FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. COC-08-022-SC
August 29, 2007
College of the Canyons Students Go Solo Playwrights experience the mixed feelings of pride and vulnerability when infusing their past experiences into their work. But when the playwright is also the actor, the sharing experience becomes more personal and meaningful. Last spring, 18 students at College of the Canyons wrote their own solo performance while taking the college's first Theatre 199 Solo Performance course, taught by Susan Hinshaw, chair of the Theatre Department at the college. "The students are doing fantastic, exciting work. I am so proud of them," said Hinshaw, who performs her own solo show, "Nirvana," in various venues across the country. "When we presented the work last spring in the Performing Arts Center, it was a wonderful evening of theatre--it was challenging, relevant and exciting," added Hinshaw. "They are continuing to present their work and are actually working as solo artists." After sharing their work at high schools, retirement homes, festivals, and most recently at The Repertory East Playhouse, the College of the Canyons students will perform 40 minutes of their shows in the college's Sociology Department Gender and Culture Issues lecture series running from September 17 through November 5 in room R-206 in the college's library. The lecture series is free and open to the public. Among the original vignettes created by the students that offer glimpses into class, sex and love are Andrea Plaud's "Anyone Can Be Lovely," which is about how the ugly duckling didn't turn into the swan. Ian Loveall's "Isn't that Manly?" takes a brief look at growing into manhood, and the societal pressures placed on the males in our society. Both performances will be presented during the lecture series at 2:30 p.m. on October 15 and 22 respectively. For more information about the solo performances or about the solo performance course being offered this fall semester, call Susan Hinshaw at (661) 362-3991 or visit the college website at www.canyons.edu. | 
