The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, August 30, 1999, Page 9, Image 9
This Day In USC History
August 20, 1982 - A new attendance policy requires
students to attend 90 percent of classes.
Monday, August 30,1999 UPlC 03fflCCOtk Page 9
Columbia Marionette Theater brings
fantasy, fairy tales to life for children
by Mackenzie Clements
Staff Writer
With school just beginning, many stu
dents are feeling the stress brought on by
multiple papers, tests and projects.
One way to prevent getting too strung
out from an upcoming paper or exam would
be to visit the Columbia Marionette The
ater & Puppetry Centre on Laurel Street
one weekend.
There, you can see popular fairy tales
brought to life through the art of marionette
puppetry shows consisting entirely of pup
pets on strings.
The theater is currently performing
“Rumpelstiltskin.”
Featuring half-size puppets, the show
has a little something to entertain every
one, including break-dancing elves, a uni
cycling monkey and marionette-style love
ballads.
Although there’s a noticeable absence
of anyone more than 8 years old who is not
a parent, the performances are enjoyable
and filled with colorful music, costumes
and sets.
Willliam Hicks and his father both came
to see the show from Denmark, South Car
olina.
According to the younger Hicks, the
puppeteers perform regularly at a youth
arts camp that his father works at in Den
I
mark.
Traveling to Columbia must have been
weil worth it, though.
As William said, “The show was inter
esting. It was pretty neat.”
The puppet shows are performed at 3
p.m. each Saturday and Sunday at the Co
lumbia Marionette Theater.
A new show is featured every two or
three months; “Rumpelstiltskin” will end
Nov. 7, and the following weekend, “Jack
Frost” will begin its run.
Tickets are $4 for adults and children,
and children under 2 years old can enter
free.
The Columbia Marionette Theater, es
tablished in 1989, originally was housed in
an old warehouse.
Four years ago, it was moved to its pre
sent location in Riverfront Park at 401 Lau
rel St., and it’s currently the only free-stand
ing theater of its kind in the country.
Entering the theater itself is a magical
experience for children a larger-than-life
dragon greets guests at the front door.
From there, the original shows, which
are done entirely by the theater’s staff, put
a refreshing twist on common stories.
“We write everything in house here,”
said Robert Badley, one of the theater’s four
frill-time employees and puppeteers.
“All the shows are done by us. We have
our own recording studio. We also make
the sets, and all the puppets are done by us,
as well.” .
In addition to the puppet show, the the
ater contains an exhibit, “Puppetry Around
the World,” which is sponsored in part by
contributions from the Cultural Council of
Richland and Lexington counties.
I
Refreshments are sold in the lobby,, as
are various hand puppets and marionettes
ranging in price from $5 to $20.
For those interested in becoming in
volved with the program, the theater ac
cepts volunteer and part-time-help.
No USC students work with the theater,
although Badley said that in years past sev
eral university students have helped out.
No experience is required.
In addition, voice talents are always wel
come.
The Columbia Marionette Theater al
so offers students a fun twist on tradition
al birthday parties.
Provided that the $25 reservation fee is
paid, you can have your choice of six par
ty areas surrounding the stage: Alice’s Gar
den, Space Station, Dino Land, Blue Ice
Castle, Circus Tent or Castle Sansbury. Ar
rive at 2 p.m. to set up, party until 3 p.m.
and then enjoy the puppet show from 3 to
3:45 p.m.
For more information about weekday
performances, weekend schedules up to
next year, birthday parties or opportunities
to volunteer or work part time, call the the
ater at 252-7366.
Photos by Mackenzie Clements The Gamecock
The Columbia Marionette Theater (below, left) sells puppets like these for $5 to S20.
The theater was moved to 401 Laurel St four years ago.
USC students discuss
importance of deaths of
Princess Diana, JFK Jr.
‘Saying the entire world is mourning
is not a completely accurate state- .
ment, of course, but the media likes
to build up celebrities in death.’
Brian Annino
USC law student
by Ann Marie Miani
Assistant etCetera Editor
Princess Diana and her companion,
Dodi Fayed, were killed in an automo
bile accident in Paris on Aug. 31,1997.
John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette
Kennedy and Lauren Bessette were
killed in a plane crash off the coast of
Martha’s Vineyard on July 16, 1999.
The media’s coverage of these events
raises the question of whether they
exaggerate celebrities’ deaths.
Diana, who was dubbed “the peo
ple’s princess,” was royalty, as well as
a mother, a lady and a true humanitar
ian, and she was loved by the people
of the United Kingdom and the rest of
the world.
John F. Kennedy Jr. was a prince in
the eyes of Americans, as well as the ed
itor and publisher of George maga
zine.
Both were subjected to a media fren
zy during their lives and their deaths.
For example, Diana was the most pho
tographed woman ever, and her funer
al was broadcast on cable.
And how many times did we hear
the media declare that “the entire world
is mourning the death of Princess Di
ana”?
“Saying the entire world is moum
i >
ing is not a com
pletely accurate
statement, of
course, but the me
dia likes to build up
celebrities in death,”
first-year law stu
dent Brian Annino
said.
Advertising
freshman Christy
7princrnp aorrPPC
“I feel sorry for Princess Diana, but
the coverage is over-exaggerated,”
Zeringue said. “It’s a loss, but it’s not
like the loss of a family member.”
Zeringue said she wasn’t really heart
broken over the deaths of either Princess
Diana or JFK Jr.
“I’m not really affected by people
who are high in society, so their death
really doesn’t affect my life,” Zeringue
said.
Business sophomore Derrick Bost
said, “I don’t really mourn either of them
at all because I didn’t know them per
sonally.”
People in different parts of the coun
try and the world feel differently
about the deaths of celebrities like JFK
Jr., who is a New England native.
