The last week of classes at UNC can be a time for students to reflect on the past year — and, for the students of Company Carolina, it will be a chance to celebrate 25 years as a theater company.
The Company Carolina 25th Anniversary Revue will be held April 25 and will feature some of the most memorable scenes and songs from the past 25 years of Company Carolina performances.
Company Carolina is a student-run theater group at UNC that annually presents at least six student-run plays, musicals and theatrical events.
“I think it is important because it’s not only a place for people to express themselves and be able to share their talents with anyone who is wanting to see that, but it creates a family kind of bond,” said Campbell Kargo, secretary of Company Carolina and part of the singing cast for the revue. “Being in a show with Company Carolina, we create a very welcoming atmosphere and we want everyone to feel like their opinion is valued and that they can speak openly about what they want to.”
Hannah Hendren, the co-creator and staging director for the revue, said the process of choosing which scenes to include was difficult and lasted approximately two months.
“The thing that sets Company Carolina apart from all the other student organizations is that we’re student-led and not only do we do musicals, but we also do plays, and there’s a lot value in that because they are more difficult to do and require a lot more work sometimes than musicals,” Hendren said.
Some of the songs that will be performed at the revue include “Prologue/Little Shop of Horrors” from Little Shop of Horrors, “The Book Report” from You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown and music from other acclaimed musicals such as "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee."
“My class, the current junior class, a lot of us wanted to join the board and kind of revolutionize things, and build up the company — and we really have,” said Bradley Barefoot, co-creator and musical director for the revue. “Now our board has over 20 people... it’s a lot more diverse, we do five shows a year and we usually produce side works beside that.”
The Company Carolina 25th Anniversary Revue performance will be free, but a donation is encouraged to help support the theater company.
