April 18th - 20th: Coker College Musical Theater to present Spring Awakening

Coker College’s musical theater program will present “Spring Awakening” next month at Watson Theater of the Elizabeth Boatwright Coker Performing Arts Center.

Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, April 18–20 and Monday and Tuesday, April 22-23. Tickets are $15 for adults; $5 for students and children; and free with Coker College identification

“Spring Awakening” opened on Broadway in 2006 and won eight Tony Awards. It is based on a play by Frank Wedekind and music is by Duncan Sheik.  The book and lyrics are by Steven Sater

Set in a German boarding school in the 1890s, the musical examines the effects of sexual repression and authoritarianism on the lives of post-Victorian German adolescents. 

“Using musical numbers to access the internal world of pubescent questioning, angst, fantasy, desire and sexual longing, the outcome is a juxtaposition of realism and rock concert that drives home the dangers of silencing curiosity,” said Kindra Clyne-Steenerson, assistant professor of Theater. 

“The cast is excited to explore the internal lives of their characters during the rock-pop-punk concert moments.  We're having a blast finding their inner rock stars. I think music is a way in which many of us expressed what we couldn't say, what we weren't allowed to say, or what we didn't even know we felt as teens--so it feels very honest.

Cast members include Briana Lotan, Jill Brantley, Cecil Morrell III, Ashley West, Estebon Middleton, Dallyn Scott, Wes Atkinson, Jon Moree, Patrick Doughty, Rose Mancuso, Christopher Moore, Sierra Vennes, Kara Smith and Brittanee Phillips.

The production is directed by Steenerson.  Musical direction is provided by associate professor of music Graham Wood.  Stage management is provided by Bill Davis.  Cody Weyandt serves as assistant stage manager and master carpenter, and set and sound design was provided by guest artist Max Lydy.  Lighting design was provided by Ariel Guinn.  Vennes provided costume design and master electrician Jocelin Lehner provided technical direction. Student researcher, Nicole Kelly, served as the dramaturge.

The presentation of “Spring Awakening” at Coker College is made possible through an arrangement with Music Theatre International and includes mature themes and language that may not be suitable for young audiences.

For more information, call 843-383-8065 or contact Wood at gwood@coker.edu.

Coker College offers a major in music with concentrations in voice, piano and musical theater. Coker also offers a major in theater with concentrations in performance or technical theater, and a major in dance with concentrations in performance, choreography and movement analysis and therapies. Performing arts students study and perform in the Elizabeth Boatwright Coker Performing Arts Center, which includes the Watson Theater that seats 466, a proscenium stage, an orchestra shell, computerized lighting, state-of-the-art acoustics and a versatile 80-seat Black Box Theater.

April 18th - 20th: Coker College Musical Theater to present Spring Awakening

Coker College’s musical theater program will present “Spring Awakening” next month at Watson Theater of the Elizabeth Boatwright Coker Performing Arts Center.

Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, April 18–20 and Monday and Tuesday, April 22-23. Tickets are $15 for adults; $5 for students and children; and free with Coker College identification

“Spring Awakening” opened on Broadway in 2006 and won eight Tony Awards. It is based on a play by Frank Wedekind and music is by Duncan Sheik.  The book and lyrics are by Steven Sater

Set in a German boarding school in the 1890s, the musical examines the effects of sexual repression and authoritarianism on the lives of post-Victorian German adolescents. 

“Using musical numbers to access the internal world of pubescent questioning, angst, fantasy, desire and sexual longing, the outcome is a juxtaposition of realism and rock concert that drives home the dangers of silencing curiosity,” said Kindra Clyne-Steenerson, assistant professor of Theater. 

“The cast is excited to explore the internal lives of their characters during the rock-pop-punk concert moments.  We're having a blast finding their inner rock stars. I think music is a way in which many of us expressed what we couldn't say, what we weren't allowed to say, or what we didn't even know we felt as teens--so it feels very honest.

