Fine Arts Division offers student and professional performances.
By Luke Simpson
Staff Writer
With the 2003 fall semester in full swing, some of Pepperdine’s finest artists are quickly beginning to emerge. Over the next few months, the Fine Arts Division’s set schedule will bring both student and professional talent to Smothers Theatre and give Malibu a reliable venue they may not have known they had.
In addition to the shows from the acclaimed President’s Choice Series, which includes Art Garfunkle and Dave Brubeck, and worldwide acts such as The Reduced Shakespeare Company, several stage productions are set to exhibit students’ artistic talents.
The upcoming production of “On The Verge,” opening Oct. seven and running through the 11th, is receiving acclaim, thanks in part to guest director Stan Cahill.
Cahill, an expert of the stage, film and television, earned his Masters of Fine Arts from the New York University graduate acting program at the Tisch School of the Arts. The premier of “On the Verge” marks his first directing role at Pepperdine.
“Stan Cahill is an outstanding teacher and actor,” said Theater Coordinator Cathy Thomas-Grant. “The students really enjoy working with him.”
Dealing with a multitude of social issues, “On the Verge” has a profound family message. Three proper Victorian ladies set forth on a whimsical adventure, hiking though the forests and climbing the Himalayan Mountains, yet unwittingly end up traveling through time to a 1955 American gas station.
“On The Verge is a fantastic play, and I’m glad we’re doing it,” Thomas Grant said.
Junior Sklyer Stuckey, a theater major with an emphasis in acting, has made his rounds auditioning for the student productions, including “On The Verge.”
“Pepperdine is blessed with an interesting dynamic,” Stuckey said about the Fine Arts Division. “We have a small department but a lot of talent among our directors and actors.”
In addition to the rehearsed theater productions, the comedy group, the Pepperdine Improv Troupe, play head-on matches monthly in the Howard A. White Center. Coach Tracy Burns held auditions in early September, when 30 aspiring comedians, including Stuckey, vied for 14 available spots.
“Everyone performed very well,” said Stuckey about his competition. “They lost some good seniors last year, and the newcomers have big shoes to fill.”
After being overseas last year, PIT is “one of things I’m most excited about, Stuckey said. “PIT is a very talented group that does extremely well without an actual class or funding provided by the school.”
Musical performances, headed by Music Director and Conductor Milton Pullen, will add to the cadre of student performances. Eight major recitals are planned throughout the school year including the Chamber Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble and the Concert Choir performing Sept. 30.
Sophomore Julie Serber will be participating with the Concert Choir, performing works by Vaughan Williams, Monterverdi, Holst, Gluck, Schubert, Brahms and others.
“I really enjoy being a part of the choir, though it is a lot of work,” said Serber, a music major. Practicing three times a week, Serber still feels it’s a lot of fun and beneficial for the Fine Arts Division.
Piano accompanist and music major Roksana Zeinapur, sophomore, is excited to be playing with the choir. “Performing is scary at times, and it’s more work than pleasure, but I like it a lot and it’s very rewarding for both the audience and performer,” the sophomore said.
In late February the Flora L. Thornton Opera Program and director Henry Price will be producing composer Giacomo Puccini’s “Gianni Schicchi,” an opera featuring the famous aria “O mio babbino caro.”
Word of the upcoming season of plays and performances has been buzzing around campus, and it is likely these productions will sell out. “Get tickets early if you want to go,” Thomas-Grant advised.
Though the student admission price for Smothers events is typically $6, prices vary from show to show. For more information or tickets, contact the Smothers Box Office at (310) 506-4522.
September 18, 2003