In addition to hosting the campus of Mississippi College, the city of Clinton features the storied Brick Streets in the Olde Town. Laid out in 1929, the streets form the heart of the town, with a variety of shops and restaurants in the historic district. Filmmakers who have worked in the city say the setting and accessibility make Clinton an appealing place to shoot.

“As a producer, Clinton is appealing in many ways. The variety of locations we are able to choose from, for starters, as well as the relatively easy access to get our cast, crew, and equipment in and out of the locations,” Kipp Tribble, an actor and producer on “The 12 Dates of Christmas,” said.

The movie was filmed in December 2025 and has yet to be released. The location was chosen primarily for the cozy atmosphere of the historic Olde Town area. Starring Lucky Hale and Ian Harding, the film is a romantic comedy set during the Christmas season; the character of the town helped bring the story to life.

“‘The 12 Dates of Christmas’ fits perfectly in Clinton as it tells the story of a woman in a small town looking for love during the holidays,” Tribble said. “While it’s not a Hallmark movie, it does have that charm — and Clinton naturally exudes that charm all on its own.”

Tribble has also appeared in two other films shot in the area: “Off the Grid” and “The Neglected,” both released in 2024. He said Clinton’s layout and variety of nearby locations make production more efficient for film crews.

“The fact that all the locations were so close together helped us save time with moving our cast, crew, and gear around, so we were able to shoot the film in 12 days,” Tribble said.

“The Neglected,” a crime-based movie starring Josh Duhamel, used locations such as local homes and the police station to stage scenes. “Off the Grid,” also starring Duhamel, follows a scientist who goes into hiding after stealing important technology. Tribble said Clinton’s wooded areas and quiet surroundings helped create the atmosphere the production needed.

“It provided the perfect backdrop of a guy living under the radar,” Tribble said. “We had the woods and the small-town feel we needed.”

Film producer David Lipper, president and CEO of Latigo Films, has worked on several productions filmed in Clinton, including “The 12 Dates of Christmas,” “The Neglected,” “Off the Grid,” and “Murder at Hollow Creek” (2022).

Lipper said the appearance of Clinton’s historic district and the proximity of filming locations are major advantages for production crews.

“Clinton has all the charm of small-town USA, with a charming Main Street and police station right by it to keep key locations close to each other,” Lipper said.

He added that cooperation from local leaders and businesses has also encouraged filmmakers to return.

“City leadership has been extremely welcoming and cooperative with locations and services,” Lipper said. “In return, I believe we have spent millions of dollars over these films just in hotels, locations, art department purchases, wardrobe, local hires and all the local restaurants and bars our cast and crew frequented.”

Lipper said productions often make a point to support local businesses while working in the city.

“One of the things I like to do is buy the whole cast and crew ice cream from Coach’s Creamery or smoothies from Nature’s,” Lipper said.

Film Mississippi regularly works with communities across the state to help coordinate location scouting and connect filmmakers with local resources.

“Communities around the state, like Clinton, make our work easier given their film-friendliness, willingness to assist our office with location scouts and connecting filmmakers with organizations and individuals in those communities to help bring their films to life,” Nina Parikh, director of Film Mississippi, said.

“If the producers have connections with liaisons in these communities, then they are more likely to film and spend their money there.”

As more productions choose locations across Mississippi, Clinton’s historic streets and compact downtown have helped position the city as a convenient stop for filmmakers working in the region.

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“The Addams Family is a fun story, and everyone’s familiar with the older TV show and the different cartoon movies that have been out,” Jamie Ertle, the Lyric Stage and Addams Family Musical director, said.

The Addams Family was a TV series based on Charles Addams’ one-panel cartoons in The New Yorker. It aired on ABC from 1964 to 1966. The show tells the story of the creepy and kooky Addams Family – father Gomez, mother Morticia, daughter Wednesday, son Pugsley, Uncle Fester, and butler Lurch – who navigate life among normal people. The Addams Family Musical (2010), which features music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, dives deeper into Wednesday’s life and love affair with Lucas Beineke, a boy from a seemingly normal Ohio family.

“We’ve got this classic Gothic idea going on, as far as aesthetic,” Ertle said. “Then, we’ve got all these characters that are out of this world and over the top, which exists within that. So, there’s not much grounding in reality. It’s a fantasy world that is anchored by some of these elements of traditional American Gothic aesthetic and then a little bit of ’90s grunge thrown in there as a nod to the ’90s movie.”

Ertle’s vision for the production is to bring a classic story to life for college students. “The show ‘Wednesday’ was really popular, and I also really like that show,” she said. “In this musical, Wednesday is a college-age girl, so we get to see her from that perspective, which is fun for college-age students.”

Ainsley Marler, a senior voice performance major at MC and fourth-year Lyric Stage member, will take on the lead role of Wednesday Addams. The rest of the cast includes Abigail Young as Morticia Addams, Slade Haney as Gomez Addams, Charity Johnston as Pugsley, Joshua Burdeaux as Uncle Fester, Tyler Shinholt as Lucas Beineke, Peyton Parker as Lurch, and Ella Goodeen and Rourke Gearing as Lucas’ sisters Alice and Mal Beineke.

“It’s just been a fantastic group to work with,” Marler, the actress portraying Wednesday, said. “Everybody’s been so kind to each other. We’ve all gelled really well; it just came naturally.”

The actress said that building close bonds between cast members was a highlight of the season. “I think the audience will enjoy seeing our chemistry as much as we’ve enjoyed interacting with each other,” Gooden, a junior music education major who plays Alice Beineke, said. “Not that we haven’t in the past, but it just feels different.”

The cast has practiced three days a week for up to four hours a day, leading up to the weekend performance. The team practiced in the Jean Pittman Williams Recital Hall and is led by director Jamie Ertle, choreographer Erin Zanza, and stage manager Julia Struble.

At the beginning of the year, the cast focused on music, shifted into blocking, then into learning choreography, finally they focused on full dress rehearsals, combining all the elements.

The show’s choreography was created by Zanza, who studied dance at Southern Mississippi University. “When thinking of the Addams Family, what comes to mind is the drooped, Gothic-esque characters, but at the same time, this musical is full of life, and the characters are hysterical,” she said. “It’s comedy from start to finish, even though half the characters in the play are ghosts. So, it’s been a challenge creating movement that looks lively for dead people.”

Although few cast members came in with prior dance experience, they’ve embraced learning Zanza’s wide range of styles, including ballet, classic theater jazz, tap and even tango. “There’s a good bit of everything, even a couple tricks here and there that some students are pulling out,” Zanza said. “They’ve all just jumped in and tried to learn as much as they can and not worried about being embarrassed.”

Other departments have helped with bringing this production to life. “Dr. Everett (MC Director of Choral Activities) has done the vocal stuff, and then Mr. Kemp’s the music director,” Burdeaux, a junior music education major who plays Fester, said. “I feel like everybody’s putting in so much effort that it’s just knitting into a really good show.”

