went, from the Civil Air Patrol to the School of Law at USC, where she was the first female law professor. She passed only shortly over a year ago, but her accomplishments will not soon be forgotten.

Tasked with turning Leverette’s long & varied career into one short film is Ebony Wilson. Since 2012, Wilson has written, directed, produced, and edited her own original works, most notably the 2017 feature Sci-Fi Drama, 2025: Prelude to Infusco. In the process of undertaking countless projects and workloads, Wilson has managed to sell her work, build brand engagement for her clients, and nurture long relationships with those around her. She owns and operates her independent production company, Midnight Crow Pro- ductions, and is the founder and administrator of the Columbia Film Community. The Supper Table project will be Ebony’s third collaboration with the Jasper Project.

As Wilson approached ideas for her film on Leverette, what struck her the most was how influential Leverette was/is for women. Still today, women struggle with issues of motherhood, glass ceilings, and the legacy they will be able to leave behind. Leverette is a constant force that reminds women they can leave whatever mark on the world they choose to. Thus, Wilson decided not to make a biopic about Leverette but instead to explore how Leverette’s legacy affects women now, in 2019 and beyond.

Ebony Wilson

Bringing Sarah Leverette to life on the stage is Malie Heider. Heider grew up in Columbia, where she began studying acting with Mary Lou Kramer. Since then, she has enjoyed acting, studying, and teaching theatre in a variety of places up and down the East Coast, as well as China, Japan, and Indonesia. In Columbia, she has worked at Trustus Theatre, Workshop Theatre, the University of South Carolina, the South Carolina Shakespeare Company, the Arts at Shandon, and SCETV, most recently in Betsy Newman’s documentary production on Belle Baruch.  

Heider remarks that she’s in awe of what Leverette did in her life and the fact she did it for so long. Leverette was 98 when she passed, and Heider believes, as do many others, that if Leverette was alive today, she would still be avidly working to keep breaking glass ceilings and to make it possible for others to do so as well. Heider also wonders about what Leverette had to give up in terms of personal life and family in order to throw herself so completely into her work and mentorship. Heider hopes that this passion, determination, and sacrifice comes across in her performance.

Malie Heider

Wilson’s complete film and Heider’s performance will be available for viewing at both opening events for the Supper Table. Our Trustus Theatre event is sold out, but our nearly identical second opening event is Sunday, September 8th, at Harbison Theatre, and tickets start at $15.

Supper Table Spotlight: Eileen Blyth and Katly Hong

We’re featuring the artists from the Supper Table project throughout the summer. This is the 22nd in our series on Supper Table Artists!

Still from Katly Hong’s film on Althea Gibson

Althea Gibson was the first black athlete to break racial barriers of international tennis, specifically when she became the first black American to win a Grand Slam title. Additionally, Gibson was a golfer, a singer, and a black woman trying to have access to the same rights and activities as everyone around her, through doing what she did best – playing tennis.

Eileen Blyth is the visual artist who created a place-setting for Gibson. Blyth is a Columbia artist known for her paintings and found art sculptures. Originally from Charleston, Eileen has always thought of herself as a painter. She earned her BA from the College of Charleston and studied graphic design at the University of South Carolina. She is inspired by the moment of creation when there is a sudden shift into a space of knowing and composition falls into place. Blyth’s studio is located at Stormwater Studios in Columbia, and her work is represented by Carol Saunders Gallery in Columbia, Camilla Art Gallery in Hilton Head, and Art & Light Gallery in Greenville.

Eileen Blyth

Blyth’s place-setting is heavily inspired by Gibson’s tennis career, which is what brought her to fame, but also contains elements of Gibson’s other achievements. For example, the background of Blyth’s place-setting is modeled after a tennis court, and both the frame on her platter as well as the handle of her goblet come from disassembled found tennis rackets.

Blyth said that she “liked the metaphor for serving and service both on the court and at the clubs she was allowed to play in but not go in” that is represented by the frame on the platter as well as the glove holding the golf club.

The platter itself is engraved with Gibson’s name and the quote: “She was born too soon”.

Turning Gibson’s full life into a short film is Katly Hong. She is an interdisciplinary artist who regularly pivots between visual, media, and performance art. For the Supper Table, Hong was enthralled by the challenge of honoring Gibson’s incredible athleticism and her determination to be somebody in a time of segregation and open discrimination.

Katly Hong

Hong’s film uses animation and music to honor Gibson’s life. While the film’s animation mainly focuses on Gibson’s tennis accomplishments and accolades, the music in the background is Gibson’s own from the music career she embarked on later in life.

