Saul Seibert invites Columbia’s artists to trade in their cool kid membership.

“Don't let the bastards get you down. Imposter syndrome is real. Keep healing, growing, and fighting regardless.” 

Saul Seibert, frontman of former band Boo Hag, and creator of the four-part artistic experience, Zion, has become a surprisingly positive and encouraging force in Columbia art’s scene. His newest band, King Saul and The Heretics, released their first single “Grow”, on September 2nd along with a video that features a number of well-known Columbia faces. Read what Saul had to say about his new band, playing music sober and the Columbia arts scene. 

JASPER: What spurred King Saul and The Heretics? How did the band come together? 

SEIBERT: King Saul and The Heretics is basically a catch all for anything I have written to date, or I am currently writing… outside of Zion. I asked players I've worked with in the past and a few I have respected and wanted to work with to help fill out the songs and contribute their creativity to the arrangements.

I am cataloging notebooks of songs and writing new material a little here and there.

JASPER: Who all is in the band and how do y'all work together?

SEIBERT: Sean Thomson is on keys and is a multi-instrumentalist. He is producing and recording the music. Andrew Collins is on guitar, Hot Tub John is on bass, Kevin Brewer is on drums, and Adam Colbert is on sax and a contributing visual artist. I sing and play guitar. 

Everyone is given freedom to build structure around the songs and write their own parts. I'm very fortunate to be welcomed into such a talented group of creators.

JASPER: How would you describe your sound?

SEIBERT: It's a mess. I honestly don't know.

JASPER: What inspired your single "Grow"? 

SEIBERT: Grow was written about two years ago. It was directed at my brother. I had recently gotten clean from cocaine and heroin and was looking at kicking booze. I went out into the woods for a few weeks alone and wrote the song. It sat in a notebook until recently. Its meaning is on the surface and remains the same: 

Don't let the bastards get you down. Imposter syndrome is real. Keep healing, growing, and fighting regardless. 

Zach and Darren Woodlief sat with me and brought me back to life. I owe them everything.

JASPER: What about the video for “Grow”?

SEIBERT: The video is an invitation to the broader community to leave the scene and cool kid culture, turn in your membership and start building real relationships that are healthy mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Don't posture. Produce growth.

JASPER: What do you want most for Columbia, and what changes would you like to see?

SEIBERT: I want Columbia to be known for its artistic infrastructure. Columbia has some of the best bands and performing artists in the south… period. Let's throw some light on them and let them shine! I use the term Cola Centric when talking about the city because we are unique.

You have more diversity than a lot of cities in SC. We could always do a better job at highlighting our cultural diversity and celebrating the variations of this.

My personal take is simple. The NY and LA art and music "scene" didn't just happen. It was built very intentionally …and not with a lot of the advantages of technology that we have today. Seattle in the 90s didn't just accidentally happen. We build the art culture we want and in turn get the art culture we deserve.

JASPER: What does your writing process look like? 

SEIBERT: It looks and feels like fucking hell.

JASPER: How has your sobriety impacted your music and creative process?

SEIBERT: I don't remember much about the previous decade. I don't know how it's impacted my process. I think it's possible I'm a better player and more honest of a writer. I would assume I'm easier to work with. Sobriety has only improved my production.

JASPER: When do you know something is done?

SEIBERT: I have never experienced this feeling. I imagine it must feel good.

JASPER: What advice would you like to give other creatives?

SEIBERT: Fuck pride. You are not famous or special. When you truly don't care what people think, you become a dangerous creator. It's my hope they are blessed enough to be truly cursed so that something absolutely beautiful can be brought into existence and speak and maybe even benefit the larger community. Fuck pride. Break rules.

JASPER: If each project you've been a part of was a living thing what would they be and why?

SEIBERT: They would all be buffalo.

You can see King Saul and the Heretics play their first show, Thursday, September 15th from 8-11pm at Uncle Festers with The Water Kickers, and Free Weed. See the Facebook event for more details.

Jasper Talks with femme x About Story Slam -- in the Flesh -- September 14th

Looking for something in Columbia to itch that performing arts scratch, but with more of an edge and authenticity to it? femme x, a notable social gathering and coworking space in Columbia will be bringing back in person Story Slams, with the support and collaboration of the #whatshesaidproject. We talked to Nell Fuller, co-founder and managing partner of femme x, about the story slam and what audiences can expect from attending one of these recurring nights. 

Jasper: Have you partnered with the #whatshesaidproject before?

Fuller: Although we hadn’t partnered before, I have long admired the #whatshesaidproject and remember Shannon Ivey (founder of the #whatshesaidproject) winning a giveaway when we first opened. When Shannon and her business partner, Katie Zenger, pitched their Inspired Speaking Curriculum, it was a natural fit for our growing community of women, many growing their own companies and refining their storytelling skill sets. We saw an exciting need for a storytelling platform, particularly in a space that centers women. This story slam is a mix of seasoned and new storytellers, some of whom are in our Fall Inspired Speaking cohort. I am over the moon to collaborate with Ivey!

Jasper: What should audience members expect from the Story Slam? Does everyone in the audience have to participate, or can you attend to listen and offer love/support?

Fuller: Audience members can expect around 10 local storytellers to tell a 5–8-minute personal story connecting to the theme “In the Flesh.” Unless there’s rain, we will have it outside in the courtyard and all are welcome to attend and enjoy the community. The bar at femme will be open for drinks and snacks. 

Jasper: How does the Story Slam align with the aims and goals of femme x?

Fuller: Story Slams (and Shannon Ivey’s work in personal storytelling) aim to give women the opportunity and experience of crafting a personal story and then sharing it with a warm audience. These opportunities are rare, and femme x is a community that is aware of this and how it negatively impacts women and their quality of life. 

Jasper: Do you plan to have reoccurring Story Slams, or other live events with #whatshesaidproject?

Fuller: Yes! We will continue Story Slams on the second Wednesday of each month. The bar will open at 6 PM and the stories will start at 7 PM.

Jasper: Are there any other collectives like femme x in Columbia?

Fuller: Columbia has so much to offer, including a growing network of cowork spaces for entrepreneurs and creatives! NoMa Warehouse and SOCO both offer incredibly innovative, community-centered spaces. It’s been so energizing to come out of COVID and see the entrepreneurial community growing and thriving as we make space for one another to contribute to the larger ecosystem.

Fuller described femme x as a “social club and cowork space dedicated to changing the traditional systems of capital distribution.” The collective aims to nurture and create a safe, accessible, and empowering space for entrepreneurial women through “social events, peer engagement and programming tailored to their unique needs.” If you are interested in checking out their membership options, visit their website. 

The Story Slam is $5 for femme members and $15 for non members. You can register for the event online.

Small Artists, Big Creativity: Lillian Hauck and NoMa Flea Jr.

“Don't throw the canvas away; change with the mistakes and make it something new”

For those who haven’t already heard, NoMa Flea is going to be a bit different this Friday— all the vendors at this weekly funky and fun evening artisan market will be under 18! Noma Flea Jr. is September 9th, and Jasper got to sit down with one of the featured artists, Lillian Hauck (11), and her mother, Marnnie Hauck, about Lillian’s art, entrepreneurial spirit, and what inspires her. 

Lillian started painting regularly at 8 years old, but it was last year when her identity as an artist really began to blossom. “Lillian’s first public debut was March 2021 and she made content for weeks beforehand, was involved in every detail that day, and has had the bug ever since,” Marnnie says, “This event at NoMa Warehouse will be her 4th.”

Beyond the fun and pizazz of making art for events, Lillian’s mother says that the process calms her, and painting colorful pieces brings her joy: “I like making things I see as colorful as possible,” Lillian shares.

Mother and daughter say that the girl’s paternal grandfathers, all the artists who come to Noma, to the Soda City Market, and their neighbors are Lillian’s greatest inspiration, with a particular emphasis on their community.

