This summer Praeger Press published the anthology Audience Participation: Essays on Inclusion In Performance edited by Susan Kattwinkel. Susan also authored an essay and the introduction to the publication. This anthology brings together essays on direct audience participation in the work of fourteen widely varied theatrical and dance artists, covering performance genres of the past and present, popular entertainment and high art. Its comprehensiveness and uniqueness make it an important contribution to the literature on theater and its many forms and facets.

The Theatre Department presented The Two Gentlemen of Verona (directed by Mark Landis) and Twelfth Night (directed by Evan Parry) during the seventh annual Shakespeare Festival, which ran August 7 - September 2. The festival, which is the only one of its kind in Charleston, offered professional level performances of the Bard’s timeless works.

The all-female cast of The Two Gentlemen of Verona included Hilary Craft as Valentine, Hilary Trudell as Proteus, Jessica Simkins as Silvia, May graduate Lindy Flowers as Julia, Lauren Ingram as Speed, Liz Mangham as Lucetta, Laura Elizabeth Anthony as Antonio, Jan Gilbert as Pantino, Eryn Chickey as Launce, Eliza Bagwell as Thurio, Renee Leventis as the Duke of Milan, Aaron Ballard as a servant to Sylvia, and Molly Holtzclaw as the Host of an Inn in Milan. The production’s crew included scenic designer Erika Carasik, costume designer Rachel Hanak, lighting designer Jason Blowers, and stage manager Robert Murdoch.

The Twelfth Night cast included: Liz Mead as Feste; J. Rhodes Bailey as Fabian; Olivia Isgett as Viola’ Boogie Dabney as Captain and Officer 1; Daniel East as Orsino; Robbie Seaman as Valentine, Officer 2 and Priest; Wayne Wilson as Sir Toby; Sarah Jenknins as Maria; Ian Christopher Maxwell as Sir Andrew Aguecheek; Jenny Ladd as Olivia; Brent Laing as Malvolio; Robbie Thomas as Antonio; and Will Barfield III as Sebastian. The production’s crew included scenic designer Tricia Thelen, costume designer Julie Geiger, lighting designer John Olbrych, and stage manager Molly M. Eustis.

The College of Charleston Shakespeare Festival prides itself on continued community outreach and offered a special performance of The Two Gentlemen of Verona on Saturday, August 16 in the Mount Pleasant Amphitheatre.

Dr. Franklin Ashley received the Association for Theatre in Higher Education’s (ATHE) Distinguished Service award, presented by the Playwrights Program on August 1st in New York City at the ATHE national conference. Citing “ten years of distinguished leadership” the awards committee praised Dr. Ashley’s role as conference planner as Chair of the Playwrights Program, and as a member of the 2002 and 2003 National conference committee. The committee also cited Dr. Ashley’s work with the College of Charleston in winning numerous national and regional playwriting awards, as well as editing the New Play Development Workshop anthology of new plays.

Dr. David Crespy, the current ATHE playwriting chair stated, “Franklin has given unselfishly to people all across this conference and he has single-handedly gotten people involved who would never have participated. We all owe him.” In responding, Dr. Ashley called the Playwrights Program a “second family where we all cared about the same thing—excellence and opportunity. This has been my greatest honor.”

The Theatre Department’s production of Smash!, directed by Cristy Markham Landis, (October 2 through October 7, 2003) received many glowing reviews.

Based on George Bernard Shaw’s novel, An Unsocial Socialist, and adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher, Smash! tackles love and politics with rapier-sharp humor.

Jennifer Corley of The Charleston City Paper (October 8, 2003) wrote: “This production’s beautiful set, designed by Boogie Dabney, perfectly enhances the rigid prisitiness [sic]of not only a girl’s school but the constructs of 19th-century British society as well…. Sidney’s somewhat incomplete and naïve approach to revolution is aptly played by [Duncan] Ferguson, whose at times bumbling nature corresponds with the character’s purity of intention…[Caitlin] Gill [as Jane] is especially impressive in her subtly and quiet talent. [Robbie] Thomas’ performance [as Sir Charles Brandon] has people virtually rolling in the aisles. His nasal and uppity delivery along with his jazzy mannerisms make his man-about-town characterization particularly funny….This is clearly a solid cast…Vocal coach Mark Landis deserves much credit for the level of the actor’s performances, as most of their accents remain consistently delivered.”

An adjudicator for the American College Theatre Festival (ACTF) stated:“These students are very well trained in performance skills….The technical contributions of the department with both set and costume designs are simply fantastic. The design talent of the College of Charleston is formidable….Cristina Landis is a strong visual and physical director who uses her environment with confidence and true artistic sense…This was a nicely tuned cast with exceptional talent and dedicated attitudes towards finding internalized and truthful responses in the comedy.”

Another ACTF adjudicator stated:“All of the actors did an outstanding job-not only in portraying their roles, but in supporting others as well. The sense of ensemble was engaging and contributed to the whole look of the show…I heartily applaud the College of Charleston’s production of Smash.”

The ACTF is an organization affiliated with the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.  The ACTF adjudicators see and critique performances, citing particular work by student actors, designers, and others whenever they feel someone should be cited for outstanding work.