Supper Table Spotlight: Flavia Lovatelli and Jocelyn Sanders

We’re featuring the artists from the Supper Table project throughout the summer. This is the 21st in our series on Supper Table Artists!

Flavia Lovatelli

It’d be nearly impossible to give a complete list of adjectives describing Supper Table honoree Mary McLeod Bethune. In her lifetime, Bethune was an educator, activist, businesswoman, and political advisor. She was friends to the Roosevelts and referred to by FDR as “The First Lady of the Struggle” for her tireless advocacy for black communities in America. Is it possible to contain all that is Bethune into a single place-setting? A single theatrical performance? Even if not, with incredible artists like these, we’ve come as close as possible.

Flavia Lovatelli is a local artist who created our Supper Table place-setting for Bethune. Passionate about collecting what society typically views as the “throwaways,” she is an artist who creates innovative, imaginative artwork using recycled goods. Originally from Northern Italy, she moved to the states in 1979, where she founded the Art Ecology Group, a movement of sustainable artists. She was one of four artists chosen to represent Sustainable Charlotte during the Democratic National Convention in 2012, and her work has won several awards including the CharlotteArtPop.

As a paper artist, Lovatelli used recycled magazine paper and textbooks for her place-setting, the textbook pages specifically representing Bethune’s passion for education, the foundation of her activism. The color red is prominent within the piece and “represents the strife, anger, passion and fight the African American community have suffered in History which fueled Mary’s causes” while the gold represents Bethune’s work in the political spectrum.

Overall, Lovatelli hopes that from her place-setting, people see the “incredible life, full of achievements and strides Mary McLeod Bethune had.”

Tasked with using her body and voice to present the life of Bethune is native Columbian, Jocelyn Sanders. Sanders has been actively engaged in theatre ever since graduating from college. She was employed for several years at Trustus Theatre as Box Office Manager. While working with Trustus, she was also one of the original founding instructors of the African American Acting Workshop, which was later renamed the Multi-Ethnic Acting Workshop. She left Trustus and went on to teach; her last teaching position was with Eau Claire High School where she instructed teachers in integrating the arts into their curriculum.

Sanders is a director and an actor, having worked in numerous productions in the city. Some of her most memorable productions she’s directed are Crowns and A Wedding Band, with Trustus Theatre, and A Lesson Before Dying and The Color Purple, with Workshop Theatre.

Jocelyn Sanders

Sanders has reflected on how different the times were when Bethune was an activist versus today, and believes that if Bethune were alive now, she would look around and still see a whole lot of work to be done. In her performance, she hopes to show the empowering nature of Bethune when she was alive as well as use it as a challenge to pick up our own crosses today and continue the work she once started.

Lovatelli’s complete place-setting and Sanders’ performance will be available for viewing at both opening events for the Supper Table. Our opening night event is Friday, September 6th, at Trustus Theatre (almost gone!), and tickets start at $50. Our second opening event is Sunday, September 8th, at Harbison Theatre, and tickets start at $15.

 -Christina Xan

The Supper Table is made possible by a generous grant from

Central Carolina Community Foundation

Supper Table Spotlight: Qiana Whitted and Annette Dees Grevious

We’re featuring the artists from the Supper Table project throughout the summer. This is the 20th in our series on Supper Table Artists

Qiana Whitted - photo Michael Danzler

Known by Martin Luther King Jr. as “The Mother of the Movement,” Septima Clark was an educator and civil rights activist who spent her life fighting for literacy and equality for black Americans. Two Supper Table artists had the task of speaking life into Clark’s story, one through written word and the other through spoken.

Qiana Whitted is the literary artist who wrote a non-fiction literary essay about Septima Clark’s life. Whitted is the Director of the African American Studies Program at the University of South Carolina. Her research focuses on African-American literary and cultural studies, American comics, and graphic novels. Her recent book, EC Comics: Race, Shock, and Social Protest, explores representations of race and racism. She is also the author of “A God of Justice?”: The Problem of Evil in Twentieth-Century Black Literature and co-editor of Comics and the U.S. South. Additionally, Whitted is editor of Inks: The Journal of the Comics Studies Society and chair of the International Comic Arts Forum. She is the mother of two children, Naima and Alex.

