The Emory & Henry College theater department presents two productions this spring — one a musical and one a dance concert – that showcase the versatility of its student performers.
The first production, “Violet,” is a multi-award-winning musical that follows a small-town girl from North Carolina, who was scarred as a child and who embarks on a cross-country bus trip. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. March 23-25 in the Kennedy-Reedy Theatre of the McGlothlin Center for the Arts. A matinee performance will be held at 2 p.m. March 26.
Winner of the Drama Critics’ Circle Award and Lucille Lortel Award for Best Musical when it premiered Off-Broadway in 1997, and then on to a Tony-nominated Broadway debut in 2014 with a revised version, “Violet” is a musical featuring show-stopping anthems, ranging from American-roots to folk to gospel. With a score from Tony-winning composer Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by the acclaimed Brian Crawley, “Violet” is inspired by the short story, “The Ugliest Pilgrim” by Doris Betts, astounding critics and audiences alike in two separate decades.
As a girl, Violet was struck by a wayward axe blade when her father was chopping wood, leaving her with a visible scar across her face. With enough money finally saved she’s traveling across the Deep South in 1964 towards a miracle – the healing touch of a TV evangelist who will make her beautiful. Although she may not succeed in having the scar on her face healed, Violet can repair those scars that are lying deeper than her skin. On the way, she meets a young, African American soldier whose love for her reaches far past her physical “imperfections.”
The second spring performance, “Sign of the Times,” begins at 7:30 p.m. April 14-15 in the Kennedy-Reedy Theatre. Student performers immerse themselves in movement, pushing the bounds of the elements of choreography to create a variety of pieces.
Tickets for these performances are $15. For more information about tickets and the performances, call 276-944-6333 or visit www.ehc.edu/mca/tickets.