Cast members include Briana Lotan, Jill Brantley, Cecil Morrell III, Ashley West, Estebon Middleton, Dallyn Scott, Wes Atkinson, Jon Moree, Patrick Doughty, Rose Mancuso, Christopher Moore, Sierra Vennes, Kara Smith and Brittanee Phillips.

The production is directed by Steenerson.  Musical direction is provided by associate professor of music Graham Wood.  Stage management is provided by Bill Davis.  Cody Weyandt serves as assistant stage manager and master carpenter, and set and sound design was provided by guest artist Max Lydy.  Lighting design was provided by Ariel Guinn.  Vennes provided costume design and master electrician Jocelin Lehner provided technical direction. Student researcher, Nicole Kelly, served as the dramaturge.

The presentation of “Spring Awakening” at Coker College is made possible through an arrangement with Music Theatre International and includes mature themes and language that may not be suitable for young audiences.

For more information, call 843-383-8065 or contact Wood at gwood@coker.edu.

Coker College offers a major in music with concentrations in voice, piano and musical theater. Coker also offers a major in theater with concentrations in performance or technical theater, and a major in dance with concentrations in performance, choreography and movement analysis and therapies. Performing arts students study and perform in the Elizabeth Boatwright Coker Performing Arts Center, which includes the Watson Theater that seats 466, a proscenium stage, an orchestra shell, computerized lighting, state-of-the-art acoustics and a versatile 80-seat Black Box Theater.

February 16th: Carolina Forest Performing Arts Academy to perform at the Center Theater in Hartsville

Carolina Forest Performing Arts Academy dancers and singers will present a concert titled “One Night Only” at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16 at the Center Theater in downtown Hartsville.

“Carolina Forest Performing Arts Academy consists of a talented group of young professionals who have been featured on television, on international cruise lines, and in the recording studio,” said Graham Wood, Coker College associate professor of music and musical theater coordinator.

“‘One Night Only’ will be a high-energy performance of Broadway-based numbers featuring snappy choreography, passionate singing and imaginative staging. We're looking forward to a little bit of the Great White Way in Hartsville.”

Based in Myrtle Beach, S.C., the Carolina Forest Performing Arts Academy was the 2012 WMBF News Best of the Grand Strand Dance Studio. 

This event is sponsored by the Coker College Concert Association and is open to the public.  Tickets for the concert, which are available at the door, are $25 for adults and $7 for children under 18. Coker students, faculty and staff with college identification are admitted for free.

The Hartsville-Coker Concert Association, a partnership between Coker College and Hartsville, presents an annual program of performing arts events in downtown Hartsville and on the Coker campus.  Individual tickets are sold for each event, and discounted season tickets are included in the association’s membership.  For more information, call 866-821-4266.

December 3rd:Voice and Piano Students to Present Fall Recital

Voice and piano students at Coker College will perform a recital, which is free and open to the public, at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 3 in the Hannah Lide Coker Recital Hall on the campus of Coker College.

“The fall student recital includes samples of repertoire from students taking applied voice or piano lessons with Dr. Jun Matsuo, Eric Kesler or myself,” said Assistant Professor of Music Serena LaRoach-Hill.  “All of the students perform in the recital whether they are music majors, minors or even non-majors.  For many of the beginners and non-majors, this is one of the few opportunities they have to perform solo pieces in public.”

"The student recital is one of my favorite performances.” said senior music major, Latavia Smith.  “It is an opportunity for me to showcase some of what I've been preparing every semester."

In addition to showcasing the work of the College’s traditional music students, the recital provides an opportunity for local high school students enrolled in the PULSE (Partners for Unparalleled Local Scholastic Excellence) initiative to perform for the public.

A key component of the partnership is the Accelerated Learning Opportunities initiative (ALO) that expands curriculum opportunities through collaborative teaching programs with the South Carolina Governor’s School of Science and Mathematics and Coker.  ALO is available to eligible students at Hartsville and Mayo High schools who live in Hartsville.

