The Art of Passing Strange – Blog #1

My story being done,

She gave me for my pains a world of sighs;

She swore, in faith ’twas strange, ’twas passing strange ;

‘Twas pitiful. ’twas wondrous pitiful,

She wish’d she had not heard it, yet she wish’d

That heaven had made her such a man.

—Othello, the Moor of Venice, act 1, scene 3, lines 158–163

Those of you well versed in Jasper’s mission know that we are all about bringing together artists and patrons from a variety of arts disciplines as a way of growing and sustaining Columbia’s burgeoning arts community. So when Chad Henderson, director of Trustus Theatre’s upcoming play, Passing Strange, approached us about collaborating on a project which would bring the visual and performing arts together for an extended run this spring, we were delighted to get involved.

Here’s the deal, 10 local artists were invited to view a 2009 Spike Lee-directed film of the Broadway production of Passing Strange, a rock musical about a young man’s journey into enlightenment via his travels in Europe. Then, each artist was given two four by four canvasses on which to create the art that the film inspired. Those 20 canvasses will be used on the set of the musical throughout its Trustus run. Simple and beautiful, right?

Now here’s where you get involved.

Come to Trustus Theatre on Lady Street in Columbia’s Vista on Friday night, March 16th for the opening of The Art of Passing Strange. There will be music and entertainment — more on that below — snacks, a cash bar, and most importantly, you’ll have the opportunity to get up close and personal with the 20 paintings newly created for the musical as well as the artists who created them. And the exciting thing is this — the art is for sale. Throughout the run of the play, bid sheets for each painting will be available in the lobby and you’ll be able to register your bid for your favorite art. There are two especially cool things about this.

One, the artist gets 100% of the sale of her or his work.

And two, each painting will also feature a “Buy Now” price at which you can purchase the painting, close all other bids, and know then that you’ll be taking that art home at the end of the run of the show on April 14th.

For more information, read on below and visit The Art of Passing Strange’s Facebook page.

So, come out on the 16th for the art show opening — The Art of Passing Strange — and then return to the theatre during the March 23 – April 14 run to see the art on stage and take in this Tony winning rock musical, with local musical groups like Day Clean and The Mobros opening up each performance with a a free pre-show concert for theatre ticket holders.

And yes, Friends, this is how our community continues to grow. Stay tuned for more of What Jasper Said about the artists and their art in The Art of Passing Strange.

Trustus Theatre and Jasper Magazine present

THE ART OF PASSING STRANGE – a one-night only event!

PASSING STRANGE is a one-of-a-kind rock musical charts a young musician’s journey to find “the real” through an exploration of artistic voice and authenticity.

Trustus’ pro…duction of PASSING STRANGE marks a new level of inter-disciplinary creation – mixing theatre, dance, music, and visual art together for an unparalleled artistic event. Local visual artists will be creating 20 brand new pieces inspired by the show that will serve as the scenic design, and local singer/songwriters will be performing during pre-show.

THE ART OF PASSING STRANGE is the grand unveiling of the new pieces created for the show. Get an intimate experience with each piece before they make their way onto the set. Also, enjoy music performances by Major 2 Minor and a dance performance by Vibrations Dance Company. You’ll also get the chance to make your mark on the set – we will provide the paint, you bring the inspiration. The cash bar will be running – so join us at Trustus to celebrate a unique artistic collaboration in Columbia, SC!

Artists: Lisa Puryear, Michael Krajewski, Lindsay Wiggins, Cedric Umoja, Paul Kaufmann, Lucas Sams, Alex Smith, Thomas Crouch, Whitney LeJune, & David West

Admission is free!

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