Arts & music returning to Jordan-Matthews this month

Siler City, NC – With recent changes in CDC and school pandemic guidelines, “The Lottery” will now be performed in the Jordan-Matthews auditorium — with more seats now available for the 30-minute, one-act play based on the story by Shirley Jackson and dramatized by Brainerd Duffield.

While J-M anticipate having enough tickets to meet all requests, seating is still limited. Ticket requests will be filled in this order: (1) Parents and family of cast and crew; (2) JMArts members; (3) JM students; and (4) the general public.

The cast includes Judith Berrios, JMArts Scholar Laci Burt, Calvin Conroy, Litzy Garcia, Louis Graham, Savannah Oldham, Wilson Ramos Meza, guest performer Collin Palmer, senior Hannah Redding, JMArts Scholar and senior Conrad Suits, Karsyn Vann and Maritza Zendejas. JMArts Scholar Paige Colborne is stage manager and Clara Rojas is stage crew. The play is directed by JM alum Jessica Nunn.

Click here to request free tickets to “The Lottery”
Click here for “The Lottery” poster
Click here for “The Lottery” cast list
Click here for “The Lottery” preliminary program
Click here for more about “The Lottery” performance

“Music for the City” and the 2021 Spring Art Show bring the arts back this month 

It’s not just theater that returns to JM this month! Instrumental music and visual art do, as well. “Music for the City” on May 13 features bands from Jordan-Matthews High School, Chatham Central High School, Chatham Middle School and Silk Hope School in an outdoor concert with a finale that features all musicians in a combined band with more than 100 performing.

And the 2021 Spring Art Show on May 26 features work by JM students of all grades and skill levels in a public, juried exhibition that awards first place, second place and honorable mention prizes.

Visit the JMArts website for more information about all scheduled events, including programs and admission policies.

2021 JMArts Scholars will be announced this month!

This year’s JMArts Scholars will be announced the first or second week of May, as soon as we receive some final confirmations about arts workshops the scholars will be pursuing this summer. While many annual workshops are not being held this summer because of the pandemic, others are operating virtually or even in-person under CDC and university guidelines.

JMArts’ inaugural ‘Stage Dance Workshop’ set for May 10 and 17 

The first formal dance instruction at JM in at least four decades will be offered this month with the five-hour JMArts Stage Dance Workshop, funded by members of JMArts and taught by Broadway theater and dance veteran Peggy Taphorn.

Scheduled for May 10 and 17, the workshop teaches dance terminology and basic steps, helps students understand what to expect at a dance audition and gives JM actors their first look at some choreography for next fall’s production of “Oklahoma!” The workshop is open to all interested students as space is available.

Taphorn has directed, choreographed and performed around the world, including numerous productions on Broadway, London’s West End, and touring the United States, Canada, South America and Asia. She is now in her 14th season as the Producing Artistic Director at Temple Theatre in Sanford.

 This workshop is presented by a Grassroots Grant from the Chatham County Arts Council. The Grassroots Grant Program is made possible by individual contributions to the Chatham County Arts Council’s general operating fund and by the Grassroots Arts Program of the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Quick notes

Alyssa Gaines Performs Impressive Recital. JMArts Scholar and 2018 Outstanding Graduate in Vocal Music Alyssa Gaines performed a recital on April 9 in the South Carolina School of the Arts at Anderson University. Her program included 11 works, beginning with several from the classical canon and ending with three Broadway show tunes. Alyssa is studying for the Bachelor of Music Education.

Congratulations, Hannah Redding! The JM actor who appeared as Narrator in “Into the Woods” and will be performing this month as Tessie Hutchison in “The Lottery” passed her state Certified Nursing Assistant exam.

JMArts Greeting Cards Are Now On Sale! What could be a better way to celebrate Mother’s Day, graduation, anniversaries — or any occasion — than to send a JMArts greeting card? The 4-by-5.5-inch cards feature “symbol of strength”, digital art by JMArts Scholar Tiana Brooks and are available for $10 for a set of 10 cards and 12 envelopes (plus $3 for shipping). Cards are available now at the JM main office or online at JMArtsGreetingCards.com.

 Rahkie-Mateen Mason Visits Turkey. JM art teacher Rahkie Mateen-Mason recently visited Turkey, where she experienced art at several locations, including Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Built in 537 as the patriarchal cathedral of the imperial capital of Constantinople, it reopened in 2020 as a mosque. She shared two photos of her visit on JMArts social media.

Local artists Barbara Hengstenberg and Bronwyn Watson have agreed to serve as judges for the 2021 Spring Art Show, scheduled for May 26 in the JM Media Center.