Above: Dogwood, played by Sarah Lipham, meets (from left) Deer, played by John Raines; Hawk, played by Erica Welborn; Chipmunk, played by Kate Gardner; and Bear, played by Jack Watson.

The summer company of Western Carolina University’s Theatre in Education program will perform “Dogwood’s Search,” an original play for young audiences based on a Cherokee legend, at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 20, at the Colonial Theatre in Canton.

The students are performing the show, which is free and open to the public, in advance of a special performance at a national theater conference in Atlanta.

In the student-developed show directed by WCU faculty member Peter Savage, a character named Dogwood seeks out the Animal Council and a way to reunite the Cherokee people with their friends in the natural kingdom. Dogwood, played by Sarah Lipham, a senior theater major from Canton, finds adventure, excitement and amusement as she meets characters including Tree, Bluebird, Rock, Hawk, Deer, Beer and Chipmunk. Accompanying the production on flute and drum will be Cherokee musician Kea wé Kul-se-tsi Bone.

“‘Dogwood’s Search’ relates from the perspective of a child the importance of environmental stewardship and respect for all beings,” said Glenda Hensley, director of WCU’s Theatre in Education program. “Children will be fascinated with the representation of the show’s characters and will be inspired by the simplicity and significance of this legend.”

After the approximately 30-minute performance, cast members stay to answer questions and talk with interested audience members about the production.

Al Matthews, interim town manager of Canton, said bringing the WCU production to Canton is the result of a growing partnership between the university and the town. Western’s faculty, staff and students are involved with service-learning and community-based research projects designed to benefit the town, which continues to recover from damage and flooding caused in 2004 by remnants of hurricanes Frances and Ivan.

“We’re trying to expand performing arts opportunities for citizens of all ages, and this play brings to our town a high-quality production geared toward the young and young at heart,” said Matthews.

Students in WCU’s Theatre in Education program initially developed and produced “Dogwood’s Search” in 2007 under the guidance of Cherokee storytellers Eddie Bushyhead and Davy Arch, who shared the story and mentored students as they developed the script and the play. Erin Wagoner, a junior motion picture and television production major from Archdale, adapted the script for the upcoming performances.

“Erin’s style and words have inspired a fresh, delightful spark for the show in a way that still maintains the significance of the moral,” said Hensley. “All of the students in this theater company have created nothing short of magic in ‘Dogwood’s Search’ with their energy and enthusiasm.”

The group has been selected for a performance July 25 at the American Alliance for Theatre and Education’s national conference in Atlanta, where Hensley and Savage will speak in a separate session for educational practitioners across the nation.

Upcoming performances of the show open to the public will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27, and Thursday, Aug. 28, at Niggli Theater on the campus of WCU.

The cast features Lipham as Dogwood and Cherokee Child; Sallie Goforth, a junior theatre major from Charlotte, as Tree and Child; Kate Gardner, a junior musical theatre and psychology major from Harrells, as Chipmunk; Alexander Valentine LaBelle, a junior theatre major from Charlotte, as Blue Bird and Laurel; John Robert Raines, a sophomore musical theatre major from High Point, as Deer; Cara E. Ward, a senior art history and theatre major from Coldwater, Mich., as Rock, a Cherokee Little People Clan and Child; Gena Watson, a junior theater major from Durham, as Beloved Woman; Jack Watson, a sophomore nursing major from Asheville, as Bear; Erica Wilborn, a junior elementary education major from Randleman, as Hawk and Child; and Savage as Uncle and Peace Chief. In addition, Luther Jones, assistant professor of stage and screen, is the show's technical director, and Leanne Deaver, a senior theatre major from Canton, is the costume designer.

WCU’s Theatre in Education program, established by the stage and screen department, aims to produce works that are artistically excellent, educationally relevant, and culturally and environmentally literate. The program also serves the community through hosting theater arts workshops for area students.

Pictured above right: Dogwood, played by Sarah Lipham (left), meets Beloved Woman, played by Gena Watson, in "Dogwood's Search." 

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Last Modified: Tuesday, July 15, 2008