College of Fine and Applied Arts

By Nancye Edwards

Appalachian Young People’s Theatre (AYPT) will engage young audiences for the 45th consecutive year with its production of “The Mischief Makers” by Lowell Swortzell. The family-friendly production is being presented at 7 p.m. on April 21, with matinee performances at 2 p.m. on April 22 and 23 in the I.G. Greer Studio Theater on the Appalachian State University campus. Ticket prices are $5 for children and university students and $10 for adults. 

Inspired by traditional narratives from African, European and Native American cultures, “The Mischief Makers” introduces stories from three of the world’s favorite tricksters: Anansi the spider from Africa played by Shane Buchheit, a freshman theatre education major from Boone; the Raven from the Northwest Pacific American culture played by Danielle Kerns, a junior theatre education major from Kernsville; and Reynard the fox from Europe played by Hannah Daniels, a sophomore theatre education major. The characters brag about being the world’s greatest tricksters while acting out stories of their best pranks. The actors play various roles by adding costume pieces and altering their physicality and voices.

“Through the magic of theatre, it is our hope that child audiences as well as adults will find meaning and entertainment in the retelling of these timeless stories,” says the show’s director Gordon Hensley, professor of theatre education in the Department of Theatre and Dance at Appalachian.

Established in 1972, the Appalachian Young People’s Theatre touring program is offered as a unique part of the Theatre and Dance Department curriculum.

“It’s honestly an incredible experience that’s very different from anything I’ve ever done,” says AYPT tour manager Chelcie Williams, a junior theatre education major from Kannapolis.  “It has given me incredible hands-on experience and an inside look at the opportunities and challenges I’ll encounter as an educator.”

The AYPT outreach program reaches up to 6,500 young people throughout Western North Carolina each spring, introducing some children to a live performance for the first time.

“AYPT impacts students because live theatre exposes them to something they have the ability to start doing, and it can inspire them to get more involved in the arts,” says Williams.

The Appalachian Young People's Theatre is committed to bringing high quality, low-cost live theatre experiences to young audiences in North Carolina and the surrounding region.

“It’s great to perform on stage a few days a week, but the opportunity to perform in various schools throughout the community is an amazing experience,” says Krys Paschen, a junior theatre education major from Lincolnton who performed in last season’s production of “Aladdin: A Participation Play.”

“The energy from the kids is contagious, making every performance exciting and engaging for both the audience and the actors.”

For tickets or information, call the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts at 800-841-ARTS (2787) Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. or the Valborg Theatre box office at 828-262-3063 Monday-Friday, 1- 5 p.m. or visit http://theatreanddance.appstate.edu. All three performances will be held at I.G. Greer Studio Theater, which is located on the side of the I.G. Greer building below the main auditorium, with a separate entrance down the stairway on the side of the building. Parking is available after 5:30 p.m. on campus in faculty lots and the College Street parking deck near Belk Library and Information Commons.

Media Contact
Keith Martin
Martinkt1@appstate.edu

About the Department of Theatre and Dance

The Department of Theatre and Dance is one of seven departments housed in Appalachian’s College of Fine and Applied Arts. Its mission is to facilitate transformative experiences for students and the public, which cultivate compassionate, creative and collaborative communities through theatre and dance. The department also offers coursework for integrated learning through the arts to the general university student population. Its dynamic co-curricular production program provides exemplary theatre and dance experiences to departmental students, the university community and the region.

About Appalachian State University

Appalachian State University, in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The transformational Appalachian experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and embrace diversity and difference. As one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina system, Appalachian enrolls about 18,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.

 

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• Theatre and Dance