Ertle and Zanza have also enjoyed seeing students from majors other than theater and music help with the production by building props, designing promotional posters, and painting sets.

With all their work, the Addams Family cast aims to create a heartwarming experience. “I hope the audience gets the main message of the show, which is ‘family is family,’” Marler said. “There’s a motif in the opening number – a line that goes, ‘It’s family first and family last and family by and by.’ And I love that because it starts with just the Addams, but then Lucas and his family come along. It takes a little bit, but Wednesday’s love for him bleeds over into the rest of the family, and she helps them get along. And it’s just a beautiful thing to me.”

For the Addams Family production team, Lyric Stage has become a second family, and they hope to share the beauty of family with their audience. “I’ve gotten to form some really fun relationships with students that aren’t in my department,” Zanza said. “I really enjoyed getting to know them and seeing them thrive in their element and support them the best I can.”

The Taylor School opened in 2007, creating opportunities for music students to apply the skills they have learned in classes to their careers. The school offers guitar, piano, and voice lessons and aims to teach its students the importance of a strong work ethic. “The school started to provide a teaching experience for MC students that may think they are interested in teaching piano in the future,” Rushing said.

Since its start, the school has more than doubled its size; this semester, 60 students are being taught through the program. While Rushing leads the school, he is assisted by several other faculty members—Portia Davis, Joy Graves, and Rebekah Lipscombe serve as piano teachers. Sarah Pigott serves as a voice instructor, and Jimmy Turners serves as the school’s guitar teacher.

The school holds several student-led performances throughout the year. In the fall, participating students of the Taylor School perform while wearing Halloween costumes. The school also holds a student recital in the spring.

Although the majority of Taylor School students do not pursue music majors, Rushing has still seen a significant number of them attend highly competitive institutes. “I’ve got three students that are music majors at other universities now, such as Mississippi State, University of North Texas, and the Cleveland Institute,” Rushing said. The director said he wants to continue to see his students excelling, while also finding ways to create internal growth.

In the future, Rushing hopes to bring technological developments to the school. “I’m brainstorming the idea of music technology classes for people that can’t read music or don’t have an interest in playing an instrument,” Rushing said. “This would be for students that want to know how music works and make songs on applications such as GarageBand.”

While Rushing enjoys his time instructing MC undergraduates, he expressed how teaching through the Taylor School brings a different kind of satisfaction.

“There are a lot of weeks where I very much enjoy teaching the college students and being able to teach at such a high repertoire,” Rushing said. “But, man, there are some weeks we’re teaching the younger kids or the retired students that come in just for stress relief; they are some of the most meaningful parts of my week.”

“Opera Mississippi is one of the oldest opera companies in America — the ninth oldest continuously operating opera company in the U.S.,” Ben Williams said. Williams is the chair of the Department of Music at MC, the President of the Board of Opera Mississippi, and the logistics coordinator for “The Magic Flute.”

Written by Mozart, “The Magic Flute” tells the story of the rescue of Princess Pamina, the daughter of the Queen of the Night, by Prince Tamino, who wields a magic flute and magic bells.

One of the many appeals of opera is its storytelling quality. “There’s a story in the musical, but part of it is told with just dialogue,” Williams said. “But the opera part tells the entire story with music the entire time.” In Mississippi, where prevalent storytellers such as Faulkner and Welty originated, opera has a special place in the community.

Beginning work on this production has taken time and dedication, as the number of opera singers in the southeast region is limited. Williams has done extensive behind-the-scenes work coordinating and facilitating rehearsals and paying the actors.

As the logistics coordinator, Williams also faced the significant challenge of selecting the venue for the production. “Thalia Mara, the hall in Jackson, needed to go under renovations due to some health issues,” Williams said. “Those renovations are still being done right now. And so, the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra has had to find different venues.” When MC offered to host “The Magic Flute,” it was a happy partnership, providing both a venue for the performers of Opera Mississippi and a unique experience for the students of MC.

“The Magic Flute” has been a long time in the making, originally slated for production last year. “We had problems with things last year,” Williams said. “But because of that, we actually did a summer tour of a children’s version of this opera last year.” In that summer production, all of the roles were filled by current MC music students.

Williams hopes that this production will make opera more approachable. With supertitles, elaborate sets, extravagant costumes, and grand music, he says, “The Magic Flute” is an accessible gateway to opera. “The music is easy to understand, and the costumes are very clear,” Williams said. “It’s not an overly complicated story. It’s an easy entry point.”

Mississippi College’s (MC) Department of Communication is presenting “Shakespearean Scenes and Things” on April 5 and 6. Unlike traditional performances, the show will not be constrained to a stage. It is designed to move audiences through vignettes in different locations. Audience members will be guided by the actors as the show progresses.

“Instead of focusing on actions that take place solely in front of them on a stage, they will be able to watch the action unfolding around them,” Director Sarah Hankins said. “This type of performance challenges the actors because they have to be more aware of where they are in relation to the audience members. They must play to all sides, constantly breaking the fourth wall that is in traditional theatre.”

“Performing in an open space really changes the dynamic in acting,” freshman performer Charity Johnston said. “There’s no separation between the audience and the actors, you’re all a part of the show.”

Hankins, a theater teacher at Clinton High School (CHS) and an adjunct communication professor at MC, crafted a modern take on timeless classics. The production is in collaboration with CHS theater and consists of various scenes from William Shakespeare’s most notable plays such as “Hamlet”, “Much Ado about Nothing” and “Macbeth”.

“[Shakespeare was] a great artist,” sophomore performer Micah Shepherd said. “Someone who had ambition and passion for what he did. You can’t erase something like that, not even if you tried. We notice the passion Shakespeare had for his career, and we carry on his works as an example for future playwrights to come.”

“I believe that the audience will take away a newfound love of Shakespeare from the show,” Johnston said. “I know it is difficult to find Shakespeare appealing for most audiences since we may have difficulty understanding the language and the motivations of the characters. I think that Sarah Hankins’ modern take on these scenes really breathes a refreshing new breath of life into them.”

As audiences become further removed from Shakespeare and his world, it is important for directors and performers to adapt the style of performance.

“I think audiences will enjoy the show because of its interactive nature,” Johnston said. “It really pulls you into the world of Shakespeare. You’re not an audience watching a show, you’re an active breathing part of the magic of it all. Not to mention, it’s just tons of good fun. Shakespeare wrote comedies for people to laugh at, and these scenes will definitely get a chuckle.”

Performances were set to begin on the Piazza, leading audiences into Jennings Courtyard, but due to weather, performances will be moved to the Gore Art Complex. Shows will take place on April 5 and 6 at 5 p.m.