The following is an excerpt from her essay:

Clark began her career during World War I on Johns Island at a school with over 130 students. Miss Seppie, as the Gullah folk called her, would go on to teach across the Carolinas, from rural classrooms in Mars Hill and McClellanville to Avery Normal Institute in Charleston and Booker T. Washington School in Columbia. After school hours and on weekends, Clark turned her attention to the needs of her students’ parents and grandparents. She helped local residents to write letters and speeches, fill out applications and mail-order forms, and organize sewing circles, immunization drives, and handwriting clinics. While her own training at Avery emphasized a pedagogy that embraced racial uplift ideology and respectability as core values, those early years as a teacher challenged her assumptions about the realities of social and economic inequality and demanded from her a different kind of resourcefulness. Clark gained a profound appreciation for adult literacy training, deploying what historian Katherine Mellen Charron calls “educational camouflage” to transform classroom basics into acts of recognition and resistance against white supremacy. Clark’s experience on Johns Island sowed the seeds for the Citizenship Schools, a grassroots educational initiative in the South that combined practical literacy with voter registration, civics instruction, and community action.

It was Clark’s advocacy on behalf of students and teachers that transformed her into a freedom fighter. Her first steps included taking part in the NAACP campaign to allow black teachers to be hired in Charleston’s public schools. Canvassing door to door with fellow teachers, and even a few sixth-graders, Clark tirelessly gathered signatures for the successful petition. She was inspired by black women activist educators such as Mary McLeod Bethune to expand her reach within teachers’ associations and women’s clubs during the 1930s. She helped to integrate the central board of Charleston’s YWCA and made a point to forge relationships with white-led civic organizations that focused on school reform and health promotion. When it came to education for citizenship, Clark was concerned by the way many Progressive era initiatives encouraged students to exercise their rights without disrupting the status quo of segregation. Therefore, when given the opportunity to develop her own curriculum, Clark modeled her endeavors after local education reformers such as Wil Lou Gray and Booker T. Washington’s principal, C.A. Johnson. She listened closely to the needs of black adult learners, respected their experiential knowledge, and nurtured their aspirations, whether they required help reading the newspaper or understanding election laws.

Annette Dees Grevious

Embodying these words in the Supper Table theatrical performance is Annette Dees Grevious. Grevious is an Associate of Professor of Speech and Drama at Claflin University, where she has served as Theatre Program Coordinator and Director of the Theatre Ensemble for 17 years. She received an MFA in Theatre Performance from the University of Louisville and a BA in Theatre from Brenau University. Grevious has been performing professionally for more than two decades. She has performed with and on the following South Carolina theatre companies and stages: Trustus Theatre, Art Forms and Theatre Concepts, Inc., and Motion FilmWorks.

Septima Clark is a name full of such power yet a name so little known. In her performance, Grevious hopes to not only represent the struggles and success of Clark’s life but tell her story in a way that will ensure no one forgets her name again.

To read the rest of Whitted’s essay, located in our book Setting the Supper Table, and to see Grevious’ performance of Septima Clark, come to one of our opening events on either September 6th at Trustus (almost gone!) or September 8th at Harbison.

 -Christina Xan

Supper Table Spotlight: Christina Xan, assistant project director - by Cindi Boiter

We’re featuring the artists from the Supper Table project throughout the summer. This is the 19th in our series on Supper Table Artists

Christina reading her own poetry at Girls Block 2019

Christina Xan came to the Jasper Project by way of playwright and academician Jon Tuttle who, though he directs the honors program at Francis Marion University and lives in Florence, is a founding member of the Soda Citizen Auxiliary (no, there is no such thing as this). Jon introduced Christina to me when she first came to grad school at USC. The next year, Christina approached me about serving as an intern with Jasper and we were delighted to bring her and all her talents on board.

To say Christina fit right in would be an understatement. To say she pitched right in would be even more of an understatement.

In the year Christina has been involved in the Jasper Project she has risen to every challenge presented to her. An avid blogger, Christina has shared her writing, photographic, graphic design, administrative, editorial, and immense personable skills with Jasper and our friends with generosity and enthusiasm.

When it came time to invite writers to join the Supper Table project as essayists, there was no question in my mind that the young artist should be included. In addition to writing about Eartha Kit, Christina also stepped in when we needed someone to take over writing about Mary McLeod Bethune.

