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	Messiah at-a-Glance

	John Corso and Rachel Brown in a scene from "Historia Del Hombre Que Se Convitrió En Perro Click on image to download print-quality version Photo credit: Kevin Villegas

GRANTHAM, Pa. (April 8, 2004) —Convergencia, a Spanish-language student theatre troupe from Messiah College, will present a short theatre performance, followed by a discussion and reception at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 14, in Howe Atrium, located in Boyer Academic Hall on the college's Grantham campus. The guest of honor at the event will be Pedro Cortés, Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania .The performance is free and open to the community. For more information, call (717) 766-2511, extension 2670.

Convergencia will perform "Historia Del Hombre Que se Convirtió en Perro" ("The Story of the Man Who Turned into a Dog") by Osvaldo Dragun, who is considered Argentina's premier playwright. "Historia Del Hombre Que Se Convirtió En Perro" is a short, 30-minute play dealing with unemployment and involves a man who has been looking for work and nothing is available except the job of watchdog. He accepts the job and, little by little, the metamorphosis begins to occur. The story's themes will be discussed after the play among the actors and with the audience.

To encourage students to continue their education after high school, Convergencia was established in the spring of this year with a grant from American Education Services (AES) and the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA). "Opportunities for a well-rounded, diverse education are essential in today's changing marketplace-not just for employment, but to make a more significant contribution to our community," says Dick Willey, president and CEO of AES/PHEAA. "We are proud to sponsor Messiah College's Spanish theater group because they play such a significant role in developing young minds while culturally expanding the local arts."

Convergencia has performed for middle and high school students in school districts throughout the midstate and in the Lehigh Valley. The experience is meant to give students in area schools a glimpse of the larger Spanish-speaking world. In English, Convergencia means "a coming together," which signifies the common experience and understanding that theater can foster among people of different backgrounds and cultures.

Messiah College, a private Christian college of the liberal and applied arts and sciences, enrolls more than 2,900 undergraduate students in 60 majors. Established in 1909, the primary campus is located in Grantham, Pa., near the state capital of Harrisburg. A satellite campus affiliated with Temple University is located in Philadelphia.

ARTICLE DATE: THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2004
ARTICLE NUMBER: MC-082-04