NAUGHTY OR NICE? POE IS COMING TO TOWN
Caption: Columbia State Performance Studies and Creative Club students Christian Cochran, Ashli Felice-Periera, Jeffrey Dickenson, Heidi Miller, Danny Gutowski, Nelson Bailey, Renee Adams, Holly Hinson and James Thomas will perform “A Christmas Poe” on Friday, December 11 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the Ledbetter Auditorium on the Columbia Campus. Both performances are free and open to the public.
The students of the Performance Studies program and the Creative Club at Columbia State Community College will present “A Christmas Poe” on Friday, December 11 at 2 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. in the Ledbetter Auditorium on the Columbia Campus. Both performances are free and open to the public.
“The students have crafted a very eclectic mix of Edgar Allen Poe and modern style interpretations that should be fun to view, preserving the ghoulish sense of Poe’s originals while injecting modern aspects into the stories.” said Director and Professor of Speech and Drama, Stuart Lenig. “This is a presentation of some of Poe’s stories and poems done in a comical and light style. A little perverse silliness as an antidote to the overly-sweet and sentimental entertainment usually offered during the holiday season.”
Students will perform Poe’s poems, discuss the biography of the mysterious author, create interpretive dances, enact modernized versions of favorite tales, and produce short films on Poe and his legacy. Students involved include Christian Cochran, Ashli Felice-Periera, Jeffrey Dickenson, Heidi Miller, Danny Gutowski, Nelson Bailey, Renee Adams, Holly Hinson and James Thomas.
Poe, who is famous for his innovative writings, was the father of the modern detective story and what he referred to as "tales of ratiocination." He wrote dark atmospheric romantic poetry. He was a brilliant critic, one of the first serious and objective critics in American letters. “His sharp-witted responses to poor writing, and his excellent analysis of publishing helped propel good American criticism and literature,” said Lenig. Today, he is most famous for his creepy and terrifying horror stories. Poe was born 200 years ago this year.
“The students of the Performance Studies program at Columbia State thought it would be fun to play with this year’s featured ‘Big Read’ author in a holiday context,” said Lenig.
This presentation is part of the year-long tribute that the College and the community are offering to the great author during this year of “The Big Read” project. “The Big Read” is a national campaign to get people reading and to make a more literate society by having towns around the nation read a book or books by a specific author. This year, the Columbia community chose the works of Edgar Allan Poe for their focus.
For more information contact Professor Stuart Lenig at slenig@columbiastate.edu or (931) 540-2877.
Columbia State is a two-year college, serving a nine-county area in southern Middle Tennessee with locations in Columbia, Franklin, Lawrenceburg, Lewisburg and Clifton. As Tennessee’s first community college, Columbia State is committed to increasing access and enhancing diversity at all five campuses. Columbia State is a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents, the sixth largest higher education system in the nation. For more information, please visit www.columbiastate.edu.