“When JFK Jr.’s plane crashed, I
was out in Los Angeles, and there
wasn’t huge media coverage, except for
the national coverage,” Annino said.
“But when I spoke to my parents back
in Connecticut, that was all that was on
the news.”
The death of Princess Diana upset
freshman Melissa Bushee, but not to the
extent of mourning.
“It bothered me,” she said. “I felt
bad for her family, but I personally
was not affected because it wasn’t my
family.”
Although some USC students don’t
really seem to care about the deaths of
either Princess Diana or JFK Jr., oth
ers do.
For Princess Diana, there are books,
stamps, commemorative memorabilia
and more than 100 Web sites that pay
tribute to her.
i
'ER' actress sings different
tune away from television
by Lynn Elber
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES—Yvette Freeman can do more than fix a fast IV on “ER.”
She can belt out a song, direct a movie and, Hollywood’s expectations of a black
actress aside, envision a future with a sunny prognosis.
Freeman, who plays no-nonsense nurse Haleh Adams on NBC’s popular
medical drama, spent part of her off-duty summer months completing a record
ed tribute to a woman she much admires, the late jazz singer Dinah Washing
ton. She practiced a new specialty as well after gaining entrance into an Amer
ican Film Institute training program aimed at developing more women directors.
That Freeman is an accomplished singer — she began her career on Broad
way in the play “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and won a 1998 Obie Award for “Dinah
Whs,” an off-Broadway musical based on Whshington’s life — may come as a
surmise to “ER” fans who have seen her onlv in scrubs.
Her role as a filmmaker is one that seems a dream even to Freeman her
self. “It's fabulous. It’s so hard to get into this (AFI) program, and I got in this
year. I’m so stoked. I’m a little scared and happy,’’ she said.
One of eight women accepted out of a large pool of applicants, Freeman
was given training, a camera and a portion of the money needed for her film.
She assembled a production crew and the rest of the funding.
She’s so pleased with the result, “The Blessing Why,” that she plans to sub
mit it to the Sundance Film Festival. The film stars Michele Lamar Richards
(“The Bodyguard”) and Darryl Alan Reed (who appeared with “Freeman” in
“Dinah Whs” and “The American President”).
“It’s a piece 1 wrote about a black family and the two ways of dealing in
this society, being Afrocentric or going the ’corporate way,’ the .American way,”
said Freeman, who takes the position that “these two need to blend.”
“I don’t think we should separate. I think we should include our culture
and be part of this society. But you come away from the movie with the two
sides of the issue, and pull from it what you want,” she said. If filmmaking is
ner new love, music remains an oia mena. i ne aaugnier oi jazz piaiusi canaries
Freeman, she made her name on stage with her rich, supple voice, able to
handle blues and ballads with equal ease." A Tribute to Dinah Washington,” her
first recording, was produced by Freeman with her husband, jazz pianist and
arranger Lanny Hartley. The pair work together at home in sweet harmony.
Among the songs they chose for the CD are “Come Rain or Come Shine,”
“A Bad Case of the Blues” and “My Foolish Heart.” Missing is the popular
Washington tune “What a Diff’rence a Day Makes”; Freeman is saving that
for a planned “Dinah Whs” disc.
-r--j
Campus Notes
Business fraternity
rush to be held
Alpha Kappa Psi fall rush information
' sessions will be held at 8 p.m. today in
RH 205 and Tuesday in the Russell
House. For more information, call De
Lane Stone at 544-4427.
ODK accepting
applications
The first Omicron Delta Kappa meet
ing will be at 6 p.m. Thursday in the
Mortar Board room of the Russell
House. All members must attend. Any
alumni or faculty who are involved
with ODK and have an interest in be
ing active can attend. For more infor
mation, call Mary Murphey Ames at
254-9704. Applications for those inter
ested in joining ODK will be available
starting Friday. The applications can be
picked up at the RH Information Desk,
Student Life or in the Campus Activi
ties Center. Applications are due Sept.
17.
AMA holding meeting
. The American Marketing Association
is holding its first meeting of the se
mester at 6:30 p.m. Thursday on the
eighth floor of the Darla Moore School
of Business. John Fly, of Milliken, a
leading international textile and chemi
cal firm, will speak.
USC Annual Fund
looking for help
The USC Annual Fund is offering stu
dents the chance to gain valuable work
experience and develop marketing and
communication skills. The job allows
students to work convenient evening
and weekend hours on campus. Those
interested should apply in person from
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Fri
day in Suite 119 of the Bymes Build
ing. For more information, call 777
2985.
Red Cross to hold
blood drives
The American Red Cross is holding
blood drives from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30
p.m. through Sept. 1 at 2751 Bull St.
For more information, call the Ameri
can Red Cross at 251 -6000.
USC Dance Company
to hold auditions
Open auditions for fall and spring
dance concerts will be held at 2 p.m.
Sept. 11 in Blatt 114. Those interested
should be prepared for ballet class au
dition as well as jazz and contemporary
combinations. For more information,
call 777-5636.
Orchestra to open
1999-2000 season
The USC Symphony Orchestra opens
its 1999-2000 season at 8 p.m. Sept. 17
at the Koger Center, with a concert
version of John Philip Sousa’s operetta
“El Capitan.” The lead role will be
sung by Metropolitan Opera tenor An
thony Laciura. Tickets are $14, general
public; $11, senior citizens and USC
faculty and staff; $7, students. Tickets
can be bought at the Coliseum box of-,
fice or by calling 251 -2222.
Literacy Council
needs volunteers
The Literacy Council of Greater Co
lumbia needs volunteers to tutor adults
for all levels of literacy. For more in
formation, call the council at 765
2555, or contact Joan Kirkpatrick at
777-3799 orjoank@gwm.sc.edu.
/