The Emory & Henry College Theatre Department will present William Shakespeare’s comedy “Much Ado About Nothing” April 27-April 30 at the college. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. on April 27-29 and at 3 p.m. April 30.

All performances will be held in the E&H Studio Theatre. The production is directed by Dr. Donald LaPlant. Professor Tim Baumgartner provides design and technical supervision. In this comedy, a group of soldiers returns from war only to discover that a number of battles are raging at home – battles of wits, battles of the sexes, and, most importantly, internal battles between intellect and emotion.

Advanced reserved seating is required and limited. Tickets for the performance are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Emory & Henry students, faculty and staff are admitted free of charge; students from other institutions are admitted for $3 with ID. For tickets and more information about the concert, contact the Box Office at 276-944-6866. back to top

Theatre Professor's Actor Training Gaining Attention

Monday, March 20, 2006 Emory & Henry theatre professor Biliana Stoytcheva-Horissian knows the importance of a good audition. In the last few years, Dr. "B" has distinguished herself as a leader in the area of audition techniques.

Through years of teaching and actor coaching, she discovered performers often work with the first choice they have in mind for a character or a monologue. They usually pick the technique they are most comfortable with and sometimes “get stuck” during the rehearsal process. This prevents them from freely exploring and discovering the full potential of a character.

To combat this, Stoytcheva-Horissian devised a series of traditional and non-traditional exercises that allow actors to examine a monologue and their own performance from many different sides. She presented her theories to the Southeastern Theatre Conference, the largest and most active theatre conference in the country, last month.

“Through the process, [actors] discover new levels and nuances at rehearsal, and it enables them to utilize the findings during their final performances.” Stoytcheva-Horissian said.

Dr. Stoytcheva-Horissian's acting credits include, Blood Wedding, Magic Voices, Magic Voice II, The School for Wives, Period of Adjustment, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Her scholarly and artistic interests include Comedy, Moliere, Acting Pedagogy, and Eastern European Theatre back to top

Play by E&H Professor Honored in National Play Competition
Wednesday, February 1, 2006
A play written by an Emory & Henry College theatre professor provokes viewers to think about how far they would go to fight for their beliefs.

The play, written by Donald LaPlant, has been chosen as a finalist in a national play competition sponsored by the University of Maryland Baltimore County. The play was one of four selected from more than 170 entries for a staged reading at the university. As a finalist, the play also will be given top consideration for publication in an anthology of short plays by major American playwrights.

Entitled “Liberal Arts,” the play depicts the struggles of a black, lesbian professor at a conservative college where few of the students share her values. The professor struggles with her response to an ultra-conservative student who threatens her.

On a thematic level, the play is about the conflict between personal happiness and professional responsibility and the tension between playing it safe or risking comfort for the sake of a belief.

“Ultimately, I want to provoke audience members to ask – in whatever personal context it is applicable – at what point they should stop fighting for what they believe in,” LaPlant said about his play.

LaPlant recruited five E&H theatre students and an actor at the Barter Theatre, a professional theatre in Abingdon, Va., to help him develop the play. The actors read the script aloud, which enabled LaPlant to fine-tune the writing for the competition.

LaPlant also credited the E&H Theatre Department for the success of his play. “The dedication and pre-professional orientation of our students, combined with the Theatre Department’s close connections with Barter staff members, made it possible for me to turn what started out as a mediocre little play into one worthy of recognition by a competitive national competition,” he said. back to top

Theatre professor and students help four local schools to expand theatre programs

Monday, January 9, 2006

A group of gifted middle school students will express their talents on stage Feb. 24. As they pay tribute to the dramatic arts, a good many of their friends, family members and Emory & Henry College theatre majors will be joining the celebration.

Middle school students from Damascus, Glade Spring and Bristol will perform short plays at Emory & Henry College as part of the second annual GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) Theatre Festival. The performances begin at 7 p.m. in Wiley Auditorium.

The students will stage their plays with help from E&H theatre students, who have guided the younger thespians in all aspects of theatre production, including auditions, directing, set design and costumes.

Biliana Stoytcheva-Horissian, the head of the E&H Theatre Department expects a large audience at this year’s performances. “Last year, the auditorium was packed, not just by parents and friends, but by E&H students and other theatre lovers.”

E&H sophomore Eric Eteuati of Chesapeake looks forward to working with the middle school students. The theater and French double major, began acting in second grade and has already been on the professional stage.

He also worked with fifth graders in a high school mentoring program. “I really enjoy working with children of any age,” Eteuati said. “I really like how these kids are so intent on listening to you. It feels good to know that they really want to learn from you.”

Last year, the community response to the program was very positive, said Stoytcheva-Horissian said. “That support has added to the great educational experience this has been for the middle school students as well as their Emory & Henry mentors.” back to top