The most recent of these graduates was Gracie Lee. Lee graduated as a journalism major and a former staff member of Blue and Gold Media. She played the role of Annelle and says that the plays she starred in on campus prepared her for this show.

“Doing this show is kind of like exercising a muscle,” Lee said. “Getting direction, learning your lines, and knowing theatre etiquette all feels like something I’ve always been doing.”

Amy Wolagamott Freeze earned her bachelor’s degree from MC in 1996 and her master’s degree in 2002. She has also worked on campus. Freeze took on the role of M’Lynn, a character she is revisiting from earlier in her theater career.

“I played this role when I was in high school,” Freeze said. “To revisit the role as an older student – older person now, I guess – later in life, it’s been fun to revisit it. In high school, you’re playing somebody that you think is so old, but now I’m playing her according to the age she is supposed to be.”

Kim Pigott graduated in 1986 and is the mother-in-law of MC music professor Sarah Pigott. She has a long resume on the stage during her school years, but is making her return with the role of Ouiser in this play. This is a role she considers to be a dream to play.

“I get to sort of channel me,” Pigott said. “The me I try not to be with my husband and friends I get to be on stage as Ouiser.”

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Pigott also loved working with the other actresses in the cast. When they met for the first time, she discovered how MC connected them together.

“The interesting thing for me is that the character who plays Annelle, Gracie, has been at MC while my daughter-in-law has been here both as a student and professor,” Pigott said. “So, she knows that person, and the character who plays M’Lynn, Amy, went to MC with my baby brother. They were very good friends at MC, but I did not know this until the first night we read through the play.”

With this production wrapped, the Brick Street Players will shift to their last play of the season, Don’t Dress For Dinner, which is set for April 24-27.

Mississippi College’s flagship musical theater program, Lyric Stage, will present Guys and Dolls from February 27 to March 2 in the Jean Pittman Williams Recital Hall. Following performances of Godspell, Little Women, and Closer Than Ever, Guys and Dolls brings a classic to the stage after three years of contemporary productions.

The musical, set in New York City, follows two couples: Sky Masterson and Sarah Brown, a gambler played by Zachary Templeton and a missionary played by Cez Anne Cariño; and Nathan Detroit and Miss Adelaide, a crap-game manager and a showgirl, played by David Gaines and Carsen Flowers. The audience watches the love story between Sky and Sarah unfold while Nathan and Adelaide navigate their 14-year romance.

“Guys and Dolls is sort of like the ultimate musical comedy” said Jamie Ertle, director of Guys and Dolls and musical theater program director for Lyric Stage. “It kind of wrote the blueprint for these types of characters.”

As it originally premiered in 1950, the show is not from the modern era of theatre. As a result, the music and acting is stylized differently from many modern musicals.

“People know Dear Evan Hansen, they know Waitress — this is not that,” Flowers, who plays Miss Adelaide, said. “This is very different … but it’s fun.”

Guys and Dolls also includes a religious element, as some of the characters are missionaries in New York sharing the gospel.

“A part of this show has a mission,” Gaines, who plays Detroit, said. “These people are in New York trying to share the gospel and get people to come to Christ. I think that’s a good message to have in a show, especially in the theatre world where a lot of shows don’t show that aspect.”

Ertle is excited to bring a classic musical to Clinton. The iconic music and storyline will appeal especially to some Clinton locals in the audience, as many of the city’s older residents may be familiar with the 1955 movie starring Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando.

The cast of Guys and Dolls has pitched in behind the scenes and beyond their performances to bring the show together. Student cast members, several of which are art majors, designed and created the sets and decorations. Other student volunteers have helped with costuming and other areas of the production.

“There is a whole little world that goes on in Aven of these amazing, talented, beautiful individuals that just work together,” Flowers said. “No one gets to see that unless you go in there and see the show.”

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One of the excitements of live theatre is knowing that each show is unique. Every performance is slightly different. That, says Ertle, is what gives theatre its charm.

“There is something in the show for everyone to enjoy,” Ertle said. “There’s comedic moments. There’s a really nice romantic line, too. There’s more than just the two couples… It’s about friendship, love, all those things.”

The show will open on Thursday, February 27 at 7:00 p.m. Performances will run until Sunday in Aven Hall’s recital room. Tickets are $25. For more information, visit music.mc.edu/events.

The show was directed by Sarah Hankins. Hankins is a theatre teacher at Clinton High School and an Adjunct Communication Professor at MC. Hankins is excited about the partnership between MC and Brick Street Players and what it will bring in the future.

“Brick Street Players and MC are both thriving organizations within the Clinton community,” Hankins said. “So, we wanted to come together and put a production on for the community that highlights what Clinton is about, which is community. We wanted to bring people together from different walks of life to put on a show.”

The play is based on two “Sherlock Holmes” short stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Mystery of the Blue Carbuncle” and “The League of Red-Headed Gentlemen,” which are both set during the Christmas season.

“It’s a family friendly show,” Hankins said. “There’s lots of intrigue. There’s lots of jokes. More importantly, it’s about a group of orphans who have found a home together who find support from Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, and Mrs. Hudson where they become a family.”

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The title role of the British detective is played by Ray Lynch. Lynch counts it an honor to portray such an iconic character and enjoyed working with the cast and crew the most.

“What I enjoyed most about playing as Sherlock Holmes here at Mississippi College, in collaboration with the Brick Street Players, is adding diversity to the set and being able to learn from others as I’m able to inspire others,” Lynch said.

Brick Street Players’ next production will be “Steel Magnolias.” Auditions will be held December 16 and 17.

Lyric Stage will be debuting this year’s annual opera on November 1 and 2 at 7 p.m. in the Jean Pittman Williams Recital Hall in Aven Hall. The performance will include two one-act operas by Mozart, each divided by an intermission. The first will be “Der Schauspieldirektor,” a story of two divas competing for control of an opera company. The other, “Bastien und Bastienne,” was Mozart’s first opera, written when he was only twelve years old. The songs will be performed in German, but the dialogue will be in English. 

The opera will be directed and produced by Department of Music faculty member Sarah Pigott. “It should be a really fun night,” Pigott said.

Lyric Stage is making an important change to ticket sales this year. “We’re not doing pre-sale tickets,” Pigott said. “Normally, you could go online to buy tickets before the day of the show. This year we’re just selling tickets at the door. Don’t stress out if you can’t find the link!”

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Lyric Stage will also have a musical next semester, set to run from February 27 through March 2. According to the musical’s director Jamie Ertle, more details will be announced very soon through Lyric Stage’s social media pages. 

“Auditions will be this semester, and the original story is based on something written in the 1930s,” Ertle said. 

In the Department of Communication, Clinton High School Theater Director Sarah Hankins now serves as an adjunct professor. She teaches multiple online and hybrid theater classes following Dr. Phyllis Seawright’s retirement last semester. 