Now in its second year, PULSE is administered by the TEACH Foundation through a five-year $5 million grant from the Sonoco Foundation. The collaborative program involves the Darlington County School District, South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics, Coker College and Sonoco.

This semester’s ALO students are enrolled in classes in dance, piano and vocal studies.

"I am really nervous but extremely excited about the recital,” said Nicole Hyaman, now in her second year as an ALO student. “Compared to where I started, I feel like I've grown exponentially.”

The next public recital for voice and piano will be held at 3 p.m. May 5 in the Coker College Drawing Room.

For more information about Coker College’s programs in performing and visual arts, call Wesley Atkinson at 843-383-8050.  For information about PULSE and ALO, visit www.teachfoundation.orgor call 843-917-0026. 

Ketter's Honors Project aims to Reach Local Young People

Reaching Children Through Music: A Middle School Choral Clinic will take place at Hartsville’s First Baptist Church on March 31^st.  Reaching Children Through Music is Coker College’s Marlin Ketter’s Senior Honors Project. 

Middle School students from in and around Hartsville will be treated to an all-day clinic (9am to 4pm) and then will perform at concert at 4pm.  Admission is free and everyone is invited to attend.

First Baptist Church is located at 104 East Home Avenue in downtown Hartsville.

For more information, contact Ketter through his Facebook page.

April 16th: Coker Music Program to present its Spring Choral Concert

The Coker Music Program will present a Spring Choral Concert on Monday, April 16 at 7:30 pm at First Presbyterian Church in Hartsville.  The concert features the College’s premiere choral ensemble, the Coker Singers, as well as the smaller auditioned Coker Chamber Singers.  The two choirs recently performed this musical program on their annual spring tour, singing in Atlanta, Birmingham, Meridian, and New Orleans.  


Over 20 different works from the Renaissance to the 21^st century will be performed in the wonderful acoustic of First Presbyterian’s sanctuary – sure to be something for every musical taste!  The concert is FREE and all are invited to attend.  For more information please contact Dr. William Carswell (843.383.8063 or wcarswell@coker.edu).

March 28th to March 31st: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) at Coker College

The Theater Program at Coker College will present “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged),” a comedy by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield, at 7:30 p.m. March 28, 29, 30 and 31 in the Black Box Theater in the Elizabeth Boatwright Coker Performing Arts Center.

“Of the many lessons that actors and crew members encounter in developing a theater production, perhaps the single, most valuable lesson this cast has learned relates to the importance of ensemble playing,” said Assistant Professor of Theater Kindra Steenerson, who directs the production.

“They've seen first-hand how necessary each and every one of them is to the process, and this group of students has shown impressive commitment to the show, each other, and the rehearsal process. After long days of classes, they're working three hours or more, Sunday through Thursday night, and their attitudes and generosity of spirit have been exemplary.”

The cast, whom Steenerson says “provides the sass” for her first production at Coker, includes students Cecil Ray Morrell III, Hartsville; Daniel Stevenson, Columbia, S.C.; Keon Wilson, Sumter, S.C.; Datra Cook, Sumter, S.C.; Dana Griffin, Kershaw, S.C. and Ellen Skipper, Conway, S.C.  Set and lighting design are provided by Assistant Professor of Theatre David Dawson, and the sound design is provided by Facilities Manager and Assistant Technical Director Trevor Robinson.

One of the world’s most frequently produced plays, “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” has been translated into dozens of languages and has been praised by the Los Angeles Times as “wildly funny,” by the Montreal Gazette as “the funniest show you are likely to see in your entire lifetime” and by the New York Times as “irresistible.”

Produced through a special arrangement with Broadway Play Publishing, the play “makes a dilly of poor Willy,” wrote theater critic Michael Musto of the New York Daily News. Musto described it as “a fantasia of zany energy that throws together Monty Python-ish drag and Mel Brook-ish anything-for-a-laugh gags.”

