SWU News:

March 25, 2004

Students sew memories in ‘Quilters’

In Southern Wesleyan University’s spring musical, “Quilters,” students Jasmyn Byrd, top, and Ashley Joiner play two pioneer women who recount the joy and pain of living on the prairie. The musical will be presented on April 1, 2, and 3 at 7:30 p.m. at Folger Fine Arts Auditorium. Photo Gallery

CENTRAL, S.C. – Pioneer women will be stitching together memories in “Quilters” onstage at Southern Wesleyan University.

The musical, written by Molly Newman and Barbara Damashek, will be presented by the Fine Arts Department of Southern Wesleyan on April 1, 2, and 3 at 7:30 p.m. in Folger Fine Arts Auditorium on Wesleyan Drive at the university’s campus in Central.

“Quilters” is directed by Dr. Paul Schleifer, associate professor of English at Southern Wesleyan University. The musical recounts the journey of a mother and her six daughters, in story and song, through the “fabric” of their lives. As they stitch together sections of the piecework quilt, memories come flooding back with each remnant sewn. The women remember the harsh reality of the pioneer days they lived in, but also recall the engaging and enduring pleasures with which they were rewarded.

Playing the roles of two of the daughters are senior Jenny Walters and junior Jasmyn Byrd. Walters is an English education major from Venton, Va., and Byrd is a business major from Brevard, N.C.

Walters, a five-time veteran of Southern Wesleyan University’s theater, is excited to be on stage one last time before graduation.

“I feel the most alive when I am on the stage. How awesome of God to share the gift of theater with us as a way to worship and glorify Him,” she said. “I am deeply grateful for all the wonderful experiences he has allowed me to be a part of on the Southern Wesleyan University stage. Great cast, great director and greatest of all — God!”

Byrd said the show has given her a new appreciation for quilting.

“It has opened my eyes to the lives that women led over a century ago and how, in many ways, it is not very different from my own,” she said.

Tickets can be purchased at the door on the night of the performances. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for students and free for preschool children and under.

For details about this event or the Fine Arts Series at Southern Wesleyan University, call Jane Dill at (864) 639-2453, ext. 5294, or e-mail jdill@swu.edu. For ticket questions, call (864) 639-2453, ext. 5214, or e-mail pschleifer@swu.edu.