Hankins is set to direct “Sherlock Holmes and the First Baker Street Irregular” this fall. The production will be a joint effort between Clinton High School, Mississippi College, and Clinton’s local community theater, the Brick Street Players. Performances will be November 21-24 at the Gore Arts Complex. Auditions are set for the end of September.

“We have a specific audition time for MC students, because I know that sometimes getting off campus is difficult,” Hankins said. “So, that is early afternoon next Monday, September 30. Then we will have open auditions for the entire community, also open to MC students, on Thursday, September 26 and Monday, September 30 from 6-8 p.m. at the Olde Towne Depot, right down the street by Lions Club Park.”

For information on “Sherlock Holmes,” please visit the Brick Street Players Facebook and Instagram pages. For information on Lyric Stage’s fall opera and spring musical, visit www.music.mc.edu or the Lyric Stage Instagram page.

Editor’s note: On Thursday, September 26 — a day after the original publication of this article — Lyric Stage announced on social media that the Spring 2025 musical would be “Guys and Dolls.” See the Lyric Stage Instagram page for more details and future updates.

On Saturday, March 23, from 10 am to 1 pm, Main Street Clinton, the City of Clinton, the Arts Council of Clinton, and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi welcomed locals back to the annual spring event Art in the Park. Clinton residents and Mississippi College students dropped by throughout the day to enjoy the event and witness artists showcase their work in Lions Club Park. 

“I have really enjoyed Art in the Park the past two years,” Rebecca Lancaster, fine arts teacher at Sumner Hill Junior High School, commented. “Last year, I brought my art club and we did mono printing with everyone that stopped by. This year, I brought my own artwork and mini-coloring books.”

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Art in the Park is an event open to the public that features several local artists and their work. Many artists also use this event to demonstrate how they create their pieces, such as woodwork, crochet, and paintings. 

The Mississippi College Department of Art also displayed plenty of work for attendees of the event to see. The MC Department of Art showcased several interactive pieces to draw in the crowd, such as Anthony Thaxton’s caricature booth. 

“I believe Art in the Park and things like it are so important, not only for a community to be exposed to the arts in a variety of ways, but also for the benefit of the participants…When I see John Mark Pinter or Cameron Huey coming out and demonstrating art for people, it takes me back to those formative days and experiences for me,” Anthony Thaxton, co-founder of MC’s Institute of Southern Storytelling, said. “What a joy to see the full circle of life and to be part of it! I’m proud to be an artist associated with Clinton and with the wonderful people of Mississippi College.”

Art in the Park also included other activities, including a few performances on Lions Club Park’s Atmos Stage. Some of the performances included a talk from author Diane Pleasant on why she finds it fun to write children’s books, as well as a puppet show by puppeteer T.J. McSparrin. 

The Brick Street Players performed monologues while event-goers roamed the park. Refreshments were also provided by local businesses in Clinton, including ice cream from Coach’s Creamery, an assortment of snacks from Inez’s Heavenly Treats, and Dave’s Kettle Korn.

To close the event, three Hinds Community College bands performed on Atmos Stage. Hinds’s jazz, rock, and steel bands performed their setlists. They were well received by crowds, who cheered after every song.

“I really enjoyed doing it, and I do think it’s a cool opportunity for local people to show off their talents whether that be painting or musical talent,” commented Cade Tripp, member of the Hinds Community College Jazz Band. “I had a good experience and I definitely recommend it to people in Clinton.”

Clinton’s local community theater group, the Clinton Brick Street Players, presented “Seussical” Feb. 22-25 at Entergy Theater in Gore Arts Complex. 

Written by Stephen Flaherty, Lynn Ahrens, and Eric Idle, “Seussical” is a comedy musical based on the famous stories in Dr. Seuss’s children’s books, such as “Horton Hears a Who.” “Seussical” is an hour and a half long and consists of two acts with an intermission in between. 

“I was so proud of the hard work the cast and crew put in on this one,” Allie Bennett, “Seussical” production manager and vice president of the Brick Street Players, commented. “Seussical has a lot of moving parts – it’s a fast paced and high energy show. The cast worked diligently memorizing lines and music, not to mention their blocking and choreography.” 

A local theater troupe that was reestablished in 2022, Brick Street Players consists of volunteers of all ages. “We are always looking for volunteers to help with our productions, whether that means helping backstage, with costumes, props, or set pieces, or auditioning for any of our shows,” Bennett said.

One of the Brick Street Players' many goals for the 2023-24 season was to produce at least four shows for the community. The idea of performing “Seussical” came from the Brick Street Players play-reading committee. The committee works to suggest plays to perform. The suggestions come partially from the committee’s personal interests, but ultimately, they stem from public suggestions via social media.

The Brick Street Players held “Seussical” auditions before Christmas, and rehearsals began after the New Year holiday. From table reads to blocking and learning music and choreography, the actors, crew, and directors worked hard to ensure a good performance for friends, family, and other locals who came to watch.

“It was pretty stressful at times, but we all got along really well,” Benjamin Gibson, who played General Schmitz and Wickersham, said. “I’d love to be in another production with them given the chance!” 

 Historically, the Brick Street Players have performed on the brick streets or at the Olde Towne Depot in Clinton. However, the Players have begun performing at Entergy Theater, part of Mississippi College’s recently renovated Gore Arts Complex. “Seussical” is the troupe’s second performance in the venue, the first being “Blithe Spirit” in September 2023.

“It’s a wonderful gift,” Jay Kucia, “Seussical” musical director, commented. “Mississippi College has been so generous to let us use Entergy Theater. It’s a beautiful house that holds tons of people and has a beautiful ambiance and beautiful set. We are just incredibly grateful.”

The members of the Brick Street Players are all grateful and appreciative to have a new space to perform in, allowing bigger crowds to watch in the future. “Nate [Jarnagin, MC Department of Art Administrative Assistant] has been invaluable in assisting us during this time, always helping us work through any issues that may arise, getting answers to our questions,” Bennett said. “We truly feel that this is a great way to bring theatre to different aspects of the community, but having Entergy Theater as our home base is so great.”

“It went excellently,” audience member Ellen Tolbert commented. “I think they did a beautiful job.”

“It was really good, and I really enjoyed the show,” Alex Shay, who played Cat in the Hat, said. “This is my second time performing with Brick Street Players, and it was a good way to just come out of my shell.”

The Mississippi College Department of Communication staged “Anne of Green Gables” at the Entergy Theater in the Gore Arts Complex on Friday, Feb. 9 and Saturday Feb. 10. The play is based on the 1908 novel of the same name by L.M. Montgomery and used a script adapted by Peter DeLaurier. 

A tea party, held before the Saturday 2 p.m. matinee, invited guests to take part in tea party fare, raspberry cordial, music, dancing, and meet-and-greets with characters from the play. 