“I would honestly say one of the biggest influences for Lillian is the neighborhood that we live in. We moved here in 2017. The overall sense of community that is created here I think, combined with how the kids are intentionally being raised, has been a game changer. Kitty corner to where we live is Flavia Lovatelli, a sustainable materials artist, and she is like our adopted fairy godmother. For years now she would make little trinkets for them, and in turn the kids would make art for her,” Marnnie details, “and then the Art Crawl started here in our neighborhood in 2019. Lily was so blown away. It made a huge impression on her. Then NOMA Warehouse opened in 2021, and even more community and art came into her life.”

As her mother, Marnnie is dedicated to supporting Lillian in her endeavors, emphasizing the hard work her daughter puts into her art: “This, in every way, is all Lillian, a quiet human, though not a wallflower, who doesn't generally like to draw attention to herself, putting herself out there for the world!!!”

Even when Lillian isn’t painting, her activities and hobbies are still rooted in creativity and making. Marnnie shares that, “Outside of painting Lily is at all times crafting fashion wear for everyone, and thing, in the house; her room always looks like confetti fabric land and no one can EVER find scissors.” 

When reflecting on her role, Marnnie thinks about her own childhood and the future ahead. “My influence here is that I believe it is super important to teach kids that they don't have to follow a traditional path to support themselves and be happy in their adulthood,” she intimates, “My generation was rarely taught that we had options. I'm a huge fan of entrepreneurs and self-sourcing in general and the kids getting exposure to that in all forms is invaluable to me.”  

And what advice could a young, creative entrepreneur give to young and old artists alike?

“Don't throw the canvas away; change with the mistakes and make it something new,” Lillian effuses, “And don't worry about what other people might want—paint what you want!”  

You can see more of, and purchase, Lillian’s work at NoMa Flea Jr. this Friday, September 9th at 6pm.

Phil Garrett Brings New Mexico Variations to Stormwater Studios

Phil Garrett’s work is informed by nature, a kind of mythical nature. The power of storms, the spiritual quality of the elements, the beauty, grace and ferocity of plants and animals…. Something greater than the artist, something he can’t comprehend. Painting and making monotypes are Garrett’s search for the mystery within the subject, within himself.

About the Artist:

Phil Garrett, a graduate of The San Francisco Art Institute, has completed numerous artist residencies including The Sam and Adele Golden Foundation residency in New Berlin, NY; and taught painting and printmaking nationally and internationally. He joined the Golden Artist Colors Working Artist Program in 1998, and the Williamsburg Oil Independent Artist Program in 2016. Garrett is the founder of King Snake Press, and his prints and paintings are in public and private collections in the USA, Europe and Japan. In 2005, 2006 and 2007 he lectured and taught workshops on Acrylic Painting Methods in Art Schools in the cities of Osaka, Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Fukuoka, Japan sponsored by Golden Acrylic and Turner company of Osaka. Garrett is the author of the book INSIDE ACRYLICS published by North Light Books in August of 2013.

OPENING RECEPTION
OF PHIL GARRETT’S SOLO EXHIBITION NEW MEXICO VARIATIONS PAINTINGS AND MONOTYPES, 2018-2022

Friday, September 9

5-8pm

Join us as we celebrate the opening of Phil Garrett’s Solo Exhibition New Mexico Variations!

DOGON KRIGGA presents OMPHALOS - The Converging of Antique Futures with Jeremy Brooks at Sumter County Gallery of Art

“So much of Black history is the chronicling of suffering. I'm trying to get back to a place where Blackness isn't under attack but is thriving.”

— Dogon Krigga

The Sumter County Gallery of Art is excited to present two challenging, contemporary artists with unique practices, Dogon Krigga and Jeremy Brooks, September 1st – October 28th. Opening reception September 1st, 5:30-7:30. Both artists will be in attendance.

According to the Sumter County Gallery of Art,

“Dogon Krigga expresses magick with the use of pixel and paper, incorporating divine mysteries, transcribed over time throughout their ancestors’ experiences to connect Black people to the future and the past. Krigga immortalizes modern and ancient traditions, wisdom, and theory into majestic and whimsical digital and mixed media collages that venerate those that came before, those that will come, and those that exist outside of time. Dogon Krigga uses their experiences, techniques, knowledge and training from over a decade as a graphic designer and practitioner of Afrofuturism, along with other African diasporic traditional religions to illuminate the spiritual paths and possibilities for all who receive their creations. Krigga is also a serious practitioner of root (herbal) medicine.

Dogon Krigga currently resides where they grew up, in Columbia, SC. They are primarily a self-taught artist whose visionary aspect is an amalgamation of culture and esoteric references through Afrofuturism. Their creative lineage is connected to legends like Romare Bearden and Tom Feelings. Their background in creative writing, journalism, and music production also lends to their creative perspective. Krigga has exhibited extensively in Columbia, SC including the Columbia Museum of Art, Tapp’s Art venue, Richland County Public Library and the Sumter County Gallery of Art. They have participated as a panelist in several important conversations on Black creativity at the Columbia Museum of Art and Trustus Theatre.

Dogon Krigga artist statement:
The Omphalos is a demarcation of center. In the ancient world, the Omphalos was a stone that represented the navel of the planet. Here, the Omphalos represents the convergence of two points of time, and of perspective. It is here that I share two collections of works that offer my perspectives of the past and the future. My intention is to close the gap between those points and celebrate the timeless beauty of Black thought and Black form in this ever-present now. We see so many images of Black people under duress, especially in art. So much of Black history is the chronicling of suffering. I'm trying to get back to a place where Blackness isn't under attack but is thriving. Our gifts and abilities and how we interact with each other are acts of rebellion and revolution. We are masters of this domain but living in a reality where that can be forgotten, so we address this with Afrofuturism to remind us. I'm attempting to liberate people mentally by reminding them who they are outside of what society tells them they are. Life can be serious but we have to step back, laugh and marvel at how intricate yet how simple the universe can be.

Detroit native, Jeremy Brooks’ Looking Back / Being Forward, a retrospective exhibition, brings together a variety of artworks produced over the past 15 years. The work is largely conceptual and craft based. Brooks investigates a wide range of subjects including ceramic decals, traditional, slightly modified figurines, vessels and pottery forms such as knot pots “knitted” with elasticized porcelain - in a multi-faceted way. His work is often characterized by the use and alteration of found materials, many of which become augmented with details of the odd, queer, and/or eccentric. Brooks examines aspects of language, materiality, and sexual identity in his creative practice by questioning: What forms and concepts are particular to the field of ceramics? What nuances are lost and gained in the translation across boundaries of materiality? What makes something queer?

from Rockwellian Homophobia

Jeremy R. Brooks (b. 1979) received a BFA in art and design from Grand Valley State University in 2001, and a MFA in ceramic art from Alfred University in 2007. He has balanced his career between working as an artist and teaching at the university level. Brooks has exhibited work in over 100 exhibitions and is currently an Assistant Professor of Ceramics at Coastal Carolina University. Some of his honors include a residency at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia, PA, receiving the emerging artist award by the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA), and being selected as a guest of honor at the XXI International Biennial of Vallauris, France. Jeremy currently resides in Conway, South Carolina where he surrounds himself with copious amounts of ceramic figurines punctuated between piles upon stacks of ceramic decals. He identifies as an amiable ceramophile who is afflicted with occasional bouts of decalcomania (the process of transferring designs from paper on to glass or porcelain). He is also gay.

Eric Lachance, SCGA curator notes, “In the discipline of ceramic art, Jeremy R. Brooks weaves clay into recognizable items which code-switch everyday, otherwise innocuous items like socks, fine china, and collectible figurines into playful objects loaded with metaphor and humor. Dogon Krigga utilizes the everyday as well, creating Afro-futuristic scenes which merge studio photography, digital collage, and vinyl applique to surround the viewer. Krigga’s work invites the viewer to participate and absorb the worlds they create. Please join us at the Sumter County Gallery of Art for these two immersive exhibitions."

Dogon Krigga will be in conversation with artist Thomas the Younger (who recently exhibited at the Sumter gallery) Thursday, September 15th, 5:30-7:30 pm.