Admission is free, and seating is limited, so early arrival is recommended. For more information, call 383-8382 or contact Steenerson atksteenerson@coker.edu.

Coker College's Hill-LaRoche Honored with Statewide Singing Artist Award

This month Coker College Assistant Professor of Music Serena Hill-LaRoche won the National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Award (NATSAA) for the state of South Carolina. 

She will travel to the University of Maryland next month to participate in the organization’s Mid-Atlantic Region competition, which will include a representative each from Maryland/Washington, D.C., Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

“Winning the NATSAA for South Carolina is an impressive accomplishment not only for Dr. Hill-LaRoche but for the music program and the entire College,” said Associate Professor of Music Will Carswell, who directs choral and vocal studies at Coker.  “For majors and non-majors alike, students who train with her will learn both by her excellent instruction as well as her fine example.  She is a gem in her field and a wonderful colleague as well.”

“I am honored to represent South Carolina in the Mid-Atlantic competition,” said Hill-LaRoche.  “But more than that, I am deeply grateful for leadership of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, which recognizes a fundamental truth that collegial competition strengthens both scholarship and performance in vocal music.  Without a doubt, these experiences help us hone our skills and apply the knowledge gained both to our work in the classroom and to our performances on stage.”

An active performer, Hill-LaRoche has recently been featured in works such as Handel’s “Messiah,” Haydn’s “Creation” and “Seasons,” Brahm’s “Requiem,” Vaughan William’s “Dona Nobis Pacem” and Handel’s “Samson.” She has performed with the South Carolina Philharmonic and Firenze Lirica. Hill-LaRoche’s international recital engagements include performances in Italy and Spain.  She has sung with Opera at University of South Carolina, Opera in the Ozarks, Studio Lirico, Greenville Light Opera, Central Florida Lyric Opera and Piccolo Players.

Hill-LaRoche was a 2003 finalist in the Southeast Regional Metropolitan Opera Auditions and most recently, a 2008 National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Award Regional finalist and the 2006 Artist of the Year with FBN Productions. In 2003, she was the Bizet Award winner for the Orpheus National Young Artist Vocal Competition and a Palmetto Opera Competition finalist in 2005.

She earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of North Alabama, and a Master of Music and Doctor of Music Arts degrees from the University of South Carolina.  At Coker, she teaches applied voice, diction and vocal pedagogy and serves as the faculty liaison for PULSE, a private-public collaboration to improve educational opportunities for students in Hartsville.

Upcoming engagements for Hill-LaRoche include a concert titled"Celebration of Inspiration" at 4:30 p.m. April 18 in Columbia, S.C., as part of the "Week of Remembrance: A Celebration of Jewish Culture," sponsored by the Opera-tunity Foundation.

Founded in 1944, the National Association of Teachers of Singing is the largest professional association of teachers of singing in the world with more than 7,000 members in 27 countries.

For more information about music programs at Coker College, contact Carswell at wcarswell@coker.edu.

To have your program, event or project promoted by Pee Dee Arts, email complete information to peedeearts@gmail.com.  

March 12th at Coker College: Enoch Arden - Unique Student-Faculty Collaboration Blends Classical and Modern Forms

A novel performance of “Enoch Arden,” a musical work by Richard Strauss based on Lord Alfred Tennyson’s narrative poem, will be presented by collaborating artists Assistant Professor of Music Jun Matsuo, Associate Professor of Music Graham Wood and senior art and communication double-major Seth Johnson at 7:30 p.m. March 12 in the Elizabeth Boatwright Coker Performing Arts Center’s Watson Theater.

For more than a century, Tennyson’s classic poem “Enoch Arden” has been performed as a narrative (both in the original English and in German) set toan 1897 underscore by Strauss. In this month’s presentation at Coker, however, viewers will see a live performance involving piano, narration and a large-scale projected video.