Dr. Phyills Seawright, who recently announced her retirement, directed her final play at MC with student director Emma Ellard. 

“Particularly Emma in this case has been wonderful,” Seawright said. “Emma said, ‘I want to work on this show,’ and I said, ‘great!’ She took off and did all of the production work and planning. Because she’s had a significant amount of theater work, she knows how to work with staging and actors, as she is an actress herself.”

Ellard has been acting since high school and has many acting feats on her resume. While at MC, she starred as Mary Bailey in 2021’s “It’s A Wonderful Life: A Radio Play” and as Mary Debenham in 2023’s “Murder on the Orient Express.” She was also involved with Follies her sophomore year and was in the Madison Center Players Community Theatre production of “Into the Woods” this past summer. 

“This experience has been very profound and rewarding for me because of the community I found in it,” Ellard said. “I guess also the fulfillment I had in watching something that I had a hand in come to life on stage is really cool.”

Freshman pre-nursing major Frannie Dean of Jackson starred as the title character. Dean carries a lifetime of acting experience with her. Her first role was at age 5; she played Molly in “Annie” at Jackson’s New Stage Theatre. Over the course of her life, she has starred in several plays both at New Stage and Jackson Academy. This is her first credit in an MC production. 

“It actually was a pretty spur-of-the-moment thing,” Dean said. “I wasn’t planning on doing theater in college. As a pre-nursing major, that was not really where I was headed in life. I saw they were doing ‘Anne of Green Gables.’ I was raised on ‘Anne of Green Gables’ and love it, so I had to audition.”

Two Clinton homeschoolers, sisters Waverly and Darcy Renick, lent their musical abilities to the performances. Darcy played the violin during scene transitions, while Waverly, in addition to being Anne’s understudy, sang a hymn in the play’s second act.

“I sing the first verse of ‘This Is My Father’s World,’” Waverly said. “It was a hymn from around the same time that ‘Anne of Green Gables’ was written.”

 “I play by ear,” Darcy said. “I have a CD from the 1980’s ‘Anne of Green Gables’ movie. I picked it out, and Emma made me tags to play in-between scenes.”

Hundreds flocked to the auditorium for the three shows over the weekend. Senior Bio Pre-Med major Austin Flynn and junior Digital Illustration major Eleanor Acton attended the matinee on Saturday. 

“I really liked it,” Acton said. “I think the casting was excellent and it was an all around good show, from the music to the acting. It was great!”

“I thought the acting was wonderful,” said Flynn. “From what I remembered from the movies, they followed the storyline pretty nicely and did a beautiful adaptation.”

Aven Hall’s Jean Pittman Williams Auditorium is now filled with the sounds of Lyric Stage student performers rehearsing for the spring musical – but not the one they auditioned for.

Lyric Stage held a spring season interest meeting on Oct. 26. At the meeting, the MC Department of Music’s flagship lyric theater program announced auditions for their Spring 2024 show. It was “Side by Side by Sondheim,” a revue of songs from legendary composer Stephen Sondheim’s early works, including perennial musicals like “Company” and “Gypsy.” Auditions took place on Nov. 16. For those who tried out, the wait for the cast list’s release would stretch on until the next month.

On Dec. 9, auditioners were met with a surprise when Lyric Stage released not the cast list for “Side by Side by Sondheim,” but rather an announcement that the spring musical had changed. 

Lyric Stage’s official Instagram page posted a public show change announcement on Jan. 8, a month after notifying those within the program: “Due to an executive decision, Lyric Stage will now be performing “Closer Than Ever” by Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire this spring.”

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“We auditioned in late November, and we found out they were going to change it – I think it was just because of the part types we had – to Closer Than Ever,” said Maggie Triplett, sophomore Lyric Stage veteran and member of the “Closer Than Ever” cast. Other performers declined comment on the production change, and the directors could not be reached for interviews.

Rehearsals for “Closer Than Ever” began Jan. 9. In their ongoing preparations for the show, set to run April 11-14, student performers are adjusting to the show’s distinct musical stylings.

“The rhythms and the harmonies – I guess the way the music’s written – is different. I mean, it’s not Sondheim – like, you can hear it, and it’s not Sondheim,” Triplett said. “But I would say the end goal of their subject matter is the same.”

“Closer Than Ever,” like “Side by Side by Sondheim,” is a musical revue – that is, a collection of songs without an overarching storyline. Rather than being connected by narrative, the songs in “Closer Than Ever” are connected by theme. Each song deals with the trials of love and everyday life, from aging to marriage to unrequited love.

“Me and another guy are playing this couple who is very career-driven,” Triplett said of the character she plays in one of the show’s songs. “We have a child, and we’re both going back and forth over who’s going to take care of the child while one of us has to go to work, and it’s this very fast-paced, upbeat, syncopated song that I’m really excited to sing. It’s things like that – normal people facing everyday life problems and having to deal with them.”

Other events on Lyric Stage’s spring calendar include their event in collaboration with Opera Mississippi, “Wizards of Broadway – An Evening of Sondheim & Schwartz,” a concert event held at Duling Hall in Jackson. Many members of the “Closer Than Ever” cast, including Triplett, will also be featured performers at “Wizards of Broadway” on March 4.

Lyric Stage’s spring calendar may have undergone unexpected changes, but Triplett says she and her castmates are excited to tackle the new material and bring Maltby and Shire’s work to life in April.

“I think that [audiences] should come and see [Closer Than Ever] for themselves,” Triplett said. “I think they’ll really enjoy it, and they’ll find something to relate to.”

The Mississippi College Jazz Band has been a vital part of the many instrumental ensembles at MC. The smallest of the ensembles, the jazz band comprises approximately 30-40 students varying in classification and major. Among the most experienced of the jazz band musicians is senior Courtney Derricks, who has played as a percussionist on the jazz band for all four years of his college career. 

Derricks is a senior majoring in History with a minor in African-American Studies, but alongside his academics, he has a passion for music. As a senior in high school, Derricks had only heard about MC’s new marching band, but upon entering MC, he noticed all the other musical ensembles, like the jazz band. He joined as a percussionist. Over the course of his college career, he would rotate between playing drum set, vibraphone, and auxiliary percussion for the band.

“The jazz band has a really big reputation,” Derricks commented. “They get asked all the time to perform, and it’s just been really fun.”

Derricks has built a strong relationship with jazz band director Wayne Linenhan. “He is a great teacher,” Derricks explained. “He always breaks things down, and he also has these cool stories that he’ll tell in class. But him as a teacher, just based on my experience alone – he’s good at teaching music because he also allows us to have fun while we play the music.”

Linenhan has made many positive impacts, including on Derricks’ personal musicianship. “He talked about being a drummer at some point before, and so he was one of those people who was hard on me at the beginning, which made me push myself to practice more,” Derricks expressed. 