Jeremy Brooks will be in conversation with SCGA curator Eric Lachance Thursday, October 20th, 5:30-7:30.

Karen Watson observes that these thought-provoking exhibitions would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors - Andrea Williams and Clay Goss, The Deane and Roger Ackerman Family Fund and Sumter County Government & Cultural Commission which receives support from the John and Susan /Bennett Memorial Arts Fund of the Coastal Community Foundation of SC, the SC Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. Flowers courtesy of Poinsett Garden Club & the Council of Garden Clubs of Sumter.

September 1 - October 28, 2022

GENERAL GALLERY INFORMATION
Location: 200 Hasel St., Sumter, SC 29150 (adjacent to Patriot Hall).
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

Steven White Premieres Original, Stark Pieces Ahead of Purple Xperience Show at Harbison Theatre

Are you looking to get your fill of great art and fantastic music back to back? Mark your calendars for September 2nd, 2022. Preceding the Purple Xperience performance at 7:30pm, The Jasper Project is proud to help present the opening night for Steven White’s new exhibition at Harbison Theatre. 

When planning out which artist to feature at Harbison, particularly alongside the new season, Jasper’s own Christina Xan knew that White would be a perfect choice. “I’ve been following Steven’s work since sometime during the pandemic when Cindi [Boiter] put him on my radar,” Xan said,. “His stark images that play and imprint in the viewer’s mind I thought would be perfect for this upcoming Harbison show. In fact, when Kristin [Cobb] reached out to me about selecting an artist, Steven was the first to come to mind.” 

White is often inclined to create images of cultural icons and immortalized figures. Considering how the Purple Xperience show is dedicated to celebrating the cultural impact of Prince’s legacy, the juxtaposition of the two shows makes perfect sense. 

White’s latest body of work explores the presence of negative space in a work of art, and how those spaces can be manipulated into something bigger. “What draws me to a piece painted with the use of negative and positive space is the strange possibility that you will be able to see things that aren’t there,” White said, “The space in question, which is the area of shared edges, engages the viewer in an unexpected and fun way. I like the fact that it’s interactive.” 

White emphasizes the mysteries and intrigue that present themselves throughout his artist statement and masterfully captures everything he aims to. White stated, “I hope that many viewers of my work will begin to see that the positive and negative can come together in many ways to bring balance to a composition.” This eye-bending technique of White’s works excellently to keep the viewer engaged with his work, looking from corner to corner for something they may have missed, causing them to want to come back for seconds.  

The amount of conversation between the Prince show and the opening of White’s exhibition is truly up to the viewer themself. This particular body of work did not come to fruition specifically for the Purple Xperience opening; it just so happened that there was plenty of natural conversation to garner between the two. 

“I will let other people decide if my body of work is in conversation. I consider my participation in the Purple Xperience Tribute Show to be a fortuitous event,” White said, “Sometimes a bit of luck comes your way when you put your work out there.” White emphasizes how important viewer reception and opinion are to him, and hopes that everyone who views his art leaves with new thoughts and perceptions of art to take with them. 

There will be an opening ceremony for White’s show prior to the Purple Xperience performance, at 7pm on September 2nd. White’s work will be up for viewing until the end of October. More info can be found on our event page.

Christian Thee, a Columbia Arts Community Legend, Needs Our Help

Sometimes a community has to rise to the needs of its members and, for us, that time is now.

Trompe l’oeil artist Christian Thee needs his community’s help to stay in the home he so lovingly created for himself and his late partner, Bruce. Through a series of events involving a reverse mortgage and more, Chris’s claim to his own home has been severely compromised. His dearest friends find themselves in a situation they had hoped to avoid — reaching out to the community to ask for financial help.

This morning, I spoke to Joey Vazquez, one of Chris’s closest friends and the host of the GoFundMe campaign we’re asking you to support, to get the full story. Joey shared this information with me and agreed that full transparency about the situation is best. This is what Joey wrote,

“Earlier this year Chris was served papers that the bank who now owns his mortgage would be foreclosing on him, and that he would ultimately be evicted. In that time we have been working on solutions to stay the order, trying to find government assistance programing for seniors in their homes, living facilities, etc.

When Christian's partner Bruce passed in 2014 Christian was left with the burden of their expenses, and to now have to be the "bread-winner". Christian had at that point "retired" as Bruce was the financial means for the couple employed as a realtor. Chris faced uncertainty. So, with bills mounting he signed up for a reverse mortgage. Which, later on we find out is a predatory practice focused on seniors in this type of position. The upfront "benefit" is that they can get a quick sum of money from the equity in their home, and live without a mortgage payment. The stipulation is that the "borrower" in a reverse mortgage pays the taxes and insurance yearly. Upon their death or any other transfer the house reverts back to the bank.

The $26k being asked for on the GoFundMe will satisfy the $25,457 in back taxes/insurance that will reinstate the mortgage that will keep Christian in the home.

A close friend of Christian's put us in contact with a lawyer who has been working on aiding us through this process. Chris's case is sitting in Common Pleas Court. Because it’s a foreclosure, it needs to be moved to the Master-In-Equity. There is a Roster Meeting on Monday, September 12 to set cases for trial that week on the Common Pleas docket. Our lawyer and opposing counsel will likely agree to refer the case to Judge Strickland, the Master-In-Equity. Once it arrives in the Master’s office we will wait again to be put on the roster for the final hearing.”

Joey also reminded me that since Christina and Bruce were not married, Christian did not receive any survivor compensation after his death.

Jasper will continue to stay in touch with Chris’s amazing friends and keep readers up-to-date.

But now it’s time for all of us to do our part to get Chris to that $26K mark to improve his chances of staying in his incredible home. If you can’t afford to donate, then thank you for sharing this message and the link to Chris’s GoFundMe Campaign.

Do this for Chris. Do it for Bruce, who so generously gave of himself especially to the Nickelodeon. And Do it for our community.

Terrance Henderson: Storyteller, Worldbuilder, Artist-in-Residence

“I am trying to walk in my fullness these days, embracing my evolution and still churning my complexities into my complexion”

If you have been to any performing arts show in Columbia, especially a dance or theater show, chances are you are extremely familiar with Terrance Henderson. Known for his contributions to the dance scene of Columbia through the Midlands Arts Conservatory, the Southeastern School of Ballet, and Trustus Theatre. In July, Henderson was named Artist in Residence at the Richland Library on Assembly Street. 

While no stranger to residency, Henderson still aims to learn from every experience he can as he offers workshops and office hours at the library. “I’m specifically looking to do more artist residencies like this as I move forward in my career,” Henderson said. “I am in a bit of an evolution as an artist and seeing my work and my place in my community with new understanding.” He knows just how valuable these opportunities to showcase his skills really are in a city with a much larger dance scene than some give credit to. 

The first month of residency has been a period of excitement for Henderson, and the amount of support for Henderson and what he does is extremely evident amongst the staff and visitors of the library. “Onboarding to Richland Library has been so exciting. I feel so supported here, and I have also already begun to make connections and have direct conversations with members of the community, which is part of what I’m most excited about for the residency,” he said. 

Henderson looks forward to hearing the stories of those who come to his workshops or visit him in residency, in order to build that extra connection that he aims for. This connection with the audience is what Henderson hopes will help them understand how and why he does what he does that much more. 

One of Henderson’s upcoming projects throughout his residency is a kind of performance museum: an immersive installation and experience that focuses on the concepts of legacy and renewal, and the conversation that can ensue between the two. As this project progresses, Henderson will host several workshops for audiences of differing ages as well as panels of artist talks with invited guests. These events coincide with another goal that Henderson has for his residency: elevating the discussion of art. 

“One thing I’d like to do is be very intentional about raising the frequency of our discussion of art and the process and viewing of the performing arts,” he said, “I think we can widen our conversation and center some new and different voices about access, value, and collaboration.” Everyone views and reacts to the various fields of art in differing ways, but Henderson hopes to turn the idea that everything exists separately from each other under the umbrella of art on top of its head. 

