Blinn College-Brenham Theatre Arts Program wraps season with Student Showcase
Students will provide a variety of entertainment at the O’Donnell Center, April 5-6
April 2, 2018
The Blinn College-Brenham Campus Theatre Arts Program will conclude the 2017-18 season with the annual Theatre Arts Student Showcase at 7 p.m. April 5-6 at the Dr. W.W. O’Donnell Performing Arts Center.
The showcase is a platform for students to showcase the acting and technical skills that they have acquired through the course of the year. It will feature a variety of entertainment, including skits by Blinn’s improvisation troupe Slaphappy, a dance number to the song “Fame,” a staged reading of “The Prisoner of Driscoll Street,” and award-winning technical presentations and monologues.
“The audience going to enjoy the whole show because it is a lot of fun, and it is a great way to show what our program has been doing all year,” said Brad Nies, Blinn-Brenham Campus Theatre Director. “The students in our program work both on-stage and behind the scenes, so it’s always fun to have them showcase the skills that have won them awards.”
The showcase will include the Slaphappy improvisation troupe, which will play three games with the audience similar to “Whose Line Is It Anyway.”
“It is really exciting that all of the students in the program are going to be working in numerous areas, from improvisation to dancing to acting to presenting,” freshman Zachary Hopkins said. “We have a very good group of people who are very entertaining, and we are just going to be having fun.”
Theatre students also will perform a dance number to the song “Fame” by Irene Cara.
“The choreographed dance is going to be super fun, and while we are doing it we are going to showcase everything we have worked on throughout the year, like props and wigs,” freshman Eva Kirby said. “The students put so much work into everything that we are doing in the showcase, so there is going to be a lot of effort from everybody and I think it is going to turn out really good.”
Students also will read scenes from “The Prisoner of Driscoll Street.” Nies wrote the dramatic play, which is based on the true story of an unsolved murder mystery that took place in Houston in 1965.
“I really wanted to tell this story and am really excited to see my play come to life with my students,” Nies said. “A lot of the fun for me in the process of writing this is that I have had students reading it and giving me feedback, so I look forward to hearing the comments on this brand new play.”
The show also includes award-winning technical presentations along with monologues that students performed at the Texas Educational Theatre Association Theatrefest.
“I think people should come down and see the student showcase not only for entertainment, but to get an idea of what we do,” freshman Sam Quick said.
Nies will produce the showcase, Kevin Patrick will serve as technical director, and Jennifer Patrick will be costume designer and choreographer.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students, children, and senior citizens. Blinn students, faculty, and staff receive free tickets with the code “staffcomp.”
To purchase tickets, visit www.blinn.edu/boxoffice or call 979-830-4024.
