LMC announces 2009 Performing Arts Series
Desmond Doss is one of many heroes whose stories are portrayed in "The Risks of Heroes."
School's in session at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, but
so are the performing arts.
This autumn, LMC presents two unique programs that inform and
entertain, followed by a candlelight Christmas show for the holidays.
Tickets are available
by calling the Hayes Auditorium Box Office at (828) 898-8709.
The Risks of Heroes: A Drama with Music and
Dance
The Risks of Heroes is a chronicle of
exciting and heart-warming events where ordinary people rose to accomplish extraordinary
tasks.
Examples are Irena Sendler, who saved 2,500 Jewish children by smuggling them out of
the Warsaw ghetto; Gladys Aylward, a missionary who saved children during the war between China
and Japan by taking them over the mountains to safety; Daoud Hari, a Darfur translator who brought
worldwide attention to his country's plight; Harriett Tubman, abolitionist and a "conductor" of
the Underground Railroad; and the schoolgirls of Afghanistan, who continued to attend school after
persecution.
The Risks of Heroes will look at
these and other stories where heroes have risked their lives for others. This original work is
authored and directed by LMC Theatre artistic director Dr. Janet Barton Speer under the
sponsorship of the Joseph and Frieda Ross Foundation.
The performance runs Sept. 30 through
Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m., and Oct. 2 at 2 p.m.
Endeavoring to enhance intercommunity
relationships, Appalachian State University's Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies is
endorsing the Oct. 1 performance with a dessert reception and by selling tickets.
Patrons
interested in purchasing tickets for the play through the center should contact Rich Nemerson at
(828) 387-9333 or by e-mailing (southernstar@usa.net)
The LMC Interactive Theatre Project
This event is a dynamic
exploration of social justice issues through the eyes of contemporary college
students.
Using the performance techniques of Michael Rohd and Augusto Boal, students will
examine critical social and cultural problems through an intense rehearsal process that culminates
in a public performance.
The 90-minute workshop-style performance will feature student
scripted scenes, audience discussion and participation. Due to the serious nature of the material,
this work is most appropriate for mature audiences interested in collaborating for social and
cultural transformation.
This piece will be directed by Dr. Tessa Carr and will be
performed both on campus and in areas off campus. Performances are scheduled for Nov. 17 and 18 at
7:30 p.m. in Evans Auditorium.
LMC
Annual Candlelight Christmas Show
Every year, director James Taylor hears someone
say, "It's not the Christmas season until I see the Lees-McRae Christmas Show." He's now used to
hearing it.
A combination of choral pieces, narrative dances and mini-dramas, the Christmas
season comes alive the first weekend of December every year. This tradition has taken place on the
Lees-McRae campus since 1978, and it is a well-attended event by audience members from on and off
the mountain.
It's popularity has given the Candlelight
Christmas Show a fine reputation, as members from all areas of the college's performing
arts program come together to get the season going. The show will be held Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. and
Dec. 6 at 2 p.m.
Contact
Lees-McRae College is
located at 191 Main St. in Banner Elk. For more information, call (828) 898-5241 or visit
http://www.lmc.edu.