A key aspect of Henderson’s residency is the desire for him to overcome any challenges that stand in the way of him being seen: as a performer, a Black man, an artist, and everything in between. Visibility is integral to the work that Henderson aims to create and showcase. He is no stranger to shifting between interests and focuses within the realm of dance. “People make assumptions about you based on when or how they were introduced to your work and it’s hard to change minds,” he said. “And when you’re a Black artist, that’s even more true. Many people make assumptions about your work based on that alone.” 

Social justice and the push for equity is extremely important to Henderson, who has also recently been reintroduced as an Equity Advisor at Trustus Theatre. Through his own work and efforts at the library, Henderson aims to amplify marginalized voices within the performing arts world and the Columbia arts community altogether. Many of the workshops he plans to host are oriented towards these goals, allowing for communities themselves to aid in making these differences happen. 

Henderson’s residency focuses on the openness to conversation he has. He is open to conversations about art, personal experiences, opportunity, and so much more in order to fine tune what he wants to showcase in his work. His body of work functions as a diary for his own experiences and how he views himself. 

“I am a storyteller and a world builder, and now more than ever, all of me goes into it. The good, the bad, the sure, the uncertain. I am trying to walk in my fullness these days, embracing my evolution and still churning my complexities into my complexion.” You can be a part of this journey too—and perhaps Henderson is the key to helping anyone on their own journey of self reflection.

Henderson remains as the Richland Library Artist in Residence until December 16, 2022. He has several workshops upcoming in September, including some oriented towards younger audiences and children.

COLUMBIA REPERTORY DANCE COMPANY PRESENTS “NEXT” FOR THREE EVENINGS AT CMFA ARTSPACE

The Columbia Repertory Dance Company will present a full evening of dance for three nights at the CMFA Artspace, September 9 -11, 2022.

NEXT

centers on the idea of progress, and features a number of pieces that reflect the nature of life and moving forward in today's climate.

The Columbia Repertory Dance Company will perform NEXT on Friday, September 9th, 2022 at 7:30 PM, Saturday, September 10th 2022, at 7:30 PM and Sunday, September 11th, 2022 at 2PM at CMFA Artspace (914 Pulaski St, Columbia, SC 29201). Admission is $30 for this event, and more info and tickets can be found at www.coladance.com or https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5534979

With NEXT, Columbia Repertory Dance Company presents their third annual summer concert and first as a nonprofit organization. Featuring South Carolina choreographers Angela Gallo, Erin Bailey, Dale Lam, Ashlee Taylor and Artistic Director Stephanie Wilkins, the organization will mount an evening of high caliber entertainment that changes common perceptions of dance in Columbia, and follows their mission

statement in helping to both employ SC dance artists and ultimately aid in their retention in the state. The company will showcase a variety of work that represents snapshots of the emotional and physical world and offers something relatable but elevated as the world learns how to exist post-COVID. By collaborating with local artists and organizations and blending the highly physical with the highly emotional, Columbia

Repertory Dance Company aims to create an experience that draws people in and encourages them to make dance a regular part of their arts consumption.

In 2018 co-founders Bonnie Boiter-Jolley and Stephanie Wilkins founded the Columbia Summer Repertory Dance Company with a desire to offer dancers more options in a city focused heavily on ballet. They started with the financial sponsorship of the Jasper Project, a plan focused on summer performances (Columbia’s dance offseason) and a sold out debut performance in 2019 which was followed by a sold out concert in 2021.

The company has extended their season length and become a 501c3 non-profit organization. The group’s popularity among Columbia natives comes from their commitment to exploring refreshing narratives and styles of dance in their work.

The Columbia Repertory Dance Company will perform NEXT on Friday, September 9th, 2022 at 7:30 PM, Saturday, September 10th 2022, at 7:30 PM and Sunday, September 11th, 2022 at 2PM at CMFA Artspace (914 Pulaski St, Columbia, SC 29201). Admission is $30 for this event, and more info and tickets can be found at www.coladance.com or https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5534979

~ * ~

The Columbia Repertory Dance Company’s mission is to broaden the experience of professional dance artists and patrons in Columbia, SC through multidisciplinary collaborative performances year-round. We aim to retain the talents of South Carolina dance artists and provide a spectrum of professional opportunities while inspiring and developing a broader and deeper understanding of dance in Columbia and surrounding areas.

BUY TICKETS HERE!

Sewn Through Time at McKissick Museum Celebrates SC Basketmaking Since the 17th Century

Opening Reception with

Guest Curator Kennedy Bennett

Thursday, August 25, 2022, 5:30-7pm

McKissick Museum, 2nd Floor Diverse Voices Gallery

August 11 to December 10, 2022

Basketmakers have sewn baskets in the South Carolina Lowcountry since the 17th century. The tradition has been preserved at the hands of the Gullah-Geechee people, descendants of enslaved West Africans trafficked to North America. For over 300 years, basketmakers have transformed baskets from a plantation tool into an art form. Today, basketmakers continue to leverage heritage tourism to make a living, to advocate for the preservation of the ecosystem vital to the tradition, and to experiment with scale, form, and materials. This exhibition traces the evolution of sweetgrass baskets in South Carolina, highlighting the innovative work of contemporary makers.

McKissick Museum - Hours of Operation

Monday through Friday - 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Saturday - 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Columbia Author Carla Damron's New Fiction Deals with the Fight Against Human Trafficking

Advocate for human trafficking survivors pens thriller with a message of awareness and vigilance

Award-winning author and social worker Carla Damron, once named by NAMI as an Outstanding Mental Health Professional of the Year, uses fiction to address social justice issues, and her latest release is no exception. Emotion-driven, The Orchid Tattoo (Koehler Books, Sept. 30, 2022) is one part of Damron’s work as an advocate for human trafficking survivors and people with mental illnesses. Her previous work includes The Stone Necklace, winner of the 2017 Women’s Fiction Writers Association Star Award for Best Novel, which led award-winning author Pat Conroy to say “this is a novelist to be read again and again.”

In The Orchid Tattoo, social worker Georgia Thayer can balance her own mental illness with the demands of an impossible job. Mostly. But when her sister vanishes in the dead of night, her desperate quest to find Peyton leads to a multi-tentacled human trafficking network. When Georgia learns that her sister was brutally murdered trying to help a young victim called “Kitten,” she picks up where Peyton left off, and travels a treacherous path to expose the kingpin of the Estate, a luxurious brothel servicing rich and powerful men, and rescue his victims. Kitten is determined to escape. She won’t be trapped like the others. She won’t sell her soul like Lillian, victim-turned-madam, feeding the dark appetites of international business moguls and government leaders. Aided by Kitten, Georgia maneuvers to bring down the Estate and expose its dark secrets, but her efforts place her--and the very few people she allows to get close--in grave danger.

Continuing her advocacy work, Damron is partnering with Doors To Freedom, a non-profit that provides safe places for survivors of trafficking. They offer housing, education, treatment, and even vocational opportunities for teens and young adults who have been impacted by this issue. Their vocational program includes a cottage industry that makes cuff bracelets which you can purchase on their website. Damron hopes to promote the organization by selling bracelets at her signings, handing out information at her events, raising money, and donating a portion of her royalties. You can find out more at their website: 

“The Orchid Tattoo”

Carla Damron | September 6, 2022 | Koehler Books | Crime Fiction

Hardcover | $32.95 |978-1-64663-765-2

Paperback | $21.95 |978-1-64663-763-8

Carla Damron is a social worker, advocate and author whose last novel, The Stone Necklace (about grief and addiction) won the 2017 Women’s Fiction Writers Association Star Award for Best Novel and was selected as the One Community Read for Columbia SC.  Damron is also the author of the Caleb Knowles mystery novels and has published numerous short stories, essays, and op-eds. Damron holds an MSW and an MFA. Her careers of social worker and writer are intricately intertwined; all of her novels explore social issues like addiction, homelessness, mental illness, and human trafficking. In her spare time, Damron volunteers with the League of Women Voters, Sisters in Crime, Palmetto Chapter (President), her church, and Mutual Aid Midlands.

