2016 PRCC film expo delights attendees with myriad of subjects

On Saturday, April 23, PRCC’s Digital Media Coordinator/Museum Director and film production instructor Ronn Hague welcomed participants and guests to an evening of independent short films as he kicked off the first annual Pearl River Community College Independent Short Film Expo. The event, held at PRCC’s Ethel Holden Brownstone Center for the Arts, featured eight short films. Seven of those films had roots in the south Mississippi/Louisiana area.

Two of the films were led by female filmmakers. “Scylla,” a horror film by Irene Gracie of Teaghleagh Films, screened in the first half of the program. Jessy Hughes’ “Sam” aired in the second portion, with its supernatural suspense overtones.

Hague and the film production department headed two, both featuring children dealing with un-childlike problems. “The Hole” dealt with a turnabout situation between a bully and his victim and opened the first half. “Hard Choice” portrayed three young people discussing a difficult problem dealing with potential terrorism and the ramifications of various courses of action.

“Almost Mine” by PRCC alumnus and award-winning filmmaker Frank Ladner shared a post-apocalypse love story set in a hardscrabble world. The short aired third in the first half of the program.

Rounding out the first half, “Road to State” followed a Louisiana high school soccer team as they defended their state championship in 2015. Brooks McMahon created the sports documentary, which shared the story of the St. Paul’s High School Wolves in pursuit of a second title.

A half-hour break allowed guests to meet and talk with the people involved in the movies shown in the first half of the program.

The second half opened with Neil Brimelow’s “Mr. Dr. Pepper Sniffer,” a comedic look at a feisty young girl behind the counter of a small diner.

“Hard Choice” followed and Jessy Hughe’s “Sam” led to the biggest event of the evening.

For only the second cinematic airing in the United States, “Black Angel” by two-time Academy Award winner Roger Christian showed on the big screen of the Brownstone center. The movie opened for “Star Wars Episode Five: The Empire Strike Back” in Australia and Europe during the film’s initial release. Lost for decades, the negative was found and restored. Hague negotiated for the opportunity to screen the film as part of the Expo.

A second meet and greet capped the evening, as a community college and Hollywood South offered the world a sample of what a filmmaking class can spark.

Originally appeared 04/24/2016 at http://www.examiner.com/article/2016-prcc-film-expo-delights-attendees-with-myriad-of-subjects

One-man show on C.S. Lewis transports audience to 1963 England

Entering the theater for the performance of An Evening with C.S. Lewis, the attendees found an empty arm chair next to an end table on the stage. On the table rested a cup and saucer and a glowing lamp. Other than those props, the stage at Pearl River Community College’s Ethel Holden Brownstone Center for the Arts was empty on February 11, 2016.

When British actor David Payne took the stage, the few props transformed into the living room of literary legend C.S. Lewis in 1963. The audience became a group of American writers visiting Lewis at The Kilns, his home outside Oxford. Payne began an extended monologue which entranced his listeners and carried them into the world of the man who brought Narnia to the world.

Lewis, known as Jack to his family and friends, led an amazing, often difficult life. Payne shared retrospective of that life as Lewis approaches the end of his road. The one-man play includes memories of Lewis’ childhood and young adulthood, his professional relationships, his marriage and his faith journey.

Early in the play, the viewers heard of the literary rivalry between Lewis and T.S. Eliot. Their friendship endured their mutual disdain for each other’s genre.

A passion for Norse mythology, ignited by a reading of a Longfellow poem, provided common ground for a friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien. Payne took the audience through their relationship, speaking of critique sessions and encouragement.

Tolkien and Hugo Dyson influenced Lewis in his decision to abandon his stand as an atheist and return to faith. Payne described the events with his well-modulated British cadence, showing the passion in his language rather than the volume of his voice.

The play included discussion of Lewis’ service in World War I and how it interrupted his college education.

Through the story of meeting of Joy Gresham, her move to England, their marriage of convenience followed by a true marriage, to her death just eight years after their first meeting, Payne displayed a depth of emotion tempered with hope. Lewis based his book The Shadowlands on his relationship with Gresham.

Payne auditioned for a bit part in the play based on The Shadowlands in 1996. He won the lead, which began his deep affection for the author’s work and led to his writing of this play and other works based on the life and works of C.S. Lewis.

With his measured British accent and liberal use of wit, Payne enthralled the audience at the Brownstone. A brief question-and-answer session following the play allowed them to get to know him better. He spoke of how much he enjoyed the theater in the small Mississippi town. Payne joked about Poplarville’s single traffic signal.

