Wiley
Students, teachers, and aspiring actors are invited to participate in one of two workshops offered on Saturday, February 6th with actor, director, playwright Mike Wiley '95 in Catawba College's Hedrick Little Theatre on campus. The workshops, funded through a generous grant from the North Carolina Arts Council, are presented by Lee Street Theatre and Catawba's Theatre Arts Department at Catawba College, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. and from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Wiley is a playwright and director of multiple works in documentary theatre, including "The Parchman Hour," which will be presented at Lee Street Theatre February 25 – March 5. He has more than 12 years of credits in theatre for young audiences, plus film, television and regional theatre. An Upward Bound alumnus and Trio Achiever Award recipient, he is an M.F.A. graduate of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. He earned his baccalaureate degree in communications in 1995 from Catawba College and was inducted into Catawba's Theatre Arts' Blue Masque Hall of Fame in 2013.
Wiley's overriding goal is expanding cultural awareness for audiences of all ages through dynamic portrayals based on pivotal moments in African-American history and, in doing so, helping to unveil a richer picture of the total American experience.
According to Wiley, the Feb. 6th workshops "will explore the way humans document and interpret their lives through storytelling and dramatic art." Participants in these workshops will delve into various aspects of storytelling through documentary theater.
"We will begin with life studies and then move to interviewing subjects, and re-creating our subjects via their words and vocal rhythms."
There is no fee for the workshops, and teachers and students may attend either workshop as an observer rather than as a participant. Actual participation in each workshop, however, is limited to 15 individuals.
Those interested in attending the workshop may contact "The Parchman Hour" director Craig Kolkebeck at (704) 637-4305.
This project is supported by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources.