Columbia Theatre Stars Come Together for Jasper Project Staged Reading of MOON SWALLOWER

SUNDAY AUGUST 28TH

DOORS AT 3:30 - SHOW AT 4 PM

CMFA - 914 PULASKI STREET

$10 W/ RECEPTION

MOON SWALLOWER BY COLBY QUICK

left to right - Chad Henderson, Chris Cockrell, Michael Hazin, and Becky Hunter

Join some of the city’s most exciting theatre artists this Sunday as they bring a brand-new play to the stage of CMFA. Directed by Chad Henderson, MOON SWALLOWER by Sumter playwright, Colby Quick, is the winner of the 2022 Jasper Project Play Right Series.

A one-act coming-of-age exploration that embraces the world of Youtube, gentle drug use, family dynamics, performative Christianity, and yes, the possibility of werewolves, this is not your typical staged reading.

Check all your expectations of straight back chairs and music stands at the door. Henderson has included lights, music, sound effects and more in this tease of what a full-blown production would look like. And the actors are anything but sedentary. From fight scenes to actors climbing on tables and hissing like creatures of the night, this is an exciting look at an exciting new project coming out of Columbia, SC.

Tickets are only $10.

Join this accomplished cast and crew for a fun Sunday reading complete with wine, snacks, and an opportunity for you to learn more about the page to stage process courtesy of the Jasper Project!

BECKY HUNTER

CHRIS COCKRELL

MICHAEL HAZIN

LONETTA THOMPSON

RICHARD EDWARD

CHAD HENDERSON

REVIEW: House Calls-The Strange Case of Dr. Gale is a Fine Follow-up to Last Week's Composure at Trustus Theatre

In the second of Trustus Theatre’s True Crime Rep series, the new play, House Calls—The Strange Tale of Dr. Gale by Charlie Finesilver, opened on Thursday night, August 18th. Directed by Ginny Ives, House Calls is the story of Dr. Ian Gale, an ostensibly successful psychiatrist who, in the 1970s, lived and worked in Columbia, SC by day, but by night burglarized the homes of 100 or more of his fellow Soda Citizens. Over the course of almost a decade, Gale, who was also an attorney and author, stole valuables amounting in worth to a half a million dollars, hiding the treasure away in a locked room in his home. He was finally caught and convicted in 1979 and served 15 years in prison. In 2017 and at 79-years-old, Gale shot himself in the head and set his home afire, taking many secrets and explanations to his grave.

Finesilver became fascinated with the story upon reading about Gale’s death in the newspaper and developed his own interpretation of contributing events into the original stage play which, like last week’s Composure by Jason Stokes, was intended to be staged in August 2020, before Covid shut the theatre down for health reasons.

Although it was originally intended to be directed by Lindsay Rae Taylor, Ginny Ives stepped in as director for the premiere of the show. Ives is a graduate of USC Aiken and has been a company member at Trustus since 2019.

Jeff Driggers was cast in the part of Dr. Ian Gale at the request of the playwright who had seen Driggers perform in another show and thought him an excellent choice for the part. Driggers, whose background lies primarily in Shakespearean roles, physically plays a bit young for the part although he does strive to create a mature presence that he consistently maintains throughout the play. Driggers is a lot on the stage, and we would have liked to have seen just a bit more variation in his character, more nuance to balance the bigness of his vocal expression, given that he is on stage almost constantly. Even so, Driggers shows fidelity to his interpretation of the part throughout his lengthy stage time.

Driggers is primarily cast against veteran actor Chris Cockrell (Inspector Anderson), one of Columbia’s most accomplished performers, and Deon Turner (Inspector Cummins), both of whom skillfully embody the roles of 1970s era gumshoes with finesse. It was also a pleasure to see Clark Wallace on the stage in the role of Solicitor Egan, reminding audiences of how much this experienced actor brings to a project.

Both Jordan Postal (Stacey) and Kathleen Pennyway (Jodi) gave astute and complex performances which promise more to come from both young women. And Sheldon Paschal, in the role of Gale’s memory of his mother (Vera) was decidedly creepy and intimidating.

Sharing the foundation of a set with last week’s premiere, Composure, once again we have Danny Harrington to thank for a set that is both functional and architecturally appealing. Sound and lights were fine and costuming by Andie Nicks was judiciously designed and era appropriate.

While in all likelihood Finesilver thoroughly researched the subject matter, a substantial part of the story was still conjecture by necessity and at the discretion of the playwright’s imagination in terms of what direction it would go. It would be interesting to know whether there were clues that led the author to point fingers at Gale’s mother Vera, so menacingly portrayed by Paschal, for the doctor’s mental instability or whether the playwright simply adhered to the old Freudian trope of blaming the mother whenever a son failed.  In a hearing that resulted in the revoking of his medical license it was noted that Gale prescribed amphetamines for a romantic interest as well as himself, had multiple false IDs, and exhibited other behaviors that indicated a sociopathic if not psychopathic  personality disorder. Ideally the conflict depicted in the action would have led the audience to additional possible explanations for the protagonist’s mental affliction, outside that of a domineering mother.

Certainly, like all new projects, House Calls would benefit from additional workshopping to sort out the possibilities for plot direction, and the pacing could be increased and the motivation of the lead actor finetuned. Compared to last week’s premiere by Stokes, House Calls may be less sophisticated in its storytelling methodology but, like its series companion Composure, which continues to run alongside it until August 27th, both have exceedingly strong bones and are triumphs for Midlands’s area theatre arts in that they were skillfully presented before enthusiastic audiences by accomplished casts and crews in a professional theatre.

Congratulations once again to the playwrights, casts, and crews for both performances and to Trustus theatre for trusting Columbia audiences to support new theatre art by talented local playwrights.

Alex Strickland of Abacus on the Band's Evolution, Columbia, Cooking, and Dance Moves.

“Make it your own thing & if it doesn’t hurt, you aren’t doing it right. Knowing & harnessing levels of pain can make a performance very special, positively or negatively”

Photo by Filip Szymanski

Abacus’ music is a smorgasbord of hard genres violently soaked in sweat and barbecue. They are well known and loved in Columbia for their unique sound, aggressive live shows and popular barbecue sauce. Lead singer and local chef, Alex Strickland, is gloriously over the top, seen pulling pork on stage for a recording of At The Addition and playing air hockey while performing at Transmission Arcade. If you want to learn more about him and what the band has been up to, keep reading. 

JASPER: You mentioned in a previous interview that music has always been a release for you. What's it been like the last two years not being able to play shows as often and struggling to balance the stress of everything going on in the world, on top of working in the food industry during a pandemic?

STRICKLAND: I personally haven’t had any other release. I have unhealthy coping mechanisms I’ve used to get through the day to day, but other than that, it’s been music & cooking. Luckily, we had band practice the whole pandemic (give or take). We only saw each other & practiced/wrote/jammed with one another. Cooking & music has been it for a long time for me, don’t fix what ain’t broke, ya know?

JASPER: You guys have been a band now for over 11 years. How has the band evolved over the years?

STRICKLAND: We as people evolved & the music definitely evolved with it. We all got serious about one thing or another (professions, relationships, traveling, life experience). We still make time for our music & artistic expression, but with age, shit gets more real & I think our music directly reflects that.

JASPER: We typically ask a food related question, but I feel like you guys get that a lot with the BBQ sauce and all, so anything else you want to compare each of your albums with?

STRICKLAND: Fuck it, 3/4th of us cook for a living. Food is our thing so we’ll steer straight into that. Our EP is a fried chicken sandwich from The Whig: no bullshit, can be done better at many other places but is just right the way it is. “En Theory” is a from scratch strozzapreti with pork ragu, savory & delicate with bite & a hint of spice. “Pellicule” is a BBQ competition smoked rib with no side. Stands alone with nothing else, meticulously cooked for hours & hours with someone constantly monitoring & babying it. Fall off the bone tender but with excellent chew, a perfect smoke ring & makes you want more

JASPER: When do you know something is done? 

