The Etherredge Center at the University of South Carolina Aiken will host the 2024-2025 Carolina Series. This year’s theme is “Old Friends and New.”
“The significance of Friends Old and New is that all of the artists in the Carolina Series this year are people that Etherredge Center Director Paul Crook and I know,” said Kayla Gardner, Etherredge Center Associate Director. “Geographically, this year artists come from all over the world and from all over the country: Texas, Japan and the Northeast.”
Audiences can also enjoy “Lobster Man,” a new play premiering during the Carolina Series. The one-act play tells the story of two survivors in a post-apocalyptic world who struggle to discover if they are the last two people alive.
“I think it’s very important to expose people to these different cultures and art forms to educate them and broaden their worldview,” Gardner said. “Often the Carolina Series will showcase emerging artists who are early in their careers or artists who are only known in their corner of the state. This is a way for us to provide a place for these artists to perform or showcase their work.”
Carolina Series 2024-2025
An evening with Keely and Megan
7pm, October 11
Experience a magical evening of music and memories as Dr. Keely Rhodes and Megan Rich take listeners on a journey through the world of song. You won’t want to miss the opportunity to see and hear these two amazing artists performing as a duo for the very first time on the Etherredge Center Stage. Across genre and style, Keely and Megan shine from the stage like the stars they are!
Rhodes is an Assistant Professor of Music and Coordinator of Vocal Studies at USC Aiken. Honors and awards she has received include working with the renowned Sra. Mirella Freni, a Fulbright Fellowship to Italy, winning the Austin Critic’s Table Award for Best Classical Vocalist, participating in several Grammy-nominated recordings, winning a Grammy Award with Conspirare, a Company of Voices, and participating in the Grammy-winning composition “Prayers and Remembrances” by the late Stephen Paulus.
Rich is a music teacher and director of piano instruction at USC Aiken. She is a member of the Frances Clark Center, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing piano pedagogy, and also supports the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy. She has a passion for pedagogical research and has published and presented many papers related to piano pedagogy. She is certified in the Kodály Method and her research focuses on the interface between the Kodály Method and traditional piano pedagogy.
Tickets cost $20, $15 and $5.
“Lobster Man” by Jonathan Cook
7pm, January 18
Originally written as a one-act play, Lobster Man was selected for production at the Samuel French Off-Broadway Festival in New York City in 2023. After its New York premiere, Jonathan Cook expanded the script to full length and it will have its world premiere as part of the Carolina Series at the Etherredge Center.
“Lobster Man” tells the story of two survivors in a post-apocalyptic world who wonder if they are the last two survivors until a mysterious stranger appears in their residence, resembling a person from one of the survivors’ dreams. The Houston Press has described the piece as a “dreamlike, magical tale.”
Cook is an actor, director, and award-winning American playwright. Many of his plays have been performed around the world, and he is a five-time recipient of the Porter Fleming Literary Award. His short film Don’t You Dare was licensed for distribution by the ShortsTV network in 2021. He is also the host and writer of the podcast Gather by the Ghost Light. Released in 2020, Gather by the Ghost Light is a collection of plays adapted as an audio-only format, performed by professional voice actors with immersive sound effects and music.
Tickets cost $20, $15 and $5.
The art and artistry of Shawn Haynes
February 7, 6 p.m.
A gala opening reception and artist talk will be held on February 7 at 6 p.m. Tickets are required for this event. Enjoy Haynes’ exhibition at the gallery from February 7 through March 16.
“For as long as I can remember,” Haynes said, “every part of my life felt like a work of art – the way I arranged my toys, the direction I took when walking down the aisles of the supermarket, or the collection of notebooks I picked out at the start of a new school year. It’s as if my memories are snippets of organized color and movement.” Haynes adds, “As a native South Carolinian, these visual snapshots are framed by smells and sounds of the diverse landscapes and different cultures that have made me whole. These sensations are ever-present as I try to visually express impressionistic and abstract renditions of the compositions in my head.”
Haynes is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, where she received her BFA and MAT. After years of teaching high school artists, she now works full-time as an artist and “dreams of new ways to express her eclectic visions.”
Tickets cost $20, $15 and $5.