Any fan of C.S. Lewis’ writings will find the evening well spent. Students of twentieth century history will enjoy the insights into the period. Theater fans in general can lose themselves in the magic of an arm chair, a table, a lamp and a talented British actor recreating a bygone author’s twilight. Look for An Evening with C.S. Lewis.

Originally appeared 02/12/2016 at http://www.examiner.com/article/one-man-show-on-c-s-lewis-transports-audience-to-1963-england

Max Peril debut promises Southern mockumentary fun from filmmaker Frank Ladner

Independent Mississippi movie maker Frank Ladner premieres his latest film, Max Peril, on Friday, May 15 at 7:30 p.m. The event takes place at the impressive Brownstone Center for the Arts on the campus of Pearl River Community College in Poplarville, Miss.

In the tradition of his award-winning 2012 film, Hickory Never Bleeds, Ladner casts local talent to play the roles in his independent Southern mockumentary film and sets the scenes in and around his community. Some familiar faces return including Ladner, his wife Janna, Mark Forte, Mary Etta Moody, James “Sonny” Howard, Sherri Marengo and Bobby Smith, along with several new actors.

Max Peril tells the story of Riley Young, an aspiring filmmaker who has promised himself to complete a movie by his thirtieth birthday. Now 29 years old, he commits to finishing his latest project. Within Young’s story exists the story he is filming, that of a shadowy figure with big tales of undercover operations. Here’s Ladner’s official synopsis: In an effort to finish a film before turning thirty, and in hopes of winning his county’s first annual film festival, Riley Young documents and re-creates the increasingly far-fetched stories of a retired secret agent using only local talent, a VHS camcorder, and every low-budget filmmaking trick he knows.

The official trailer shares hints of the adventure to come.

Ladner’s approach to storytelling results in winning films, as acknowledged by his 2013 Tupelo Film Festival award in the Feature Film category for Hickory Never Bleeds. As he prepares to share Max Peril with audiences for the first time, Ladner announced that the film has been accepted into the 2015 FestivalSouth Competition set for June 6-20.

Here’s Parental Guidance information from the filmmaker:

No profanity, gore, or adult situations.
Stylized comedic action.
Some gun use.
Minor euphemisms ("dang", "crap", "heck".)
Brief testicular humor.
Brief near-kissing scene.

Tickets to the premiere are priced at $5.00 and must be purchased at the door. Proceeds benefit the PRCC Film Production Class. Look for The Ethel Holden Brownstone Center for the Arts on the PRCC campus located on Highway 11 just north of Highway 26 in Poplarville.

Originally appeared 04/25/2015 at http://www.examiner.com/article/max-peril-debut-promises-southern-mockumentary-fun-from-filmmaker-frank-ladner

Ethel Holden Brownstone Center for the Arts shines on college campus

Art has a new home in south Mississippi. With the grand opening of the new Ethel Holden Brownstone Center for the Arts on the Poplarville campus of Pearl River Community College, a world class performance venue sits ready to accommodate nearly any program. With seating for around 900 patrons, the Smith Auditorium welcomes visitors with soft neutral earth tones accented with beautiful wood. Comfortable seats fill the hall with both floor level and balcony seats available.

The Brownstone Bequest

Funded in part by a bequest from the estate of Brownstone, the building provides an eye-catching elevation on the campus. It was designed with the guidance of professional theater and acoustic experts to meet high standards for a performance venue. It fills the gap left by loss of the former facility in Moody Hall in Hurricane Katrina and goes far beyond that former hall in quality.

The Smith Auditorium

The plaque on the exterior of the auditorium tells of the impact of its namesakes Martin and Dolores Smith. Their commitment to the college over decades has earned them the honor of a hall named for them. They are Patron Sponsors for the Arts at the college and were guests of honor at the Inaugural Concert.

Art in-house

Outside the auditorium, the rest of the building displays details of design that make this a premiere location for the arts. A display of photos dresses the lobby area. A portrait of Lucien and Ethel Holden Brownstone hangs on an exterior wall. Another of the Smiths hangs nearby. Elsewhere, photographs of iconic images from the campuses of the college adorn the walls.

The Inaugural season

Under the watchful eye of Archie Rawls, Chairman of the Department of Fine Arts and Communication, the building will host a number of events in its premiere season, with more added as appropriate. A sold-out crowd enjoyed the auditorium’s exemplary acoustics at the inaugural concert by the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra on Sept. 24. 

A mixed program of music, lectures and theater include appearances by theoretical physicist and author Dr. Michio Kaku¸ Leslie McCurdy in a one-woman show based on Harriet Tubman and the Count Basie Orchestra as well as various PRCC musical groups. Many of the performances offer complimentary admission.