STRICKLAND: When we all look at each other after the final note with equal parts disbelief & accomplishment. That song is in the bank (swoosh, nothing but net)

JASPER: What things do you like or dislike about the Columbia music scene and how have you seen it change over the years? 

STRICKLAND: The friends we’ve made in this town are countless. The experiences & opportunities are endless. The amazing bands we’ve played with push us to be better. I wouldn’t change a thing. So much could be said about “what if we had this or that” etc but all in all, this town is perfectly imperfect. I love it for all that’s wrong & right with it. 

JASPER: What is your favorite or least favorite show you've ever played? 

STRICKLAND: Uncle Lou’s in Orlando is the least favorite. On tour with Sein zum Tode, we were double booked with another touring package (sun genres of metal/punk didn’t mesh at all). They didn’t stay to watch us, the local left after their set for us to headline, we played to a depressed bartender & we couldn’t wait to get the fuck to the next town. 

Any of the battle shows with Vorov and/or Sein zum Tode, opening for Daikaiju at NBT before the pandemic, our shows at SXSW, house shows at QPP, Puuphaus & 88 Spring, opening for Thou in Greenville at Radio Room, playing the Whig & the Bask show pulling pork on stage are all way up there. Couldn’t pick just one for sure.

JASPER: Do you have any kind of special pre-show ritual or tradition?

STRICKLAND: I stretch, do vocal warms ups & get my blood pumping through super basic cardio (jumping up & down while spitting a bunch). Most of us smoke weed before to get ready, but I need the opposite. 

JASPER: What is your favorite dance move?

STRICKLAND: THE JAMES BROWN

JASPER: What tips can you offer other musicians (in similar genres) about dealing with the physical and emotional toll of performing? 

STRICKLAND: Make it your own thing & if it doesn’t hurt, you aren’t doing it right. Knowing & harnessing levels of pain can make a performance very special, positively or negatively. You just have to know what’s right for you. 

JASPER: What is the best way to listen to your music, like the ideal scenario? 

STRICKLAND: If you get in a horrible car accident & the brief moment you have of clarity before impact (the life flashing before your eyes moment) is overcome with pure panic so you flail your arms to protect yourself without knowing you were doing it, your arms accidentally hit a dial/phone/radio & it switches your music to “Disclaim”, that’s the ideal scenario to hear us. 

JASPER: What are you listening to most these days? 

STRICKLAND: As far as aggressive music goes: Ulcerate, Soul Glo, Gel, Demiser, Imperial Triumphant, Sumac, that new Cave In, The Armed, God Mother.

Non aggressive: I almost exclusively listen to ratchet ass trap, east coast hip hop classics, funk, afro beat & Bob fucking Seger (mostly at work which is 80% of my time)

JASPER: Any non-metal, hardcore, punk etc. bands that you draw inspiration from?

STRICKLAND: James Brown & Bob Seger. Showmen of the highest order. The other guys have tons of other people. Josh & Kevin has jazz backgrounds & Paul loves the Weather Channel music so sky’s the limit. 

JASPER: What's the "most metal" thing you've ever seen? 

STRICKLAND: A guy holding his kid on his shoulders during Gwar, huge ear protectors on, getting completely soaked in fake blood from a decapitated George W Bush prop. Metal as fuck. 

You can see Abacus Saturday, August 27th at New Brookland Tavern with Monolord plus Dorthia Cottrell (of Windhand). More details & tickets on New Brookland’s website.

JASPER PROJECT INTERNS WANTED!

The Jasper Project is accepting applications for interns for the coming 2022-2023 cultural year.

Jasper Project Interns may be involved in any part of the organization’s machinations dependent upon the applicant’s background, strengths, and interests.

We’re looking for college and post grad students who are interested in developing their skills in:

·         WRITING

·         PHOTOGRAPY

·         GRAPHIC ARTS

·         VIDEOGRAPHY

·         ADVERTISING

·         SOCIAL MEDIA

·         EVENTS MANAGEMENT

Jasper Project Interns know how to both work hard and play hard. They are progressive and innovative thinkers who relish problem solving and being a part of making magic happen. They value time over money and community over prestige. They are flexible, forgiving, intelligent, and kind.

And they believe that Art, in every form, is a sacred thread that connects humanity to history.

Former Jasper Project interns have gone on to become senior editors at NBC in NYC, writers at WIRED, WIRECUTTER, Vogue, Glamour, and VH1, an editorial intern at MTV, a digital marketing expert at WRAY WARD, NYU’s Summer Publishing Institute and more.

Interested?

Introduce yourself to us at JasperProjectColumbia@gmail.com

PRESS RELEASE: THE JASPER PROJECT PRESENTS A STAGED READING OF COLBY QUICK’S NEW PLAY, MOON SWALLOWER, WINNER OF THE 2022 PLAY RIGHT SERIES PROJECT

Sunday, August 28th at 4pm

Columbia Music Festival Association

914 Pulaski Street

Panel Presentation and Reception to Follow

The Jasper Project is excited to present the staged reading of MOON SWALLOWER a new play by Sumter playwright Colby Quick. MOON SWALLOWER is directed by veteran theatre artist Chad Henderson and features Michael Hazin, Lonetta Thompson, Richard Edwards, Becky Hunter, and Chris Cockrell.

MOON SWALLOWER is the winner of the Jasper Project’s 2022 Play Right Series, an endeavor in which unpublished playwrights are invited to submit their work in competition for a cash prize, publication of their play in book form, and workshopping and development of the play with skilled professional theatre artists, culminating in a staged reading. Dr. Jon Tuttle, playwright in residence at Francis Marion University and member of the Jasper Project board of directors, is the director of the Jasper Project Play Right Series.

MOON SWALLOWER is an alternative coming-of-age story of a young man who finds himself stuck somewhere between small town ideologies and big world expectations with a heavy influence of social media, domestic awkwardness, and the possibility of werewolves. It is a comedy that has kept the case laughing throughout rehearsals.

The Play Right Series is a unique machination for bringing new plays and playwrights to the forefront of local performing arts by calling on Community Producers to invest a modest amount of money in the workshopping and ultimate staged reading of the play in exchange for their intimate involvement in the processes involved in taking a play from page to stage. Community Producers for MOON SWALLOWER are Bill Schmidt, Bert Easter, Ed Madden, Paul Leo, Eric Tucker, Kirkland Smith, James Smith, Wade Sellers, and Cindi Boiter.

The first iteration of the Play Right Series involved a new work from SC playwright Randall David Cook whose play, SHARKS AND OTHER LOVERS was produced in 2017 and directed by Larry Hembree. SHARKS AND OTHER LOVERS has gone on to win multiple awards and be presented throughout the US.

The Staged Reading for MOON SWALLOWER will be held Sunday afternoon, August 28th at 4 pm (doors at 3:30) at Columbia Music Festival Association, 914 Pulaski Street. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. The performance will be followed by a panel discussion including cast and Community Producers, hosted by Jon Tuttle, with a reception following. Copies of the play, MOON SWALLOWER, will be available for purchase at the event or online at Amazon.com.

Tickets are available at  The Jasper Project.

Coming Up at CMA--Adia Victoria and More than Rhythm: A Black Musical Experience

It’s nice when successful artists come home. Sure, there are sometimes sour grapes in the back (what some like to call the anti-Hooties), but for the most part South Carolinians welcome their success stories back with pride and grace. That will be easy to do on Friday, August 26th when Columbia Museum of Art welcomes Adia Victoria to their Conversation and Concert titled More Than Rhythm: A Black Music Series Featuring Adia Victoria.

Singer-songwriter and poet, Adia Victoria, was born in Spartanburg, SC and lived in the upstate until she left high school and moved from New York City to Atlanta and finally to Nashville where she resides today. She released her first album, Beyond the Bloodhounds, a reference to Harriet Jacob’s autobiography, Incident in the Life of a Slave Girl, in 2016, followed by Silences in 2019 and A Southern Gothic in 2021, which was written mostly in Paris.