But Christina’s most profound impact on the project has been in her role as assistant project director — in other words, assistant to me. So I know of what I speak. I jokingly say that when Christina came on board (and she actually is on the board of directors for the Jasper Project now) it was like I grew another arm. But that doesn’t really cover it. Having Christina’s assistance has been great, but it has been the gifts she has offered via her insights, contributions, attitude, and enthusiasm that have made the difference in this project. Every time I felt like I was drowning Christina would be there to tap me on the head and remind me the water wasn’t really that deep. Every time she would meet a new artist on the team she suddenly had a new best friend. Her kindness and selflessness have magnified the element of love and mutual appreciation that has so characterized this project tenfold. Working with Christina has been an absolute joy.

Christina and author Dorothy Allison -Deckle Edge 2019

Christina Xan is a poet, playwright, photographer, and adjunct professor of English. She graduated with an MA from the University of South Carolina, where she is now pursuing her doctorate. Her work has been published by Snow Island Review and Z House Publishing, and her play Glass was turned into a short film that toured SC festivals in 2017. Her art is influenced by her life, as each story contains a different element of herself, and she is inspired by the concepts and questions people usually hide away from.

Christina with FMU mentor Jon Tuttle

-Cindi Boiter

Supper Table Spotlight: Tonya Gregg and Bonita Peeples by Christina Xan

We’re featuring the artists from the Supper Table project throughout the summer. This is the 18th in our series on Supper Table Artists

Visual Artist Tonya Gregg

Alice Childress – playwright, novelist, actress. Born in Charleston, Childress dedicated her life to telling the stories of black Americans, specifically portraying the have-nots of society. Her reach was so vast, author Mary Helen Washington refers to her as “the only African-American woman to have written, produced, and published plays for four decades.”

Tasked with creating the place-setting for Childress is Tonya Gregg. Gregg is a painter who studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art where she became the first full-time art student to be featured in New American Paintings. Her paintings navigate different narratives relating to popular culture, class, consumption, colorism, ancient mythology, and interwoven topics related to black girls and women. She has had solo exhibitions in multiple places locally and has exhibited in several different countries throughout the world.

Gregg explored Childress’ work and specifically found inspiration from her play The Wedding Band, a story of an interracial relationship. This is exactly what Gregg wanted to contemporize in her place setting. She used acrylic paint to create a pop-art effect on both a ceramic plate and mug. Specifically, the artist says her place-setting “is intended to invite people to the Supper Table and provide conversation, comfort or healing within this theme.”

An artist putting Childress into conversation with her own body is Bonita Peeples, a theatre artist who is portraying Childress in the Supper Table theatrical performance. Peeples’ acting debut was performing a monologue of one of the greatest women in history, Madame C.J. Walker. She is a wife, a mother, and a working actor. She is a member of Kaufmann Forensic Actors, the NiA Theatre Company, and serves on the board of the Columbia Children’s Theatre.

Bonita Peeples

Peeples recently reflected on how wonderfully human Childress was. When she would cast her plays, for example, if she had to choose between two friends auditioning for a role, she would be so fearful of hurting a relationship, she would scrap the entire project. While this could be seen as a weakness, Peeples believes it is actually a strength – proof that Childress’ love for others trumped all, a lesson that still can be learned today.

Gregg’s completed place-setting and Peeples’ performance will be available for viewing at both opening events for the Supper Table. Our opening night event is Friday, September 6th, at Trustus Theatre (going fast!), and tickets start at $50. Our second opening event is Sunday, September 8th, at Harbison Theatre, and tickets start at $15.

 -Christina Xan

REVIEW: Montgomery Packages the Familiar in a Delightfully Fresh Package - by Frank Thompson

“Once we’ve gotten snagged by the story, Montgomery reels in its audience as a fresh and captivating cat-and-mouse game in which it’s never quite clear who’s winning, nor is it possible to discern the tears of laughter from the sentimental sniffles…

It isn’t often that a troupe of character archetypes and well-worn caricatures can be successfully interwoven from two stories into one, especially when each has its grounding in a largely conflicting style and base of reality, but occasionally the unlikely does occur. Such is the case in the lovably lopsided world of Stephen Brown’s Montgomery, a world premiere comedy making its debut as the winner of the 2018 Trustus Playwrights’ Festival. One part southern-fried knee-slapper, complete with bumbling cops and one-liners reminiscent of the best of Jeff Foxworthy or the late Lewis Grizzard, paired with a slightly twisted Hallmark movie with a twang, this odd couple combination not only amuses and entertains, it works.