Derricks enjoyed the “cool and relaxed” environment that Linenhan maintained during rehearsals. “We can still get a lot done but also have fun and joke around, which is something I want to acquire if ever I have my drumline or do anything I pursue musically,” Derricks said.

Following his final fall jazz band performance on Tuesday, November 7, Derricks noted how much bigger the jazz band has gotten over time. “There’s a lot of freshmen,” Derricks said. “You’ve seen that they were doing great things like performing solos. From that, you could catch a glimpse of the confidence that the band has in each member, because typically, when solos are given out, they almost always go to the same person. But to have different people in our band do solos just shows you the range of talent in the band.”

Derricks said that the concert was “one of the best performances that I have ever played in my life.” He recognizes all of the other musicians in the jazz band as a part of his success. “Being surrounded by really talented musicians makes you a better musician yourself,” Derricks expressed.

“Courtney is a great guy and a great percussionist,” freshman percussionist Orrin Ainsworth commented. “He’s very solid on the drums. I appreciate how helpful he is during rehearsals and performances.”

Derricks hopes that when he graduates, the jazz band will continue to grow.

“I love that we get to go out and perform, but I hope that we continue to maintain and uphold the level of performance, because I truly feel like we are going places.”

The Institute for Southern Storytelling presented “Creativity and a Braveheart: An Evening with Randall Wallace” on Tuesday, November 14, at the Gore Arts Complex’s Entergy Theater. Wallace, writer of “Braveheart” and other notable movies and novels, shared about his faith, the highlights of his career, and the importance of creativity. The event was filmed in front of a live audience and will be featured in a television special on Wallace. The special will be produced by the Institute as part of their partnership with Mississippi College. 

The event was in accordance with the Institute of Southern Storytelling’s mission to bring positive southern stories to light. 

“The Institute was born out of a dream to mentor students,” Amy Thaxton, Executive Director for the Institute of Southern Storytelling, said. “My husband Anthony and I have done documentary films and television shows for years. Part of our vision is producing positive southern stories. The South has a bad reputation sometimes, mostly due to our past, but we want to highlight how far we have come.” 

 Wallace, a Tennessee native, earned himself an Oscar nomination for his first screenplay, “Braveheart,” which won Best Picture in 1995. He also wrote “Pearl Harbor” in 2001 and directed films such as “The Man with the Iron Mask” in 1998, “We Were Soldiers” in 2002, “Secretariat” in 2010, and “Heaven is for Real” in 2014. He is currently writing the screenplay for the upcoming film “The Resurrection of the Christ.”

Wallace was introduced to the Institute through a mutual friend of the Thaxtons, Jill Conner Browne. He was impressed by the couple’s work and was interested in working with them on a live show. He expressed hopes that, one day, the show could go on tour across the country. 

“I want to bring people together in a physical way,” Wallace said. “COVID has separated us, and the world preaches fear at every turn. I wanted to do a live event where we confront fear with faith.”

During “Creativity and a Braveheart,” Wallace shared his story with audiences. His speech was interspersed with clips from his films and live music, performed by Wallace himself. Wallace sang and played the guitar and keyboard alongside the Anderson United Methodist choir.

“I wanted to talk about creativity and keeping that light burning inside themselves,” Wallace said. “As the Bible says, you can gain the whole world, but lose your own soul. It also says wide is the road that leads to destruction and narrow is the path that leads to life. I want to talk about that narrow path and how it leads to life.”

Many in the audience did not know what to expect, and they were pleasantly surprised by the different elements of the show. One of the attendees, JT McNamee, is a fan of Wallace’s filmography and walked out with his expectations exceeded.

“The show was very entertaining,” McNamee said. “I learned a lot and loved to hear about his life and testimony. It was really thought provoking and emotional.”

Mississippi College’s Lyric Stage brought one of operatic canon’s most famous – and challenging – works to the stage of Jean Pittman Williams Auditorium on Friday, October 13 and Saturday, October 14. In the wake of "Carmen," the program’s most ambitious opera yet, Lyric Stage looks back on the performance and towards a bright and busy future ahead.

Written in the 1870s by French composer Georges Bizet, "Carmen" tells the tragic story of Don José, a Spanish soldier who becomes enamored with the titular gypsy and, consumed by his obsession, loses all he holds dear. Lyric Stage adorned their 2-hour rendition with the trappings of a film noir: the actors wore 1940s costumes, and a screen with a projection of the live performance, cast in black-and-white with English captions to the French lyrics, accompanied the show. 

The opera is universally recognizable. It features some of the most popular arias of all time, including “Habanera” and “Toreador Song.” It is also universally recognized as one of the most difficult operas to perform, particularly for those in the roles of Don José and Carmen.

That, however, did not deter Nicholas Perna. 

Perna, professor of music at MC and producer for Lyric Stage, pitched his ambitious vision for a production of "Carmen" at MC to his fellow music faculty in the fall of 2022. In the months following, Perna and Lyric Stage’s cast of faculty and performers tackled "Carmen"’s many technical challenges, starting with casting. 

“The first difficulty if you’re considering mounting "Carmen" is having a Carmen,” Perna said.

That’s where Annalee Crawford came in. Crawford, a graduate student in vocal performance and pedagogy, starred in last fall’s opera, Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Old Maid and the Thief. The mezzo-soprano played the titular role of Carmen. Crawford spent much of the Spring 2023 semester and all of the summer preparing for the role. 

“I started learning some of Carmen’s arias [last spring], because they’re part of the big repertoire that a mezzo would sing,” Crawford said. “I was like, well, I have to learn ‘Habanera,’ and I should learn ‘Seguidilla.’ They’re the big things that everyone sings. I'd been learning parts of it since January.”

In fact, the whole cast, composed mostly of current MC students and partly of faculty and guest performers, prepared for months before the 8-week rehearsal period, which began in August. Among the performers was Perna himself, filling both the roles of producer and Don José.

“It was a lot of learning,” Perna said. “I spent no fewer than 200 hours over the summer singing for the role and working on the role – working on the diction, working on making sure that I had French inflection, working on the stamina I had to develop to sing the part.”

Performers practiced rigorously to be able to sing their roles onstage, both vocal technique and French pronunciation. Their preparations also involved developing and embodying their characters, which proved to be a special challenge for Crawford. 

“I’m so opposite from Carmen,” Crawford said. “I love playing the goofy characters, and I can play an evil character really well, too. But she’s so seductive and flirtatious and alluring.” 

“I’m honestly very proud of myself for how I built my confidence to that level,” Crawford said. “There was a period of time where I was like, ‘I can’t do it. There’s no way.’ When they told me that I would be playing Carmen, I was like, ‘I don’t feel like I’m beautiful enough to be playing this role… I don’t even look like Carmen.’ But I feel like by the end of it, I felt like I was Carmen.”

