- Distinguished professorship named in honor of Chancellor Bardo
- Fall commencement set for Dec. 19 at Ramsey Center
- Nursing degree can be earned in one year through ABSN program
- WCU novelist Ron Rash wins second Sir Walter Raleigh Award
- Senior named top mathematics education student in region
- Bids opened for new MAHEC building; part of venture with WCU, UNCA
- Board of trustees approves proposed tuition, fees for 2010-11
- Steps toward WCU-Dillsboro partnership continue with campus tour
- Students win national awards at mediation tournament
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Above: WCU’s Theatre in Education production of “Dogwood’s Search" features, left to right, Greg Kennedy as "Bear," Kaley McCormack as "Dogwood," and Daniel Osborne as a member of the Deer Clan.
Western Carolina University’s Theatre in Education Program will present “Dogwood’s Search,” a student-directed play for young audiences, at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 19, and 2 p.m. Saturday, April 21, in the Fine and Performing Arts Center.
“Dogwood’s Search” is an original play based on a Cherokee legend previously shared only through the oral tradition of storytelling. The program’s Cherokee mentors, storytellers Eddie Bushyhead and Davy Arch, co-authored the story with Spencer Saunders, WCU senior theatre major from Morganton; members of the Theatre in Education class; and Claire Eye and Glenda Hensley, visiting assistant professors in the department of communication, theatre and dance.
In addition to the WCU cast members, 25 eighth-grade students from Cherokee Middle School will appear in the play.
The performance will not only entertain with professional quality staging, costumes, masks and lighting, but also convey valuable life lessons, said Hensley, director of the educational theatre program. “Dogwood’s Search” centers on themes of environmental stewardship and community.
“’Dogwood’s Search’ is a powerful and compelling story about what happens when we forget to honor and respect the planet and all life,” said Hensley. “We think the audience will be moved and more aware of the delicate balance of nature as they follow Dogwood on her search for the animal council. With an environmental theme, the play is relevant and current, and offers a cast of delightful characters that include humans, animals and plants, as well as the Cherokee Little People.”
After the show, the audience will be invited to comment on the production and ask cast members questions.
“The Theatre in Education Program aims to integrate the creative process with curricular learning opportunities from other disciplines,” said Hensley.
Although the performance will entertain audiences of all ages, the play, as an educational production, was designed especially for students in third through eighth grade, she said.
Admission is $2. For more information or reservations for the Thursday show, contact Glenda Hensley at ghensley@wcu.edu or (828) 227-2469.