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Stage Com\ By KATHY BLACKWELL Copy desk chief A group of USC theatre students is bringing South Carolina history to life for third and eighth grade students in schools around the state. The Utility Stage Company features performances and original historical skits all done by students. "We want to present a series of skits that will make South Carolina history more meaningful and dramatic to students," said Francis Hilenski, adjunct professor of theatre and speech and assistant dean for grants and development in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. The skits cover the years 1783 to 1833, stressing the role South Carolina played in the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the debate over states' rights. One interesting aspect is that, along with famous South Carolinians such as John Rutledge and the Pickney family, the skits focus on everyday people. "We want to illuminate the forgotten people of that period ? Indians, women, free blacks and slaves," Hilenski said. "They weren't really allowed to participate in the debate, but we want to portray the reactions they had to the issues." To make the skits entertaining as well as educational, the company opens up the play with a "history rap"-type song, and throughout the performance a character called "That's the Facts Jack" raps to the audience. "The main thing about the play is Pack c A M,VAV ^ OMIC m i t T., Cordialh The AWi Thursda; 0NT1 Recepti< o ^ fl U K. H Departmi over 150 I * Rain Loc oany to pfoc that it shows how studying history can be interesting, " said broadcast journalism senior Paula Dozier, a member of the company. "It's really interesting how the kids are so attentive ? mainly because of how we do the play." The company started touring last week and will continue to tour through exam week. "So far the feedback has been positive," said Ann Dreher, assistant professor of the department of theatre and speach and one of the coordinators of the program. Some of the towns on the tour include Clemson, Timmonsville, Easley and Bowman. "Most of the places we're visiting ~ 3 >fLies. to- | :RON D KAPPA / Invites The P Univei ARDS 1 / April 20, 1989 at rffi HORSE )n immediately le President's 1 ents and Or&anizati awards to outstandi ation: The Koger Ar iuce history are small schools. We've been to some strange places around the state," she said. For Dozier, visiting the small towns is part of the fun. "I'm looking forward to going to Bennettsville. I've never heard of it before, so it should be fun." The company is a combination of members of Dreher's children's theatre class and Hilenski's playwright class. Hilenski received a $6,000 grant form the S.C. Humanities Council and also received financial support from the S.C. Bar Association, the S.C. Department of Education, the S.C. Writing Project and the Rockefeller Foundation. ? BVLJ ELTA L ublic To ^sity A \7" JI\ I 2:00 PM SHOE following iouse. ons present in|> students ts Center mm ML i,. ||i|p jf j?*' ? *jt? wm H ^&m?i+ dffisl 3^* Hfe v I IB; f; ??// ?H ** a ' \u K^HLI i m jkssm JH OjjF ^Sfe> IliBHHEf^^ EBB ^rmimi JAMES NETTLES/The Gamecock Biting crime Journalism freshman Marcus Session registers his bike as Paula Woods, Donald Douglas and Chris Cromer with Parking and Vehicle Registration : * It ?f~u:?i- ' ? - 1 " '?1 open ii. ?tunic icgiMirauun wm run inrougn ioaay only in front of the Russell House. irk for The Gamecock. Call 111-11'. Meet the two toughest co] j gjfi - . w . ^ Ifc "'I :-^s- ^ -^K^BB^fl^^?-%^M'.- 45^^' vfe-- ^-^^^jajat?aflBB^^-frSSsBBra^j|ggy|HK?- I^sP )V;. '^^P ?; J| f|j| JBk JAMES BELUS] K-9 AND INTRODUCING JERRY LEE AS HIM .GORDON COMPANY^ .ROD DAME . "K-9" MEL HARRIS nSTI MILES GOODMAN ^STEVENSIEGE K DONNA SMITH w CHARLES GORDON "T ROD DAI OPENS FRIDAY APRIL 28th AT A THEA1 Contest offers $11,000 in prizes for best 152 poets From staff reports More than $11,000 in prizes will be awarded to the best 152 poets in a contest sponsored by the American Poetry Association to discover new talent. The prand nri7e ic tl (W1 anH tho first prize $500. Other prizes include cash, awards and publication in a literary magazine. Entry is free, and everyone is welcome to enter. "Sixteen students won in our last contest," said Robert Nelson, publisher for the association. "Every student who writes poetry is urged to enter this contest. The deadline is June 30, so students can send their best work now or during summer break," he said. Poets may send up to six poems, each no more than 20 lines. They need to include names and addresses on each page and send their work to the American Poetry Association, Dept. CT-37, 250 A Potrero Street, P.O. Box 1803, Santa Cruz, Calif., 95061. Entries should be mailed by June 30. Each poem is also considered for publication in the American Poetry Anthology, a leading collection of contemporary verse. During six years of sponsorship, the American Poetry Association has run 30 contests and awarded $120,000 in prizes to 2,900 winning ay works 365 >t just the day the money." lited Way Is ay Of Love. & ' h_ )s in town. One's just a little i smarter than ^ 11IV UlllU. HI [SELF IN SIEGE (SCOTT MYERS t LAWRENCE GORDON a.? JTCT AlKiim "ILL ?NBBliraSKOTSTlMO&tt 'RE NEAR YOU.