Before discussing the production, however, I must tip my hat and raise my frosty bottle of Lone Star to playwright Brown, who obviously did his research and took his time in creating a believable, cohesive, and surprisingly consistent reality while spinning a hilarious tale that isn’t afraid to get serious on occasion. With plotlines harkening back to The Dukes Of Hazzard and All My Children simultaneously, each liberally peppered with tastes of Greater Tuna, Mamma Mia!, The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, and numerous other pop-culture touchstones, Brown clearly revels in gentle parody, yet creates an entirely original and believable story.

Make no mistake; there’s plenty of borrowing/inspiration from other stage and film works here, but absolutely nothing is stolen. Montgomery may feel familiar, but for every punchline you watch approaching from a mile away, there are at least two moments of surprise and a whispered “well, I didn’t see that coming!” Brown’s script lands the audience in the manner of an experienced angler. We may be initially hooked by the foul-mouthed, slovenly, down-home martinet in the Sheriff’s Office or the cute country girl clad in short shorts that would have put Dawn Wells’ Mary Ann to shame, but they’re just the bait. Once we’ve gotten snagged by the story, Montgomery reels in its audience as a fresh and captivating cat-and-mouse game in which it’s never quite clear who’s winning, nor is it possible to discern the tears of laughter from the sentimental sniffles involuntarily presenting themselves at unexpected moments. Overlaying all the action is a subtle lesson about wishes, dreams, and how getting “everything you ever wanted” sometimes yields unexpected losses as well as gains.

In a nutshell, the primary plot centers around Megan and Kimmy, two Texas teenagers who manage to kidnap country music star, Rick Montgomery. Though the grab succeeds, the detention is exactly as slapdash and immature as one would expect from a pair of kids whose biggest previous transgressions were most likely hiding in the woods smoking cigarettes or sneaking into an R-rated movie.  Aspiring badasses though they may be, Megan and Kimmy aren’t even yet of legal driving age, which makes their attempts at swagger and menace all the more endearing and hilarious. In parallel time, (with occasionally intersecting moments) there’s trouble afoot at the police station, as the Governor himself is pressuring local law enforcement to find Montgomery in time to play at a re-election fundraiser. Along with Patty, the perpetually irascible and arguably hungover officer in charge, the law is represented by classic good-ole-boys Larry and Chet. Larry is good-hearted but meekly ineffectual, while Chet is largely ignorant of, yet obsessed with such technology as body cams and his YouTube channel.

The stories link when we learn that Larry is actually Megan’s adopted father, who makes excuses for her teenage antics (such as twice “accidentally” setting her school’s chemistry lab on fire) while desperately trying to connect with her and create a stable family life. In a scene that manages to be LOL-funny and heartbreaking, we see Megan manipulate Larry’s paternal instincts as a cover for having a kidnapped celebrity detained in her bedroom. Meanwhile, beta-female Kimmy (who always follows Megan’s orders) opens up to an increasingly befuddled Montgomery about her own musical aspirations. There is more to Kimmy than meets the eye, however, as she eventually winds up displaying sufficient backbone to bring the insanity to a fulfilling, weirdly happy conclusion.

Elena Martinez-Vidal, Kevin Bush, and Gabe Reitemeier

The casting is superb, with praise being due to Director Sharon Graci for her expert eye in filling each role with an ideal and perfectly-suited actor. Having been around Columbia’s stages for about a decade, I know or have at least seen performances by most of the area’s performers, and I truly could not come up with any alternative casting that would have improved on Graci’s. This is an assemblage of pros which fully embraces the material and works together seamlessly. As Megan, Cassidy Spencer proves true a hunch that I had several months ago, having seen her in Trustus’ Heathers: The Musical. Though she had a small ensemble role, I kept noticing her, to the point of having mentioned in the review that I hoped to see her take on larger parts in future productions. Having had that opportunity with Montgomery, I am happy to say that my instinct was correct, and that she can handle a leading role with aplomb and great skill.

As Megan’s foil and underling, Lilly Heidari provides an excellent counterpoint as Kimmy, who is slightly younger in years and significantly more childlike than her world-weary-at-fourteen mentor. Though the script doesn’t delve too deeply into the subject, we do learn that Kimmy lives with her grandmother, which likely served as a subliminal connecting point with the adopted Megan, who brusquely rejects the parents she sees as “not really hers.” While presented as rural, middle-class Texans, the girls are hardly sophisticates, but neither are they impoverished or victimized by the hazards facing slum-dwelling outcasts. Each has her own unlikely dreams, (ironically, each involving a guitar) and have most probably shared their aspirations over many weekend sleepovers and square-pizza-and-corn high school lunchroom repasts. I have no idea how close Spencer and Heidari are in real life, but they have done outstanding work in establishing two characters who interact with the verbal and physical ease of old friends.

