Laura Thompson

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Student's play on hip hop debuts

By Laura Thompson | April 19

Beginning tonight, the theater in the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History will feature a free, two-day event presenting a student-written play, "Entertain Me!" Senior Tiffany Okafor, recipient of The Stone Center Undergraduate International Studies Fellowship in spring 2006, wrote the one-act play after traveling to London and Washington D.C., and exploring the cultural influence of hip hop. "The idea behind my play is something I did not plan," Okafor said. "I had planned to write a play about women."

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Renowned comedians to make local impact

By Laura Thompson | February 16

It's no secret the UNC campus is not in short supply of dramatic theater. But for those who prefer the funnier side of life, the Carolina Comedy Festival returns for its third consecutive year. As the festival's capstone event, comedian and UNC alumnus Lewis Black will take the Memorial Hall stage for a sold-out show with Kathleen Madigan and Alonzo Bodden.

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Star soprano set for campus stage

By Laura Thompson | January 19

Before "Rent" hits campus on Jan. 29, Broadway will take center stage at Memorial Hall in the form of one woman. Barbara Cook will grace the stage today at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 for students and can be purchased at the Memorial Hall box office. "She is a legend," said Terry Rhodes, a University music professor. Cook's talent has staggered audiences for more than 50 years in Broadway musicals, cabaret theater and, in her later career, solo concerts.

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Label to issue holiday album

By Laura Thompson | November 27

Christmas is coming early. At least, the Trekky Yuletide Orchestra thinks it should. The 16-piece Trekky Records ensemble will release a Christmas album Tuesday, entitled A New Old Fashioned Christmas. But this album offers listeners something different. "There's a pretty varied mix," said UNC sophomore Will Hackney, co-founder of Trekky Records, a Chapel Hill-based record label. Trekky Records formed the Trekky Yuletide Orchestra specifically for the production of this Christmas album.

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Tragedy premieres tonight at Playmakers

By Laura Thompson | November 17

The words "night sky" bring a peaceful image to mind. But as the name of Lab! Theatre's new drama, these words prove deceptive. "Night Sky" premieres today in the Historic Playmakers Theatre at 8:15 p.m., and will run every night at that same time through Tuesday. Written by Susan Yankowitz, the play is the story of a female astronomy professor who is forced to learn how to communicate again after being injured in a car accident. "It's a drama, but it's a light drama," said junior Barbara Harrison, the production's director.

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Rock-inspired play set to premiere

By Laura Thompson | October 26

Company Carolina is building a wall. And this year it's not just referring to a set. Premiering tonight and running through Monday in the Forest Theatre is the company's production of "The Wall," the play conceived by iconic rock 'n' roll band, Pink Floyd. "The show is about a rock star figure who is burnt out from touring and the music business, his failing relationships and the hollowness of materialist world," said Nick Decell, the show's director. Based on the 1979 rock-opera concept album, "The Wall" originally was performed by the members of the band.

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Absurdist 'La Turista' beyond the norm

By Laura Thompson | October 13

Lab! Theatre's latest production, "La Turista," tells a tale of two American tourists vacationing in Mexico. But this is no normal vacation. "It has a very complicated and surreal plot," director Ros Schwartz said. "A lot of very bizarre things happen in it." The two-act play, with a cast of five, will perform from Oct. 13-17 at the Elizabeth Price Kenan Theatre in the Center for Dramatic Art. Written by Sam Shepard, the play is an absurdist comedy that was first performed in 1967 and won Shepard an Off-Broadway theater award that same year.

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Triangle's tops at new library art exhibit

By Laura Thompson | September 29

Art comes in all shapes and sizes. But for the Chapel Hill Public Library's newest exhibition, art will come from only one shape - the Triangle. Thirteen featured artists from Pittsboro, Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill have come together for the "Mixed Media in the Triangle" exhibition, showcasing a diverse selection of mixed-media works. The exhibition runs from Sept. 17 to Nov. 20, and Sunday's opening reception - from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. - will give the public an opportunity to speak with 11 of the 13 featured artists about their work.

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Piedmont bluesman to perform at UNC

By Laura Thompson | September 20

John Dee Holeman puts a contemporary edge on the blues music tradition, and his style has made him famous. Thursday afternoon, as part of the Johnston Center for Undergraduate Excellence's "Thursdays on the Terrace" concert series, Holeman will share his talent with students. His performance will begin at noon and will be held on the Educational Foundation Terrace in Graham Memorial. Holeman's unique guitar style - which combines traditional Piedmont blues with modern, electric sounds - developed primarily in North Carolina, where he has spent the majority of his life.