Summer Theatre
moves to the Turnage

E

ast Carolina University’s popular summer theater series is moving a few miles down the road this year. The ECU/Loessin Summer Theatre will present three productions at the restored Turnage Theater in Washington while its home venue, the McGinnis Theatre, undergoes repair work to the fly system and stage decking.

From June 26–July 5, the theater will stage Sandy Wilson’s The Boy Friend, a funny song-and-dance-filled spoof of the Roaring Twenties and British aristocracy. The second program July 11–19 is Arsenic and Old Lace, one of the American theatre’s all-time favorite comedies, which involves two murderous spinsters who mix “just a pinch” of poison to their famous elderberry wine.

The final production July 24–Aug. 2 is The All Night Strut! This revue incorporates songs from Hoagy Carmichael, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer and the Gershwins in a celebration of American songs of the 1930s and ’40s. 

The Turnage has been reborn from a historic vaudeville theater and former movie palace. The theater reopened in November after a $3.5 million restoration that has been part of an 11-year effort by a local foundation to restore buildings on West Main Street. The building dates back to 1913 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Information about these shows and the subscription packages can be obtained from the Turnage Theater Web site or by calling 252-975-1191. Call the ECU theater program at 252-328-6829 for more information.


‘Shoebox’ at Gray Gallery
The Ninth International Shoebox Sculpture Exhibition will make a stop at ECU’s Gray Gallery June 9–30. The exhibition displays more than 80 small works—they must fit inside a shoebox (example at left). ECU is one of five venues for the traveling exhibit, which is sponsored by the University of Hawaii.

Let’s go to band camp!
Every summer hundreds of aspiring young musicians flock to East Carolina to attend band camp. One of the longest-running of its kind in the country, ECU’s summer band camps offer training in full concert band, small ensemble and solo performances. New for 2008 will be classes in jazz theory and improvisation, as well as combo and big band performance. There also are these specialized camps:

Keyboard Camp, June 9–13, for ages 7 through high school, offers private and group instruction in classical and jazz piano, harpsichord and organ for precollege students.

Choral Conducting Institute and Summer Choral Camp, June 22–27, is aimed at students and teachers, church musicians, graduate students and aspiring conductors.

North Carolina Suzuki Institute, July 6–11, teaches the philosophy and teaching methods of Dr. Shinichi Suzuki.

Summer Drama Camp, July 28–Aug. 2, for kindergarten through high school, is divided into three programs: storybook theatre, puppetry, creative dramatics and theater games for K-fifth grade; middle school and high school students.

Guitar Workshop, July 12–15, is open to students of all skill levels. New for 2008 will be a guitar teacher training workshop. The 11th solo competition for college and grad students will be part of the program, with the final round on July 15 at 7:30 p.m.

Steve Row