Having been most recently seen on the Trustus stage as the ever-so-dapper and smooth-talking Jay Gatsby in last spring’s The Great Gatsby, Jason Stokes does a delightful 180 as the aging, haggard, somewhat over-it-all, music industry burnout who still retains a country-boy handsomeness and charm. There’s a hint of a fiftyish Harrison Ford to his characterization, which immediately reminded me of the line from Raiders Of The Lost Ark, when a battered, exhausted, and punchy Indiana Jones admits “it’s not the years, it’s the mileage.” Stokes’ Montgomery is a cynic suffering from a minor head wound and recreational drug deprivation, but even in his moments of anger, he never comes across as unsympathetic. It’s clear that this guy has seen it all and done most of it twice, but he obviously realizes he’s dealing with a pair of messed-up but harmless teens, even serving as the voice of reason on occasion. Solid throughout, Stokes rises to the peak of his performance near the end of act one, when an unlikely situation leads to a revelation that could have been overplayed in reaction by a less skilled actor. No spoilers, but watch for a cliché plot twist made new and interesting through a unique, believable response from a much more substantial Rick Montgomery than his concert audiences might imagine.

Cassidy Spencer and Jason Stokes

Meanwhile, back at the police station, Patty does her best to get the B-team of the four officers under her command to grow some sense and find Montgomery, all the while dealing with the Governor and his Chief of Staff who demand constant updates. Elena Martinez-Vidal introduces Patty as a female version of Jackie Gleason’s famous Buford T. Justice of Smokey And The Bandit fame, complete with almost-affectionate but scathing commentary on Larry and Chet’s incompetence, yet reveals a softer side when things get truly serious for a minute about halfway through the second act. Though the two characters have no connection, Martinez-Vidal uses Patty’s gruff-but-decent personality to provide another link between the somewhat disparate storylines, mirroring Montgomery’s hard-boiled exterior and significantly gentler soul. Both Patty and Montgomery are grownups who have been “rode hard and put up wet” more than a few times, and neither is thrilled with having to deal with a pair of goofballs who are unable to act their respective ages. While Montgomery is forced to deal with a pair of teenagers who think they’re adults, Patty must endure the travails of shepherding two grown men who act like not-so-bright high schoolers. As does Stokes, Martinez-Vidal rises to the challenge of both embracing a stereotype and playing against it.

Having praised Kevin Bush’s versatility in multiple reviews, I will now repeat myself in saying that his Larry is yet another example of Bush’s chameleon-like ability to literally transform himself into a role. His first appearance finds Larry shooting a commercial of sorts for Chet’s ambitious shot at creating a COPS-style reality show. Complete with cowboy hat, slouching posture, and a dialect somewhat reminiscent of Slim Pickens with a hint of Andy Griffith tossed in for good measure, Bush was literally unrecognizable to me for about the first five minutes of his stage time. At turns both pathetic and heroic, Bush once again somehow manages to leave his real-life embodiment offstage, creating Larry from a presumably blank slate. Though not as textured by dialogue, Gabe Reitemeier’s Chet is an eager, if not-too-bright, little brother figure to Larry, oftentimes calming the situation when Larry’s anxieties get the better of him. In keeping with the myriad of nods (intentional or otherwise) to other characters and realities, Reitemeier pulls his share of belly-laughs with a close approximation of the patois and speech patterns of the mumblingly philosophical Boomhauer from Mike Judge’s King Of The Hill. As with Spencer and Heidari, Bush and Reitemeier present a relationship that seems completely natural and long-established, which plays successfully off their mutual respect for/aggravation with Patty. The police station is an internal reality to the larger world of the show, but it follows its own rules to the letter. Again, no spoilers, but keep an eye out for the golden moment of hilarity while the three officers wait for the office printer to complete a job. No words are spoken, but it’s one of the most side-splitting moments in a very funny show.

