Westminster College Hosts Bright Futures Performing Arts Program
Posted on Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Westminster College's Drinko Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning hosts students from Campbell (Ohio) Memorial High School at the Bright Futures Performing Arts Program "Going Global: Music, Dance, and Drama Around the World" June 9-20.
Funding is provided by The Marion G. Resch Foundation in Youngstown, Ohio.
The ten-day program culminates in a performance Friday, June 20, at 7 p.m. in Westminster's Orr Auditorium. The show, open to the public at no charge and created by the guest artists and the Campbell students, tells five stories from around the world:
"Crocodile! Crocodile!" is an Indian folk tale about a mischievous crocodile and a clever monkey.
"Señor Don Gato's Romance" is a Latin American tale about a cat who spends one of his nine lives in love with the most beautiful cat in the world.
"Arachne," from Greek mythology, tells the story of a young weaver and the goddess Athena and teaches the importance of gratitude for the gifts we are given.
The African story "Ananse the Spider and the Pot of Wisdom" tells of Ananse's journey to the sky god with all the wisdom in the world.
The program concludes with "Tarantella," the traditional Italian dance.
This year's Bright Futures program includes guest artists Abbey Alter, choreographer/movement specialist; Jeannine Foster-McKelvia, director/actress; and James Willaman, musician/composer.
Cynthia Snodgrass Jones, Westminster faculty in the Department of Communication Studies, Theatre, and Art, is performance director and coordinator of the program. Dan Konnen, Westminster stage manager, is lighting designer/technical director. Recent Westminster graduate Amber Scalfari and Westminster student Danielle Adams are graduate production assistants.
Alter is a co-founder of The Walnut Street Lodge, an arts, health, and community center in Sharon that offers dance, theatre, yoga, nutrition counseling, and cooking classes, and is home to The Walnut Lodge Players. After developing her own undergraduate program, the art and science of the human body, at The Pennsylvania State University, Alter earned her master's in choreography and performance, adding an in-depth study of yoga and its application to dance. She joined The Ballet Theater of the Virgin Islands as choreographer and won numerous awards for her work before leaving the islands in the wake of hurricane Hugo.
Foster-McKelvia, a poet who holds a degree in journalism and theatre arts from Duquesne University, has a variety of roles in various Pittsburgh productions to her credit. She taught theatre arts at Lincoln Elementary School; Westinghouse High School Lighthouse Project; Frick Middle School; The Providence Family Center; and Houston (Texas) Public Schools as part of the education outreach program of Houston's Ensemble Theatre.
Willaman, a 2006 Westminster graduate and self-taught guitarist, formed his first band at 15; performed in blues/rock groups; and helped form Water, a regional hard rock group. He joined The Walnut Lodge Players and scored a variety of productions. He worked with schools and non-profit agencies in Western Pennsylvania conducting artist residencies for the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts. Willaman is touring with Beatles Tribute Band, portraying George Harrison, and is a fellowship student at the University of Wisconsin.
Jones, who earned an undergraduate degree from Otterbein College and a master's from the University of Akron, is certified in arts management and has a variety of acting roles in her résumé. She is the founder of the Lakeland Civic Theater in Mentor, Ohio, and the Arts Council of Mercer County.
Konnen, who earned an undergraduate degree in music education and voice, is a published arranger; guest choir conductor and soloist; director; and actor.
Scalfari, who majored in theatre and fine art, is a daughter of Larry and Desiree Scalfari of Littleton, Colo., and a graduate of New Castle High School. She appeared in a number of Theatre Westminster productions; designed hair, makeup, and costumes; and assisted in set construction, scene painting, and properties design.
Adams, a senior broadcast communications major with a minor in theatre, is a daughter of Daniel and Susan Adams of Marblehead, Ohio, and a graduate of Danbury Local High School. A veteran of the Theatre Westminster stage, she also served as stage manager and director.
Contact Jones at (814) 720-0028 or e-mail jonescs@westminster.edu for more information.
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