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CONTACT: Suzanne C. Miller
Assistant Director of Public Relations
Office: (717) 691-6027 ext. 1
E-mail: scmiller@messiah.edu

Theatre Messiah to present "The Civil War"

	Messiah College students Vanessa Kinzey ('06) and Tim Metzner ('07) rehearse a scene from "The Civil War." Click on image to download print-quality version
	Messiah College students and staff members (from left to right) Jawhara Colden ('07), Chelsea Downes ('08), Ernie Tillman (staff) and Priscilla Acosta ('06) will perform in "The Civil War" from Nov. 11 to 20. Click on image to download print-quality version
	Director Tim Bennett Click on image to download print-quality version

GRANTHAM, Pa. (Oct. 21, 2004) — Theatre Messiah will present “The Civil War” on Nov. 11-13 and 18-20 in Miller Auditorium in the Climenhaga Fine Arts Center on the college’s Grantham campus. Performances are Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets cost $10 and can be purchased by calling the Messiah College ticket office at (717) 691-6036.

Artist-in-residence Tim Bennett will direct “The Civil War” musical, along with Elaine Henderson as musical director. The cast includes Messiah College students, faculty and staff members.

“The Civil War” defines both the people and the emotional landscape of an America struggling to define itself during a time of terrible and profound change. With a score composed by Frank Wildhorn – who is also known for “Jekyll & Hyde,” “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” “Dracula” and “Camille Claudel” – the music encompasses country, rock, gospel and folk styles. The lyrics use Civil War-era letters, diaries, speeches and documents to tell an authentic story about the people, not the events, of the “War Between the States.” The musical explores questions that are as relevant today as they were 140 years ago: What is freedom? What is faith? What is “country?”

About the director

Director Tim Bennett brings his expertise of more than 20 years as a professional actor and dancer, with experience ranging from national theater tours and primetime television to feature films and day-time drama. He recently directed “Macbeth” for the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival’s Late-Nite Series, “ George S. Kaufman and His Auspicious Circle” at the Algonquin Hotel in New York City, and “ Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?” at The Theater Barn in New Lebanon, NY. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in musical theatre and dance from The Boston Conservatory and a master’s degree in directing from New York University.

About Messiah College

Messiah College , a private Christian college of the liberal and applied arts and sciences, enrolls more than 2,900 undergraduate students in 50 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.

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ARTICLE DATE: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2004
ARTICLE NUMBER: MC-138-04

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