Curtis Smoak’s scenic design, much like the script, simultaneously manages to pull off sleek minimalism and a vaguely cluttered reality. Projections are utilized, but not overused, giving the show the look and feel of an extended sketch-comedy skit, which embraces a staged theatricality to great success. Such expansive locales as a packed concert arena and a crowded interstate are cheekily created with little more than lighting (courtesy of Lighting Designer Laura Anthony) and small furniture pieces, which suits the theme and style of Montgomery. Costume Designer Janine McCabe dresses her actors appropriately, with an eye toward costuming as an extention of each character. From Spencer’s rocker-chick look to Martinez-Vidal’s gradual transformation from half-dressed slob to crisply ironed and outfitted officer, the costumes reinforce and support the action without ever getting in its way. Director Graci serves double duty as Sound Designer, and has included a playlist of country music standards from the 70s and 80s, which give the action a satisfyingly old-school feel. If Montgomery were a film, you would expect to see a touch of graininess to the print, as well as the occasional jump of a few seconds resulting from a slightly botched reel edit. In addition to the radio classics of old, Montgomery features two original works composed by Eliza Simpson; the title theme and a dream-sequence concert number, “Star Quality,” sung by Kimmy as she imagines her future as a Nashville icon.

Elena Martinez-Vidal, Kevin Bush, Lilly Heidari, Gabe Reitemeier, and Cassidy Spencer

Montgomery continues its run this weekend, so there are only a few more chances to catch this little jewel of a comedy with heart. Now get on down to Trustus, pop open a cold beer, munch some popcorn, and enjoy a wild ride that will occasionally melt your heart.

-FLT3

Frank Thompson is proud to serve as Theatre Editor for JASPER.

(CORRECTION - Chad Henderson both designed the sound and cast the actors for Montgomery. Jasper regrets our error.)

Supper Table Spotlight: Bohumila Augustinova and Jocelyn Walters-Brannon

We’re featuring the artists from the Supper Table project throughout the summer. This is the 17th in our series on Supper Table Artists

Bohumila Augustinova - visual artist

Elizabeth Evelyn Wright lived less than 40 years but accomplished more in that time than most will do in 80. Wright was constantly motivated by the lack of education for her fellow black Americans, and instead of waiting around for a solution, she created one. She opened school after school, and even after those who wanted her to fail burned eight separate schools, she successfully founded what we know today as Voorhees College.

Honoring Wright’s journey with her copper-wire place-setting for the Jasper Project’s the Supper Table is visual artist Bohumila Augustinová. Augustinová was born and raised in Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic, but she came to the United States in 1998. She has a degree in fashion design, and after winning Runaway Runway, she quickly became part of the Columbia art scene. In 2015, she took over curating responsibilities at Anastasia and Friends Gallery. Augustinová is the leader of Yarnbombers of Columbia and is the art curator for Motor Supply Company Bistro. She works at the Columbia Art Center where she both makes art and teaches art to others.

Augustinová’s place-setting represents several elements of Wright’s life. For example, Elizabeth Evelyn Wright was biracial; she had a black father and a Cherokee mother, so the artist chose two different colors of wire that she wove together. This wire is woven into a flower, the edges of which are shaped like the flames of the arson fires that destroyed many of Wright’s schools, and the center of which represents her final success – Voorhees.

Portraying Elizabeth Evelyn Wright for the theatrical component of the premiere is Jocelyn Walters-Brannon. Walters-Brannon is a South Carolina native and believer in the power of creative individuals to manifest joy and understanding into the world. She serves as Director of The Palmetto School of Protocol and earned a BA in Journalism and MA in Public Administration from the University of Georgia. Walters-Brannon has served on numerous artistic boards and committees, including Trustus Theatre, Columbia Children’s Theatre, Vibrations Dance Company, and the East African based In Movement. Her favorite stage credits include roles in Rent, Ain’t Misbehavin’, and Caroline, or Change.

Jocelyn Walters-Brannon

Walters-Brannon finds Wright’s untimely demise particularly interesting. Wright was sick for numerous years before dying at the young age of 34. What she did in that time is testament to what people can do when they put actions to thoughts and words, but it also sparks the question, “What would she have done if she only had time?” This question is driving Walters-Brannon as she finalizes her performance of Wright.

To see Augustinová’s place-setting on Wright, Walters-Brannon’s interpretation of her life, and the chance to get a copy of a book or t-shirt, come to one of our opening events on either September 6th at Trustus (going fast!) or September 8th at Harbison.

-By Christina Xan

Supper Table Spotlight: Writer Kristine Hartvigsen and Actor LaTrell Brennan

We’re featuring the artists from the Supper Table project throughout the summer. This is the 16th in our series on Supper Table Artists

Literary Artist Kristine Hartvigsen

Althea Gibson is mostly remembered as a tennis player, and for good reason. She was the first black athlete to break racial barriers of international tennis, specifically when she became the first black American to win a Grand Slam title. Beyond this, though, Gibson was a golfer, a singer, and a woman, a human. She was a black woman trying to be a human being that had access to the same rights and activities as everyone around her, not through activism but through existing and doing her work.

