Excelsior's Performing Arts students put on an impressive show

The finale of the Excelsior Community College's (ECC) School of the Performing Arts' Season of Production 2013, rolled out to a full house.

Fellow students, friends and supporters hooted and made cat calls as the dramatic productions of the final-year students got under way at the Center Stage Theatre. The productions were actually the final exams for directing majors D'Andra Brown, Yanique Tracy and Alandrea Reynolds.

In two previous shows, Kimree Lyons, Monique Ellis, Lorel Morgan and Shavarr McFarlane presented their productions.

Kenneth Salmon, head of the School of Performing Arts, expressed satisfaction with the students' efforts. He said that the aim of the programme is to train the students to stage a production in a professional setting and the students did well in that respect.

He also praised the students for their choice of scripts, stating that those scripts would not have been chosen by many directors because of their perceived level of difficulty.

Social issues

The relevance of the productions to social issues affecting women, was another area where the students scored points with Salmon.

Playwright and director Pablo Hoilett, who was a judge for the ECC, expressed similar sentiments about the students' performance and choice of scripts.

"I was very impressed that the students sought to challenge themselves in the pieces they chose. They tried to stretch themselves. The presentations show that the students are being trained in a professional manner and have a place in the entertainment industry, provided they are given the framework in which to operate. I cannot comment on the individual pieces because I am a judge and must maintain objectivity, but I would like to encourage the work they are doing. Mr Salmon is doing a wonderful job."

The season kicked off on Monday, August 12, with the following shows:

1888

Written by Hall Anthony Ellis

Directed by Kimree Lyons

A Raisin in the Sun

Written by Lorraine Hansberry

Directed by Monique Ellis

On Monday, August 19, the following shows were staged:

The Government Inspector

Written by Nikolia Goglo

Directed by Lorel Morgan (ECC student)

School's Out

Written by Trevor Rhone

Directed by Shavarr McFarlane

The final 3 productions were done on Monday, August 26. These were:

Lion and the Jewel

Written by Wole Soyinka

Directed by D'Andra Brown

Fallen Angel and the Devil's Concubine

Written by Eugene Williams

Directed by Yanique Tracy

Colored Girls

Adapted by Tyler Perry

Directed by Alandrea Reynolds