Having toured internationally for the past few years and performing some gigs in the US with Jason Isbell and the 400 unit, Victoria is performing in Columbia as part of a multidisciplinary event that will include song, poetry, dance, and discourse. Dr. Mason Hickman, musician and civil engineer with a uniquely math and science approach to his guitar work, will be performing with Victoria and Dr. Birgitta Johnson, professor and ethnomusicologist at the University of SC will be performing host duties.

According to the CMA, the “More Than Rhythm series returns for its second season with a special performance from South Carolina native and globally recognized blues musician Adia Victoria. On break from her world tour, Victoria joins host and ethnomusicologist Dr. Birgitta Johnson to discuss her journey as an eclectic 21st-century blues artist before taking the stage with guitarist Mason Hickman. Their performance includes original poetry paired with dance interpretations by Columbia-based dancer Erin Bailey.”

The CMA galleries and bar will open at 6 pm with a Conversation at 7 pm, followed by an 8 pm concert. The event is free, but seats must be reserved by contacting the museum.

REVIEW: COMPOSURE at Trustus Theatre, Written and Directed by Jason Stokes

“Composure brings to light major issues that, after one-hundred and nineteen years, are still prevalent today. Fact versus interpretation of fact, truth versus bias, opinion-based reporting, righteous versus self-righteous, and the checks and balances between the press and the government…” - Jason Stokes, Playwright

Pictured Clint Poston as James Tillman (left) and Jon Whit McClinton as N. G. Gonzales (right)

It’s been a long time coming for Jason Stokes, writer and director of the play Composure, which premiered Thursday night at Trustus Theatre. The inkling of the idea for presenting this story was born almost 20 years ago when Stokes first learned about this particularly sordid excerpt from South Carolina history that, in 1903, finds a white supremacist lieutenant governor, James Tillman, murdering in broad daylight N.G. Gonzales, journalist and co-founder of The State Newspaper, then walking away a free man. Stokes first developed the story as a screenplay before transforming it for the stage. It was scheduled to be premiered pre-Covid in cooperation with Chad Henderson, former artistic director of Trustus, along with Charlie Finesilver’s original production of House Calls, which premieres August 18th.

A larger story to be told than the one incident of the murder, Stokes does an impressive job of integrating the lead-up and aftermath of the shooting and trial into two acts. In fact, the structure of the play is highly sophisticated as the events and dialogue jump logically across place and time in order to explain not just most efficiently and dramatically the events, but the contributing causes of the events that took place.

The cast is, for the most part, stellar, with some of the finest actors Columbia has to offer on the stage in support of their colleague. It was a treat to see such accomplished actors as Hunter Boyle in the commanding role of Pitchfork Ben Tillman, Stan Gardner as attorney Patrick Nelson, G. Scott Wild as attorney William Thurmond, Kevin Bush as journalist J.A. Hoyt, and Terrance Henderson as Ambrose Gonzales, brother to murder victim N.G. Gonzales. Libby Campbell Turner displayed remarkable theatrical chops in her multiple cross-gendered roles as C.J. Terrel and additional characters, often changing characters on a dime just by adjusting the fit of her tie and her own composure. Her facial features and posture reminded the audience that she is a cast of characters unto herself. And Katie Leitner, as the long-suffering wife of the murderer, displayed a grace and elegance even when called upon to deliver the rare mellow-dramatic line. It was great, too, seeing Nate Herring back on the Trustus stage as George Lagare.

We were surprised, however, by some of the casting decisions.

With powerhouse artists like Bush, Wild, and Gardner on board, why were some of the most demanding roles assigned to some of the weaker actors on the team? As James Tillman, Clint Poston, though a fine supporting actor, was saddled with an incredibly challenging role, a role that seems made for the likes of G. Scott Wild who could so easily slide into the character of the blustery and entitled white Southern fascist Tillman must have been. Poston doesn’t seem to have a handle on how deluded and despicable Tillman was, sometimes coming off as somewhat sympathetic and misunderstood.

And while Brandon Martin at times rises to the level of contemptibility of future SC Governor and Senator Coleman Blease, a man who embraced white supremacy and lynching and violently opposed miscegenation, his physical appearance, posture, and contemporary hairstyle, as well as his time spent on stage when not speaking, make it difficult to believe him as the robust character of Cole Blease. Stan Gardner, on the other hand, would have soared in this role. (Since writing this, we have learned that Mr. Martin joined the cast at a late date to take the place of Stann Gwynn, an artist inordinately well suited to take on the role of Cole Blease. Jasper wishes the best both to Mr. Martin as he acclimates to the role and to Mr. Gwynn as he fully recovers from his medical procedure.)

But the most poorly cast actor, in a slate of otherwise excellent theatrical artists, was Jon Whit McClinton in the critical role of N.G. Gonzales. While McClinton was able to manage the side-role of judge most of the time, though he did break character and snicker at his own mistake at one point, he was out of his element among the artists with whom he shared the stage. The particularly jarring reality is that McClinton played opposite Terrance Henderson as Ambrose Gonzales in the majority of his scenes. Henderson’s stage presence, professionalism, and experience would have delivered a far more serious, and certainly less giddy, character than McClinton was able to provide.

We’re not sure whether Stokes conceptualized the set or if this was the singular purview of veteran scenic designer Danny Harrington, whose work has been a gift to most if not all theatre stages in the Columbia area, but the set for Composure, though problematic for the actors in places (Damn those pipes!), is a work of art itself. A play as complex as Composure could have required a multitude of scene changes. But Harrington’s innovative design—and the flexibility of the actors—allows for one large multi-use set that presents as something quite beautiful from the audience.

With a cast this size costuming can be a financial challenge and for the most part costume designer Andie Nicks does a fine job and, in some cases—like Katie Leitner’s elegant black and white skirted pants ensemble—an exceptional job. If financially possible, more consistency of style would be appreciated, too, particularly when it comes to pleats and cuffs for the gentlemen’s pants, hats vs. no hats, and the standard three button coat of the turn of the 20th century. And a good fit, no matter what the wardrobe, is ideal. Similarly, standardized hairstyles for men invite no comparison whereas the juxtaposition of a contemporary style, like that of Mr. Martin’s, stands out and begs notice, disrupting the flow of the play.

While kicking off the sound and lights posed a problem on Friday night, which Stokes managed with grace and humor, the lighting design by Teddy Palmer was helpful in guiding the audience’s attention to a stage in which, at times, as many as three scenes moved from frozen to active in a matter of seconds. In the best of all possible worlds (and budgets!) more intense spotlights would have been available, but in this world, this lighting worked fine. Background sounds by Jason Stokes were appropriate and complementary, with music added in places to enhance the setting but not overwhelm it.

Overall, it was a delight to see the vision of local multi-talented theatre artist and writer Jason Stokes become a reality. This play and its production are important to this community and beyond for a number of reasons.

Kudos to interim artistic director Dewey Scott-Wiley for following through on this project, begun by Stokes and Henderson, which could have fallen by the wayside once Covid forced its delay. We see far too little new stage work from an abundance of literary artists in SC and Columbia in particular. But local theatre and literary artists will continue to produce new art if given the opportunity to see it come to fruition, as Composure has. South Carolina and South Carolina playwrights have fascinating—and sometimes barely believable—stories to share, such as this story and that of Dr Ian Gale in next week’s premiere of House Calls: The Strange Tale of Dr. Gale.

Sadly, we are not as far removed from the issues and behavior depicted in Composure as we would like to think—we’re simply better at subterfuge. As Stokes writes in his playbill notes, “Composure brings to light major issues that, after one-hundred and nineteen years, are still prevalent today. Fact versus interpretation of fact, truth versus bias, opinion-based reporting, righteous versus self-righteous, and the checks and balances between the press and the government. Both are vital to American existence, both must keep careful watch on the other; but when these powerful forces become more self-aggrandizing entities than protectors of the people they serve, the American existence is lost.”