The literary artist who captured Gibson’s life for the Supper Table is Kristine Hartvigsen. Former assistant editor of Jasper Magazine as well as a number of publications in the SC Midlands, Hartvigsen is an author who finds beauty in the human condition, using words to express raw stories of love, loss, hurt, anger, lust, envy and more. She currently holds a position at Piedmont Technical College as a public information specialist, but she has done much journalistic work throughout her years. Hartvigsen has had her literary work published in multiple outlets, including State of the Heart, Fall Lines, and more. She authored To the Wren Nesting, a poetry chapbook published by Muddy Ford Press, and she was twice a finalist at the SC Poetry Initiative. She is currently working on her next book, The Soul Mate Poem.

The following is an excerpt of Hartvigsen’s essay on Gibson written for the upcoming book, Setting the Supper Table, which will be launched on Friday night, September 6th at the Supper Table premiere event at Trustus Theatre:

Singles success at Wimbledon in 1956, however, was not meant to be for Althea. She had unwittingly exhausted herself in the tournaments played on the way to the All England Club. U.S. government officials were pleased overall with Althea’s world tour. She had conducted herself according to traditional conventions and represented her country well. She was more consistent and less nervous. Most importantly, she had done nothing to harm America’s equal rights image around the world. The U.S. Supreme Court had just declared bus segregation unconstitutional, so the country was on a race-relations roll.

Fast forward to 1957, arguably the pinnacle year in Althea’s tennis career. She was absolutely focused on Wimbledon above all other tournaments. She wouldn’t make the same mistake twice and made sure to be well trained and well rested before crossing the pond. Before it was all over, Althea was poised in Centre Court facing Darlene Hard in the final. This was the moment. In near triple-digit heat, it took Althea only 50 minutes to overwhelm Hard in two sets and win the singles crown. It seemed almost surreal as officials from the All England Club unfurled the red carpet at courtside, and Queen Elizabeth, who had witnessed it all, approached.

As cameras clicked rapid-fire, Althea executed her perfectly practiced curtsey, and Queen Elizabeth shook her hand before presenting the iconic Venus Rosewater platter. She was the first black Wimbledon champion in the tournament’s history. That evening at the time-honored Wimbledon ball, Althea delivered her acceptance speech, saying: “In the words of your own distinguished Mr. Churchill, this is my finest hour. This is the hour I will remember always as the crowning conclusion to a long a wonderful journey.” At the insistence of guests at the ball, Althea sang “If I Loved You” and “Around the World.” It was like a true-life fairy tale.

Taking this power and putting into a physical performance is LaTrell Brennan. Brennan is a professional stage, film, and voice over actor with over ten years of experience. She is a Trustus Theatre company member and has been seen in productions such as Silence! The Musical (Ardelia), Fun Home (Joan), Barbecue (Marie), and In the Red and Brown Water (Shun). Some of her film credits include Crosswalk, which won the 2013 Second Act Film Festival Audience Award, and Foundation, which won the 2012 University of South Carolina Campus MovieFest Best Drama Silver Tripod Award. For the latter film, she also won the Best Actress Silver Tripod Award and was a Best Actress Golden Tripod finalist at the 2012 Hollywood Campus MovieFest.

LaTrell Brennan

Theatre artist LaTrell Brennan has been looking back on the life of Althea Gibson and at the nature of her existence to prepare for her role as Gibson in the upcoming performance of Gathering at the Table, the performative aspect of the Supper Table premiere to be held first at Trustus and then at Harbison Theatre on September 6th and 8th respectively. Gibson never wanted to be an activist; she just wanted to play tennis. She wanted to work at what she loved, wanted to be good at it, for what she could do, not for the color of her skin. Yet, everyone expected Althea to be an activist, to use her experiences of racial discrimination to fight back against a country that only wanted her when she was their winner. However, Althea Gibson chose to use her body to fight her own battles instead of her voice to fight others. Whether this is a weakness or a strength or a culmination of both, this is what Brennan hopes to highlight in her performance.

To read the rest of Hartvigsen’s essay, located in our book Setting the Supper Table, and to see Brennan’s performance of Althea Gibson, come to one of our opening events on either September 6th at Trustus (going fast!) or September 8th at Harbison.