The preparations of the small but mighty crew paved the way for a successful show, perhaps against all odds. 

“It’s very unusual for a university our size to do something like "Carmen", especially with such a small cast,” Crawford said. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever been so proud of a student cast in terms of what they actually accomplished,” Perna stated. “I think, for them, it’s going to take several years for most of them to really look back and say, ‘Oh, my goodness. We sang "Carmen". In French. And did it in 8 weeks. And did it well!’”

Lyric Stage has announced its plans for the upcoming year. The program’s mainstage performance for Spring 2024 will be a revue of the early works of Sondheim, “Side by Side by Sondheim”, set for performances April 11-14. Lyric Stage vocalists will also be the featured artists of Opera Mississippi’s “Wizards of Broadway,” a concert of songs by Sondheim and Schwartz, at Duling Hall on March 4. 

“[Lyric theater] is really one of the most difficult undertakings for any arts organization,” Perna said. “It really truly takes a village to make it happen.” 

"Carmen" proves that the arts are alive and well at Mississippi College, and the village behind Lyric Stage plans to keep them that way for a long time to come. 

“Lyric Stage has incredible things ahead for it,” said Perna. “We are very excited to continue to be really one of the Jackson Metro’s finest performing arts organizations.”

The Mississippi College Department of Communication is set to present “Murder on the Orient Express” at the Entergy Theater in the Gore Arts Complex on October 26-28. The script is an adaptation by Ken Ludwig of the classic Agatha Christie novel of the same name. 

The show is directed by Dr. Phyills Seawright, assistant professor in the Communication department. Seawright has always wanted to direct a murder mystery.

 “I have not directed a murder mystery,” Seawright said. “I love murder mysteries myself. Not a slasher, but a good suspenseful drama where you have to put all the clues together.”

She was given Christie’s novel by English professor Susan Lassiter and instantly fell in love with the story. Seawright immediately began looking for a script and settled on Ludwig’s version because of its balance of humor and drama. 

There will be two casts, Alpha and Omega. The Alpha cast will perform each night at 7 p.m. The Omega cast will perform at 10 a.m. on Friday and 2 p.m. on Saturday. 

Matthew Eschete stars in the lead role of detective Hercule Poirot in both casts. Eschete enjoyed theater in high school and was encouraged to audition by Dr. Seawright. 

“I only wanted to do props at the time,” said Eschete. “I’ve had my fair share of speaking in front of an audience. So, I auditioned for props, but was asked to read some lines. The next day, I get an email telling me to come to Aven to see what part you got. There were a couple of students in line. One girl asks, ‘Who has the most lines?’ Dr. Seawright answers, ‘Hercule Poirot,’ and gives me a smile. I was thinking, "you've got to be kidding me.”

Assistant Library Director Dr. Robert Burgess plays Samuel Ratchett in the Alpha cast, while Mikey Brannan portrays him in the Omega cast. Dr. Burgess began reading the book the day that he spoke with Dr. Seawright about the play. His namesake grandfather was a huge fan of Agatha Christie, and Burgess wanted to pay tribute to him with his performance.

“I’m actually wearing a belt that belonged to him, so a part of him will be with me,” said Burgess.

One of the more prominent train passengers, Helen Hubbard, is played by Abby Duggar in the Alpha cast and Mallory Matte in the Omega cast. Duggar is thankful for the friendship she shares with Matte.

“I have a lovely double that goes on for the other two shows that I’m not in,” said Duggar. “ It’s been amazing to learn lines with her and get to know her and the other cast members that I probably would not know otherwise.”

General admission is $15. Admission for seniors and MC students is $10. Group rates will run at $8 per ticket.

“Blithe Spirit” follows novelist Charles (played by Jim Goode), who, conducting research for a story, hosts a seance in his home. Involved in the ritual are Charles’s second wife, Ruth (Sarah Hankins); the neighbors, the Bradmans (Mark Jourdan and TJ McSparrin); and medium Madame Arcati (Allie Bennett). When the night goes awry, he has to reckon with another, unexpected guest: the ghost of his first wife, Elvira (Chrissy Sanders). Also featured in the cast was Mississippi College sophomore, Ainsley Marler, who portrayed Edith, the maid.

Audience members, including Mississippi College senior Camden Clem, enjoyed the tongue-in-cheek comedy, the actors’ performances, and the show’s impressive effects.

“The staging and the tech behind it was phenomenal,” Clem said. “There were lots of doors flying open, things falling off of walls – that was very cool.”

“Blithe Spirit” was the first play staged in the Gore Arts Complex since its recent renovations, as well as the first show of the Brick Street Players’ 2023-2024 season.

The Brick Street Players are no stranger to the venue. Since its first performance in 1982, the organization was dissolved and reestablished twice. During the Players’ second iteration in the early 2000s, the troupe routinely performed in the auditorium of what was once Clinton Junior High. 

Soon after the school shuttered its doors, so did the Brick Street Players. The old Clinton Junior High property was sold to MC in 2010 and slated for major renovations. In 2021, the renovations began, and the Brick Street Players experienced a reconstruction of their own: the organization was reestablished in the same year. 

Allie Bennett, “Blithe Spirit” cast member and current Brick Street Players vice president, was among the renewed group’s founding members. Bennett says that “Blithe Spirit” is just the beginning of what Brick Street Players has in store.

“This is only our second season, and our first show here, so we’re kind of learning together how the new space works, and what its strong points are, and how it can have even more functionality,” said Bennett.

The troupe plans to use the Gore Arts Complex to stage productions for the foreseeable future.

“Blithe Spirit” marks the start of a mutually beneficial partnership, according to Nate Jarnagin, administrative assistant for the Department of Art and coordinator for the Gore Arts Complex. Jarnagin said that the arts facility was designed to provide a stage for community events.

“It’s not just to benefit the college,” said Jarnigan. “There’s a community aspect to what all we’re doing over here.”

According to Jarnagin, the facility faced several technical challenges in the weeks preceding the show, from sound and lights to air conditioning. “There’s been some challenges, but I think we’ve been able to iron them out before this event was in the space. There’s always something unforeseen, and some type of challenge you can’t expect, and you do what you can to mitigate what you can beforehand,” Jarnigan said.

“It’s just so fun, and a great opportunity, and I’m so glad that Gore is being used for this now. My mom went to, I think, ninth grade in that building, and every time we drive past, she’s like, ‘I went to school there!’ And now they’re doing theater there again,” Clem said.

The Brick Street Players will continue their 2023-2024 season with a production of “Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol”, slated for performances Nov. 16-19. In the meantime, the Gore Arts Complex is scheduled to host several MC events in its auditorium, including the Institute of Southern Storytelling’s event with Randall Wallace, as well as MC Theatre’s upcoming production of “Murder on the Orient Express”. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the auditorium took place on Thu, Sept. 21, where it was officially renamed the Entergy Theater.