The question now is What’s next for Composure? Without question, the play should live on, possibly with a shorter first act, possibly continuing the model of more actors performing multiple roles to condense the cast. Some degree of workshopping might be helpful, but not a lot. This project strikes us as a good candidate for festivals. It’s a fascinating story that despite the passage of more than a hundred years still resonates and begs the same questions today that it did in 1903.

Congratulations to the cast and crew of Composure, a new play written and directed by Jason Stokes.

The Jasper Project

Trustus’ True Crime Rep: Charlie Finesilver Traces Mystery Behind Local Psychiatrist Turned Serial Burglar

Charlie Finesilver

Last week we discussed the first show in Trustus’ True Crime Rep, where two plays about crime in Columbia’s history will run simultaneously, alternating each night.

The second of the two plays, House Calls, written by longtime playwright Charlie Finesilver, recalls the strange case of Dr. Ian Gale, who died in 2017.

Finesilver started writing when he was in the Peace Corps in Mali, Africa, in order to process what he was seeing and feeling—in the time since, he has had 4 Off-Broadway productions. 

Finesilver finds writing plays preferable to other mediums “because theater gives physical boundaries and limitations that you need to break by using creativity and focus – it makes you reach and think.”

As far as creation, Finesilver notes that when he gets an idea, “The scenes are there. It just writes itself. I just feel like I'm just there for the ride.” But that doesn’t make the process simple. It doesn’t even start, as we might imagine, with pen and paper.

A chance encounter with an article from The State would become Finesilver’s inspiration for House Calls. He asserts that he doesn’t read the news very often, but in one of the few times he picked up a local paper, he found himself staring at a headline, which informed him that former doctor, Ian Gale, had committed suicide. 

“It sounds nuts,” Finesilver said, “But I did feel as though Gale was really watching over me. He was tapping me on the shoulder.” Who was Dr. Gale? A once seemingly stable and successful psychiatrist who, in the 1970s, burglarized over 200 South Carolina homes for apparently no reason.

This “apparently no reason” is exactly what kept Finesilver up at night. The question rang in his head – why? 

With an impetus in place, the script started to swirl in his head. Finesilver searched archives online and conducted interviews with people who knew Gale. He even went on what he calls “The Gale Tour.”

“I started at Clemson and Forest Drive, where Gale was pulled over surrounded by the police in '79. I went to his office. I passed by his house. I drove by several of the houses he picked off in Forest Acres,” Finesilver continues, “It's a rush to actually follow his steps, follow his route.”

Finesilver has brought in director Ginny Ives to achieve his vision for telling Gale’s story, and together they’re sharing it with us through a vibrant cast including Jeff Driggers, Clark Wallace, Kathleen Pennyway, Jordan Postal, Deon Turner, Chris Cockrell, and Sheldon Paschal.

As a writer, of course, it’s always difficult to see how a cast and crew will receive your work. “With anybody doing art, I totally get it. It's your baby. Nobody wants to hear somebody say, ‘Man, your baby is ugly,’” Finesilver jokes, “But I don't get defensive. My ears are open to anything, any kind of feedback that's sensible. I will change the script, absolutely.”

Now, as a team, this group will attempt to tell the confounding rush of a story that is the life and death of Dr. Ian Gale—a true story that often feels unreal.

On that note, Finesilver emphasizes the importance of balancing historical fact and creative vision: “You're thoroughly involved in what you're writing and what happened, the actual events, and you kind of have to be able to stay two or three steps back, and sort of capture the essence without getting too far, where you might lose people, you know?” 

And, of course, a playwright doesn’t want to lose people when there’s a message to tell. 

“This is a psychological thriller about a psychiatrist. I think the audience will walk away wondering about psychiatrists and their complexity,” Finesilver reflects, “Who are they? What do the people who uncover what we’re hiding, keep hidden?” 
You can see Finesilver’s play at Trustus, August 18th – 27th. People can buy tickets for House Calls and Composure—or get both as a package deal and dive into the mysteries of Columbia’s past.

Jason Stokes (L) and Charlie Finesilver (R)

Columbia Operatic Laboratory Brings Unconventional Opera to Art Bar with “Still Notoriously Hot *And Bothered*”

Columbia Operatic Laboratory (COLab) was founded by (now) alumni of the University of South Carolina School of Music in 2015. Since then, they have continued to try to promote the timelessness and accessibility of opera.

The nonprofit, that Jerryana Williams-Bibiloni, Marketing Director at COLab, says is like a Beezer's Gourmet Sandwich Shop T-Bird, consists of five members—a small board of artists with “day jobs” who have a passion for sharing opera to the city they love and dwell in.

“Although we all have our unique role to play for practical reasons, each vote has equal weight, which is especially beneficial as we come from fairly diverse backgrounds and want our respective niches represented,” Williams-Bibiloni shares, “This means also that we take turns in the director and musical director chair by assigning project leads based on our strengths and weaknesses or just availability!”

This group of dedicated individuals operates by the mission not your meemaw’s opera company, which emphasizes “the fact that [they] relish the opportunity to adapt classics to have [their] special COLab twist as part of [their] demystification of opera.” 

If you go to a COLab production, you aren’t going to see time-period appropriate costumes or the same production of the ole’ opera those already deep in the genre have seen a plethora of times. They are making opera for those who may never have attended one otherwise. 

“An example of this was our latest production of Mozart’s der Schauspieldirektor. Right off the bat we decided to move forward with the common English title The Impresario and to set it in Columbia, SC, with modern lyrics by librettist Evelyn Clary,” Williams-Bibiloni details, “As a show about a poor opera company, it felt appropriate to tackle as our first full production post-pandemic, and with the expertise of both Clary and Director Michael Brown, we were able to successfully address misogynist tropes of Mozart’s time and shape a more prominently feminist tale.”

Williams-Bibiloni jokes that part of COLab’s success is that they, like Star Trek, aim “to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before.” In reality, they are actively trying to perform where others don’t, to perform in nontraditional ways—unconventional is their middle name.

“To achieve this we are constantly seeking partnerships with local organizations and looking for ways to highlight some of what makes the midlands area a fantastic place to live and work,” Williams-Bibiloni shares, “This goes right in hand also with our #SingLocal initiative that focuses on supporting local artists both on and off stage with job opportunities that respect not only what they bring to the table but also that they deserve to be paid consistently and fairly.”

This newest opera, “Still Notoriously Hot *And Bothered*,” is somewhat of a spin-off of their “Famously Hot” show last year, in which they paid “homage to the city we call home by trying to incorporate Columbia’s loving branding of being famously hot.”

“The title of our August 19th performance — Still Notoriously Hot *And Bothered* — comes from this as a 2.0 spin-off of sorts,” Williams-Bibiloni explains, “We’re still hot and sweaty but we’re also excited to share what makes us hot and bothered in a variety of ways as we’ll be covering the 3 Ls — Love, Lust, and Loss — through opera, operetta, and even musical theatre.”

This performance takes place at Art Bar, who has been one of COLabs strongest supporters since day one—a relationship that has only grown stronger over the years.

Patrons can expect a “night of melodious, intimate storytelling” featuring Jennifer Mitchell, baritone Greg Pipkin, and collaborative pianist Sharon Rattray. Art Bar is a 21+ venue, and there is no cover charge for entry to the event. Food and drink will be available.

“There won’t be a full orchestra, unless you count the hum of the city noises outside or the chatter of other bar patrons, nor will there be a specific dress code, but you can count on a welcoming, come-as-you-are environment with something for everyone in our program,” Williams-Bibiloni intimates.

Whether you like Art Bar, opera, art turned on its head, or new experiences, Opera at Art Bar: “Still Notoriously Hot *And Bothered*” is a show that will entertain and bring joy. The performance is Friday, August 19th at 6:00pm.

For those who want to spend even more time with COLab, on Friday, September 16th, they are having their first Pirates of Penzance Sing-A-Long: a pirate-themed fundraiser featuring Gilbert & Sullivan with an (optional) audience chorus.

For more information and updates on their events, you can follow COLab on Instagram and Facebook at Columbia Operatic Laboratory or email them at ColumbiaOperaticLaboratory@gmail.com.