Early last semester, Matsuo, who has collaborated with visual artists in the past, and Professor of Communication George Lellis approached Johnson, of Hartsville, with the idea of creating a video projection to accompany Strauss’ melodrama.

“It piqued my interest,” said Johnson. “It reminded me of the video work of Robin Rhode and Tal Rosner, who have also done large-scale projected video collaborations with composers. These artists have influenced my own work, and I saw this as an exciting opportunity to explore my favorite medium, video, in a totally different way.”

While the speaker, Wood, and pianist, Matsuo, will be visible during the performance, the large screen for the video will be the visual focal point for the production. 

“Presenting this enhanced version of ‘Enoch Arden’ as a live performance presents unique challenges,” explained Wood.  “Rehearsals are often like choreography as we try to match certain moments in the poetry and music with specific images in the video. The collaborative process necessitates a little give and take from all of us as we work together to tell this tragic story of love, loss and sacrifice.”

“This is an epic that has endured over the years,” said Johnson, “But, still, it is dated, and the question for me was how to present this old tale in a new way.

“My goal wasn’t to illustrate the tale, as the words alone could do that. I had to offer another lyrical element, an enhancement that would bolster both the mood and energy of the poetic text and music.”

Endeavoring to reconfigure the past, Johnson’s video dwells in contrasts, offering images of antiquity and contemporary abstractions that move and flow through one another to create a visual harmony intended to compliment the text and music.

The performance is free and open to the public.  For more information, contact Wood at gwood@coker.edu.

Coker Theater to present The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)

Coker Theater to Present Shakespeare Comedy

The Theater Program at Coker College will present “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged),” a comedy by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield, at 7:30 p.m. March 28, 29, 30 and 31 in the Black Box Theater in the Elizabeth Boatwright Coker Performing Arts Center.

One of the world’s most frequently produced plays, “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” has been translated into dozens of languages and has been praised by the Los Angeles Times as “wildly funny,” by the Montreal Gazette as “the funniest show you are likely to see in your entire lifetime” and by the New York Times as “irresistible.”

Produced through a special arrangement with Broadway Play Publishing, the play “makes a dilly of poor Willy,” wrote theater critic Michael Musto of the New York Daily News. Musto described it as “a fantasia of zany energy that throws together Monty Python-ish drag and Mel Brook-ish anything-for-a-laugh gags.”

Directed by Assistant Professor of Theater Kindra Steenerson, the cast, whom Steenerson says “provides the sass” for her first production at Coker, includes students Cecil Ray Morrell III, Hartsville; Daniel Stevenson, Columbia, S.C.; Keon Wilson, Sumter, S.C.; Datra Cook, Sumter, S.C.; Dana Griffin, Kershaw, S.C.; and Ellen Skipper, Conway, S.C. 

Set and lighting design are provided by Assistant Professor of Theater David Dawson, and the sound design is provided by Facilities Manager and Assistant Technical Director Trevor Robinson.

Admission is free, and seating is limited, so early arrival is recommended. For more information, call 383-8382 or contact Steenerson at ksteenerson@coker.edu.

“Hope to see you there,” invites Steenerson. “Until then, may The Bard be with you!”

February 28th: The Rose Ensemble to perform in Hartsville

On Tuesday, February 28^th, the Hartsville-Coker Concert Association will welcome The Rose Ensemble to the Pee Dee.

The Rose Ensemble is an award-winning early music choir from Minnesota. The Rose Ensemble will perform Slavic Wonders, a concert of Eastern European choral music from the Medieval and Renaissance periods up to the 21st century. 

This performance will take place at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church located at 103 Campus Drive in downtown Hartsville.  The concert will take place from 7:30 – 9:30pm.  General admission tickets are $25 for adults and $7 for students and children.  Visit HCCA’s website for more information.