The Appalachian State University Department of Theatre and Dance will introduce incoming freshmen and transfer students for their inaugural campus debut during the 2017 “First Year Showcase.” Performances are in I.G. Greer Studio Theatre at 7 p.m. Sept. 28–30, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Oct. 1. Ticket prices are $7 for students and $12 for adults.

This year’s showcase theme is “Relationships,” which demonstrates the lasting connections made between new students, professors and upperclassmen during the production. Directors and choreographers are working with approximately 50 freshman and transfer students to perform vignettes and abstract dances to express their interpretation of relationships, with each piece bringing something different to the table. Open to all students interested in theatre or dance, the production is an effort to encourage prospective theatre and dance students to pursue a major and/or minor in either art form.

Adjunct faculty member Trimella Chaney is coordinating the theatre component of the showcase. Three faculty choreographers will be working with students as well, including Professor of Dance Studies Marianne Adams, Assistant Professor of Dance Studies Cara Hagan and Associate Professor of Dance Studies Susan Lutz, with Adams coordinating the dance segments.

Student choreographer Phillip McRorie, a senior dance studies and recreation management double major from Kannapolis, volunteered to participate based his experience with the showcase as a freshman.

“I’m most excited about working with people I haven’t met before,” McRorie said.  “It’s nice to be able to draw inspiration from other dancers, and it’s really easy to do that if the way they move is new to you!”  

The Department of Theatre and Dance has surpassed its previous first-year class record with an all-time high of 85 incoming students - 69 freshmen and 16 transfer students. This year, every student who committed to the three-week rehearsal schedule was cast in the showcase.

Tickets are available in person at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts box office Monday through Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., by phone at 828-262-4046, in the Valborg Theatre Box Office Monday through Friday 1 p.m.-5 p.m. and online at 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. Learn more at https://theatreanddance.appstate.edu.

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, affordable education for all. 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.

Media contact

Keith Martin
828-262-8179
[email protected]