Last week, the MC marching band made their debut at several performances, including the pep rally on Friday, Sept. 15th and the first home football game halftime show the following day. These performances were of the first to be led by MC’s new director of bands, Mr. Duval “Duvy” Salvant.

During the Spring 2021 semester, Dr. Craig Young, former director of bands, said his goodbyes to MC and announced his resignation from the MC Department of Music. 

The department’s many instrumental ensembles have been overseen by temporary band directors Mr. Duncan Goff and Mr. David White, the adjunct staff for the MC marching band, and Dr. Renee Wilson, an assistant professor for the Department of Music.

It was not until the spring of 2023 that Salvant, Dr. Young’s former student, was contacted about taking over the role for his former band director.

Salvant was first connected to MC when he attended Summer Music Camp at Mississippi College (also known as MC to MC), which was recommended to him by his former piano teacher, who was based in Clinton. The event targeted students who were interested in piano, organ, and vocal performance. Salvant participated in MC to MC for approximately six years before choosing to attend Mississippi College as a student.

Originally from Metairie, Louisiana, Salvant’s roots helped him establish his love for music. 

“Growing up in New Orleans, it’s just a culture of music,” said Salvant, “Everybody down there loves music. You go to other places in the country, and music can be seen as just a pastime or a hobby, but in New Orleans, everybody is accepting of all styles of music and all cultures of life.”

As a student, Salvant always felt drawn to pursuing a music career. After switching between different fields of musical study, he chose a degree in music education.

Salvant was also a part of the MC band under the direction of Dr. Young. For all four years of his college career, Salvant was involved in the marching band, symphonic winds, and jazz band. 

“When you first get under Dr. Young as a conductor and a band director, you have to learn his style first,” said Salvant, “He did all these things musically that the longer you were under his instruction, the more you realized how good he was at what he’s doing.” 

Salvant learned many lessons from his former college band director about being a music educator. Several of Salvant’s students have pointed out that his methods in teaching and conducting music are similar to Dr. Young’s.

When Salvant learned of Dr. Young’s resignation, Salvant was shocked, but he also saw it as an opportunity to work at MC. Salvant revealed what ultimately made him choose to work at MC — the professors of the music department.

“[It’s] so awesome that one of my students can be the leader of the band after me,” said Young. “He’s going to do a great job. Obviously, he will, because I trained him.”

Salvant’s aspirations as director of bands include playing new music and having bigger crowds. Salvant hopes to not only draw in a bigger audience for all bands, but he also encourages students who did band in high school to join the band.

“It’s going to be more audience-driven performances,” Salvant said. He also hinted at a more well-rounded music selection, hoping to appeal to more of the people who have attended the performances.

Salvant’s philosophy as a music educator involves “growing good musicians as well as good human beings.” Salvant expresses the importance of instilling good disciplines in his students that are not only beneficial to them as a band member but also for their futures.

“In the workforce, no matter what job you are doing, if you don’t show up on time, if you don’t have the stuff you are supposed to have, you didn’t do your projects, you didn’t do your reading, you didn’t do your assignments — anything — you’re not going to excel in your field,” Salvant said.

“I felt that under the direction of Salvant, the college marching band has been fun and I have learned a lot,” said freshman band member Zachary Austin Gilmore, “I did not know what to expect when I started, but the three weeks I have been here has been a blast, and I plan to learn much more in the coming years.

The MC marching band has already finished their annual band camp, played and performed at their first Choctaw Fanfare, and begun to prepare for the upcoming spring semester: auditions for the Symphonic Winds ensemble took place Monday, Aug. 28 and Wednesday, Aug. 30. Salvant plans to expand the band's reach by having both the marching and symphonic bands travel, pursuing performances beyond MC’s campus. 

“I have high hopes for the band under [Salvant’s] direction,” said junior band member Claire Copeland. "It has been such a different experience than my previous years in the band program. I am really looking forward to seeing how the band will grow and change under his direction.”

As the spring semester comes to an end, MC students prepare for their final exams, projects, and performances of the season. The students and faculty of the music department also hold their last concerts and performances of the season to perform what they have been working on in their ensembles all semester. 

The Symphonic Winds Concert Band presented their final concert of the season entitled “Dancing in Sacred Spaces” on Sunday, April 23, at 3 p.m. in Swor Auditorium. The concert included intriguing pieces like “Crown of Thorns,” “Wavelet,” and “Vesuvius.” Students were highlighted in various roles such as student conductor and two ensembles.

The conductor of the Symphonic Winds is Dr. Renee Wilson, an assistant professor for both the undergraduate and graduate programs in the MC Department of Music. Wilson joined the music department faculty in 2017 and began teaching a range of music classes. It was not until this spring semester that she stepped into the directing role of Symphonic Winds for the first time.

Wilson said that she hopes that her students realize “that it’s okay to make mistakes and laugh at yourself and to continue to enjoy making music.” She went on to say, “I hope that [the students] discovered or rediscovered a love for playing and for making music together and to continue the traditions that we have here [at MC] and that [they] continue making music together even after this semester.”

The Symphonic Winds Concert Band consists of 39 people from different classifications and majors. The band meets on Mondays and Wednesdays 4-5:30 p.m. and Fridays 2-3:30 p.m. A typical rehearsal starts with a warm-up followed by runs and breakdowns of performance music. “We have a wonderful group of people in our ensemble that work well together, so rehearsals are always a good time for everyone involved. It’s a welcome break from the day-to-day stress throughout the semester,” commented sophomore clarinetist Grace Rogers.

The concert consisted of eight songs with individual students and small groups featured. The first two songs, “But Joy Comes” and “Crown of Thorns,” were conducted by student conductor Leah Pruett with scripture readings by Dr. Beth Everett.  “Chorale Prelude: Be Thou My Vision” and “Baroque Brass: A suite,” were played by a brass quintet group. Following that was a flute trio that performed “Wavelet.” The last three pieces were full-ensemble performances. 

During the concert, Dr. Ben Williams, Chair of the music department, talked about the upcoming fall season for the marching band. He introduced the new Director of Bands, Mr. Duvy Salvant, an MC graduate and Director of Bands for Wesson Attendance Center in Copiah, MS.

“I feel really good about the performance. It was some of our best playing. Things happened in the performance that were unexpected, but that’s just the nature of live performing arts,” Wilson said. “I am grateful to have had the opportunity to make music with Symphonic Winds this semester.”

Toward the end of the concert, she recognized the graduating seniors and band for their perseverance throughout the semester before presenting the Mackie Award to Claire Copeland for most outstanding concert band member. 

“I feel like we have made the best music we have in at least a year in Symphonic Winds. We were well united as a whole and on the same page overall,” junior French horn player Jonathan Dacus said.