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MILLIGAN COLLEGE, TN (July 9, 2014) — This weekend, 41 students from nine states will arrive on the Milligan College campus for the fifth annual Fine Arts Summer Academy for high school students.
The students will be on campus from July 13-18, working one-on-one with Milligan’s faculty in the area of their choosing—music, theater or digital media (photography, videography and graphic design). Programs include hands-on workshops and lessons, evening activities, morning devotions and fun outings to local destinations.
Students in the theater academy will use their talents to serve the local community by presenting a free performance for children at the Elizabethton/Carter County Public Library, 201 North Sycamore Street, on Friday, July 18, at 10:30 a.m. The performance is open to the public.
The 25-minute play, “Pirate Pete and the Pirates of Politeness,” is directed by Richard Major, professor of theater at Milligan, and designed by Pamela Adolphi, scenic and lighting director at Milligan.
“This free performance will be a real crowd pleaser as it humorously tells the story of a rambunctious pirate trying to learn better manners so as to woo the hand of a beautiful princess,” Major said. “A high point of the play will be a comedic sword fight between Pirate Pete and a motley crew of seafarers. The fast-paced play will captivate the attention of patrons and will add just the right amount of spice to the otherwise mid-summer doldrums.”
The theater academy emphasizes the common vocabulary and concepts of the theater as an art form and an examination of how theater is created. Students will participate in different facets of theater, which could include acting, voice and movement, stage make-up, maskmaking, playwriting, stage combat or theater design. The week also includes an off-campus trip to the world-famous Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia.
The music academy is an advanced musicianship program for piano, voice, guitar and orchestral strings (violin, viola, cello and bass) that focuses on developing performing skills in each student’s specialty area.
Music students also will spend 30 minutes each morning learning the Alexander Technique, an educational method of learning how to use less effort in activity. This technique enables improved mobility, posture, performance, and alertness and relief of chronic stiffness, tension and stress. Athletes, singers, dancers and musicians use the technique to improve breathing, vocal production, and speed and accuracy of movement.
Students in the digital media academy will gain hands-on experience in the foundational elements of digital media, including digital photography, digital video filmmaking and graphic design. This program is perfect for the beginner to intermediate skill-level students as a wonderful opportunity to use their creativity to enhance their eye for beauty as they develop skills in each aspect of digital media.
The week culminates in a talent showcase highlighting the work of students from all three academies on Friday, July 18, at 5:30 p.m. The performance is free and open to family and friends.
To learn more about Milligan, visit www.milligan.edu.