Special Exhibit
Arts Depot hosts a special exhibit:
"Poster History of Virginia Highlands Community College Theater Arts Program"
L-R William Van Keyser and Gary Aday, associate professors of english speech
and drama at Virginia Highlands Community College reminisce over past theater
performances at the college.
Play poster of "Oh Coward" produced
in 1999Play poster of "Holiday" produced in 1987
A unique exhibit of play posters and stage models illustrating the 33-year history of Virginia Highlands Community College's Theatre Arts program – a program that grew from the community's longstanding love of theater -- will open as a special exhibit at the Arts Depot in Abingdon on January 15, 2004 from 11 am until 3 pm. An opening reception will be hosted from 7 to 9 pm that evening by the VHCC theater arts program. Light refreshments will be served. The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public.
Among the items on display will be the original posters from many of the 125 plays that have been performed on the VHCC stage since William Van Keyser came to Abingdon in 1970 to establish the first theater arts degree program at a Virginia community college. The posters are as unique as the stage performances they were designed to promote, ranging from pen and ink drawings to computer generated illustrations. "I did some of the posters, our students have done some, some were done by Ellen Pietsch who was an employee of the Barter Theatre for many years, and some were done by professional artists, the most famous being Charles Vess," explained Gary Aday, associate professor of English, speech and drama. "In more recent years, the posters have been computer generated by Shannan Roark, who was an adjunct instructor here." Aday joined VHCC in Fall 1972 and has directed many of the plays, and always serves as set designer. Several of his stage models, miniature cardboard versions of his stage designs, also will be part of the exhibit. "The posters have been piling up on my desk for more than 30 years and we thought it was time to get them framed to preserve an important part of our history," said Keyser, who now serves as associate professor of English, speech and drama. "After the Arts Depot exhibit, they will be permanently hung on our campus."
The degree program allows students at VHCC an opportunity to earn an Associate
of Arts and Sciences Degree in Education with a specialization in Theatre Arts.
The two-year degree is designed to transfer to a four-year institution for completion
of a bachelor's degree.
"Searching" was the first play to be performed on the VHCC stage,
which originally was located in the Instruction and Student Center. When the
Learning Resource Center was built in 1986, a new auditorium was included and
all productions were moved to a new stage, Keyser explained. The first play
to be performed on the new stage was the Tennessee Williams' classic "Suddenly
Last Summer" in the Fall of 1986.
Over the years, performers have included VHCC students, former students, VHCC
employees, and community members. Those with an interest in pursuing an acting
career have gained valuable experience, while others have gained the confidence
that comes from performing before a live audience, Aday said, adding "anyone
is welcome to audition."
The exhibit opens at the Arts Depot on January 15th and will remain on display
through
February 21st. The exhibit hours are 11 am to 3 pm Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
and by appointment. There is no admission charged. Also the public is invited
to a "meet-the-principals" reception from 7 to 9 pm on Thursday, January
15th . Professors Gary Aday and Van Keyser plus other people involved in the
VHCC Theater Arts Program will be available to discuss their long history of
producing plays in the region and will have scale models of some set designs.
VHCC will continue this fine theater tradition with their next drama production
to be held Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 26-28, at 8:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 29,
at 2:30 p.m. in Room 605 of the Learning Resource Center on the VHCC campus.
The Play will be a dramatization of many Robert Frost poems, including "Death
of a Hired Man," "Home Burial" and "Mending Wall."
The play will be directed by William Van Keyser. Admission is $5 for the general
public and tickets are available at the door.
In addition to the theater poster exhibit, the other galleries art the Arts Depot will be featuring a two-woman show by Bristol, VA mixed media artists Joyce Kistner and Sherre Sullivan plus exhibits by member artists Lorene Lowe of Bluff City, TN (watercolor), Joyce Samuel of Bristol, TN (watercolor), Daniel Shew of Saltville, VA (charcoal and sculpture), and Evelyn Shipley of Kingsport, TN (Chinese ink and silver etching).
The Arts Depot is a non-profit volunteer organization that is dedicated to
promoting the
arts in the community and features the region’s artists. The Arts Depot
is located in the
historic Depot Square area of downtown Abingdon, VA. The gallery and seven working
artists studios are open for your viewing pleasure Thursday thru Saturday, 11-3
pm, and
by appointment. There is no admission charge. For further information, please
contact the Arts Depot at (276) 628-9091, or e-mail at artsdepot@naxs.net, or
visit our web site at www.abingdonartsdepot.org.