South Mississippi can look forward to many fine arts events in the future, with a venue like the Brownstone to attract and house them.

Originally appeared 09/25/2013 at http://www.examiner.com/article/ethel-holden-brownstone-center-for-the-arts-shines-on-college-campus

The art of the game: Sports sculptures by Mississippi native Ben Watts

Walter Payton by Ben Watts

Artist Ben Watts sculpts many subjects, but few of them capture the hearts of sports fans as do his depictions of sports legends. Some of them are national figures, others are local heroes, but Watts brings them to 3-dimensional reality in bronze. His works grace campuses and athletic fields, allowing the next generation to appreciate the larger than life icons of the past that he recreates. The Columbia, Miss. native’s art merges sophisticated skill and emotional heart in an enduring form.

Coach Dobie Holden

 

Between 1948 and 1966, Coach Thomas D. “Dobie” Holdenled the Pearl River Community College Wildcats to a 140-43-7 record and a consistent appearance in the national top ten rankings. More than his winning record, Holden is remembered at PRCC as a mentor, supportive influence and builder of young men who would go on to succeed at life, as well as football. He was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1970.

The Poplarville, Miss. stadium where Holden celebrated his victories has been torn down. 

The new stadium bears his name. Visitors can mark his presence with a bronze sculpture that greets them as they enter through the home gate. He gazes toward the field, still watching over the players of PRCC. The statue was dedicated to “Legendary Coach, Mentor & Maker of Men Who Became ‘Winners in Life’” in 2008, as part of PRCC’s centennial year. Watts captures the paternal aspect of Holden, as he stands with one hand in his pocket and the other holding a rolled-up paper, watching his team work.

Legendary Walter "Sweetness" Payton

Walter Jerry Payton became a superstar on the gridiron as a member of the Chicago Bears. The late running back earned numerous records and accolades. His hometown of Columbia, Miss. honors Number 34 with a street named after him as well as Payton Field at Gardner Stadium and a statue of Sweetness in motion on a big play within the running track. Columbia considers Payton to be America’s Greatest All-Time Running Back, and proudly proclaims it on the statue on the high school campus. Payton was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.

Watts shows Payton in mid-stride, the football firmly grasped in his right hand. He seems to be checking for pursuit as he plots his course to the goal, ready to scramble and prepared to score again.

"Bull" Sullivan

Robert Victor “Bull” “Cyclone” Sullivan led the Lions of East Mississippi Junior College in Scooba during most of the 1950s and ‘60s. Celebrated as “The Toughest Coach There Ever Was” by Sports Illustrated, Sullivan has been inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1984, but had long before been inducted into the hearts of the players who learned from the big man.

In Watts’ sculpture, the coach turns out in uniform, a football helmet on the ground between his feet, as he reviews the paper in his hands.

Howard Chappell

High school coach Howard Chappell left an enduring mark on those fortunate enough to play football under his leadership at Deshler High School in Tuscumbia, Ala. He was a teammate of the late Paul “Bear” Bryant at Alabama and the 1932 yearbook labels him the “Sylacauga Flash.” From coaching, Chappell became principal and served with distinction there, as well.

Chappell attended the unveiling in 2004 when the bust created by Watts was dedicated along with Deshler’s Alumni Plaza. He joked that his statue was in a more beautiful location than Bear Bryant’s. The bust depicts him with hands at rest on a football, gazing out across the plaza filled with bricks bearing the names of his players.

To the Top! with USM

Watts shows the spirit of USM with a sculpture commissioned by the alumni association and depicting the school slogan, To the Top! Watts executed the piece as a golden eagle with wings spread, beak open in full cry. The eagle took its place atop a hill of stones as part of the Waites Fountain in the Phalen Courtyard of Ogletree Alumni House in 2009.

The building, currently under repair because of tornado damage suffered in February, 2013, originally housed the first president of Mississippi Normal College. As one of five original buildings left on USM’s Hattiesburg campus, the structure holds a treasured place in school history. The Watts sculpture was spared damage in the tornado and awaits the reopening of the facility to delight viewers once again.

Archery icon Fred Bear

Archery legend Fred Bear stands in full gear at Bass Pro Fishing’s Wonders of Wildlife Museum in Springfield, MO. Watts shows Bear carrying a bow and quiver, wearing binoculars, and packing out trophy antlers. Bear founded Bear Archery Company during the Depression, bringing the sport into a prominence not previously enjoyed. His contributions to the sport and the science of archery earned him the place in the WOW museum.

Originally appeared on 08/20/2013 at http://www.examiner.com/list/the-art-of-the-game-sports-sculptures-by-mississippi-native-ben-watts