Theatre and Dance presents the 2016 ‘First Year Showcase’

By Keith Martin

Posted Sept. 16, 2016 at 4:07 p.m.

BOONE—The Appalachian State University Department of Theatre and Dance will present the 2016 “First Year Showcase” at 7 p.m. Sept. 22–24 with a 2 p.m. matinee Sept. 25. The production takes place in the university’s I.G. Greer Studio Theatre. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults.

Each performance season opens with the showcase, a fast-paced, high-energy performance by new students. The theme for the 2016 showcase is “Transformation,” and members of the largest incoming class in department history—65 freshmen and transfer students—will make their Appalachian debut.

Under the direction of Theatre Arts Professor Joel Williams, students will devise and present four original short scenes. The four scenes are directed by junior and senior theatre education majors Jordan Correll, Brea Glosson, Tia’rah Kindle and Lauren Thefaine. Under the direction of Assistant Professor of Dance Studies Cara Hagan, students will also perform original works choreographed by Dance Studies Professor Marianne Adams, Dance Studies Adjunct Chris Yon and Hagan, along with a piece created by senior dance studies minor Sarah Patrick.

Pieces featured in the showcase are personal to the performers, highlighting their past and current experiences. Participants also establish long-lasting friendships and professional relationships that leave a positive impression for students who are just beginning their college career at Appalachian, whether as freshmen or transfer students.

“It’s really a great opportunity for students to meet other people, to get to know the department and learn what possibilities are available to them,” said Hagan.

I.G. Greer Studio Theatre is located on the lower level of the I.G. Greer building below the main auditorium, with a separate entrance down the stairway on the side of the building. Parking is available in faculty lots after 5 p.m., and in the College Street parking deck near Belk Library and Information Commons after 5:30 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts box office weekdays 9 a.m.-5 p.m., at the Valborg Theatre box office weekdays 1-5 p.m. or online at http://theatreanddance.appstate.edu.

About the Department of Theatre and Dance

The Department of Theatre and Dance is one of seven departments housed in Appalachian’s College of Fine and Applied Arts. Its mission is to facilitate transformative experiences for students and the public, which cultivate compassionate, creative and collaborative communities through theatre and dance. The department also offers coursework for integrated learning through the arts to the general university student population. Its dynamic co-curricular production program provides exemplary theatre and dance experiences to departmental students, the university community and the region.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.